Not really...

Mar 21, 2006 14:35 GMT  ·  By

There have been several reports of issues regarding the fan control on Macs running Windows XP. Several information sources have also warned that the fans do not power up, meaning that there is the potential for overheating and 'frying' your Mac's processor or some other component.

This is untrue. The Apple software that controls the fans keeps them down, not up? meaning that if the software were not present, the fans would be at a constant full blast, instead of inactive. This issue is well known to those who have used other, non-Windows, operating systems on their Macs. The fans are working when running Windows XP, they are just quiet, that is why some users might not have noticed them.

In the case of the MacBook Pro, in which heat would be a serious issue, the fans are also working, but, because they are not being regulated and are basically running all the time, it can lead to battery drain at a much faster rate than normal.

The lack of drivers is an issue for many things, such as graphics, but not when it comes to the fans? They might not be intelligently controlled, by they are working, and there is little to no chance of actually damaging your Mac if you are using it under normal circumstances.