With Apple’s debut of Boot Camp public beta, Intel-based Mac users currently must purchase a copy of Windows XP from an office supply or other retail store and install it themselves. Yesterday, Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, stated in the Boot Camp press release, “Apple has no desire or plan to sell or support Windows, but many customers have expressed their interest to run Windows on Apple’s superior hardware now that we use Intel processors. We think Boot Camp makes the Mac even more appealing to Windows users considering making the switch.”
Despite Schiller’s statement, we have heard rumors that Apple plans to sell bona fide installation discs for Microsoft Windows XP, Service Pack 2, Home and Professional in the company’s growing network of retail stores. This rumor is unconfirmed and it is unclear at this time if Apple plans to display Windows XP boxes on Apple Retail Store shelves or simply kept on hand in the stock room for customers asking for the product. It does make some sense, after all, why send customers to Best Buy when Apple can sell it to them instead?
Apple has no plans to support Windows XP on Macs, this would simply be a convenience to Apple Retail Store customers. We have not heard that Apple’s online store will offer installation discs for Microsoft Windows XP, Service Pack 2, Home and Professional.
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Related article:
How to run Microsoft Windows XP on an Intel-based Macintosh with Boot Camp – April 05, 2006
Uhh. . . . kind of sends shivers down your spine.
@moiety5
Damned straight it does.
I really just can’t see it going that far. People are getting totally bent out of shape over this XP thing.
do NOT start selling xp…..this is only encouraging ppl to try out xp if they don’t have it already. and if they have it already, then they wont need to buy it in an apple store.
To Enderle:
Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
Kill them from inside out.
You know, this website is getting worse and worse, passilng on rumors of this quality? Sheesh. Why don’t you just tell them about how apple is opening a store on Mars next month? Rumor has it we will.
Bozos.
bullsh!t
Hey, if it’s a deciding factor for someone about to buy a Mac, then sell them a copy for pete’s sake. They’ll eventually start using OS X more and more (especially when Apple release a Security Update that disables the booting of XP
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I’d rather 100m people have Windows PC’s ie Macs, that CAN run Windows.
For example, Apple can introduce a new variation on the Windows blue screen of death: It’ll say something like: “Now if you would just like to switch your computer over to OS X you can avoid all problems like this one! CLICK HERE.”
No one will use XP/VISTA as their main OS if they have access to OS X that IS clear (except to Dvorak of course).
MW=art ie “while Apple makes art, MS makes shite”
This whole thing is interesting. I guess the next “Battle of the Operating Systems” will be fought not on PC’s (Apple isn’t realeasing OS X for PC) but on Mac systems. Safe for Apple, OS X lovers aren’t about to switch to Windows, and MS can’t claim Apple is competing directly with them. If anything Apple can say to MS, “Hey, we just opened up a market for YOU!” Steve Jobs is fearless to try this kind of thing, he’s bringing the fight home to compete on his own turf. Takes Balls.
Who cares? Let ’em sell it. Apple made XP just another application and Microsloth just another software company. Everyone needs to change their thinking here….the new definition of an OS is now the software that coordinates OSX, Windows, Linux, etc.
Want to blow your mind? What if Apple licenses Windows and installs it alongside OSX on the next generation of machines?
This is a shot aimed at hardware makers, not Microsloth.
absolute bollicks. this will never happen.
Macaday:
“For example, Apple can introduce a new variation on the Windows blue screen of death: It’ll say something like: “Now if you would just like to switch your computer over to OS X you can avoid all problems like this one! CLICK HERE.”
LOL!
It’s funny, but a brillaint idea & perfectly feasible. What better way to show Windows users what they’re missing, than to have each OS side-by-side, and to point out how much better Mac OS X is as the most opportune moment – i.e. after a crash!
Why don’t Apple release a virus-catcher for Intel Mac’s that you use on the Windows boot, and it could say something like,” Apple Virus-Catcher has found 20 viruses, 16 worms, from a potential virus list of 85,000. We cannot guarantee that we will remove them all. If you would like to completely eradicate viruses from this computer, click here.” (And then it boots into OS X).
One thing they will need inside each store — a display Mac with Boot Camp and a full working version of XP. People will need to see it to believe it.
I can see online resellers like CDW that sell both Mac stuff and Windows crap having a special offer like a windows XP disc for only $50 with purchase of new intel Mac. They might even offer to install it for the customer provided that wouldn’t violate any agreement with Apple.
Caruso ~
Yea, you are absolutely right. If Apple stores sell XP, then everybody is happy. Micro$oft is making a profit and so is Apple.
Micro$oft is a software company – Ballmer probably realizes the padded walls he bought to protect them from flying chair was a waste of money since he sees how Jobs has saved his ass again…
I hate Microshaft so much. I wish they’d just die. I want them to go away. It’ stinks so much that we have the superior stuff and yet Winblows is dominant. It’s so counterintuitive (if I’m spelling that right)
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Sometimes it just feels like we’re losing every little battle. Now we’ll have winblows on our macs.
Sorry I’m just whining and you’re the only people who understand…
Anyway it’s still great to have a Mac!
Apple needs to get mac computers into homes so people can fiddle around with OS X.
Now folks can have a safety net in being able to run windows.
Now there is an Intel iMac sitting there ( that can run windows) and people can now try out Safari to surf and iMovie to make movies, and slowly they start to ween off windows and use OS X more and more.
Wishful thinking? I hope the plan works.
The Apple Stores ALREADY SELL Windows XP Pro. They sell Virtual PC and Office 2004 Professional Edition which includes Virtual PC and a copy of Windows XP Pro. It’s also available on the Apple web site, so I don’t see what the big deal is.
hmm. Doesnt Apple already(for a long time now) sell windows with VPC?
What if Microsoft decides not to allow XP to be installed on Apple hardware?
I just really hope that OSX does not go away. I realise Apple has invested craploads of money in iLife, Pro Apps and others (Keynote, Remote Desktop, etc…) but this is just worrying me a little.
Meh, probably unwarranted…
MDN Magic Word: shown, “Apple has shown the world it’s ready to win the fight.”
“Apple has no desire or plan to sell or support Windows, but many customers have expressed their interest to run Windows on Apple’s superior hardware now that we use Intel processors,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “We think Boot Camp makes the Mac even more appealing to Windows users considering making the switch.”
“What if Microsoft decides not to allow XP to be installed on Apple hardware?”
Let’s see….there are so many takes on this one…where does one begin?
Let’s see… Microsoft is a “software” company, not hardware…so there is not an issue with competition…
Apple is not saying, “Come all you who have Intel Macs and dual boot our copy of “bootlegged” XP and enjoy the superiority of OS X with your complimentary imitation software!”
If M$ does not allow its operating system to be ran on someone elses hardware, then it has to be a decision of conscience and not one of profitability (and should merit them a Nobel peace prize).
Furthermore, if it does not allow its OS to be ran on Apple’s software, then it has conceded the OS war… (Of course everyone knows that M$ sucks, including M$ themselves….)
This will never happen.
Apple will also never have intel inside.
Neither will Apple ever release a two buttoned mouse.
…or a headless Mac for under $500
So calm down, this will never happen.
What’s the big deal? They sold VPC with every flavor of Windows for a long time.