Unreal: Apple Officially Supports Windows with Bootcamp

by Hadley Stern Apr 05, 2006

I still can’t quite fully believe this, but it is true. Apple now supports dual-booting. The implications here are mind-boggling. Apple now sells hardware that it is going to officially allow and support Windows to boot.

Let me repeat that because it is so significant. Apple hardware supports Windows!

Apple link here. I just got a MacBook Pro yesterday, so I’ll try and get this going soon. Does anyone else find this weird? Nay, unsettling? I do.

I think the OS wars are now over.

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  • NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    Benji had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 927

  • Also: YES! *punches air*

    Benji had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 927

  • This is huge- but I’m not so sure the OS wars are over. The battlefield may have changed, as may the rules- but it may still get interesting.

    Devanshu Mehta had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 108

  • I’m a bit suprised by this, I didn’t think Apple would show any support for it.  I suppose this is good for Apple though as it shows the Macintosh system can hold more than just OS X. 

    A PC can only hold Linux and XP (etc etc), it can’t hold OS X without some fiddling about.

    Aaron Wright had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 104

  • This makes my dream of having one machine to do all my computer engineering stuff possible, but it also means I’m even less likely to see Mac native versions of stuff like OrCAD or Pspice. I tried using MacCAD (for electronic circuit design and schematics) and it is a totally-hacked-OS 7-port piece of crap.

    Now, can I use my Pell Grant to get a MacBook Pro?

    foresmac had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 20

  • Foresmac,

    you bring up a good point and the risk of this all. What is the incentive going to be for people to develop one both platforms? Adobe can just say to mac users, “well, the hardware you own supports windows, so just buy a windows version of photoshop, etc.”

    I don’t get it.

    Hadley Stern had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 114

  • Software houses need to be very careful when thinking “Windows Only” as it means that the customer has to buy a copy of Win in some form.  If they don’t care to then they are still OS X only and that is where most Mac users want to be.

    It’s important to remember that a lot of people move to a Mac to get away from the problems associated with Windows.  It’s foolish to think they’ll go back after using a Mac - they’ll just look for OS X alternatives.  For those unique apps that have always been Win only it may be a good deal, but a virtual PC will always be better and safer.  Plus look at the system requirements for a dual boot.

    I have to use 2000 Pro under VPC because I have to demo a small app for a service I sell.  There is also a small app for a piece of medical equipment I use (an autoap) that is Win only.  These are the only two apps that I use Win for and there will be no dual booting on my Macs.

    MacKen had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 88

  • I would write a longer comment but I’m too busy telling the world about this, whilst (simultaneous) doing a “happy dance” round my office.

    hitchhiker had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 48

  • I think Micheal Dell would be pulling his hair out ATM. raspberry

    Anand Batra had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 4

  • I think the most exciting concept is using Windows as subterfuge: a way to get macs into places where macs could not previously go.

    I also think that seeing windows and os x so closely side by side on a single system will only improve x’s standing in people’s minds.

    Benji had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 927

  • The market seems to like this, Apple’s stock is up 6 percent, http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=aapl

    Dell’s is down smile

    Hadley Stern had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 114

  • What is most interesting about the announcement is how Apple revealed that Boot Camp would a part of Leopard - talking about setting up a feeding frenzy for the WWDC! Can you imagine how many more people will be paying attention to WWDC just as a result of Boot Camp?

    And guess what! Steve Jobs will spend 5 minutes talking about Boot Camp, and then spend 3 hours showing off amazing, mind-blowing features of Leopard to a totally shell-shocked audience.

    And many of that audience will be from a Windows-only background, i.e. Windows users who had absolutely no idea how advanced Mac OS X had become but are watching WWDC simply because of interest Boot Camp.

    Is this a perfect set-up or what? On the one had, there is Windows XP in all its glory (*cough*) being compared directly to Mac OS X 10.5. With the media in a feeding frenzy the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the 1984 commercial….

    WWDC 2006: How to get $200 million worth of advertising for Mac OS X 10.5 for free

    Paul had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 31

  • what is wwdc?

    Mobile had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 1

  • WWDC is one of Apple’s regular developer/press parties.

    Devanshu Mehta had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 108

  • Mobile >

    WWDC = Worldwide Developers’ Conference.
    It’s an annual gathering of Mac developers.

    Lionel Chollet had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 23
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