Apple on Tuesday drew excitement from its Intel Mac customers as it introduced Boot Camp, public beta software that enables Intel-based Macs to also runÂ*Windows XP natively.
The software, which is available as a download beginning today, allows users withÂ*aÂ*Microsoft Windows XP installation disc to install Windows XP on an Intel-based Mac, and once installation is complete, users can restart their computer to run either Mac OS X or Windows XP.
Boot Camp will beÂ*a feature in Â?Leopard,Â? AppleÂ?s next major release of Mac OS X, that will be previewed at AppleÂ?s Worldwide Developer Conference in August, the company also confirmed for the first time.
Â?Apple has no desire or plan to sell or support Windows, but many customers have expressed their interest to run Windows on AppleÂ?s superior hardware now that we use Intel processors,Â? said Philip Schiller, AppleÂ?s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. Â?We think Boot Camp makes the Mac even more appealing to Windows users considering making the switch.Â?
Boot Camp simplifies Windows installation on an Intel-based Mac by providing a simple graphical step-by-stepÂ*assistant applicationÂ*to dynamically create a second partition on the hard drive for Windows, to burn a CD with all the necessary Windows drivers, and to install Windows from a Windows XP installation CD.Â*After installation is complete, users can choose to run either Mac OS X or Windows when they restart their computer.
Pricing & Availability
The public beta of Boot Camp is available immediately as a download atÂ*Apple's Boot Camp Web page, andÂ*is preview software licensed for use on a trial basis for a limited time.Â*The final version of Boot Camp will be available as a feature in the upcoming Mac OS X version 10.5 "Leopard."
Apple will not provide support for installing or running Boot Camp and does not sell or support Microsoft Windows software. Apple, hwoever, is welcoming user feedback on Boot Camp atÂ*[email protected].
System Requirements
Boot Camp requires an Intel-based Mac with a USB keyboard and mouse, or a built-in keyboard and TrackPad; Mac OS X version 10.4.6 or later; the latest firmware update; at least 10GB of free space on the startup disk; a blank recordable CD or DVD; and single-disc version ofÂ*Windows XP Home Edition or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later.
The big question is how this software relates to open source project that was released a couple of weeks ago. I think it is the same wrapped in Apples own installer.
Anders,
I'm surprised at you... Do you REALLY think Apple didn't have this plan (even if 'on the back burner') from the beginning. Heck it was Apple that made the first public Intel-Macs not able to boot XP in the first place. The developer boxes were bios based not EFI based and it was Apple that made the new EFI setup 'just difficult enough' for them to not boot XP - well almost - the revenge of the geeks strikes again (sans accelerated video support)!
What I'd bet....
Apple had this plan all along but wanted to wait till one of the following:
1 - The Pro machines were shipping/announced
2 - The Intel iBooks were shipping
3 - Something else - WWDC perhaps (but that woulda been kinda weird)
4 - Virtualization was available on the Intel CPUs so you didn't NEED to choose what to boot in.
One think I think the 'OnMac' contest did was force Apples hand and get this out now before the other solution got a real following/foothold.
Let's hope that Leopard allows side by side running because rebooting to do a drawing and then rebooting to do the quote just won't cut it in the business world.
I need to switch between them as fast as my KVM switch does.
1. PC users: Please insert the install disc and blah blah blah
2. Mac users: please boot to your windows partition and follow step 1 (above)
Dear Apple insider user with the "Indecisive PC user" handle:
It has come to our attention that you have posted our trade secret plans for the forthcoming Creative Suit software application package. This is a misuse of illgotten information, we hensforth demand the following:
1.the offencive post be removed from Appleinsider
addendum 1a: that all responses to the post be removed.
2: that you cece and desist in posting internal information that you have about Adobe inc in any public place.
Hmmm, so many implications... Apple as a Windows developer (which they already are). This seems to totally erase any issues with Microsoft being a competitor.
Did anyone else notice that in the installer, it doesn't erase all your data to repartition the hard drive? Perhaps this signals another new feature of Leapord!?
You kind of feel sorry for all the hard work those guys put into it though. Well, maybe not sorry for the two who won 14 grand.
Not at all, it is a real life revenge of the nerds, we wanted to dual boot, Apple made that unreasonably difficult, so in stead of lying down, the community went to work...
Hmmm, so many implications... Apple as a Windows developer (which they already are). This seems to totally erase any issues with Microsoft being a competitor.
Two applications available hardly makes them a windows developer
Did anyone else notice that in the installer, it doesn't erase all your data to repartition the hard drive? Perhaps this signals another new feature of Leapord!?
Apple has just made their hardware more valuable than anything from Dell or HP because it cane run: Mac OS X, Linux and Windows XP (and probably Vista if that is ever released).
The "OS/2 Effect" concerns me a little here. Now, in fairness the comparison is a little weak since IBM was trying to get developers to develop for OS/2 while Apple already has developers developing and shipping applications for OS X.
Apple's challenge is/was/will-continue-to-be making OS X compelling enough to develop for and having truly compelling applications for it.
Now...what this move could do is "goose" their market share enough (double in 5 years?) thus increasing the installed base of OS X (something compelling for OS X developers) and buy them some more time to continue pushing OS X's "state of the art".
This is a potentially risky move. But without great risk, there is rarely great reward. This is a calculate gamble on their part. Probably a smart one.
Devorak said apple would drop Mac OS X and replace it with Windows!
This is just Windows as an option (notice you have to press the OPTION key, he he) if you so choose to use it, i.e. if the place you work at still lives in the dark ages, which let's face it, is possible!
You seem to have missed the fact that in either OS, a person can select Windows to be the default OS whenever the machine is booted. That means that in a given household, all of the users could use the machine (except for the person who chose the option) without ever seeing OS X. That is not quite ditching OS X. But it is close enough so the Dvorak was not as wrong as any of us thought he was.
This is a potentially risky move. But without great risk, there is rarely great reward. This is a calculate gamble on their part. Probably a smart one.
I highly doubt its very risky. Do you honestly believe Adobe would abandon Mac in favor of windows in light of this? Or any other developers for that matter?
Well, this is pretty useless, neither of the XP licenses/disks I have are Service Pack 2 based. This might have helped me decide to get an Intel Mac mini sooner, so I could get rid of the aging PC I keep around for Windows stuff. I'm not going to buy another copy of Windows just to do it though.
Since this is probably true for most anyone with a system older than a couple years, this doesn't seem like that useful of an approach. Apple ought to be aiming for people with aging XP systems as a way to get them over to Mac OS. People with newer copies of XP probably aren't the ones who will go out and buy a Mac just to run XP on it.
Comments
The software, which is available as a download beginning today, allows users withÂ*aÂ*Microsoft Windows XP installation disc to install Windows XP on an Intel-based Mac, and once installation is complete, users can restart their computer to run either Mac OS X or Windows XP.
Boot Camp will beÂ*a feature in Â?Leopard,Â? AppleÂ?s next major release of Mac OS X, that will be previewed at AppleÂ?s Worldwide Developer Conference in August, the company also confirmed for the first time.
Â?Apple has no desire or plan to sell or support Windows, but many customers have expressed their interest to run Windows on AppleÂ?s superior hardware now that we use Intel processors,Â? said Philip Schiller, AppleÂ?s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. Â?We think Boot Camp makes the Mac even more appealing to Windows users considering making the switch.Â?
Boot Camp simplifies Windows installation on an Intel-based Mac by providing a simple graphical step-by-stepÂ*assistant applicationÂ*to dynamically create a second partition on the hard drive for Windows, to burn a CD with all the necessary Windows drivers, and to install Windows from a Windows XP installation CD.Â*After installation is complete, users can choose to run either Mac OS X or Windows when they restart their computer.
Pricing & Availability
The public beta of Boot Camp is available immediately as a download atÂ*Apple's Boot Camp Web page, andÂ*is preview software licensed for use on a trial basis for a limited time.Â*The final version of Boot Camp will be available as a feature in the upcoming Mac OS X version 10.5 "Leopard."
Apple will not provide support for installing or running Boot Camp and does not sell or support Microsoft Windows software. Apple, hwoever, is welcoming user feedback on Boot Camp atÂ*[email protected].
System Requirements
Boot Camp requires an Intel-based Mac with a USB keyboard and mouse, or a built-in keyboard and TrackPad; Mac OS X version 10.4.6 or later; the latest firmware update; at least 10GB of free space on the startup disk; a blank recordable CD or DVD; and single-disc version ofÂ*Windows XP Home Edition or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Originally posted by Anders
The big question is how this software relates to open source project that was released a couple of weeks ago. I think it is the same wrapped in Apples own installer.
Anders,
I'm surprised at you... Do you REALLY think Apple didn't have this plan (even if 'on the back burner') from the beginning. Heck it was Apple that made the first public Intel-Macs not able to boot XP in the first place. The developer boxes were bios based not EFI based and it was Apple that made the new EFI setup 'just difficult enough' for them to not boot XP - well almost - the revenge of the geeks strikes again (sans accelerated video support)!
What I'd bet....
Apple had this plan all along but wanted to wait till one of the following:
1 - The Pro machines were shipping/announced
2 - The Intel iBooks were shipping
3 - Something else - WWDC perhaps (but that woulda been kinda weird)
4 - Virtualization was available on the Intel CPUs so you didn't NEED to choose what to boot in.
One think I think the 'OnMac' contest did was force Apples hand and get this out now before the other solution got a real following/foothold.
That I have no doubt about.
Dave
1. PC users: Please insert the install disc and blah blah blah
2. Mac users: please boot to your windows partition and follow step 1 (above)
<ducks>
I need to switch between them as fast as my KVM switch does.
Originally posted by Indecisive PC user
Adobe Creative Suite 3 installation instructions:
1. PC users: Please insert the install disc and blah blah blah
2. Mac users: please boot to your windows partition and follow step 1 (above)
Dear Apple insider user with the "Indecisive PC user" handle:
It has come to our attention that you have posted our trade secret plans for the forthcoming Creative Suit software application package. This is a misuse of illgotten information, we hensforth demand the following:
1.the offencive post be removed from Appleinsider
addendum 1a: that all responses to the post be removed.
2: that you cece and desist in posting internal information that you have about Adobe inc in any public place.
Adobe legal team.
Originally posted by DaveGee
One think I think the 'OnMac' contest did was force Apples hand and get this out now before the other solution got a real following/foothold.
That I have no doubt about.
Dave
You kind of feel sorry for all the hard work those guys put into it though. Well, maybe not sorry for the two who won 14 grand.
Originally posted by DeaPeaJay
You kind of feel sorry for all the hard work those guys put into it though. Well, maybe not sorry for the two who won 14 grand.
Not at all, it is a real life revenge of the nerds, we wanted to dual boot, Apple made that unreasonably difficult, so in stead of lying down, the community went to work...
Originally posted by clonenode
Hmmm, so many implications... Apple as a Windows developer (which they already are). This seems to totally erase any issues with Microsoft being a competitor.
Two applications available hardly makes them a windows developer
Originally posted by andrewcod
Did anyone else notice that in the installer, it doesn't erase all your data to repartition the hard drive? Perhaps this signals another new feature of Leapord!?
You were already able to do that I believe.
Apple has just made their hardware more valuable than anything from Dell or HP because it cane run: Mac OS X, Linux and Windows XP (and probably Vista if that is ever released).
The "OS/2 Effect" concerns me a little here. Now, in fairness the comparison is a little weak since IBM was trying to get developers to develop for OS/2 while Apple already has developers developing and shipping applications for OS X.
Apple's challenge is/was/will-continue-to-be making OS X compelling enough to develop for and having truly compelling applications for it.
Now...what this move could do is "goose" their market share enough (double in 5 years?) thus increasing the installed base of OS X (something compelling for OS X developers) and buy them some more time to continue pushing OS X's "state of the art".
This is a potentially risky move. But without great risk, there is rarely great reward. This is a calculate gamble on their part. Probably a smart one.
Originally posted by Ireland
Devorak said apple would drop Mac OS X and replace it with Windows!
This is just Windows as an option (notice you have to press the OPTION key, he he) if you so choose to use it, i.e. if the place you work at still lives in the dark ages, which let's face it, is possible!
You seem to have missed the fact that in either OS, a person can select Windows to be the default OS whenever the machine is booted. That means that in a given household, all of the users could use the machine (except for the person who chose the option) without ever seeing OS X. That is not quite ditching OS X. But it is close enough so the Dvorak was not as wrong as any of us thought he was.
Originally posted by Chris Cuilla
This is a potentially risky move. But without great risk, there is rarely great reward. This is a calculate gamble on their part. Probably a smart one.
I highly doubt its very risky. Do you honestly believe Adobe would abandon Mac in favor of windows in light of this? Or any other developers for that matter?
i'm sure leopard will have more than we're expecting and this will seem like no big deal!
Since this is probably true for most anyone with a system older than a couple years, this doesn't seem like that useful of an approach. Apple ought to be aiming for people with aging XP systems as a way to get them over to Mac OS. People with newer copies of XP probably aren't the ones who will go out and buy a Mac just to run XP on it.
Originally posted by sandau
so the question is...how long until apple adds the $129 option to have Win XP preinstalled in a partition?
$129? Surely that's the upgrade price?
A plain copy here in the UK is about £250 retail.
Originally posted by sandau
Then what's next after that...an XP only Mac? Where does the madness end?
Cue Steve Jobs on stage...
"Announcing today, we're replacing .Mac with AOL. We think it's really cool.. "