Boot Camp - Apple simplifies Windows XP on Intel Macs
Apr 07, '06 06:40:00AM
Contributed by: robg

The macosxhints Rating:

[Score: 9 out of 10]
This week's Pick of the Week is obviously very late. However, the pick itself is the reason that the pick is so late, as I've been spending a lot of time using it, so at least I have an excuse.
Unless you've been away from the net this week, you probably heard about Boot Camp, Apple's new easy-to-use package that helps you get Windows XP running on your Intel-based Mac. As of a couple weeks ago, you could do this using the information from the OnMac project, but that solution was far from simple. It was also missing some key drivers, like those that provide native video, so gaming and high-end graphics programs were out of the question.
Boot Camp, by contrast, is about as easy to use as it gets, and includes all the required drivers. If you're one of those who needs occasional access to a Windows machine, Apple has now taken away pretty much any need to purchase another hardware box; install Boot Camp, partition the boot drive (no reformat required), install Windows XP, and boot into it when you need it. I've spent a few days playing with Boot Camp on my Core Duo mini -- I wrote about the install and first experiences in this First Look article for Macworld earlier this week.
Over the week, I've found that the Core Duo mini makes a fine Windows XP machine -- it's nearly silent, it boots quite quickly (about 40 seconds from boot to usable Desktop, though OS X is about twice as fast to boot on the same box), and everything that should work in XP seems to work just fine -- it's a true Windows XP box, so there are no issues with compatibility or speed (note that not all Mac hardware will work, such as the remote or built-in iSights on the iMac and MacBook Pro). I tested Office 2003, Photoshop, InDesign, and a number of games, along with periperhals such as printers, USB gaming devices, and FireWire hard drives. Everything just works.
And once you've figured out that OS X is where you'd like to spend 100% of your time, Boot Camp makes it very simple to remove the Windows XP installation as well -- no reformat required.
Although still a beta (back up your files!), I've had no issues with Boot Camp (nor XP, for that matter). For taking a complex task and making it simple, Apple's Boot Camp earns this week's Pick of the Week. But it's also here because it's a significant product in Apple's future -- it now allows anyone, regardless of their Windows or OS X preference, to choose an Apple hardware solution. I think this will have some interesting effects, both good and bad, on Apple's future direction. But that's not a subject for the Pick of the Week, but rather, a future editorial (but obviously, feel free to share your opinions in the comments).
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