Apple has weighed in on the "Windows on Mac" movement. Too late
to win the $14,000 prize money
awarded in March, but in typical Apple style much more
elegantly and after keeping their efforts secret.
Apple's new Boot
Camp Public Beta web page outlines steps required for preparing
your Intel-based Mac and includes links for the software downloads
needed for Apple's method of installing and running Windows XP on a
Macintel running the just-released OS X 10.4.6 update.
An 83 MB download is required, which is used to burn a CD
including drivers for the graphics, networking, audio, and other
hardware used on the various Macintel models. It also includes a
Startup Disk control panel for Windows, to make it easier to switch
between Windows on the Mac OS. (I'm assuming that the Startup Disk
preference panel on the Intel Macs will also recognize the Windows
partition if available).
Apple notes that alternatively, the Alt (option) key can be held
down to allow a user to chose between Mac OS X and Windows at
startup.
Apple notes that users will need an Intel Mac with OS X 10.4.6
and the latest firmware, at least 10 GB of free hard drive space,
and a Windows XP SP 2 installation disc. Windows Media Center is
not supported.
Apple strongly recommends printing out the instructions. The
software download includes Space Maker, which Apple describes as
"the most elegant hard drive utility ever". It can be used to free
up hard drive space by moving files to non-destructively create a
partition for the Windows software. (Apple notes that it can also
be used to remove the Windows partition.)
Apple notes that it can be tricky to select the newly-made
Windows partition rather than the Mac partition during the Windows
installation. Making the wrong choice can nuke a user's Mac
installation, so a fresh backup is a good idea.
Apple also notes that running Windows on a Mac makes a user
subject to all the same security hazards as running Windows on a
PC.
The company also notes that this technology will be part of
Leopard, the next version of OS X. What's been made available
now is a public beta for people who just can't wait and are willing
to be on the cutting edge. (No phone or fee-based support is
available from Apple for the public beta).
I haven't had the opportunity to try Boot Camp yet, but it
appears to be light-years easier than the patched together methods
outlined last month by the contest winners. 
