Apple is dropping official support for Windows 7 via Boot Camp on the 2013 Mac Pro, according to a quiet update to an Apple support document this month. Going forward, only 64-bit Boot Camp Windows 8 will be supported on the company’s latest flagship Mac.
The news was discovered via Twocanoes Software and reported this week by MacWindows. While the unique hardware in the 2013 Mac Pro may be the primary reason for requiring the latest version of Windows, the move could also signal Apple’s intent to drop support for older versions of Windows in Boot Camp on future Macs.
Windows 7, released in 2009, is still supported by Microsoft and is currently the most popular version of Windows by usage share. As most of the 2013 Mac Pro’s hardware is, at its core, based on standard PC specifications, it’s unclear why Apple would cease support for Windows 7. Windows 8 is also a capable operating system, with robust support for a wide range of hardware, but its controversial nature may cause concern for Mac Pro purchasers who were counting on the ability to run Windows 7.
Those who need access to older versions of Windows can use virtualization software, such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion, to manage multiple virtual machines from within OS X, but even the best software can’t match the performance of native operation via Boot Camp. This means that power users who need Windows-only software and gamers looking for titles that aren’t yet available on OS X may need to use Windows 8 if they want native performance. However, it’s also possible that the Windows 8 drivers provided by Apple in Boot Camp could be implemented on the 64-bit version of Windows 7, with or without modification.
We’ll be looking into this change further here at TekRevue. If there’s a scenario you’d like us to test, leave a comment or send us a tweet.
