Apple’s move to the Intel Core chipset caught a lot of long-time Mac fans off-guard. They whined and moped for a while.
But now Apple has pulled anice trick from its sleeve: Boot Camp is a “technology preview” that allows owners of Intel-based Macs to install Windows XP on their Macs in a native, bootable format. Apple makes the process simple: a GUI-based installer, and a CD full of drivers for Apple’s hardware (e.g. Airport Extreme, Bluetooth, ATI X1600 graphics, the eject key on Apple keyboards). Installation is simple – typically Apple
We tested it at work today on an iMac, and it works flawlessly.
sprite
5 April 2006 — 14:07
Yeah, until your Microsoft product blows up, taking your nice, new Mac with it…
Grand Poobah
5 April 2006 — 14:10
Actually, all it will take is the small partition with Windows installed on it – the Mac OS side will be fine.
Dan
5 April 2006 — 16:36
Okay, that tears it. I’m getting one.
Grey Kitten
12 April 2006 — 15:17
I’m confused by the appeal.
Macs with MacOS are nice machines. They’re pretty, they’re easy to use and far easier to learn than windows (unless you’ve already been indoctrinated in windowsish and fear change), and they do some things – like working with graphics media – really, really well.
Sure, there’s much more developed for Windows. Does making your mac dual-boot help with that? If you want to run windows software, it seems a shame to have to reboot your mac into windows mode. If you don’t ever want to run MacOS, then why buy a Macintosh in the first place? You can get the same caliber parts and components for less $$$ to run XP.
It’s clear from Dan’s comment (if we allow a sample size of 1 to be considered significant) that the marketing tactic works – people who were having doubts about making “the switch” have their fears resolved by this. But… why?
sprite
12 April 2006 — 16:01
Well, if you lived in a dual-platform relationship with only one computer, this could allow you to make that one machine a Mac…