Hi,
I had the same problem.
My system:
MacBook Pro 17 / 2 GB RAM / ATI x1600

First, It was crashing while trying to display the boxes in the “Licence Administrator”… I knew it was the ATI drivers and tools… I used to have an ATI 8500… years ago… and it caused the same problem… so i know it was the software trying to draw OpenGL inteface… and ATI was crashing…

So booted XP in safe-mode (pressing F8 at the boot up)… And installed my licence… it worked this time (the Licence Admin. worked)…

But I knew that these ATI tools will cause trouble…

I booted normally… uninstalled the ATI drivers… tried to install the new ones from the WEB… But did not work!? So just installed the old ones from the “C:\Program Files\Macintosh Drivers for Windows XP” or something like that… this folder is created temporarly by the Driver installer… created by Boot Camp…

Any way… so It is quite complicated… I am not sure what I did… but all the ATI tools are back… the driver is back… full OpenGL support… the windows in Licence Admin. are not crashing any more… Houdini works great…

Everything is fine… Do you think that I have may changed some driver files… and so… this may cause prblems with the Apple hardware?…

I do not know… like… is there a possibility to make the GPU over heat or seomething by installing different drivers… that are not compatible with Apple stuff….

Why we are not able to install the latest drivers from ATI for XP on MacBook Pro? It says… “the system is not supported” something…
but… it is a ATI X1600…

wierd…

And…

Yes Houdini works great on MacBook PRO… XP…
Just this issue about the ATI x1600 and all those crappy ATI tools and drivers… you somehow have to remove/re-install do something…

But do not go with the OpenGL: off methode… it is waste of time…

As I said before… I played with the driver thing… and have it ok now. OpenGL is on… everything is very smooth… It works just as a normal XP computer… because it is an Intel based system… it is not much different than the Dell notbooks…

just that it Runs OSX Shake FinalCut PRO …

I do not understand…. why people are not able to admit… that an Intel based MAC will run XP as an ordinary Intel based computer…
It is not a simulation… it is not an emulation… it is not Virtual PC… it is real XP… and it sucks as a real one…



Anyway… At the lab… we have UBUNTU (Linux) Which runs everything… except Photoshop

Linux rules!!! No problem… very very stable… very very smooth…


Just was not able to install my WACOM…

But everything else is just perfect…

Symbolic
Anyway… At the lab… we have UBUNTU (Linux) Which runs everything… except Photoshop

And “everything” means what, actually? Houdini, Shake?
If you run Photoshop or FCP on it, let us know

Sy.

yeah yeah… smart…

It is a dedicated system to run Shake, Houdini, Maya etc. has the power of unix… uses resources reasonably… if you are not going into FX or 3D… and want to stick with 2D (Photoshop, Illsutrator)… use a PowerPC with OSX on it… G5, PowerBook… etc. Still has the power of the UNIX environment…

So A nice PowerBook (OSX) for 2D and a Linux workstation for 3D/FX will do it…