If you’re a MacBook user, you use Boot Camp to run Windows alongside Mac OS X, and you’re planning to get a new MacBook, you should be aware that Apple is quickly dropping support of Windows 7 on its new MacBook – you know, the one that only features one USB type C port –, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air.
Moving forward, if you purchase a new Mac and you want to dual-boot Mac OS X with Windows, you’ll need to choose Windows 8 or later.
More specifically, according to the Apple’s support site, Boot Camp on early-2015 13-inch MacBook Pro (retina), 13- and 11-inch MacBook Air, are only compatible with Windows 8 and newer versions.
This new change does not affect the requirements to install Windows 7 on older Mac computers. Apple has updated its Boot Camp system requirement support page with a comprehensive list of devices that still support Windows 7.
For those planning to get a new MacBook, luckily there are other solutions to run Windows 7 on the 2015 models of Mac that includes using virtualization software, such as VMware Fusion and Parallels – They are both paid software, but well worth it if you need to run Windows applications to get the work done. Basically, these solutions let users run Windows 7 fully and applications alongside Mac OS X and apps, the experience may not be one-hundred percent optimal, but it’s more than good enough.
Apple’s decision to drop support is not surprising, Windows 7 was first available in 2009, now it’s been close to six years, Windows 8 is out, and Windows 10 is scheduled to arrive during the summer. Although, Windows 7 is more than half a decade old, it’s still the most popular operating system in the world, but Apple feels it is time to let go, even though people have yet adapted to Windows 8.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].