Some thoughts on Apple's Bootcamp

1. How will I get a copy of Windows for my Mac? Full retail versions cost
nearly R3000.00, and the application of a dual boot PC would have to be very
specific to justify this expense. Not sure sure how a Windows XP purchase
could otherwise be bundled with the hardware purchase. How is Office
purchased? Are "system builder" verions bundled with the original Apple
hardware purchase as they are for non-Apple PCs?

2. My first impression booting Windows was: "Okay, now what?". Since almost
every other OS has been able to dual boot with Windows for many years, it
was a bit underwhelming that Apple could now do the same. The fact that this
is possible on a "closed" hardware platform is technically impressive... for
about 5 minutes.

3. While this is technically and politically interesting, I think practical
applications will be very limited. I think Apple people want Macs, and the
rest want Windows. The idea that you could buy your Mac and then use either
OS is something of a red herring. The idea that organisations might buy a
whole lot of Macs and run some Windows on them is completely impractical.
Being able to run either OS on a single home PC is, likewise, only a cool
theoretical possibility. Pracically most orgs and homes have gotten used to
choosing, and have oriented themselves around either/or. Nad then there is
the additional expense of licensing Windows, which culd cost half as much as
buying a second PC.

4. Only caveat: home gamers can accept the family preference for Mac,
knowing that they can still run all the same games as their mates. In
practice I found Windows-based gaming performance to be slightly below par
on the Mini, although the machine I was using was probably not very high
spec i.e. well above average by PC standards, but not by gamers standards.

I have not written about this yet, because it has not fitted in well with my
writing themes for the last few weeks. It will probably fit in somewhere in
due course. In the end, I am pleased that I had the opportunity to handle
bootcamp for myself in order to develop an informed opinion on the matter.

Finally, Apple + Mac OS is a killer combination. Why would you put a BMW
engine into an Mercedes body? The value ends up being less than the sum of
its parts.