Windows on a Mac
Apple introduced Boot Camp last Wednesday to much fanfare. The new application, currently in public beta, allows owners of Apple hardware based on Intel chipsets to choose between Apple's OS X or another operating system such as Microsoft Windows when booting their computer. The new software is a preview into features of Apple's next major operating release, code-named "Leopard," to be unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco this August.
The ideas behind Boot Camp are nothing new, and applications such as Virtual PC have provided a virtualization of Windows on a Mac for years. What has changed in the world of Apple with the introduction of Boot Camp? Will more users make the switch now that they can take a native install of Windows with them?
Om thinks Boot Camp will help large companies such as banks continue to use their legacy applications while making the switch to Windows. I envision users booting to Windows for the applications that are only available on that platform or for advanced features now available in OS X versions. An accountant may boot to Windows for access to the latest copy of QuickBooks or a gamer might boot to Windows to play his or her favorite video game.
This week's second PodSession is titled Windows on a Mac. The podcast is 10 minutes long, a 5 MB download.