Here’s a round-up of news about Apple’s latest software called Bootcamp (I love this name!) that they announced earlier this week. Bootcamp allows you to install Windows XP on any Intel-based Mac and have dual operating systems on your machine. In my opinion, this makes the iMac the best, most versatile desktop system on the market. I already loved the iMac and now it just got better!Here’s a roundup of thoughts and reviews:
Walter Mossberg probably has the best summary out there:
Read his whole review!For mainstream computer users doing typical tasks, Apple Computer's Macintosh models have huge advantages over the prevalent Windows computers from companies such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard. The Macs have sleeker hardware designs, a superior operating system, much better built-in software, and virtually no exposure to viruses and spyware. Apple's flagship model, the iMac, is the best consumer desktop on the market.
Apple took a historic, and potentially huge, step to remove that obstacle to switching. It introduced free software that makes it easy to install and run Windows on the latest Mac models as a complement to the Mac operating system. With this new software, called Boot Camp, you can turn your Mac into a fast, full-fledged Windows computer for those occasions when you must run a Windows program. That makes the iMac, the Mac Mini and the MacBook Pro laptop the only computers in the world that allow mainstream users to run both operating systems at full speed.
I've been testing Windows on a new iMac for several days and except for a couple of trifling annoyances, it runs perfectly, just like a stand-alone Windows PC. I was able to install Boot Camp and Windows XP Pro on the Mac in under an hour. After that, I installed 15 Windows programs, most unavailable in Mac versions, and all ran properly.
In Windows mode, the iMac was blazingly fast -- far faster than my two-year-old H-P Windows computer. And every function of Windows I tested, including Web browsing, email and music playback, ran flawlessly.
Microsoft reacted positively to it (at least in public):
JKOnTheRun recommends running "Parallels", a virtual PC, instead. This way you won’t have to reboot every time you want to switch operating systems:
"Windows is a great operating system," a Microsoft statement said. "We're pleased that Apple customers are excited about running it, and that Apple is responding to meet the demand."
Gamers seem to be very pleased.
The virtual machine route lets Mac owners run the Windows apps right on the Mac desktop and if the performance is good enough then… it's the best way to go.
TUAW weighs in on how Apple might market their machines to the business sector:
Here’s a free business idea I’ll throw out: If Apple doesn’t do this, why not start-up your own company that installs this and provides this as a solution to business (and consumer) customers?
…if Apple started offering Macs with OS X and Windows pre-installed to the business sector, they could rake in companies looking to switch by the truck load. This option would be the nail in the coffin for business customers who want an out-of-the-box solution for getting set up on Macs with a minimum of fuss. In fact, there would be any fuss. These customers would have the best of both worlds from the moment they hit the power button, and Apple would have a rock solid strategy for putting business hardware competitors like Dell on the run.Apple doesn't need to license Mac OS X to PC manufacturers. With all the doors that Boot Camp opens for the company, Apple simply need to warn them to get out of the way.
Aplia Econ Blog gives thoughts on the unique competitiveness of this move:
Life on the Wicked Stage reflects what I believe will be the opinion of many (myself included):
Traditional anticompetitive practices harm rivals’ ability to compete and usually generate losses for society. Instead, Apple’s strategy for dealing with competition isn’t malicious at all. Apple shows its competition a little love by giving Windows operating systems a wider audience. Rather than stifle the competition, Apple hopes to court more users by embracing its competitor's product.With only 5% of the desktop computer market share, Apple is hoping computer users will appreciate the flexibility that multiple operating systems afford. Now the real question is how many people think that option is worth the additional licensing fee.
My take: I already was enamored by the design of the iMac and this solidifies it. The New York Times ran an opinion piece in which they said:
Timing is everything in every facet of life and I found myself thinking a bit about this today. Although I don’t use my desktop very much these days, I had been planning to replace it the end of this year. Apple has caught my eye with this move.
I think they are totally missing the big picture here. Just because Boot Camp is not generating revenue directly, doesn’t mean this isn’t going to generate huge revenue for Apple. I believe this will make many people who were previously sitting on the fence about making the switch (like me last year) much more comfortable with buying a Mac. I think this will make Apple far more money in the long-run than any amount of sales they would have possibly gotten from selling Boot Camp. Putting it into their next release of the operating system is simply brilliant!
Boot Camp, being free, makes no revenue for Apple and never will. And while it might help show prospective purchasers the superiority of Apple hardware, those purchasers would have to buy their Macs first and then convince themselves that they had done the right thing, which is totally backwards.
Remote control, built-in camera, incredible design, what’s not to like about the iMac? Steve Jobs has definitely scored another huge win for Apple. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
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