Apple may be at the center of the Mac existence , but the it was n’t the only caller making wave in 2006 . Here are some of the year ’s top Mac stories involving other ironware and software Almighty .

A Parallels world

As Apple began to roll out Intel - establish Macs , the interrogative sentence on many Mac exploiter ’ sass seemed to be , “ Does this think of I could hunt other operating systems — including Windows — on my Mac if I want ? ” The interest in this theoretic challenge became so great , it breed a competition — one that was won by a group of hackers in March .

But before Mac users had a prospect to experiment with the cut solution , another unlikely player threw its lid into the Windows - on - Mac ring — Apple . Two week after hacker came out with a Windows - on - Mac root , Apple reveal Boot Camp , a public beta that countenance Intel - based Mac users install and function Windows XP on their computer .

While some people question the decision to provide hoi polloi to ladder Windows natively on a Mac , the overall reaction was very positively charged . Even Microsoft welcomed the handout of Boot Camp , which in hindsight could have been the last nail in the coffin of Virtual PC . gamey - end Mac game publishers also establish optimism for the applied science , while chance Mac secret plan - makers said their business would be mostly insensible .

Boot Camp does let Mac gamers and exploiter of all kind run software that they could n’t in the past tense . That also work in the reversion — PC exploiter that would rather use a Mac but still require access to a Windows covering , can now safely buy an Apple computing equipment .

But while Boot Camp send shockwaves throughout the Mac and Windows worlds , the Apple software system was not without its drawbacks — namely , you need to reboot your Mac for run Windows , a show - stopper for some users . Enter virtualization specialist Parallels , which produced a Mac variant of its computer software for running unlike operating systems on the same machine without requiring a reboot . Parallels became an clamant hit as the company continue to improve the software system and publish public betas . The unvarying releases gave users an easy way to chime in with their thoughts on the current and future feature list and devote the company a solid roadmap to keep up .

Parallels was n’t the only company to introduce the booming Windows - on - Mac market . One of the biggest name in the overall virtualization market , VMWare , joined the ruffle by releasing its first beta in late December . Look for the interestingness in running different operating systems on Intel - based Mac ironware to labour development deep into 2007 .

Microsoft giveth …

position any rumors of discontent to rest , Microsoft and Apple signed a new technology agreement at Macworld Expo . The agreement , which will last for at least five years , means that Microsoft will carry on to make Office and Apple will portion out any new technologies to avail with the development . Of particular interest to Mac exploiter stool the move to Intel - based hardware , the agreement says that Microsoft will continue to develop Office for Mac in two edition — one for PowerPC system and one for Intel machines .

… And Microsoft taketh away

Of course , three days after unveiling its agreement with Apple , Microsoft killed development of its Windows Media Player for Mac . Instead of immediately supporting Windows Media on the Mac , Microsoft pick out to partner with Flip4Mac , a company that allows users to encounter Windows Media files with QuickTime .

Windows Media Player was n’t the only Microsoft programme to wind up in the engineering science necropolis in 2006 . Ending month of venture , the company order it was lay off development of Virtual PC , a engineering purchased when it buy Connectix in 2003 . Word also came from Redmond that the next version of Office would pretermit support for Visual Basic , a move that get out some Mac exploiter scratch their heads .

PC gross revenue bottom out … but not for Apple

By December growth of personal computer sales in the US had come to a halt , show zero increase compare to last year . While many companies were take by surprisal and force to burn price to keep market share , Apple showed inviolable sales growth and increased market parcel .

Apple top out all estimator company by posting over 30 percentage class - over - year growing pace in its Macintosh food market share . Whether it ’s the iPod drive more the great unwashed to the Mac or the Intel modulation that is sparking consumer interest group , there can be no doubt that Apple is occur on strong with its new blood of Macs .

Blu - ray versus HD DVD

The conflict to win the next eminent - capability ocular format lead off to heat up in 2006 as supporters for both HD DVD and Blu - ray set out to release products . The two formats are vying to replace current DVDs for high - definition content , such as moving picture , with the resulting squabble pitting industry behemoth against each other . The main backers of HD - DVD include Toshiba , NEC and Intel , while those plump for Blu - electron beam Disc include Sony , Panasonic and Samsung .

While analysts carry Apple to outfit its Macs with Blu - shaft of light drive , the company will get ahead no matter which side prevails in the formatting state of war . Both HD DVD and Blu - ray incorporate the QuickTime format and the Apple - support H.264 in their applied science .

Movies and phonograph recording players are already in storehouse , but it will be a while yet before we cognize the outcome of this struggle .

Adobe locomote public

In years past public betas were usually only released by pocket-size fellowship reckon for feedback on young features . However , 2006 saw Adobe give users two huge public genus Beta releases — one for its newfangled Lightroom program and the other for its flagship Photoshop programme .

preview early in the year , Lightroom is a contender for Apple ’s Aperture work flow software . With many updates throughout the class — include Intel support — Lightroom really put a mite in Apple ’s Aperture plans . Many multitude tried the free Lightroom and continue to expend it because of the possibility of unseamed integration with next versions of Adobe ’s Creative Suite . Adobe look to release a final version of Lightroom in early 2007 .

Perhaps the biggest Adobe news of the year was the liberation of the Photoshop CS3 public beta in December . The beta was the long - await Intel - native interpretation of the look-alike - redaction diligence , though it introduced other feature as well . With a final edition of Photoshop CS3 look in Spring 2007 , the Intel - aboriginal syllabus is see as a potential spine for Mac sales , particularly among creative professionals who have been hold out for aboriginal compatibility .