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Apple Releases Boot Camp Beta

I won't install it...

While I praise Apple for doing this, I'm not going to install Windows. They made it very clear, you install Windows you adopt all of Window's issues, which defeats the purpose and reason of my switch. Besides, my intel mac does everything above and beyond what I need it to do.
 
This is my favorite part of the Apple Boot Camp page:

"EFI and BIOS
Macs use an ultra-modern industry standard technology called EFI to handle booting. Sadly, Windows XP, and even the upcoming Vista, are stuck in the 1980s with old-fashioned BIOS. But with Boot Camp, the Mac can operate smoothly in both centuries."

This is scary part of the Apple Boot Camp page (why does nobody seem to care about this??):

"Word to the Wise
Windows running on a Mac is like Windows running on a PC. That means it’ll be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world. So be sure to keep it updated with the latest Microsoft Windows security fixes."
 
EFI and BIOS
Macs use an ultra-modern industry standard technology called EFI to handle booting. Sadly, Windows XP, and even the upcoming Vista, are stuck in the 1980s with old-fashioned BIOS. But with Boot Camp, the Mac can operate smoothly in both centuries.
Click to expand...

Also straight from the Apple page! LOL!
 
stefman said:
This is great, but how different is it from those guys that had managed to boot a MacIntel with XP a few weeks ago?

Is it just a difference from "supported" and "unsupported"?

Thanks for enlightening me:D
Click to expand...

Apple's the one working on it. Nobody knows the Mac or their own hardware better than them. For Gamers, business people, or those who need that one windows program, this is huge.

BTW, any bets on when the irrational "I don't windows junk running on Macs" posts will begin?
 
It does raise an interesting issue though. If people start using this technology on their Macs, and it becomes quite widespread, why bother writing software for Macs? Could it lead to the death of the Mac software industry and ultimately of OS X?
 
Stridder44 said:
From the Apple Boot Camp page. So does this mean Graphics acceleration/drivers too!?
Click to expand...

yes, but we're still not sure how well optimized they are. In the PC world it is a continuos process with many driver revisions. So either apple lets us use native drivers or risk seeing crappy frame rates in games due to their unoptimized drivers.
 
Good, but not great

the GOOD:

1. It stops all of these "hacked" solutions to dual boot Windows on a Mac. Apple provides a simple (but not very sexy) solution that has good official driver support for Windows.

2. Part of my business runs a demo program that we sell that runs on Windows only. Now my "demo machine" can be my Mac Laptop too! Only one machine to lug around. This is cool.

3. My hunch is you could make a 3rd partition, format it as FAT and use it as a "data sharing" space that both the MacOS and WinXP could see.

the WEAK:
1. It's not a virtual machine. There are some caveats (don't pick the wrong drive or Windows will reformat your Mac!!

2. No real "data sharing" because it's not running in a window (no shared devices, clipboard).

3. It's still Windows, so now I have to worry about Virus Patches, SpyWare, and all that other junk. Just the thought of that junk on my MBP hard drive gives me the willies.....

Wouldn't it be nice if Leopard had Virtualization. But I don't think Apple ever wants to deal with the support issues there....
 
bluefire75 said:
While I praise Apple for doing this, I'm not going to install Windows. They made it very clear, you install Windows you adopt all of Window's issues, which defeats the purpose and reason of my switch. Besides, my intel mac does everything above and beyond what I need it to do.
Click to expand...

No one says you have to connect to the internet while using windows if that's what you're worried about.
 
It'll be interesting to see how that shakes out.

Apple's always been up-front about the fact that its computers can run Windows. Before, it was thru Virtual PC. Now it's dual booting.

Honestly, I think more people will be comfortable with Virtual PC than dual booting, so if Virtual PC didn't stop software makers from writing for Mac, dual booting shouldn't cause them too much grief. (Hopefully!) :)
 
Apple on Windows XP and Vista

Boot camp web-page:

EFI and BIOS
Macs use an ultra-modern industry standard technology called EFI to handle booting. Sadly, Windows XP, and even the upcoming Vista, are stuck in the 1980s with old-fashioned BIOS. But with Boot Camp, the Mac can operate smoothly in both centuries.
Click to expand...

They just had to do that didn't they :D
 
Good

stefman said:
This is great, but how different is it from those guys that had managed to boot a MacIntel with XP a few weeks ago?

Is it just a difference from "supported" and "unsupported"?
Click to expand...

I know modern Mac users don't value usability as much as us old timers (the MacOS X Finder is still anemic after all of this time, and you guys didn't even blink when Apple dropped Classic and the ability to run over 20,000 older Mac apps...whatever...), but this solution from Apple will be MUCH more usable: Easier to Install, easier to use once installed, and drivers!! The internet hack we have all seen suffered from no accelerated video drivers, making the Windows Boot a bit of a pyrrhic victory (if I can't run a full speed Windows game, I'd rather boot XP inside of MacOS X).

This is just a beta, and now that it is supported, it will be better, more reliable over time. With Leopard, you might not even need to do anything special; it will just be an option.

Having Apple-supported XP drivers may be good news for the virtualization crowd as well. I imagine these drivers will make running XP apps inside of MacOS X better as well, as soon as someone figures out to how to best leverage them for that purpose.
 
From the Boot Camp page...
Windows running on a Mac is like Windows running on a PC. That means it’ll be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world. So be sure to keep it updated with the latest Microsoft Windows security fixes.
Click to expand...

Please listen to the warning so we don't have to deal with people saying that their Mac got a virus because of Windows and now it is broken.
 
Imagine them announcing this news on April 1st !!

30 year anniversary and april fools.. a huge PR move missed out:(
 
Stridder44 said:
From the Apple Boot Camp page. So does this mean Graphics acceleration/drivers too!?
Click to expand...

Yep :D

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303572

What is included on the Macintosh Driver CD?

The Macintosh Drivers CD includes drivers to support these within Windows XP:

* Intel Chip Set Software (6.2.1)
* ATI Graphics (8.24.0.0)
* Intel Integrated Graphics (6.14.10.4512)
* Marvel Yukon Ethernet (8.49.2.3)
* SigmaTel Audio (1.0.4889.0 nd375 cp1)
* SigmaTel Audio proto_A2 (1.0.4889.0 nd375 cp1)
* Atheros 802.11 wireless (AirPort) (4.2.2.4)
* Broadcom Wireless (4.10.40.0)
* Apple Bluetooth module (1.0.0.1)
* Apple Keyboard Eject Key (1.0.0.1)
* Apple Keyboard Brightness (for computers with built-in displays) (1.0.0.1)
* Startup Disk Control Panel for Windows XP (1.0.0.1)
Click to expand...
 
Very unexpected... Excellent stuff.

I'm glad that Apple are even providing drivers - so your mac doesn't overheat etc.

Oh, I wish I had an MacBook Pro...
 
Some quickies for people playing with this already:

What are the games like?
What is the solution for only having one mouse button? Macbook Pro owners did Apple supply a second button driver to let you use the ctrl button like you do in OS X?

Linux? Is it possible to use Linux with this bootloader?
 
sushi said:
No, per the Apple page you need an Intel-based Mac.

Here is an extract:

What you’ll need
- Mac OS X Tiger v10.4.6 (check Software Update)
- The latest Firmware update (check Support Downloads)
- 10GB free hard disk space
- An Intel-based Mac
- A blank recordable CD
- A printer for the instructions (You’ll want to print them before installing Windows, really.)
- A bona fide installation disc for Microsoft Windows XP, Service Pack 2, Home or Professional (No multi-disc, upgrade or Media Center versions.)
Click to expand...

Too bad MCE isn't supported. That's on of the areas that Windows has over the Mac and only because Front Row doesn't have a PVR program...yet.
 
840quadra said:
I am also hoping that the virtualization and or Emulation (a touchy subject) will be soon to arrive to the intel systems too.
Click to expand...

I agree. Look at this paragraph:

More and more people are buying and loving Macs. To make this choice simply irresistible, Apple will include technology in the next major release of Mac OS X, Leopard, that lets you install and run the Windows XP operating system on your Mac. Called Boot Camp (for now), you can download a public beta today.​

Why wouldn't Apple say "dual-boot" instead of "install and run" with Leopard, and why would it be called Boot Camp "for now"? I think this is because Leopard will allow for virtualization, and Boot Camp is merely to test Windows on Mac hardware (drivers, etc.).
 
nostrum said:
It does raise an interesting issue though. If people start using this technology on their Macs, and it becomes quite widespread, why bother writing software for Macs? Could it lead to the death of the Mac software industry and ultimately of OS X?
Click to expand...


I don't see this happening. It is a VERY bold move by Apple. They are saying we'll run these two OS's head-to-head and see which one comes out on top. This will create so many switchers that will learn to love OS X, that developers may stop writing code for Windows (eventually)...
 
this really is the craziest thing that Apple had done in a while. Wow, pretty cool stuff.
 
Haha...

From Apple's list of "What You'll Need":

A printer for the instructions (You’ll want to print them before installing Windows, really.)
 
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