[AgowlSown]

Interesting rumor from Engadget says that the next version of OSX may have native support for Windows XP applications, without emulation. It appears Dvorak may have been right, in a sense.

Is Apple getting ready to run Windows?
engadget.com

[Vokbeelllicky]

If it becomes standard and supported, then I'm definetly going to get the MacBook, or whatever they will be calling the new iBook.

[DoctorBretonDen]

If you do, you better plan on dual booting.
Because while W.I.N.E. & VMware do work, it's still a little slow on the gaming side & it will take a company with Apples resources make it easy enough to use for the average person.

[Aozozbag]

Well it was hacked a few weeks ago (http://onmac.net/). But if Apple really does their own thing, it will be supported by Apple themselves, and we won't really have to worry obout iffy drivers and what not from the "open community." I have nothing against them, but Apple seems to thoroughly test their software before letting it go to consumers. Also the emulation won't be that bad since Windows and OSX are now using the same architecture.

[Kimeoffessyr]

The whole emulation thing sounds like a tech support nightmare to me.
The only way I can see Apple pulling it off is if people down load a config file for each application that checks & then forces the emulation environment to conform to what is needed to run that application.

I'm going to assume this is really only useful for odd-ball applications.
Maybe they are going after games now that PC hardware is available.
Since MS makes everyone program in directX they can't just port their games to Unix. So it's a whole new chunk of resources for a game that probably won't sell that many copies.

The big one, MS Office is allready available for Macs.
So is Photoshop I believe.

[Skete]

I have nothing against open source software, I use it daily (gimp, openoffice, paint.net, infranview). I just tend to move more towards Apple's side of things, due to support and testing, not just as someones hobby. Apple doesn't have a problem with booting Windows the hacked way, they're all for it, they're just not gonna support it. So I guess basically with this you can have the best for both worlds. For now the "hacked" way is the only way, and if Apple doesn't have their shizzle together by the time they release their new Intel Ibook, then that's they way I'll have to go. And yes, I've done the os86 hack (where you run osx on a standard pc) but at this point I'd rather support Apple.

[SDorothy28]

Looks like it's a done deal! WooHoo!

http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

[CGH1KZzy]

Ok.
This is definetly cool.
I'm going to go out on a limb here & say that Apple has been running their OS secretly on intel hardware from day one.

If I remember correctly, Steve Jobs gave Bill gates the windows OS way back in the day but it ran on apple hardware.

The thing I REALLY like about OSX is that there is no install as windows people know it.

You just drag the application you want to install to an installed apps window & the OS takes care of the rest.

But, I still won't be using it until I can build my own PC & intall it myself.
The new Imacs with their 20 inc screens are nice, but the whole PC being in the screen leaves me feeling un easy.

I like to tinker with my 'puter's.
If I put the side on the case it's a big deal.
If it stays on for more than a month, then it must be in storage.

[nakeseireo]

You can kinda sorta tinker with the iMac, but I feel your pain. I keep telling myself that I'm going to just get a laptop every few years and use it as my main computer, but I've disassembled my pc about 200 billion times over the past year, so I dunno. I use my iBook very rarely, only to photoshop and build webpages, which I can basically just do on my pc but it just gives me an excuse to use my Mac. It's sad, I've used Apple hardware since the early 90's, and didn't switch over to Windows until prob 2001, and haven't really gone back since, which is sad. I tried switching to Mandrake and Suse for a while, but finding good apps was my problem.

http://www.kodawarisan.com/imacg5/imacg501.html

[!!!maryann!!!]

I like the monster screen.
but I think the time of buying a mac because "Their so cute" is nearing it's end. Now that Macs are running intel compatible hardware their going to have a tougher time competing with HP & DELL in the all-in-one category if they don't start dropping their prices.

I think their just re-inventing the wheel.

Linux can be the greatest thing in the world if your either a geek or you don't know enough about computer's to know the difference between windows/ie/outlook & x-windows/thunderbird/firefox & all you do is the internet.