Isn't it way too late for april fool's?

Smart move...now if only they will allow WMA and WMV files to play on Ipods and Itunes. Then Ipod users could experience the joys of a subscription service and actually have a choice as to what they pay and where they get their files from! In the words of Magneto from Xmen the movie...."We are the future Charles...not them"

I, for one, hope this doesn't stymie the porting of great games to the Mac platform. Just because Windows can be on my machine, doesn't mean it will ever reside there. While I'm mostly a set-top and portable gamer, it would be nice to play native FPSs on my MacBook Pro...without having to gamble with Windows to do so.

This is the best news I have heard in a while.

I am going to my boss asap and asking her for a mac so I can dualboot... yay for Apple.

If I can find a decent USB AV device so I can play my X360 in HiDef on a 20"iMac, I will be able to kill 3 birds with one mac.

Well, this may convince me to buy one of those 20 inch Imacs. I just wonder how much juice it can provide to a high-end videocard?

Has anyone actually tested out some games on the intel macs? Everyone I've heard who have run BootCamp hasn't tested any gaming applications.

Not only games, but many applications will not see the light of day on MacOS again.

This may finally convince me to buy a Mac, they're just too irresistible.

If there is still money to be made in porting the games over then they'll be ported over. While this is an official way to dual boot the intel mac, you still have to buy windows to do it. I'm not sure the occasional game will be enough to convince a lot of casual gamers to add windows to their machines.

And yes, I separated out the casual from the hardcore, because if they are hardcore PC gamers wouldn't they already have a PC so they could control the various components of the machine?

I may be alone in my opinion, and perhaps a little ignorant of the subject matter, but this just seems a little stupid to me. I don't actually own a Mac, as I can't really afford one, but isn't one of the main purposes of owning Macs to avoid dealing with the problems inherent in the MS OSs? The security flaws are atrocious compared to Tiger, and older Mac OS versions, so why would Mac users want to run Windows and it's similarly flawed programs, essentially leaving their hardware open to be invaded like a third world country that sits on vast oil deposits? Please help me understand why running flawed MS programs is a better alternative to patiently waiting for ports.

Haha! I hate to be a Mac zealot, but IN YOUR FACE PC users! Whooo!

Seriously, though, I'm very glad I switched to an Intel Core Duo Mac mini. Now I can play a few games in Windows and keep the world of Mac at my fingertips for everything else. It's kind of like having an Xbox 360 and being able to play PS3 games on it. Cool!

If you frequent slickdeals.net you will find that Dell often runs sales (about one a week) on laptops...among other things. A week ago they had Core Duo laptops for well under $1000. As long as this is the case...I won't be buying a Mac.

Toms Hardware just released a CPU chart that list cost/performance. If you were to do that with laptops...Apple's machines would be far down on the list.

Still great news though...I suspect that the yuppie windows users will be using Vista on Macs in years to come.

Don't you get it...ports don't make their way to Macs. Developers don't have the resources to port software to a platform that holds only 2.5% market share (and that's all Macs including older ones not running OSX).

This makes me much more interested in Macs. I'm still not sure if I could ever get used to not having a right mouse button though. It's just wierd.

I wonder if this software allows other OS's to be installed? What about Windows MCE? Vista? Linux?

Very interesting...

All it is now is a PC with a white case.

The reason you would want Windows on a Mac is to be able to play games/run that MS specific software every once in a while but still use OSX for internet, word processing, instant messaging (Adium is far far better than any other IM program), etc.

People who would put XP on their Mac are not those people plagued by spyware or viruses. They are tech-savvy. Personally, I prefer the Mac environment for general computing (except PowerPoint), but now I can use my ATI X1600 graphics card for some Oblivion action, rather than upgrading my aging PC.

To number 12.....

Yes you can buy core duo laptops for under 1000, but it doesn't mean it's a good computer. Compare it to the car market, the Chevy Cavalier had good "specs", but it was poorly built, making it thoroughly crappy. Dell computers are poorly built as well. I would pay the extra amount of money to get a good quality mac.

I've been a die-hard PC gamer since the MS-DOS 6 days. If they make a power mac with the ability to put a high-end Nvidia or ATI video card in it I'd go for this. I'd love to have the more stable, user-friendly, and overall nicer OSX to do all my daily websurfing, email, word processing, etc and boot WinXP solely for playing my PC games.

For what its worth, Walt Mossberg reviewed this and says its pretty sweet. Full story at engadget.

ZeroCorpse; you should know the Intel Mac Mini only runs a Core solo. Which is also a terribly weak system.

Personally I'm waiting for a MacBook Pro. Waiting till they iron out the damn faults. Can't wait for one though. power house.

Just so you know Sense (#14), just about any USB mouse will work with a mac... I'm using a lovely logitech right now..

@14

Mac's effectively have a right click. Ctrl + mouse click brings up your option menu.

Then buy an Apple mighty mouse and you have a two button mouse that works the same as your PC mouse

*Cough* Suggestion - buy a PC you idiots! This really is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. *Cough*

Is anyone actually looking at the possiblity of cross-platform viruses here? This could open a can of worms and leave the apple OSX open to intrusion and attacks. I pity those who use this. This is pretty unsafe for both Windows users and Mac users, UNLESS the os completely locks the other section of the HDD I assume different partitions. So does that mean there will be no shared HDD space between the two OSs?

ONE MORE TIME for the people who believe the Mac myths:

MACS HAVE SUPPORTED RIGHT-CLICK FOR WELL OVER A DECADE!!!

Just because the computer comes with a one-button mouse doesn't mean you have to use it! I use a FIVE BUTTON mouse. You can pick up ANY USB MOUSE and it will work with a Mac. It doesn't need drivers, and it doesn't have to say "for Mac" on the box. IT WILL WORK.

This "no right click" myth has to die. It's not true. It's never been true.

$10 they've been sitting on this for a while now, but finally put it out since Vista's been delayed so long and it'll benefit them at least in the short term. Who wants to bet Vista specifically won't install on a dual-boot Core Duo system?

Dual-boot Macs are going to be the hottest shit ever for power users and developers. I don't see how getting Mac's fine Xcode tools into the hands of these people could, on balance, hurt the development/porting of native OS X applications.

bandit - Once an exploit has access to your hard driver, mac or windows, games up, there is no need for 'cross platform exploits' which is a misuse of the term anyway.

As for right click, my issue here is its indemic of apples propriertary system. Apple decides what happens in apple world, regardless of what the user wants. Why are they so stubborn anyway?

Why would anyone want to buy a mac PERIOD. Unless your business is buying one for you to do some advanced graphics stuff with, why would you want one?

Im not to sure on this, but arnt Macs all pre-configured? Dont they all run prpipriotary hardware so you cannot custom build?

Who wants to buy a computer that is all pacakged for you and does not allow future upgrades to your video card, ram, Motherboard, case, etc etc? That would be like buying Dell PCs instead of custom building your own.

I don't see why so many people are so excited about running an OS that costs nearly 2/3 of the price of a Mac mini. Sure Home Edition is about half that price, but come on, with that money, I could buy at least 5 to 10 cross-ported games, or three Nintendo DS, or four GameCubes, or tons of second hand video games...

Hey #29 "huh"--- You're so very, very wrong.

No, Macs are not completely proprietary. You've apparently never used a modern Mac running OS X. Even the Mac mini uses a standard Intel Core Solo or Core Duo processor, standard hard drives, standard DVD-RW drives, and standard SO-DIMMS, as well as USB, firewire, bluetooth, and 802.11b/g accessories- USUALLY WITHOUT DRIVERS!!!

But if you get into a Power Mac, pretty much EVERYTHING is upgradable with industry standard parts.

And really-- WHY do you need to upgrade your video RAM, motherboard, or case, anyway? Seriously. What applications do you use that are so demaning that a full system overhaul is necessary every year? Macs don't work like Windows PCs. You can run OS X reasonably well on a 7-year-old iMac, and get decent performance with upgrades to hard drive, memory, and USB accessories.

But I get you-- You're gaming on your PC, and so you need the newest, fastest video card on the block every five months, don't you? Not so with Macs. High-end Macs have the ability to upgrade the video card, but most Mac users don't bother because the system handles things just fine without a lot of hardware tweaks. Sure, the power-user, overclocker, PC weenies who hang their every bit of geek cred on benchmarks won't be happy with a Mac, but for most people who don't obsess over a few points in a benchmark program, Macs do everything fast, efficiently, and with a minimum of stress.

I run World of Warcraft on my Mac mini with no problems, and I mean NO problems. I fail to see why I'd need the greatest, fastest video card on the market. The increase would be minimal.

And when Macs start to run the newest things a little slow, we don't usually bother upgrading them much. Instead, we sell them (Mac resale value remains VERY high. You can get about 80% of what you paid for it new for about three years. Try that with a PC) and we buy a new Mac. In the end, trading up costs less than slapping a new MB/RAM/Video/HDD/Etc. in a PC.

And yes, I know what I'm talking about. I built PCs for over a decade, and worked tech support in Computer City and Computer Warehouse. I know PCs very well, and I also know that 90% of the "upgrading" people do to their PCs is ultimately worthless because they STILL end up buying a whole new PC every two to four years, at best. Mac users buy a new Mac every five years, unless they need to be cutting-edge for work purposes.

Simply put, there's nothing your PC can do that my Mac can't do, and there's plenty my Mac can do that your PC CANNOT do. (like, for instance, dual-booting Mac OS X and WinXP).

You're talking out of ignorance. I used to do that, too. I know all the lame arguments. "Macs aren't upgradable!" "Macs only use one mouse button!" "Macs use proprietary hardware!" "Mac software is impossible to find!" and on and on. It's all myth, and once you actually sit down and use OS X, you find out what an idiot you were for being a Mac basher when you didn't have the whole story.

You need to seriously ask yourself WHY you need a PC that *has to have* all those swappable parts. Why do you need a new case, power supply, mother board, etc? The end price isn't much less than just buying a new system anyway, so you're not saving anything. Why bother with the headache of having half-assed, cheap parts that you replace every couple years when you can have a system that JUST WORKS, and then replace it in five years for less than the cost of upgrading it?

Mac users treat their computers like most people treat cars, televisions, or other consumer electronics. We aren't in it to tinker with parts. We're in it to GET THINGS DONE with a minimum of headache. OS X does that.

If you want to muck around inside your consumer electronics, more power to you, but ask yourself: Why don't you have to open up and tinker with your TV, Xbox, PS2, Cable Tuner, Audio Receiver, Blender, VCR, DVD Player, or ANY OTHER consumer electronics item, but you EXPECT to open your PC and muck with the guts?

You're playing an old game started by IBM, and it's a fool's game. You don't end up ahead. You only manage to impress other PC tinkering geeks with your miniscule upgrades, and meanwhile, you could have been doing productive things ON your computer insted of TO your computer.

Stick with what works for you, but realize that you're working pretty damn hard to keep up with the geeks next door, and it's all for nothing.

@ #19 Jay:

just for your information

there is a 1.5GHz Intel Core Solo AND a 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo processor Mac mini out there.

Oh boy! I can finally put that VW engine in my Ferrari - yippeeee!

As a veteran mac and pc user, a few comments:

1. For those who are genuinely confused about the appeal of the mac, it's the operating system. It's much faster and easier to do *everything* on the mac than on the pc, and I'm including high-end power-user kind of stuff here. If you've never used one, fine say you don't get it, but please don't call those of us who are "in the know" stupid for our loyalty. You don't have the information you need to make that judgment. If you did, you'd probably change your mind.

I don't know a single person who tried a mac that didn't.

2. Barring technical or legal glitches in the coming weeks, this development is *unbelievably* big. In my experience there are more people who would like to own a mac but can't because they need windows compatibility...than actually own macs. With that barrier removed you will see a significant surge in market share for the mac.

Dont' get me wrong, we'll be in the minority for some time to come...

But... we're about to grow a lot.

3. Macs support most USB and Firewire devices, and virtually EVERY mouse, even multi-button ones. PC fanatics, *please* get over this non-issue. You demonstrate ignorance when you claim Macs are one-button machines.

4. Every serious technical comparison of PC hardware to Mac hardware that delves into the details (bus speed, HD seek times, battery life, etc.) finds less than a $150 variance for genuinely equivalent machines, as often in Mac's favor as not. The only difference between macs and windows boxes is there are no cheaply made macs. Though, if you really want a bargain, look at the mac mini. You can get it for less than $500 and it's faster with Windows than a lot of pc desktops out there.

5. According to the literature online at the moment, the Windows HD is fully or partially exposed to the Mac OS depending on how you install Windows. But, the Mac HD is in no way exposed to the Windows OS. So, while you can argue Macs might be more vulnerable to viruses now that they share chip architecture with Windows boxes and may be gaining in market share, having a Windows partition on your Mac machine doesn't increase the security risk for your Mac files.

6. Windows/MacOS Mac machines are definitely bad for Mac software developers (especially mac game companies) and for PC hardware manufacturers. It is very, very good for Mac users, Apple itself, Microsoft and any Windows software developer. Yesterday, for example, I had no intention of dropping a few hundred bucks on Windows XP and a half dozen games I've been drooling over for the past decade.

But tomorrow, that's just what I'm gonna do.

:)

Take care everyone. And buy a Mac. You'll thank me later.

- Atwood

Um #32, Zerocorpse YOU"RE WRONG - there's lots a PC can do that a Mac can't:

!) With a PC you have the joys of patching every other day to stay ahead of viruses - it's like a free game;

2) With a PC you have the lovely blue screen of death - you have to get up from your computer every so often while the system starts up again - so it's actually good for your health;

3) With a PC you get to train yourself in creativity - hmmm how can I make this ugly-assed beige box look good in my studio?;

4) Another helpful rest break for PC users that Mac users don't get is that everytime you add ANYTHING to your PC you have to reboot which gives you a chance to get another safeway cola (hey they're not that bad and they're cheaper than Coke or Pepsi!);

5) And what about the cool hide-n-seek game PC users get to play whenever they want to un-install a program? On a Mac when you put an app in the trash - everything associated with that app is deleted as well. You don't have to scour the bowels of your file system to find bits and pieces - where's the fun in that?;

6) PCs have the ability to add peripherals - all you have to do is install it - spend two or three hours looking for the latest drivers, say a little prayer and maybe, just maybe that sucker will work! With a Mac you plug it in and it works - where is the adventure in that?;

7) Macs do have one adventure over PC users however: everyone comments on the stupid mouse that comes with Macs but hey look at it this way - you get more exercise by using CTRL + click instead of a right-mouse button. Of course MOST Mac users screw themselves out of this pleasure by simply installing any USB mouse - I use the wireless M$ keyboard and mouse - and it works;

So bottom line pal you are wrong, Mac users are idiots and SHOULD go out and buy a PC - look at all they're missing? And with the few dollars they save buying a PC over a Mac - they can trick out their Pinto with the latest and greatest cassette player!

What a duf...

TO ALL
I was ...afraid of this window on mac thing at first but # 34 & 32...you guys are right on.....I think now it does make mac hardware more interesting to me because now there is no limitations ..if I have one or two window software I need to run ....I just need to dual boot...hmm...not bad maybe the next version will be more intergraded inside leopard ...like classic ...running in the background...no more dual boot....that would be nice ...But nowI feel like I will never need to buy a pc again for the rest of my life ..Macs does now everything that PC's can.. but better....that is just fine with me....next linux and unix....lol..

this just the begining....

I am a veteran PC and Mac user as well and I complete agree with Atwood.. I don't personally see any use for Windows but I'm sure some other people might this is a very good thing for Apple and potential switchers :)

Listen IF people have a hard time with their pcs and you have 1600 dollars to spend, BUILD YOUR PC! Really if you don't know how you probably have a friend that does, and if do know how you shouldn't be complaining. THe mac world isn't better than the PC world nor is the PC world better than the Mac world. But there is something interesting about this. The only "flaw" in the PC world is the fact it uses windows and now Macs are using windows. What I find interesting is I don't have to dual boot to do what I want. Yet Mac heads are bragging left and right and yelling in your face to PC people.

So you either have to bootleg or buy a copy of windows, dual boot Windows to get the enjoyment I recieve just buy buying a normal everyday PC. Oh yes in my face in my face indeed. How you like that Intel chip by the way, that is another thing Us PC users have been using for years, hmmm I guess we are to stupid compared to you brillant mac users who just now got it. But hey In my face, I got an intel chip, a Windows program running and I didn't pay nowhere near the average price of a Mac book pro.

But yeah man you Mac fans you got me YOU GOT TWO Operating systems just to play videos games AWESEOM! JUST AWESOME, and lord knows the mac hardware are the best on the market. Yup can't find more powerfull or better computers anywhere. Definetly can't build one by visitings sites like New Egg and shopping around. Hey by the way I heard Steve jobs was passing out some Kool-AId why don't yall go down and get some.

It's amazing to me how much opposition comes about when people are faced with OPENING UP platforms. Really, I just can't understand it. It's a personal choice issue, obviously, and as someone who used to wholeheartedly throw myself into fanboy discussions, I feel qualified to say this: get. the fuck. over yourselves.

There are a myriad of reasons on both sides of the fence. The only thing that comes out of Apple making Intel builds of OSX and allowing Windows on their hardware is MORE CHOICE. It's a good thing, people.

And, for all you Mac zealots out there, the right-click thing absolutely is an issue for laptop users. I love my PowerBook, but reaching for that fucking command button makes me want to throw it out the window. YES I can use an external mouse, and often do, but I sincerely apologize if I don't want to carry with me a 900 lb nerd bag full of external mice and a traveling entourage of Steve Jobs fanatics.

YES I understand that **on the newest Apple laptops** you can configure the touchpad to do all sort of fun things, but that is an inconvenience and a feature that my PowerBook does not support. The fact is, Apple released a "multi-button" mouse already, so to continue to ignore that there is, if not a NEED, at least a DESIRE for multiple buttons, and not to include one in their laptops is a flaw.

I hate to say "can't we all just get along," but jesus, why the hell can't we? It's not like your neighbor will buy a Mac, install XP and suddenly your dog will keel over. I mean, when I saw the announcement I did quick look over my shoulder to see if the fabric of space-time was ripping, but as soon as I saw it wasn't I was like, "Huh. That's pretty damn cool, go Apple."

I guess this just goes to show that consumers really are, for lack of a better word, retarded when it comes to being presented with choice.

Wow, I'm so happy, I could cry.

Now I have no more excuses to not buy a mac and neither does my boyfriend.

You are teh soft. You say that tweaking's a bad thing. I want a Mac so I can tweak it. I want a PC to tweak it. Some of you need to evaluate your geek cred.

I was gonna write something defensive and intense to all the Windows fanboys, but really, after thinking about it for a sec, I realized it's pointless.

If you can't understand the point of the option of Windows on a Mac, then who cares? If you can, then right on, we can talk. The arguments are always talking about some non-existant person who seemingly wants to spend WAAAAY more money than you did on your PC to run windows. It's not the case. Explaining why you're wrong will take too much time. You don't buy a Mac so you can spend more money, you buy a Mac so you can run OSX. And now you can run some apps that aren't on OSX yet by running Windows whenever you need.

The option of Windows on a Mac: Those who understand need no explaination... but those who need an explaination will never understand.


.

By the way, holding the 'CTRL' button down while clicking a Mac's mouse button will make it behave like the second/'right' button if you don't have a multi-button mouse or are using a laptop without a mouse.

I am a Mac and PC user as well, have been since 1989. I'm the local Mac tech guy and do all the upgrades and troubleshooting. I'm a video production/graphic designer by profession.
I have two grown sons who grew up with me using Macs mostly. One has gone on to use PCs because games are his priority, the other still uses Macs.
There really are a lot of the old Mac myths still out there and being passed down from generation to generation. Just do your research to find out what a current Mac are capable of, don't just assume, you will be surprised.
Macs have run Linux for years and now they will run Windows at native speed, unlike the molasses running Virtual PC. There is also a Linux software being ported to Mac called WINE which will run Windows software on the Mac without needing to install Windows. I'm looking forward to this as I like having both environment active at the same time like with VPC. I'm hoping one day Apple adds this to their OS.
http://darwine.opendarwin.org/

If you like to tinker with your computer then you would be more interested in a Mac tower, it still amazes me how many people think all Macs are all-in-ones.
You will be amazed at how easy it is to partition drives and install the OS, it's been this way for a long time. You could partition your drive into three partitions and install a 3 major OSes onto your machine for tru versitility.

This IS a very important move on Apple's part in my opinion because it WILL mean greater market share. People will be buying Macs primarily to run OS X. This larger group of Mac user WILL demand native application support from the developers and if they don't listen other developers will and they will make the money. This is good.

Please be patient with the so-called "zealots" who have used Macs. They may come across as fanatic or defensive at times. This is ONLY because the world of PC users have for so many years talked down to us for using Macs. Believe me I have heard it all. I see it often in the IT field. Personally I just try to educate these people instead of getting defensive with their groundless comments.
And to tell you the truth it seems to be getting worse since OS X came out and Intel went inside and brought Macs back into the enterprise market. There are lot of businesses switching to Macs, and not just in the design market, and this seems to worry the Windows trained professionals.

If any of you have questions don't hesitate to email me. lantz@cyberwerks.net

IN response to number 31, etc..

Before I bought a new 12 inch powerbook, I had my old titanium one for neary FOUR years. It was still suitable to use, even for Graphic Design work. Why upgrade something that will last you that long?

I am a pc user who also enjoys using Macs, and have even thought about buying one myself, but sometimes you really have to be in awe of the ignorance of some mac fanboys... (specifically #37 - Dean)

1. I have an antivirus/firewire/spyware program that updates/scans automatically... I never even touch it or know that its running

2. I haven't seen a blue screen of death in at least 5 years, maybe more.

3. My home-built computer looks damn sweet, kinda similar looking to a powermac, but I think a little nicer case

5. I don't know if you know this, but there is an add/remove programs tool in windows that does remove programs much more effectively than deleting an app in OS X because, in both OS's, programs leave settings and extra files all over the place. In fact, many Mac users PAY for AppZapper, which acts similarly to the add/remove programs tool in windows.

6. Yeah you're right, sometimes you do have to find drivers for peripherals in windows. It must be great to get to choose from about 3 accessories that are compatible with osx and plug it in and make it work. Nice.

what a duf...

So you either have to bootleg or buy a copy of windows, dual boot Windows to get the enjoyment I recieve just buy buying a normal everyday PC.

---

Ahem. Mac users will not be using that clunky retro OS for ANYTHING besides maybe games and a handful of business apps. NO ONE thinks Mac users want the actual OS.

Cheap Mac mini + Boot Camp ===> Switcher exodus

I think its nice. I been waiting ages for the FruityLoops software to come out in OSX, now I can create my sounds/samples with OS X quality and then sequence on Windows. Nice.