Turns out , Apple could ’ve won that $ 13,854 if it had just released Boot Camp a calendar month earlier . Instead of crippling a hack , Apple has expel a licit translation that does what the plug did — and in true Apple fashion , awholelot more .

Unlike the winning hack , which expect some seriously geeky trick , Boot Camp take the air you through the process : it dynamically resizes your inauguration disc ’s partitions to produce a new one for XP ( no reformatting required ) , mechanically burns you a certificate of deposit full of Windows driver for Intel - based Mac ironware , and then reboot you into Windows to start the installation routine .

Apple ’s integrated the concept of booting into Windows into the Startup Disk predilection pane : Windows volume now appear in the list of bootable volumes . And Boot Camp even installs an Apple - written Windows utility that lets you place the default option inauguration disc when you ’re running Windows , too . you’re able to even keep down the alternative key when you start up the Mac , and as always , you ’ll be bring home the bacon with a list of bootable mass — but now your Windows volume will appear in the list there , too .

How it works

fundamentally , Apple seems to have taken the same plan of attack as the competition - winning hackers . The bragging problem in getting Intel - based Macs to boot into Windows is that they use EFI , a start - up engineering that is n’t put up by Windows . Boot Camp allows EFI to put across with Windows in a oral communication that Windows understand .

What Apple has append to the party is an almost complete set of drivers , intend that Windows XP should turn tail on the Intel - based Macs at full speed . ( The major boogeyman about the hacked feeler to bring up XP on Mac was that numerous hardware drivers were n’t available , mean that some Mac hardware features simply did n’t work , while others worked at dramatically reduced velocity . ) I sayalmostcomplete because Boot Camp does n’t install any driver that would allow Windows use the iSight video recording camera or the Apple Remote .

Just as with the hackers ’ method acting , installing Windows still requires you to actuallybuya written matter of Windows . Boot Camp will work with Windows XP Service Pack 2 , either Home or Professional editions . ( And keep in mind that since you ’re not elevate an old PC , you ’ll require to buy the full version , not the upgrade . )

Also , there ’s the bristled issue of file sharing . If you format the Windows division using the FAT32 format — which ca n’t support file larger than 4 GB — your Mac can see the movement and even copy files to it . But if your Windows partition uses the NTFS format , which allows tumid partition size , the Mac can see file , but ca n’t write to the drive . What ’s worse , Windows XP ca n’t say fromorwrite to a Mac partition without the use of particular package such as Mediafour’sMacDrive .

Hell freeze over

I ’m more mad about Boot Camp than I was about the hacker ’ method , mostly because this is something that veritable estimator user can do — it ’s a unsubdivided instalment method that does n’t require any of the reformatting or filing cabinet - tinkering that made the hackers ’ method acting one for serious geek only .

As I say last month , this is good word for Mac substance abuser because many of us have to use Windows , at least occasionally , and for episodic habit , running Windows on a Mac beats having to buy a disjoined PC . And Apple obviously feels that Boot Camp is idealistic for possible Windows switchers , because it pass a huge barrier to switching : namely , that they might have to run one or two Windows programs from time to metre .

That enunciate , I ’m hoping that there ’s another shoe yet to drop — either from Apple or by way of Microsoft . Because while boot into Windows solves numerous compatibility issues , it also entail that you ca n’t range Mac OS X while you ’re in Windows . If you require to flip back and forth between Mac and Windows applications , a dual - boot organisation will not boost your productivity , because you ’ll be start at bang screen half the sentence .

That ’s why I believe most mass would prefer to break away Windows at the same time , in a compatibility loge much like Microsoft ’s Virtual PC — except without all the slowdowns of emulation . I ’ve hear several window - in - a - boxful programs for the Intel Macs in the retiring few week , but none of them really knead well , at least not yet . I trust that either a version of Virtual PC for Intel Macs is forthcoming , or that Apple will add Windows - in - a - boxful funding directly into Mac OS X Leopard .

In the meanwhile , though , the power to run Windows natively on Mac hardware opens up a great deal of possibilities . whipper will be reassure . Mac users wo n’t have to clutter their agency with personal computer just to go a twain of compulsory tasks .

Last month , I think that the ability to go Windows on Intel - base Macs was a good thing . It ’s good to see that Apple thinks so , too .

( Corrected 4/5 at 1:05 p.m. ET to correctly state the major restriction of FAT32 . )