|
|
|
286
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 29/12/2008 23:19:49
Posts: 287,
Visits: 1,581
|
|
| The answer to being OS independant is yes. Yesterday Parallel released a beta version of their Workstation virtualisation software for Intel Macs. This allows an Intel Mac to run any x86 OS as a virtual machine inside an OS X window. Obviously this will be slower than running natively but should be much quicker than emulation like Bochs or Qemu. Download of beta is free but when full release is available cost will be around £30 I believe. Apparently Microsoft aren't sure what to do about their Windows emulator VirtualPC and they have had 'a disagreement' with Apple before the release of Boot Camp. They are currently pondering giving support for XP on MacIntel machines. I think this weeks events have left their VirtualPC software dead in the water for Intel machines with a gradually shrinking market for the PowerPC version.....
|
|
|
|
|
186
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 19/10/2007 11:29:45
Posts: 199,
Visits: 696
|
|
I'm taking a wild guess here, but Boot Camp sounds like an Intel funded demonstration of their up and coming Virtualisation features. Getting an Apple Mac to run Windows would be quite a memorable event for the IT masses, even if it's not a technological feat of massive proportions.
After all it's a processor with native x86 support!!
I'm no fan of Apple, but I dearly hope that they continue with OS X as the primary OS for their hardware, and that running Windows on an Apple (beyond the publicity stunt) is nothing more than allowing more apps. to be run on a Mac.
There are two rules to good comedy. Rule #1: Always leave them wanting more.
|
|
|
|
|
286
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 29/12/2008 23:19:49
Posts: 287,
Visits: 1,581
|
|
No, Boot Camp is not virtualisation. It actually lets XP run natively on an Intel Mac. What it does is add BIOS support and has various drivers for XP to run on the Apple hardware. From the benchmarks I've seen the MacBookPro is running at similar speeds to equivalent specced HP laptops.
Parallel Workstation is virtualisation software which went Beta2 today. This should let users run any x86 OS on an Intel Mac within an OS X window. VMWare also have a virtualisation package under test for OS X.
Apple will not be dropping OS X anytime soon, if ever. It's written to run on Apple machines which means a tight control on compatibility. Going over to Vista instead of X just isn't an option..... I hope.... 
|
|
|
|