Would you Adam and Eve it? Apple today made available a beta installer to allow Intel-based Mac computers to dual boot between Mac OS X and Windows XP operating systems! The so-called Boot Camp Beta - an 82.8MB download - is a forerunner, Apple says, to building Win XP dual-booting into Leopard, the next version of Mac OS X.
So, a fresh round of congratulations would appear to be in order to Colin, the guy who set up the successful dual-boot competition, and blanka and narf2006, the two clever buggers who scooped the US$13,854 prize mid March, apparently forcing Apple into formally supporting Windows XP dual-booting on its Intel-based Macs. Naturally, though, Apple says nothing on its Boot Camp Beta pages about the compo.
Instead, it explains its decision to add WinXP dual-boot support in these terms:
More and more people are
buying and
loving Macs. To make this choice simply irresistible, Apple will
include technology in the next major release of Mac OS X, Leopard, that
lets you install and run the Windows XP operating system on your Mac.
Called Boot Camp (for now), you can download a public beta today.
As elegant as it gets
Boot Camp lets you install Windows XP without moving your Mac data, though you will need to bring your own copy to the table, as Apple Computer does not sell or support Microsoft Windows. Boot Camp will burn a CD of all the required drivers for Windows so you don't have to scrounge around the Internet looking for them.
Run XP natively
Once you’ve completed Boot Camp, simply hold down the option key at startup to choose between Mac OS X and Windows. (That’s the “alt” key for you longtime Windows users.) After starting up, your Mac runs Windows completely natively. Simply restart to come back to Mac.
As elegant as it gets
Boot Camp lets you install Windows XP without moving your Mac data, though you will need to bring your own copy to the table, as Apple Computer does not sell or support Microsoft Windows. Boot Camp will burn a CD of all the required drivers for Windows so you don't have to scrounge around the Internet looking for them.
Run XP natively
Once you’ve completed Boot Camp, simply hold down the option key at startup to choose between Mac OS X and Windows. (That’s the “alt” key for you longtime Windows users.) After starting up, your Mac runs Windows completely natively. Simply restart to come back to Mac.
And here's what Apple says is needed to create a dual-booting Mac:
* An Intel-based Mac
* Mac OS X Tiger v10.4.6 (check Software Update in System Preferences)
* The latest firmware update (check Support Downloads and search for your Mac model)
* At least 10GB free hard disk space
* A printer for the included instructions (You'll want to print them before installing Windows, really.)
* A blank recordable CD
* A bona fide installation disc for Microsoft Windows XP, Service Pack 2, Home Edition or Professional (No multi-disc, upgrade or Media Center versions.)
* Mac OS X Tiger v10.4.6 (check Software Update in System Preferences)
* The latest firmware update (check Support Downloads and search for your Mac model)
* At least 10GB free hard disk space
* A printer for the included instructions (You'll want to print them before installing Windows, really.)
* A blank recordable CD
* A bona fide installation disc for Microsoft Windows XP, Service Pack 2, Home Edition or Professional (No multi-disc, upgrade or Media Center versions.)
The Boot Camp Assistant Beta is said to create a partition just for Windows XP without erasing existing Mac OS X information and to create a CD with drivers for Windows XP that allow use of all the Mac's built-in hardware - including graphics, USB, audio, Bluetooth, Ethernet, AirPort and more. The drivers are automatically installed after XP itself is installed.
Apple offers up a number of warnings that would-be dual-booters should take particular note of, including:
1/ Your Windows XP
installation disc
must include Service Pack 2 (SP2). You cannot install an earlier
version of Windows and upgrade it to Windows XP, nor install an earlier
version of Windows XP and update it with SP2 later.
2/ Boot Camp Beta is preview software licensed for use on a trial basis for a limited time. Do not use Boot Camp Beta in a commercial operating environment or with important data. You should back up all of your data before installing this software and regularly back up data while using the software. Your rights to use Boot Camp Beta are subject to acceptance of the terms of the software license agreement that accompanies the software.
3/ Apple does not provide technical phone support for using Boot Camp Beta, burning the Macintosh Drivers CD, or installing Windows XP. Support is available on Apple's website. Fee-based support agreements are not available for Boot Camp Beta.
4/ If the partition [for Windows XP] is 32 GB or smaller, you can use either FAT or NTFS. If it's larger than 32 GB, then you can only format it using NTFS. Mac OS X can read and write FAT volumes, but only read NTFS volumes. Refer to the Windows XP documentation if you are not sure which best suits your needs. (HEXUS.net adds - Win XP will not be able to read or write Mac OS X volumes. It's possible, though, that current or future third-part applications may add that functionality)
2/ Boot Camp Beta is preview software licensed for use on a trial basis for a limited time. Do not use Boot Camp Beta in a commercial operating environment or with important data. You should back up all of your data before installing this software and regularly back up data while using the software. Your rights to use Boot Camp Beta are subject to acceptance of the terms of the software license agreement that accompanies the software.
3/ Apple does not provide technical phone support for using Boot Camp Beta, burning the Macintosh Drivers CD, or installing Windows XP. Support is available on Apple's website. Fee-based support agreements are not available for Boot Camp Beta.
4/ If the partition [for Windows XP] is 32 GB or smaller, you can use either FAT or NTFS. If it's larger than 32 GB, then you can only format it using NTFS. Mac OS X can read and write FAT volumes, but only read NTFS volumes. Refer to the Windows XP documentation if you are not sure which best suits your needs. (HEXUS.net adds - Win XP will not be able to read or write Mac OS X volumes. It's possible, though, that current or future third-part applications may add that functionality)
So what do you make of all this? And is it any more likely to make you buy an Apple Mac computer? Do let us know in the HEXUS.community.
Update - 13th April, 2006
Check out Gordy's review of Apple Boot Camp Public Beta and let us know your thoughts in the related HEXUS.community forum thread.
HEXUS.links
Boot Camp Beta home page
Boot Camp Beta Setup Guide (PDF file)
Boot Camp Beta FAQ
Colin's dual-boot compo
blanka and narf2006 win the prize
Windows on Mac Wiki
