2015 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro models drop Windows 7 support in Boot Camp

The good news is that Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro notebooks are pretty nifty. The bad news is that they won’t boot Windows 7 in Boot Camp. Apple’s official support documentation has it that Boot Camp only supports Windows 8 and 8.1 on the new devices; however, official Windows 10 support will likely roll out later in 2015.

This is the second time Apple has decided to give Windows 7 the cold shoulder. The late 2013 Mac Pro also ceased to support Windows 7 in Boot Camp boot, but other Macs released 2014 did support Microsoft’s operating system.

Apple hasn’t officially said if the lack of Windows 7 support for Boot Camp is the new normal going forward, but it seems likely. In January, Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 7, meaning the OS will only receive security updates for the next five years, and retail disc sales for Windows 7 ended in late 2013. With Microsoft winding down its own support of Windows 7, now is the ideal time for Apple to say goodbye to it as well.

Even so, Anyone who has Windows 7 discs kicking around will still be able to use the OS on the newer MacBooks—just not with Apple’s software. Third-party virtualization options such as Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion still support Windows 7 installs. If you need a free option there’s also VirtualBox, though Parallels or VMWare Fusion tend to offer better performance.

The lack of Windows 7 support with Boot Camp may annoy people who need it for work, but with the virtualization options around it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via Macworld, MacRumors and Apple’s Boot Camp Support Page