“For PC dependents with Mac cravings — and software-deprived Mac users — Apple Computer’s transition to Intel chips ignited dreams of a day when Mac and PC hardware and software could exist interchangeably in one blissful technological paradise,” Maya Roney writes for Forbes. “That day may come sooner than expected, now that two California techies who go by the handles ‘narf’ and ‘blanka’ have become the first to succeed in loading Microsoft Windows XP onto an Intel Mac in a contest organized by Mac-enthusiast Colin Nederkoorn.”
“According to Nederkoorn, you simply turn on your computer and press the up key to see an Apple OS logo, or the down key to see a Windows logo. Then you choose whichever system you desire at the time,” Roney reports. “Of course, the dual-boot technique is far from perfect at this point. ‘It’s kind of laggy, and people are still trying to find the right driver and figure out what works,’ Nederhoorn admitted… With a little tinkering, a smooth-running system could brighten the lives of frustrated computer users everywhere. The software that is currently available for Mac is limited enough make even diehard Mac fans a little bitter. With a Windows option, users might play that one game, or use that one program that they could never before use on their beloved Mac. Windows lovers may be equally excited to use the system on sleekly-designed Apple hardware, and those who like both PCs and Macs for different reasons could now have the best of both worlds.”
Roney reports, “Analysts have long been saying that the ability to run Windows on Mac hardware would increase Apple’s Mac sales and market share, and Microsoft would certainly not suffer from the extra Windows sales.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We still long for a Darwine-type solution that will allow us to run Windows-only applications on our Macs without Windows. Not only does it keep Windows off our Macs, it hurts Microsoft in the process – a beautiful two-fer if there ever was one. Still, if dual-booting works out well, many people would consider Mac who otherwise wouldn’t have given it a thought in the past. And, once they try out Mac OS X, well, you know what happens; Windows gets booted less and less. As for Roney’s line that “Windows lovers may be equally excited to use the system on sleekly-designed Apple hardware,” it sounds to us like she’s forgetting the wealth of Mac-only software that Windows users are currently missing out on: the iLife apps like iMovie, iPhoto, iWeb, iDVD, and such apps as Final Cut, DVD Studio, and many others. The access to great Mac-only software would be another excellent selling point for Apple Macs. Again, as we asked back in early June 2005, using “Dell” as a stand in for all Windows box assemblers, “Why buy a Dell when Apple ‘Macintel’ computers will run both Mac OS X and Windows?“
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Related MacDailyNews articles:
Intel-based Apple Mac runs Windows XP ‘fast, extremely well’ – March 16, 2006
How to run Windows XP on an Intel-based Apple Macintosh – March 16, 2006
‘Windows XP on Intel Mac’ contest won – March 16, 2006
Video of Microsoft Windows XP booting on Apple iMac Core Duo? – March 15, 2006
Windows XP booting on an Intel-based Mac? – March 14, 2006
Needham: Apple’s Mac market share could rocket to 9-percent if Intel-based Macs ran Windows apps – March 08, 2006
Growing reward pot awaits first person to get Windows XP running on Intel-based Mac – January 24, 2006
Intel-based Macs running both Mac OS X and Windows will be good for Apple – June 10, 2005
Why buy a Dell when Apple ‘Macintel’ computers will run both Mac OS X and Windows? – June 08, 2005
Yep, this is a big wake-up call for every pc maker as well as MS. The superiority of the Mac and OSX is going to be seen be all – and we know Vista won’t stand up to serious comparison.
Darwine perfected would be a nice option.
Wasn’t Charles Darwine the British unnaturalist who sailed the H.M.S. Fleagle to Taco del Fuego and also wrote “The Origami of Feces”?
Darwine would be excellent, it would for sure be the end of windows, the one reason for anyone using windows would be gone.
And, once they try out Mac OS X, well, you know what happens; Windows gets booted less and less.
Unless they’re Paul Turd-O.
ATTENTION SHOPPERS.
PAGING A ‘MACDUDE’. PAGING A MR. ‘BORING MACDUDE’. ALSO PAGING A ‘PAUL’ AND A ‘MARY’. PAGING A ‘MACDUDE’, A ‘PAUL’, AND A ‘MARY’.
IF YOU ARE IN THE BUILDING, PLEASE REPORT TO MALL SECURITY, LOCATED ON THE UPPER LEVEL ACROSS FROM THE APPLE STORE.
YOU HAVE LOST YOUR SENSE AND SOMEONE HAS TURNED IT IN.
ONCE AGAIN, WILL A ‘MACDUDE’, ‘PAUL’, AND ‘MARY’ PLEASE REPORT TO MALL SECURITY, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE APPLE STORE.
A SHOPPER HAS FOUND YOUR COMMON SENSE. PLEASE STOP BY TO PICK IT UP.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT SHOPPING EXPERIENCE AT HUMBLE MALL.
pino: I think they’ve left the building.
One question though: “YOU HAVE LOST YOUR SENSE AND SOMEONE HAS TURNED IT IN.”
Someone was able to spot something that tiny? WOW! Must’ve had surgical tweezers to pick that up. What luck!
VMWare running on an Intel Mac would be the best solution — full compartibility with all existing apps, ability to run different versions of Windows, ability to roll back state on virtual machines to erase the constant corruption of Windows by malware — and VMWare will only get better as it leverages hardware-based virtualization features from Intel.
I’m going to disagree with MDN on this one. Running a Windows app in OS X using something like Darwine would be more detrimental to the future of OS X than actually dual booting or running Windows inside of a virtual window using something like VMware or VPC. Why? Because if its seemless to run that Windows App, more vendors might decide to not build a native version of their product, and instead just make sure it works in Darwine. I would much rather see Vmware running on OS X where I would have to actually boot up windows in order to run my Diamond Mind baseball, which is about the only Windows app I have any interest in running.
Bye Bye Mac OS X!
Apple is taking a heck of a risk by allowing Windows (by MS or anyone) onto their cherished minority platform. If this is allowed to continue, Mac OS X could be eventually dilluted to the point of being extinguished and Apple turned into just another PC vendor.
Perhaps this is what Apple wants, after all they are a hardware company and they have a lot of stores, with lots of people asking why can’t they run XP on their hardware.
Apple has repeated said “We will not prevent anyone from running Windows on a Mac”
Why would Apple not defend it’s minority market share from intrusion?
Don’t they realize this will give people the option to switch to Windows before they have given Mac OS X a chance?
Sure Apple may increase hardware sales for the short term, but I can just see entire Mac computer labs and graphic shops being switched over to Windows by IT departments concerned about their jobs.
When the next purchase cycle comes up, I can hear the excuse already, “Mac’s? Oh they have been running Windows already, might as well go with Dell and get the cheaper price.”
I think Apple has shot itself in the foot, and soon will need to shoot itself in the head.
i guess apple will do in the future a little piece of hardware,a little chip that will be capable of doing a converse between two languages of BIOS and EFI and it will be more than just a chip,it will comunicates with cache and processador to flue more informacion in the correct form.
Paul:
Wow, you think that all of those designers (me included) have been clamoring for Windows all this time? Give me a break! It is about the OS not the hardware. Windows gets in the way too often and makes me less productive at work.
I have a two system setup at work. I have a PowerBook that I do most everything on and a Dell desktop to run two bits of software. My company is tied to an Exchange server so my scheduling is stuck there (and no, Entorage does not work well enough as it will not cache my calendar and has to reload everytime, 10 min. +) and IE for one vendor just for ordering and accessing my account. The site is very tied to IE and I have complained about this to them. Guess what their answer is; Attention Mac users: this site is only accessable via IE 7 and above. Please use Virtual PC to access this site. I think that is pretty obnoxious to have to spend several hundred dollars just to use free software.
Anyway, so for the rant. Windows just does not cut it for me. This in no way will dimish Mac sales just so your avarage Joe can put Windows on their iMac. Your avage Joe will still by that Dell because they think it is cheap and that is all they need.
The ultimate computer with the ultimate addition of built in BBQ.
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=1291
Its great for burgers and hot-dogs too…..
The holy grail is NOT booting Windows on a Mac, it’s runnign Windows-only apps in Mac OS X WITHOUT having to boot Windows. Booting and rebooting all day long just to switch apps is not going to appeal to anyone. A few people may like it for games, etc., but not for being productive.
I agree, give dual boot the boot and toss it out the Window. A virutual Windows PC is what I want. When it catches a virus just quit without saving changes. This technique saved me many times and keeps Windows isolated.
I think the best news is that a contest and the potential to win big money drove these guys to a solution. Now they need a contest for someone to write drivers.
Beta was a superior to VHS video tapes, yet the larger, clunkier, lower resolution VHS tapes won. Why? Because of a much larger INSTALLED BASE than Beta, despite inferior quality across the board. Humans follow the path of least resistance. Windows has the installed base and the key incentives (like endless games, full-featured MSN Messenger, business apps up the ying yang, etc.). People will do what’s most convenient, not what’s most intelligent. We Macaroonies dance to the beat of a different drummer. What am I saying here? I’m saying having a Mac dual boot Windows and OSX will spell doom for Mac OSX when it comes to switchers. People will spend all their time on Windows, because they already have software for it, and developers will have less incentive to develop for OSX if Macs run Windows too at comparable speeds.
Running 2 OSes is simply not something that an average user wants to do. People want simplicity. They don’t want to toggle back and forth between 2 inherently different paradigms that have different feels and subtle, but confusing differences with every click. Allowing Windows to run natively on a Mac will end OSX as we know it. Imagine giving someone a choice to order a Mac with OSX or Windows. The latter would prevail in an either/or proposition. Why? Because Windows owns 95% or so of the market. People would love to buy the hardware, but the interest in switching OSes simply will not be there.
BeOS??
You idiots are all alike
You lack the wisdom that comes with age, how did Windows get like Windows? By copying the Mac operating system.
What do you think Vista is?
That’s right, a copy of Mac OS X, complete with better security and better looks.
How often did the orignal Mac OS change in 20 something years? Very little.
Why, becuase it costs too much money to retrain folks to change the operating system every one or two years.
It also costs software developers too much money, they need a stable OS.
So is there really a whole lot of room for improvements to Mac OS X? No.
I have seen “Leopard” it’s just like Tiger with a bit more eyecandy and animation.
Vista like XP, will be “good enough” for the masses, in fact it will be a greap leap over the present insecure XP.
With looks and security licked, there is nothing Mac OS X can give over Vista, except some cute animated icons.
Apple knows this and that’s why they want to sell Windows on Mac’s.
They want to sell more hardware, or else when Vista arrives, all those Apple Stores will be dead as a doornail and costing Apple thousands in rent every month.
iMaki,
Why write such drivel. The same old tired Beta vs. VHS analogy, huh? Listen, the BIOS emulator is contained in OSX; therefore, one cannot run Windows without running OSX. And when both OSs are contained in the same system, OSX will be used for all basic tasks because it is superior. No one will buy a Mac just to run Windows. Get your facts straight.
Paul,
So, you’ve seen “Leopard”? One lie in a post full of lies.
I’d hardly say OS X is software deprived…
The day Apple won’t mind about the OS that is inside it’s machines, is the day when they will make Mac OS X available for all PCs.
Paul, I think YOU need to shoot YOURSELF in the head.. The world’s average IQ would skyrocket.
You honestly think Windows Vista has “security and looks down”? It looks like crap and uses a typical program with a lame title (“Windows Defender”?) to try to co-opt security. How is running “Windows Defender” any different than running McAfee or Norton on your computer? It isn’t.
They’re saying the exact same things they said with Windows XP: “We’ve got security down pat. We’re making this OS with security in mind.”
Then what happened?
I don’t care if it’s got 3 layers of security. They should throw in a fourth for good measure, it might take a hacker a minute or two more to bypass it.
I wish people would stop fantasizing about DarWINE. WINE is not a realistic solution to running Windows apps and I doubt it ever will be.
You need to keep in mind that, unlike OS X apps in their happy little packages, Windows apps need to be installed, spreading files and DLLs hither thither and yon and updating the registry. All WINE does is emulate certain Windows APIs. It doesn’t provide a solution to the install process.
WINE screenshots tend to show Minesweeper running. Whoopee. Most useful Windows apps are a great deal more complicated.
Paul:
Whilst I appreciate your comments and point of view – which I disagree with – unless you either work for Apple [and in a R & D engineering role] or are a first-line developer you have not seen ‘Leopard’.
Saying it, doesn’t make it so… and lying doesn’t make your already-weak argument the slightest bit stronger.
Don’t you have some spyware to get rid of… or dre I say it, a life to lead in your own world. Why not go there…
This guy is so fricking fat that I’ve been swallowed up by his belly fat and can’t egt any air.
H – E – L – P MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !