I’m a Mac user…but need Windows for tunes?

[BT719]

Like the title mentions, I’m a Mac user and have been advised against doing tune flashes using a virtual Windows environment, so looks like I’ll need a cheap windows laptop. Are there any other benefits for Windows for our platforms or do I just need the simplest one I can find? Assemble, fellow nerds!

[BucDan]

The cheapest and simplest one is fine.

[hpclayto]

Yep I bought the cheapest one with windows just to flash my cars.

[BucDan]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/25483994738...2d90c888120INT

Coupon code: PICKCR10

Comes with two year warranty with Allstate.

[heartmys4]

You can use Bootcamp* and install Windows on your Mac. This is NOT a virtual environment like running a VM or Parallels.

*Assuming you have an Intel-based Mac

[Ashtonts]

You can use Bootcamp* and install Windows on your Mac. This is NOT a virtual environment like running a VM or Parallels.

*Assuming you have an Intel-based Mac

Chris at EPL insists this won’t work for flashing their tunes due to some hardware limitations. I wouldn’t be surprised if other tunes are the same. I do believe boot camp will work for VCDS, but I’d just grab an el cheapo windows machine and call it a day. I found one for $100 on fb marketplace which is almost worth it to avoid the headache that is bootcamp alone.

[Chris@EPL]

Chris at EPL insists this won’t work for flashing their tunes due to some hardware limitations. I wouldn’t be surprised if other tunes are the same. I do believe boot camp will work for VCDS, but I’d just grab an el cheapo windows machine and call it a day. I found one for $100 on fb marketplace which is almost worth it to avoid the headache that is bootcamp alone.

Not that it won't work, just that it is not recommenced. A real Windows 8 or newer device has a lot more safety built in than a mac running VM or bootcamp or parallels.

[B18b1ex]

I got a cheap Lenovo just for EPL tune and VCDS on offer up for $150. It’s probably the easiest fix.


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[BT719]

Thanks, all. I guess I can quit bitching about a $150 computer to install $1K worth of tunes...ha

[BT719]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/25483994738...2d90c888120INT

Coupon code: PICKCR10

Comes with two year warranty with Allstate.

Made me grin. I do PR for the Good Hands.

[BT719]

Not that it won't work, just that it is not recommenced. A real Windows 8 or newer device has a lot more safety built in than a mac running VM or bootcamp or parallels.

Thank you. Those were the magic words I needed to hear.

[Ashtonts]

Not that it won't work, just that it is not recommenced. A real Windows 8 or newer device has a lot more safety built in than a mac running VM or bootcamp or parallels.

Gotcha. Misunderstood when we talked about it last (it’s been awhile lol). Either way certainly a good option to have a dedicated windows machine for car stuff 👍🏻

[heartmys4]

Not that it won't work, just that it is not recommenced. A real Windows 8 or newer device has a lot more safety built in than a mac running VM or bootcamp or parallels.

I understand a tuner doesn't want to have to play tech support for their customers computers, but this is just flat out not true. There's nothing inherently different from a Lenovo or HP or Dell running Windows, than from a Macbook running Windows (via bootcamp).

[Chris@EPL]

I understand a tuner doesn't want to have to play tech support for their customers computers, but this is just flat out not true. There's nothing inherently different from a Lenovo or HP or Dell running Windows, than from a Macbook running Windows (via bootcamp).

From what we have found over the years it is true with our software. Our owner is a huge mac guy and tried for years to have it be just as safe. That may have been more of what was available a few years ago as we have been doing remote flashing for a very long time now.

[fastboatster]

I understand a tuner doesn't want to have to play tech support for their customers computers, but this is just flat out not true. There's nothing inherently different from a Lenovo or HP or Dell running Windows, than from a Macbook running Windows (via bootcamp).

and there's zero reason other than development cost reduction and laziness to even have to use a laptop in 2021. it can be done from the phone like, say, here:
https://www.protuningfreaks.com/prod...mpetition-tune
or there:
https://mhdtuning.com/products/mhd-s...icense-for-n55
and there:
https://www.dynospectrum.com/

but I guess it's not worth dumping money into this platform and cash is flowing as is, plus most of the "custom" features are an overkill for standard single pulley, dual pulley stuff.

[Ashtonts]

I understand a tuner doesn't want to have to play tech support for their customers computers, but this is just flat out not true. There's nothing inherently different from a Lenovo or HP or Dell running Windows, than from a Macbook running Windows (via bootcamp).

Hardware wise, I agree with your comment. But I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Apple’s EFI/firmware/etc on the machine is responsible for what Chris is talking about. That stuff is very proprietary and I would imagine significantly different than a windows machine.

[heartmys4]

From what we have found over the years it is true with our software. Our owner is a huge mac guy and tried for years to have it be just as safe. That may have been more of what was available a few years ago as we have been doing remote flashing for a very long time now.

Not wanting to spend the resources or having the expertise to write an OSX port of the flashing utility is totally understandable - it would negligibly increase your market while costing a ton. And not wanting to have to hold someone's hand while they figure out how to install a new operating system - and help them troubleshoot why your software isn't working when they neglected to install the correct drivers - would probably end up costing you more in support than you'd make selling the software. I would even totally buy it if you said that a non-insignificant number of lightning bolt/USB-C to USB-A adapters you've tested would drop connections while flashing.

But to say that "A real Windows 8 or newer device has a lot more safety built in than a mac running VM or bootcamp or parallels" is just unsubstantiated nonsense. What I take that to mean is "there's so few safeguards in the flashing utility, that the slightest hiccup can cause the flash to fail, so we recommend you take out as many external variables as you can, like USB-C to USB-A dongles or a fresh install with old/incorrect/no drivers".

Hardware wise, I agree with your comment. But I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Apple’s EFI/firmware/etc on the machine is responsible for what Chris is talking about. That stuff is very proprietary and I would imagine significantly different than a windows machine.

There is no prototypical "Windows machine". A Windows machine is a computer running Windows. The firmware running in other manufacturers devices can be proprietary, and there isn't one single firmware that a "Windows machine" runs. There are tons of manufacturers using thousands of different combinations of components to built a computer to run Windows - and to say that every single one of them has more "safety" is a bit crazy.

[tpivette89]

I have an old dual-core MacBook Pro that I swapped an SSD in that exclusively runs Windows 10. I use this laptop for tuning and VCDS only. It never sees the net other than to open emails to get my new files, or to update different tuners programs.

I have been using it this way for the last few years with no issues. It has tuned my Taurus SHO, my S4, and my new Jetta GLI. Various tuners programs and tunes have been on this device without fail... AJPTurbo, Gearhead, 034, EQT, SCT, and Cobb (off the top of my head).

There shouldn't be any difference using Windows on a Mac vs any of the other laptop brands out there. Windows adapts and installs the correct drivers based on your hardware (CPU/GPU/etc) through updates, whether automatic or searched for. If there is a safety issue, it's due to virus's targeting the Windows operating system itself, not your specific hardware. Just be careful what you do/open on the internet and you shouldn't have any problems, no matter what spec your machine is.

However, I have no experience with Parallels or other VMs to run the operating system. I have always installed it directly on a hard drive and made it the sole operating system. I have other devices to run Mac OS, and do not have the need to dual boot. At the very least, I would install a partition and put Windows on that, if you have to run both on the same device.

[audigsr]

I've used boot camp successfully on my '12 MacBook pro using windows 7 in my old 335i and with the s4 with vagcom and stage 1 ecu/tcu tunes with no issues whatsoever.

[SashaG]

I tried a bunch of different virtual environments (Parallels, etc) but the only one that worked for me (034 tune) was VMWare Fusion with a license. The rest didn't work (Macbook Pro 2016).

[KaseySullivan]

Hello there! I noticed that this is an older forum post, but I still wanted to offer my assistance. As a fellow Mac user, I understand the struggle of having to use Windows for certain tasks. If you're looking for a simple Windows laptop, I recommend checking out budget options on sites like Amazon or Best Buy. You don't need anything too fancy, just something that can get the job done. On a related note, have you tried clearing your cache to speed up your Mac? It's a simple process that can make a big difference. Here's a link to a helpful guide on how to clear your cache: https://cleanmymac.com/how-to-clear-cache. I hope this information is helpful to you. Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns!