Apple’s Boot Camp lets Mactels run Windows XP
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Apr 5, 2006 at 8:58am
Apple has today introduced Boot Camp, public beta software that enables Intel-based Macs to run Windows XP. It will be a part of Mac OS X 10.5 (“Leopard”) whenever the next major update of Mac OS X arrives (probably in early 2007). Leopard will be previewed this August at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference.
Available as a download beginning today, Boot Camp allows users with a Microsoft Windows XP installation disc to install Windows XP on an Intel-based Mac, such as the Intel iMac, the Intel Mac mini and the MacBook Pro. Once installation is complete, users can restart their computer to run either Mac OS X or Windows XP. Boot Camp will be a feature in “Leopard,” Apple’s next major release of Mac OS X, that will be previewed at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in August.
“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,” Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, said in a press release. “We think Boot Camp makes the Mac even more appealing to Windows users considering making the switch.”
Boot Camp is designed to simplify Windows installation on a Mactel by providing a simple graphical step-by-step assistant application to dynamically create a second partition on the hard drive for Windows, to burn a CD with all the necessary Windows drivers, and to install Windows from a Windows XP installation CD. After installation is complete, users can choose to run either Mac OS X or Windows when they restart their computer.
The public beta of Boot Camp is available immediately as a download here. Since it’s a beta, Apple isn’t providing support for installing or running Boot Camp and doesn’t sell or support Microsoft Windows software. Apple welcomes user feedback on Boot Camp at bootcamp@apple.com.
Boot Camp requires an Intel-based Mac with a USB keyboard and mouse, or a built-in keyboard and TrackPad; Mac OS X version 10.4.6 or later; the latest firmware update; at least 10GB of free space on the startup disk; a blank recordable CD or DVD; and single-disc version of Windows XP Home Edition or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later.
(The graphic in this report is courtesy of Apple Computer.)
Leave a comment ⇒
Please post the article topic & comment in our forums. No registration required.
Article Information
Comment on this Article Print this Article Email this Article Digg This
Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
