“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?“
Advertisements:
• Apple’s brand new iPod Hi-Fi speaker system. Home stereo. Reinvented. Available now for $349 with free shipping.
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• MacBook Pro. The first Mac notebook built upon Intel Core Duo with iLife ’06, Front Row and built-in iSight. Starting at $1999. Free shipping.
• iMac. Twice as amazing — Intel Core Duo, iLife ’06, Front Row media experience, Apple Remote, built-in iSight. Starting at $1299. Free shipping.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
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