Windows 8.1 experience as of mid 2014: does apple have proper drivers now?

Hello macheads, have there been any improvements in driver support for windows 8.1?

There is a lot of noise on the internet about crappy touch pad drivers, overheating and buttons not functioning but those seem to be pretty old posts. I need to run windows but am debating getting a macbook pro 13 since the ativ book 9 plus that I also like is about 600 dollars more expensive where I live.

I'd like to hear from people who actually use windows daily so if you tried it 6 months ago that's cool too but doesn't really tell me much.

Thanks for the help!

 

you didnt specify whether you mean Boot Camp or Virtual Machine (Parallels, VMWare Fusion). I believe that VMs have better drivers and get better support. Cause Apple dont really want you to boot windows in BootCamp, so they dont put a lot of effort into supporting it and optimizing drivers. Companies that develop VMs on the other hand ... it s their main business ...

 

Thanks, I meant through bootcamp or even a native EFI install.

 

Apple released a Windows driver package in February that brings support for Windows 8.1. Keep in mind Windows compatibility never has been, nor ever will be, a priority for Apple for obvious reasons. The drivers are there to provide basic functionality. The trackpad will never work the same way as it does in OS X, the system will run warmer, and battery life will be reduced. The latter two issues are not as prevalent on the 13-inch models since they use low-voltage CPUs and integrated graphics, but they are there.

 

If you plan to boot into Windows regularly, I recommend considering a desktop Mac. Or just going with a Windows device. BootCamp is great but it's definitely not optimized. I had some luck finding third party support for my Mighty Mouse but I stick to a Logitech mouse on Windows.


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Thanks for the advice guys. I decided not to get a mac and bought a xps 13 instead. I was really surprised when I got it because I didn't really expect it to compete with apple's build quality. Everything about it is just superb so I'm really happy.

 

In my experience, the trackpad on an Apple laptop works better in Windows than the trackpad that comes with most Windows computers. Ever since Apple started using a multitouch trackpad in all of their computers, PC manufacturers have been trying to copy and most of the time, fail miserably. A perfect example is the Asus Q501. It has a trackpad made by Elan (never heard of them), but uses proprietary Asus drivers, which make the trackpad borderline unusable.