Unreal: Apple Officially Supports Windows with Bootcamp
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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Comments
Beeblybinkums I don’t give much credence to an argument that runs as far as: “You’re asking me to imagine something?! What are you like Lewis Carrol or what!”
Time will tell? Or will we tell time? The paradox is simply mind-boggling.
It’s not the one I wrote, though.
And BB, you are correct when you say this will perform much the same function as Virtual PC. But you are wrong to imply that this means this is a non-event.
It’s not so much that I’m saying it’s a non-event. I’m simply saying that I don’ think it’s going to FINALLY BLOW THE MINDS OF WINDOWS USERS AND CREATE A THUNDERING STAMPEDE FOR MAC HARDWARE THAT WILL BLOW APPLE’S MARKETSHARE THROUGH THE ROOF, YEEEEAAA!!!
Like I said, it seems to me that the market for this is existing Mac users who want to run XP-only apps.
And beyond that is purely speculative.
You mean to say that, exactly as I described, it’s BETTER than VPC? How is that you keep disagreeing with me and then affirming what I say all at the same time?
OK listen I’m evidently agreeing with you and as I said making a rather pedantic point: it’s so MUCH better than VPC it represents a different class of solution: one that actually is, rather than one that isn’t.
I’m sorry for this argument, I’m in a slightly excitable mood this evening.
I think we can probably agree that this is pretty significant, even if doesn’t blow any roofs.
It’s significant for me, anyway
(your emoticons suck)
I don’t give much credence to an argument that runs as far as: “You’re asking me to imagine something?! What are you like Lewis Carrol or what!”
I think you’re missing my point, Ben. What I’m saying is that you are giving full “credence” to an argument based solely on imagination (your fictional person), and none to my comment based entirely on reality (with you being the living example of my original comment).
OK listen I’m evidently agreeing with you and as I said making a rather pedantic point: it’s so MUCH better than VPC it represents a different class of solution: one that actually is, rather than one that isn’t.
Fair enough.
Btw, Ben. Quake 4 will be multi-threaded. So ZING!!
Zing indeed.
I’d just like to point out that I don’t think (and haven’t said) that I give “full credence” to my crazed imaginings of things that are possible - I’m just saying that conversations/scenarios like those mentioned above may well happen and would help Mac market penetration.
I’m not excited to spring for a macbook yet though - I can wait until the options are slightly less limited since I think (pray) we might see some exciting things from the portable line in the next few months.
*excited enough
gah!
It has also been posited (and not just by Dvorak) that this is the latest move in abandoning OS X in favor of XP/Vista and that Apple is getting out of the operating system business to focus solely on hardware, pro-apps, and music (iPod+iTM$).
As long as we’re speculating…
Dvorak is a dweeb and Apple has done way too much lately to jump ship on OS X. I *DO* agree with the point about Virtual PC though, that’s all this is when it comes right down to it - an alternative. There were those of us who used Virtual PC rather religiously (whether it was fast or not - which it wasn’t) because we needed both a Mac and Windows PC with us while we’re on the go. It satisfied that need and now this can too. While it obviously opens up a lot of doors into the world of gaming, etc. for Mac users, I seriously doubt that the long term impact is going to be much different than it already is (90% of the games out there will still be PC only and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon regardless of what Apple does).
Sure, it’s a heckuva lot faster than Virtual PC but if you love OS X is this really going to change your life? No, not really. I further loathe the idea that, just like Virtual PC, I’m having to shove a damn Symantec product installer CD into my Mac once again so I don’t get plagued with all the virus crap out there… Once again I’m doing 3 hours of Windows XP updates, once again I’m checking for spyware and defragging this stupid partition…
Is it a good idea? Sure, I love Half-Life 2. Is it going to replace OS X in my world? Not a chance. I need/want/use both and this is a great solution. It won’t kill OS X, it won’t help out Microsoft, and Dvorak will continue to be wrong about just about everything.
It’s funny now to think about that $13,000 contest and how Apple must have watched, knowing all along that they were about to release this.
You think they waited until the contest was over on purpose?
dickrichards, it doesn’t have to replace OS X. I just think the ability to run half-life 2 on a mac is a major event.
With regards to my imagined situations earlier, I just read this on the comments at writersblocklive.com:
I’ve been dreaming of integrating onto one platform for a while now, and finally found a way to do so. I HAVE to run windows for several applications, such as AutoCAD, as well as doing desktop support for windows users. However, I don’t use Windows regularly other than that, except for games. This finally lets me use ONE system for all of my computer use.
I’m not the only one, apparently.
You think they waited until the contest was over on purpose?
It wouldn’t have looked very good to the world for them to rush in claim the prize, all the people who donated and stuff might feel a tad pissed off. (They might still be feeling a tad pissed off actually.)
Wait until the “Windows on a mac Vs Windows on a Dell” benchtests!