Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by Dan Knight
- 2006.04.06
This Week's Macintel News
After a couple weeks of independent programmers figuring out how
to get Windows XP up and running on Macintel hardware, Apple has
cut them off at the knees by making all of their work unnecessary.
For the first time since the era of "DOS Compatible" Macs with x86
cards, Apple officially supports booting Windows on Mac hardware
with Boot Camp.
Boot Camp is a free preview of technology that will be part of
OS X 10.5 "Leopard" later this year. It allows a Macintel user
to choose to boot into OS X or Windows XP SP2 at startup. It
requires OS X 10.4.6 and a firmware update to the Macintel
computer.
PowerBook, iBook, and other portable computing news is covered
in The 'Book Review. General
Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod news is covered
in The iNews Review.
Windows on Macintel
The Macintel Transition
Intel News
Windows on Macintel
Apple Getting Ready to Run Windows?
Engadget's Marc Perton says:
"Notable curmudgeon John Dvorak raised hackles last month when
he suggested that an Intel-powered Apple would dump OS X and
switch to Windows. Turns out he may have been right - sort of. Word
is out now that Apple has joined BAPco, an industry group that does
one thing and one thing only: create benchmarks for testing the
performance of Windows-based PCs...."
- Link:
Is Apple Getting Ready to Run Windows?
Apple Joins Windows Benchmark Consortium
ExtremeTech reports:
"In a stunning move, BAPCo, the industry-standard Windows
benchmarking consortium, announced that Apple Computer has joined
up as a member. BAPCo is responsible for the SYSmark 2004SE and
MobileMark benchmark suites used for testing PCs. BAPCo also
produces the webserver test WEBmark.
"BAPCo members include AMD, Intel, Transmeta, ATI, Nvidia,
Microsoft, Ziff Davis Media, CNET, Dell, HP, Toshiba, Seagate, VNU,
Atheros, and ARCintuition. These heavy hitters cooperate on
determining and developing testing methodologies, using industry
standard programs like Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, and
3ds max. The SYSmark and MobileMark benchmarks are used as
performance tests by media outlets, corporations, and government
agencies worldwide."
- Link: A Boon
for Benchmarks: Apple Joins BAPCo
Apple May Do Windows
Business 2.0 Magazine online editor Owen Thomas and Fortune
reporter Oliver Ryan report:
"Ever since Apple declared it was switching to Intel chips last
year, Mac fans have been looking forward to the prospect of running
both Windows and Mac OS X on the same machine. But those who
have tried to load Windows onto a Mac have kept running into
unexpected technical roadblocks. Apple's stance on the matter? 'We
won't stop you, but we won't help you.'
"That standoffishness may be coming to an end, however. The
Gearlog blog reports that Apple has joined BAPCo, an organization
that benchmarks the performance of systems that run Windows."
- Link:
Apple May Do Windows
Mac mini Core Duo Running Windows XP
O'Reilly.net's Todd Ogasaware says:
"A friend brought over a dual-booting Mac mini Pro Duo with
2 GB RAM to show me. An Intel-based Mac running Microsoft
Windows XP is not quite the sensation it might have been a couple
of weeks ago. But, this was still the first time I saw a Mac mini
Core Duo dual booting Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows XP and I
have to admit I was impressed at the boot speed for both Mac
OS X and Windows XP.
"I thought XP would boot slowly (still thinking emulation even
though I know it is running natively) and was surprised to see how
fast it came up to the point where the mouse and keyboard was
usable on the Mac mini...."
- Link:
Mac mini Core Duo Running Windows XP
Apple's Boot Camp Software Enables WinXP on
Macintel
PR: Apple has introduced
Boot Camp, public beta software that enables Intel-based Macs to
run Windows XP. 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, and 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," said
Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product
Marketing. "We think Boot Camp makes the Mac even more appealing to
Windows users considering making the switch."
Boot Camp
simplifies Windows installation on an Intel-based Mac 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 at www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp , and is preview software
licensed for use on a trial basis for a limited time. The final
version of Boot Camp will be available as a feature in the upcoming
Mac OS X version 10.5 "Leopard." Apple does not provide
support for installing or running Boot Camp and does not sell or
support Microsoft Windows software. Apple welcomes user feedback on
Boot Camp at bootcamp@apple.com
System Requirements
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 Macintel Transition
Intel Transition Still Frustrates Mac
Developers
eWeek reports:
"On the eve of its 30th anniversary, Apple Computer is in the
middle of a major transition-moving its Mac hardware and operating
system over to the Intel chip. But Apple isn't alone: this
transition affects every developer of Mac software, including Apple
itself.
"As Apple moves from IBM's and Freescale's PowerPC RISC
architecture to Intel processors, developers must rebuild their
products to support both platforms, into what Apple calls a UB
(Universal Binary). And while Apple lists over 1,000 UB
applications currently available, this process is challenging
developers, especially those of some of the largest and most
critical applications for the platform."
- Links: Apple's
Intel Move Still Riling Mac Developers
Intel News
Intel Launches 'Discover the PC'
Initiative
Technologies Specifically Designed to Provide Greater Access to
Personal Computing
PR: Intel Corporation has announced the "Discover the PC"
initiative to make the benefits of PC technology more broadly
available to people in developing nations. The initiative focuses
on delivering products and technologies that are specifically
designed to meet the unique needs of people in developing
countries. The Discover the PC initiative supplements existing
Intel programs in education, investments in local technology
industry infrastructure and other ongoing efforts designed to
encourage technology adoption around the world.
"Intel has long been working with local governments and
organizations in developing countries to bring the benefits of
personal computing to homes, schools and businesses," said Mark
Beckford, general manager, Emerging Markets Platforms Group. "With
Intel's focus on enabling the local PC industry infrastructure with
tailored products, investments and partnerships, we believe we have
been able to make a real difference in people's lives. The purpose
of the Discover the PC initiative is to bring personal computing to
citizens in developing countries that currently can't access or
afford a personal computer."
As part of the initiative, Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini
introduced today in Mexico a new fully-featured, high-quality,
low-cost desktop PC platform available to first time computer
users. The new PC design has an easy-to-use interface designed to
introduce a new set of people to the world of technology for the
first time. It is a small form-factor and energy efficient product
suitable for dense living environments. It provides access to the
full range of PC applications and experiences that allow people to
find new ways to learn, communicate, work and play.
The PC will be available through governments and
telecommunications companies that will work to deliver it to people
who previously did not have access to a PC or the means to own one.
Initially, Intel plans to make them available through government
agencies and telecommunications companies in Mexico, Brazil, Egypt,
Ghana and Nigeria, with expansion to other countries later in the
year. By joining with government agencies and telecommunications
partners that would provide Internet access, the computing platform
will offer all the features of a PC available today while being
sold significantly below typical PC prices. The prices will differ
by country based on local PC prices and family incomes.
A second product that is part of the Discover the PC initiative
was introduced earlier this week in India as the Intel-powered
Community PC. The innovative PC was developed specifically to meet
the Internet access needs of rural villages and communities. The PC
was designed as a result of defining locally relevant computing
solutions, and is equipped to operate in a group or community
setting while accommodating the varying environmental conditions
prevalent in rural areas.
The Community PC platform was defined by Intel after intensive
ethnographic studies in rural India showed that a clear desire for
technology access exists in remote rural communities where even a
single PC can serve many people. Unfortunately, weather conditions
(heat, dust, humidity) and unreliable power sources can compromise
typical PCs used in such environments.
To address these issues, the Intel-powered Community PC platform
was developed to be a fully functional, expandable and
shared-access computing solution. It is a highly reliable,
manageable system that supports remote diagnostics and control
features under low power requirements. Included among the unique
features are: a ruggedized chassis to withstand dusty conditions,
varying temperatures and high humidity; a customized power supply
unit that allows the PC to maintain continuous load power in the
event of a power outage; and simple, one-button system recovery in
case of PC failure.
Intel is actively working with industry partners to deploy the
Community PC in Internet kiosks common in rural villages in India.
The kiosks are operated by local entrepreneurs and provide
neighboring communities with access to e-Government forms (e.g.
land records and marriage licenses) and other services. Though
initially designed for India, the platform has generated interest
from other countries with similar environmental concerns, and is
expected to be expanded to other countries in the near future.
Current plans for the Discover the PC initiative involve
defining and developing additional products that address other
unique requirements in the developing nations. For example, the
company is currently developing a prototype of a small form factor
laptop PC that incorporates unique software and hardware features
to serve educational needs. The objective is to unleash the full
value of PC technology for students and educators in primary and
secondary schools by assisting in the learning process. Additional
details for this and other future products will be announced at a
later date.
