Partial-Wiktory!

[mousme]

It looks like I may be able to run L4D on my Mac after all. That being said, I have no idea how to make this work. Maybe one of my local computer-savvy friends could help me with this one day? *bats eyelashes* I will cook for you and give you booze if you do!

See, it turns out that if I load something called Boot Camp on my computer, and then do something involving partitioning and installing Windows, then I'll be able to do it. This will also give me, as far as I can tell, the ability to run Windows software like Word and others without my Mac being a total pain in the ass about it.

Is there anyone local who can help me? Or can you point me toward a computer person whom I can pay to do this for me? Please please please pretty please with a cherry on top?

Comments

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

W00t!

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I became a member of the L4D forum and asked. I figured if they didn't know, then no one would know. :)

Twenty-three people answered within 24 hours, and only one of them was a troll who essentially said something like: "Haha Mac suxx0rz and so do you!" Except he was actually kind of polite.

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

So this has been done before, then? Double w00t! We need a fourth :).

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Yup!

A few people appear to be running it on partitioned computers. The other solution would be to get an external hard drive, and run Boot Camp at the same time. All of this means that I need someone who knows what they're doing to help me set it all up.

Option 3 is, of course, to get a separate PC just for games, but I'm not willing to do that just yet...

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

Well, if you decide to get a gaming PC, lemme know; I get an employee discount...

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I really don't have the money for that these days. What with furniture and painting and the like, I can't see myself shelling out the cash for that on top of everything else. :P

[ai731.livejournal.com]

I really don't want to rain on your parade here, but I've run partitioned dual-boot computers for years, so have some small experience in the process (though never on a Mac, I admit)...

1. Are you sure LD4 won't run under a Windows emulator? Emulators are resource hogs, of course, but less potentially damaging than re-partitioning your HD.
2. Have you checked which chipset your mac has? Boot Camp requires an Intel-based Mac.
3. Whatever you do be sure to defragment your HD before running the partitioner!
4. You'll still need to acquire a copy of Windows XP Home somehow.
5. Windows is going to run slower than Mac OS on the same hardware. Does your current computer have enough ooomph to run this game?
6. IMHO, if you haven't done this sort of thing before, you really should get someone who knows more about Mac OS X to do it for you...

[mousme.livejournal.com]

1- I have no idea. I wouldn't even know a Windows emulator if it came up and bit me.

2- Yep. I have an Intel-based Mac. All is well there.

3- I'm not planning to do it myself, but duly noted.

4- Yep. Will work on that.

5- As far as I can tell, the current computer has more than enough oomph to run the game.


6. IMHO, if you haven't done this sort of thing before, you really should get someone who knows more about Mac OS X to do it for you...

Hence why I asked for someone local who knows what they're doing to come do it for me in exchange for beer, food, and possible extra remuneration, depending on how hard it is to do...

[le-maistre-e.livejournal.com]

3. Whatever you do be sure to defragment your HD before running the partitioner!

Having owned Macs for a while, and knowing a bit about PCs, I am not 100% sure that you can defrag a Mac, or if it is even possible....

But then again, computers for me are nothing much more that a means to the Inter-- um, an end, yeah, that's it, an end *whistles innocently*. Points 1 through 5, therefore, other than the defragging stuff, are only slightly more understandable than Chinese. :-)

[mousme.livejournal.com]

You can't exactly defrag the HD, but Mac does it automatically for you when you update your software. Keen, eh?

[le-maistre-e.livejournal.com]

Wow, soooo did NOT know that.

Thanks for the intel. :-)