Dreams come true.
Yesterday Apple announced Apple Boot Camp, software that lets you dual boot a new intel-chip based Macintosh computer to NATIVELY run Windows XP and even Linux, including Ubuntu.
This Flickr photoset shows images of the install process, which reportedly takes about an hour. Mac game developers have mixed responses to the news, which isn’t a surprise.
Personally, I am thrilled. Not because I want to run WindowsXP for any professional purpose (other than playing a bit with Windows only programs like PhotoStory before workshops I guess)– but because I want to buy and play Windows-based games like LucasArts Empire at War! 🙂
Looks like I won’t have a hard time making a decision on my next computer purchase!
The blog post “Why Boot Camp is the Beginning of the End for Windows” (subtitled “Hell has frozen over”) includes some interesting opinions, including this:
Upon the release of Boot Camp, the whole market has suddenly changed. Two weeks ago, roughly 95% of the personal computer could run Windows without any hacks, and 5% of the market could run OS X. Now, 100% can run Windows and only 5% OS X. Intially, this might look bad for OS X, a so-called “Osborne effect” on the horizon, but on closer examination it exactly the opposite. I’d place even money that Macbook Pro sales doubled or even tripled on the day Boot Camp was released, solely from the purchases of system administrators who have to deal with both operating systems. This isn’t limited only to techies though, the education market is also going to blossom. Schools who have tradionally run two computer labs, one Mac, one Windows, can now have a dual purpose labs. And more importantly, support from a single company. Business sales will also go up because of the availability of reliable and lightweight laptops. Home sales will go up because of the ability to run Windows business applications and games at the same time as having a digital iLife (and super sexy, super thin computers as well).
I agree that the operating system pie chart is going to get increasingly interesting in the months and years to come. From the same post:
In my hopeful view of the future, in the next decade, I see Linux growing to a 30% market share taking over the low-end PC and server operating system markets, and Mac OS X growing to 30% with the aid of the education, small business and creative pro and consumer markets. WIndows will remain but with a dwindling market share, but with such a large reserve of cash, I can’t see sales shrinking below 30% in the next decade. And Microsoft can’t do much about it, it’s perfectly legal. Microsoft should start investing in Office for Linux.
Three cheers for Apple! Empire at War, here I come!
(Thanks to my cousin, Devin Henley, for sharing these links!
If you enjoyed this post and found it useful, subscribe to Wes’ free newsletter. Check out Wes’ video tutorial library, “Playing with Media.” Information about more ways to learn with Dr. Wesley Fryer are available on wesfryer.com/after.
On this day..
- Credly-powered Digital Badges for Mapping Media to the Common Core – 2013
- Guidelines for Oklahoma ASR: Annual Statistical Report – 2011
- ARRA: Title I and IDEA in Oklahoma (April 2011 update) – 2011
- Advanced Placement Incentive Programs and Gifted Education Requirements in Oklahoma – 2011
- Iowa 1:1 Institute Presentation Resources – 2010
- Add drawings to your Google Documents – 2009
- Lessons Learned: Webcasting and Live Blogging a School Board Meeting – 2009
- Self-hosted WordPress Blog Updates – 2009
- Missing choices from the Dropout Summit Attendee Survey – 2009
- Connecting creativity, programming, and mobile learning – 2008