Jim Jamieson
Province
In what analysts characterized as an industry-changing development, Apple Computer has unveiled software to allow users of its new Intel-based Macs to run Microsoft Corp.’s rival Windows XP operating system.
When it introduced its first Mac/Intel models in January, Apple insisted it wouldn’t aid such efforts, but yesterday introduced Boot Camp, a test-version software available as a free download, which lets computer users with a Windows XP installation disk load that OS on the Mac.
The upside for Apple is obvious. Users who have a need for both a Windows and Macintosh computer can now get by with one machine. As well, it will allow Apple to attract loyal Windows users who are curious about trying the Mac OS.
“Windows users can try out the Mac without a heavy psychological impact on their part. They’re not breaking away from the Windows world completely,” said Stephen Gully, president of Vancouver’s Atimi Software, which does contract programming mainly in the Macintosh environment. “This allows them to take an interim step to get their feet wet.”
Gully believes Apple’s hand was forced by open-source coders who have been working on ways to accomplish the same thing since January’s product launch.
“This is an attempt to provide some control over the process and not let the market run wild and have people infringing on copyrights or using solutions that might damage a machine,” said Gully.
Simon Fraser University professor of communication Richard Smith agreed with analysts who predicted the capability would significantly increase Apple’s personal-computer market share — which is currently about four per cent globally.
“This is a real threat to Dell and HP,” said Smith. “People forget that Apple is primarily a hardware company, so this is just a way to sell more hardware.”
Smith said the most obvious customer for a dual-OS Mac is large corporate or academic deployments.
“It gives you a lot of flexibility if you want to change a lab full of computers,” he said. “Anywhere people use Windows, Unix and Mac, this is a great step forward.”
© The Vancouver Province 2006