“Perhaps the biggest way that we [Mac users] define ourselves is in what we are not. We are not Windows users. Adamantly NOT. Everything that Windows represents, bloat-ware, an inconsistent user experience, an unrefined UI is what we Mac users are not,” HAdley Stern writes for Apple Matters. “Which is why the latest obsession to hit the Mac community is one that I find so odd. That being booting Windows natively. I am writing this from a brand new MacBook Pro (just got it today, in fact). It, so far, appears to be a beautiful machine. The screen is bright as heck, the processor is zippy. OS X runs beautifully within its dual core Intel framework.”
“And yet so many people out there want to boot Windows on this machine? Why oh why, I ask. I can understand, even respect the hackers who want to do it out there to see if it can be done. But the fact that this seems to be so popular (there are sites, wikis, forums dedicated to just this one task) seems to me to bode ill for the Mac experience,” Stern writes. “If OS X is so darn freakin’ good why do people want Windows on their Mac. Buy a Dell, at least its ugliness will match the ugliness of Windows. Virtual PC was already enough of a weird thing, but booting Windows on a Mac? Sacrilege, I say… So, everyone out there who is reading this I want you to take the Apple Matters pledge of allegiance to the Mac platform. Pledge that you won’t even think about trying to dual-boot your Mac, now and forever. Amen.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Nobody “wants” to run Windows, but they do want to run certain Windows-only apps. Instead of waiting until never for apps like AutoCAD to come to Mac OS X, running Windows apps on a Mac is the next best thing. We’ve learned how to survive and thrive with 100% Microsoft-free Macs, but architects and many others who wanted Macs, but were stuck with an app or two that was critical for their work now have the entry into Macintosh that they needed. That is a good thing. Plus, the more Window-only folks who get to try Mac OS X and the excellent Mac-only apps and suites like iLife, the better it will be for Apple. Many who think the need Windows, we call it the Windows “insecurity blanket,” will now be able to consider a Mac for their next PC. That can only help Apple to ultimately “embrace and extinguish.”
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Related article:
A corporate view of Apple’s Boot Camp announcement – April 07, 2006
Video of Parallels running Windows XP on Mac OS X – April 07, 2006
Macs that run Windows will calm potential switchers’ irrational fears – April 06, 2006
The interesting aspect of this move is that none of us really know the actual real world result will be.
More people will definitely be purchasing Apple hardware. More people will be exposed to MacOs X. But what will happen to software written for the MacOs?
Unintended consequenses will make this new juncture in Apple history ever more interesting…
Interesting is the operative word…
A solid mac user for 20 years
will be interesting to see what Adobe does.
I would… but now I can test my cross-platform applications on a single machine! And my kids have been really anxious, waiting for this so they might play Windows games on their MacBook Pro. (Yes, we’ve been expecting/hoping for this since the original Intel announcement.)
I can appreciate the Mac faithful’s efforts to rally around OS X. Honestly, I think as we all become more familiar with how this change affects our beloved Macintosh platform, we’ll be able to make stronger and more compelling arguments of the superiority of OS X – and have more windows converts enjoying their own respective “Aha! Eureka!” moments.
I can actually imagine a time in the foreseeable future when Windows really does become irrelevant, and OS X dominates. It’s a speck of light at the potential end of a very long tunnel, but I haven’t felt this way in over a decade. Wow!
The point is, if you don’t need Windows applications be content to be pristinely Apple. If you absolutely require Windows apps then dual booting will be of benefit. Personally, I will remain Windows-free for as long as possible, thank you very much.
I Pledge…
To get an Intel Mac as my next computer and install Windows XP on it within the first week of owning it. I further pledge to talk to my friends and let them know they too can get a Mac and install Windows on it, there by having access to those Windows only applications yet still get to experience the Mac OS and iLife.
markdo, you are correct in that no one really knows what the actual real world result will be… BUT, we do know what the real world result is without a move like this…
Apple already has the best designed hardware, they already have the world’s best OS, they already have the worlds best consumer creative/multimedia suite, they already have the worlds largest online music store, they already have the worlds biggest selling portable music player.
Yet, they still only have a less than 4 percent marketshare of the worlds computers.. Why? Because people are afraid of change.. Apple has just removed the last barrier… Give them something new, without making them give up what they already have..
Yes, there are certain risks involved, but BootCamp needed to be done..
Grow the fuck up, you juvenile ass
you tellem d!
If you don’t go to Windows, then Windows will go to you. Your souls are now mine.
Hey, get over it. The Elitist days of Apple are over. Why in the world would I run the Apple OS when it gave up on April 5th? Schiller said customers were demanding it, so much so they spent money to develop a way to do it. Sounds like the “Mac Faithful” aren’t that faithful afterall. The heady day of “You can have my Mac when pry it from my cold dead hands” is gone. Welcome to reality, now get to work.
I want to play one game that is Windows only, Diamond Mind Baseball. I don’t care to dual boot, but I’m looking forward to Leopard with its virtualization so I can install Linux and Windows on my Mac. I may even try Parallels once I get my MacBook Pro. Just waiting for the word that they no longer have issues.
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Forget Windoze!
I personally have no desire to dual boot Windows and Mac OS on any of my Macs, of course I have yet to get a Mac sporting an Intel CPU, so it’s sort of a moot point. If CostCo doesn’t run out of the iMac G5s before my wife waves the green flag, I’ll still be on PowerPC for at least another 5 years, so it would still be a moot point
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Wonder how much time Apple will still support the non-intel stuff. They told us that 2007 the transition will be done, but look what happened, all machines will become intelized this year.
Lets see……..
Phil Schiller said customers demanded dual boot?. Did they ask it or just they looked at the movement at the osx86 project?. Anyways i wonder what consumers will demand later
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Architects dont need macs, vectorworks has been around for a long time
I consider myself an Apple purist. I don’t like 3rd party system enhancement software, and my attitude toward the Mac OS is, run it the way Apple built it. But you bet your sweet patootie that when I get my first Intel Mac, I’ll be installing Windows on it too. But for one reason and one reason only: GAMES
I’m sick and tired of playing Mac games over and over because nothing new has come out for the Mac. I’m playing Splinter Cell for the THIRD TIME for Jobs sake! I want to play Half Life! And before you suggest it, I don’t want a console. I like playing on my computer. I’d like to play them on the Mac, and I bristle at the thought of giving MS any money, but if that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes!
charlie travis –
Vectorworks is cross platform? It’s AutoCAD everyone says they need to run Windows for, although other than what they used in college, most architects move onto better software.
I’m actually thinking about dual-boot, but I’ll wait till they’ve got it more or less down pat in Leopard (and I’ll probably wait for 10.5.1 at the very least before tackling it). There are some very simple yet cool games out there that are Windows-only — the spouse loved playing the Hoyle games when they used to make them for Mac OS 9. And it would be nice to be able to go into CompUSA or even Target and pick up something fun.
And if it works well, I might be able to talk him into either a MacBook Pro or whatever they call the Intel iBooks, so we can play on the road…
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MW=nuclear, as in, “This sets off a nuclear device in the offices of the beige box makers”…
Defining yourself by what you are not is stupid, plain and simple.
We are computer users not cultists or political parties.
Weeble said, “Defining yourself by what you are not is stupid, plain and simple.”
Pretty bold statement coming someone whose claim to fame is that you “don’t fall down”.
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All wrong Sputter.
There never were any “elitist days.”
Regardless of whawt Mr. Schiller said, the fact reamains that the vast majority of Mac users use Macs because Windows sucks. His comments are simply sugar coating for Microshit’s benefit.
I work and live in reality every day, getting tons of work done with my Macs.
Right now I’m just taking a break, buttmunch.
And no, you CAN’T have my Mac, even after you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.
I did it! I loaded Bootcamp, Purchased Windows, and installed it on My IntelMac. Typical of Apple software, it worked perfectly. I now have two computers for the added price of Windows software. I can now run all that software that was gathering dust. Did I need it? Obviously not. But I wanted it. I think that is a good thing.
“If OS X is so darn freakin’ good why do people want Windows on their Mac.”
Because Windows does some things better.
Macs control your user experience.
Unfortunately, this makes it awfully difficult to actually modify things to work.
In a corporate environment, often the end result is more important than the journey you took to get there.
As the Mac OS is quite locked down when it comes to changing how it works, and there is a plethora of development software that can help developers make things like automation and back-end systems actually work and talk to each other and since these are all coded for Windows…
Try finding a variety of large scale ERP systems for the Mac.
Try running a blackberry server from a Mac.
Macs are great home machines and stand-alone units.
Nearly 6 years Windoze-free and counting! At home that is, I have to use Winblows at work (stupid hospital administration!). No way in the world will I be installing ANY Winblows version on any of my Macs! BUT, I applaud Apple for doing this for those who need it. It WILL increase Apple’s marketshare – just give it some time.
I want to run windows since os x is NOT a gaming platform. The first thing i’ll do when i buy the intel version of the powermac which i hope will be out this fall is to install xp on it and start playing some games
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Why bother with something else since i already know most of what os x has to offer, i just miss the games!
NO i would NOT buy a dell pc, os x is by far the superior OS for everyday things, too bad games aren’t one of them. (even games that are ported to os x perform poorly due to unoptimized drivers, doom3 for example)