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Apple boots up a Windows format: Intel-based Macs with Windows XP can now alternate between operating systems via 'Boot Camp' download(Newsday (Melville, NY) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Apr. 6--Like friends who fight on a regular basis, Microsoft and Apple are buddies once again, as Apple released software yesterday to run Windows on Intel-based Macintosh computers, trying to lure users of Microsoft's dominant operating system. "With the iPod, they kind of got an inkling of this when they moved from Mac-only to Windows," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst for Enderle Group, a research company based in San Jose. "That's when the market exploded for them." The software may push existing Mac users to upgrade to an Intel-based Macintosh computer and help Microsoft sell more versions of Windows, said Chris Swenson, a software analyst at NPD Group, a marketing research company. Investors drooled at the potential, pushing Apple stock up nearly 10 percent yesterday to close at $67.21 on the Nasdaq. Windows has run on Macs via computer hacks and slow-running software that emulates Windows. But yesterday Apple released "Boot Camp," which will allow users to boot up with either Windows or Mac OS X. That's a "rather limited solution" said Bradley Dichter, technical adviser to Long Island Macintosh Users Group. Apple's next major release, Leopard, to be previewed in August, will make it easier to alternate between Windows and Mac OS. Neither Apple nor Microsoft will provide support for the test software, and users would have to buy Windows XP, which costs about $100. The rivals have cooperated before, but have also been in court over copyright and antitrust issues. Microsoft reveled that Apple customers are excited about running Windows, "and that Apple is responding to meet the demand," said Kevin Kutz, director of Microsoft Windows Client, through a spokesman. At Apple, the company was a little more reserved. "Apple has no desire or plan to sell or support Windows, but many customers have expressed their interest" in Windows, Philip Schiller, an Apple senior vice president said in a statement. On its Web site, Apple issued a warning, telling users to keep their systems up-to-date because a Mac with Windows will "be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world." An Apple spokeswoman declined comment. Let the chips fall ... Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh remain far different operating systems. Here are some of the pros and cons, according to Brian Cooley, editor-at-large, Cnet.com Desktop search Macintosh comes out ahead, with clean, easy-to-decipher results. Windows produces geeky results, with file sizes and other technical data. Web browsing Macintosh Safari is far more secure. Microsoft's Internet Explorer is "the world's No. 1 hacker magnet," Cooley said, but added that's in part because hackers want to break into the widely used browser. Appearance Apple is more elegant and intuitive, while Windows has a steeper learning curve. Software compatibility Windows beats the Mac here. It runs both old and new software from a large variety of software makers. Macintosh aims to run the latest software. Hardware Ditto. Windows runs on thousands of computers; Mac OS runs on dozens. Windows-based computers are also far cheaper. "It's tough to get a really cheap Mac. It's easy to get a really cheap Windows machine," Cooley said. Multimedia For now, Mac OS X surpasses Windows XP but both have operating system updates coming soon. |