Hi. Long time no post. I can't believe with all the Mac users here that no-one has pointed this out:

http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/04/05/bootcamp/index.php

Apple just today officially released support for installing and booting Windows XP SP2 on any Intel based Mac. It's called Boot Camp, and it's supposedly super easy to use. Nothing like that crazy hack job that those guys came up which required you to practically be an MCSE to use. 40 minutes and you've got a dual boot system! This is huge folks!! They provide full support for XP drivers and everything- that means FULL VIDEO SUPPORT. That means Win based games running on your Mac at full speed!

Now, granted, this isn't virtualization- still requires rebooting, but can virtualization be far off? This is no doubt a very bold move by Apple. But the age old argument against owning a Mac- "not enough software" "no games", yada yada yada (however lame those excuses were) are basically gone, more or less.

Takes on this development?

Hey Om. I know what you mean, I looked for a post this afternoon and was suprised not to see one.

Dual boot Intel Macs means we don't have to wait for a Universal binary to get TT running on the new hardware. I lose yet another reason to wait a little longer to upgrade my old iMac. :P

Another thing would do for me is allow me to run some work related apps at home (Outlook, VPN, etc) that I can not do on my Mac. I wouldn't have to carry around a work laptop on vacations and weekend trips if I have a Mac laptop w/ dual boot. Told my father about this (just got his new MacBook) and he planned on installing Boot Camp and then his Windows based Atlas program tonight! I had to stop him and explain things a little more clearly, but I'm sure he'll be buying a copy of XP real soon.

I have read a few postings about virtualization coming in the next OS X release (Leopard). I hope the rumors turn out to be true.

Last edited: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 at 7:31:08 PM

Wait.... Wait... This is big news right. MacIntosh finally gives up and joins the rest of the world. Becomes just another hardware provider for the Microsoft operating system. Bill Gates is grinning from ear to ear.

And the Mac heads are excited about it???? :S

DUAL boot. Most who use both prefer the Mac OS.

Hey OM! Good seeing you again!

Here's the "Official Site"
http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

I like Apple's little 'disclaimer' under "Word to the Wise":

I.E. -- If you want to turn your Mac into a a piece of shit, go ahead! Ha!

Umm... So the mactel is now just an intel pc. Nothing much special anymore. (except the OS)

Wow... A lot of mac fanboys/girls here.

Racer445- Linux user.

Awesome. We're now one step closer to phasing out Mac's entirely. Let's just hope, huh?

OM, buddy, good to see ya again. Get yourself to Oakland on July 9!

http://supra.planetthinktanks2.com/archives/comm-thread.asp?thread=11998&forum=4

http://reagentx.home.comcast.net/WC_TT_convention.html

I'm not exactly sure how to view this. Yes, you only need to buy one piece of hardware to run both OS's but the Mac hardware is darn expensive to run a instance of XP on. I'm actually starting to think Apple is going to the crapper.

The whole attractive point to me in the past is I was able to escape using windows, It wasn't practical to do. With the Ipod change to USB from fire-wire, and the Intel processor change, to the Windows boot capabilities. These machines are just dancing around the fact that they are now geared to be Windows machines.

I have been forced by progression and advancement in my profession to use Windows and I feel that Apple is nudging my in the same way.

The trends at Apple have me uneasy, I'm not exactly sure what they are trying to do. Maybe a non-favored opinion of hardware and OS is in my future.

I'm a 20+ year Apple endorser and advocate.

Apple now has me flustered.

Last edited: Thursday, April 06, 2006 at 6:41:45 AM

Other than to run programs that only run in Windoze, why would anyone ever want to run XP on a Mac? OS X is so elegant and clean in comparison.

Imagine the joy of thousands of viruses, spyware and all that crud. I'm with Napalm, flustered. I don't really know what to make of this development, but quite frankly, I wonder if it's just a big publicity grabber.

PC users who had the excuse of not being able to run their software on a Mac now lost that excuse. The fact that XP can run on the Intel macs doesn't really make XP any better, just able to run on more machines.

I'm wondering how far away the opposite is... OS X running on a PC? If the chip architecture is similar enough to allow Windows on a Mac, is it reasonable to expect that OS X could run on a Wintel box? If not now, how difficult would it be to pull off with some development?

I've thought for 10 years or so that at some point the two operating systems would be able to run on both computers. Is it closer, or is it just my ignorance of specific details that keeps me thinking it could be possible?

Last edited: Thursday, April 06, 2006 at 7:58:45 AM

^ It's called OSX86. The hack got shut down but is still floating around on the net.

Linux installers now booting on the mactels. Woot.

Still not buying a mac,
Racer445

Brillant move by Steve Jobs!

No need for us to have a POS Dell available any longer.

We'll be trying Boot Camp out this weekend.

What a day!

Ya!

I never thought I'd see the day when windows would be able to run on mac, this is so cool!

:)

Even cooler- The Ubuntu Linux live CD now boots and runs on intel minis!

Still not buying a mac,
Racer445

Last edited: Thursday, April 06, 2006 at 2:22:31 PM

Just thought id keep Racer occupied.

Mac user for 11 years. Mactux Racer,
Pedro.

^ So... What are you saying? You run a PPC linux distribution on your mac you something?

Mactux?
Racer445

Awesome! We'll have access to PC games (which is the best that the PC worl has to offer) while continuing to live and work in Mac OS! %)

I'm a user of mac OS in my personal life and a PC in my professional life and I say this is a great idea. Nap and LGM, I think the appeal to mac users is really that Mac folks like the Mac OS much better. That has always been the biggest distingishing feature outside of not being able to run other apps. I think this move is primarily designed for Mac heads, rather than PC heads. If you like working with the windows OS, I doubt you care to run a mac OS...where as those who like the integration of Mac OS and mac apps over PC integration, then it's just a bonus to have the ability to run a crappy (eheheh) PC program on occassion.
As a guy who works on data-base technologies, I am forced to work with PCs in the work world... But love to relax with a mac when it comes to multi-media stuff at home.

Anywho.. I did have an outstanding question... A while back someone mentioned that TT won't play on the Intel processor Macs. Is this true? If so, I may hold off on upgrading my old mac.

The only way this will work well for me is if Widows applications run natively on OSX, or OSX is ported to run in an Intel environment. I find it a huge inconvenience to have to reboot to go into Windows.

For someone who may be hooked into a corporate environment via VPN, or some wackjob who hosts servers for silly tank games, rebooting to run a Windows app is just silly. Personally I would rather use Virtual PC if it's just to run an app. At least my connections wouldn't be severed. I want to run OSX with Access, or MS Outlook natively.

Until then, I'd just-as-soon keep them seperate, One to play on (my Mac), and one to use for voice (PC). Hehe

Last edited: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 at 12:36:56 PM

heh with this baby you're buying both a Mac and a PC. :) But then I think you're a Linux guy...