Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Education, Apple
The Real Reason Behind Apple's Boot Camp
I think
I've realized the real reason why Apple has released Boot Camp, and
why it'll be part of Leopard when it's released. As C.K. suggests, it's a move to be more competitive in the desktop PC
market, but it's more than that. Apple's marketshare in some of their traditional strongholds (like Education) has been
slipping for some time, and Boot Camp is nothing short of an all-out frontal assault to reverse that trend. Here's how
it works in most schools and large organizations:- most universities still have both PC's and Macs. Of course, some have moved entirely to Dells, but the majority still have both.
- the computers in schools and large organizations tend to be refreshed every 3-4 years as part of a refresh program. This is hardwired to the IT budget; it's scheduled to happen.
- computer labs and classrooms are designated either a Mac classroom or a Windows classroom, by necessity.
Imagine a school budget that simply replaces all the computers campus-wide with new Intel Macs that can run anything we throw at them. Need to run Windows? Image the iMac with the WinXP image. Need to run Mac OS X? Image the iMac with the Tiger (or Leopard) image. Need to run either (because it's a dual-purpose classroom)? Install both and teach the lab assistants and instructors how switch between the environments. It might even be scheduled to reboot the classroom between classes so it's transparent to the end-user.
Now imagine that you're a sysadmin and you could tell your boss that you could outfit a classroom or a lab with one model computer that could run either your Mac image or your Windows image, or even both of the images? Suddenly your rooms are dual-use rooms. The AutoCAD kids can simple boot the computer to Windows to turn their software and two hours later, the Graphic Design students can boot the computers to Mac OS X to run their design applications!
Boot Camp is a bombshell change in the PC desktop marketplace. Suddenly, there will be options available to us sysadmins that we've never had before. This development is going to allow an organization to achieve the holy grail in computer workstation management--complete standardization on one model computer (e.g. the new Intel iMac). I'm so excited about this possibility that my workchair is spinning. Certainly, I'm not alone.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Steve said 1:13PM on 4-05-2006
As an upcoming fall grad student, this news is also welcome to me. While I doubted I needed anything beyond Office, I was worried to spend all that money on a machine that might not run a theoretical school-required app. Now, I can feel free to buy a MacBookPro (or future iBook I hope)! Now, if I only could figure out how right click is implemented on the windows side (*cough* right button *cough*).
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James said 1:21PM on 4-05-2006
It'll also cause an earthquake in certain creative professions.
Example:
I recently worked in architects office in the UK. After almost fifteen years with an entirely Mac based system, a new office and a rapidly expanding number of staff brought up the ol' PC v. Mac question.
The PC won, not because it was faster, more secure, easier to use or better, but basically because it could run AutoCAD - a famously PC-only application that has been the dividing line between architects and engineers for years.
Architects generally start business with one or two Macs (they just do... it seems to be a cultural thing!) and as their business grows, so does the number of Macs. But as design projects get bigger and more complex, and the input of engineering based consultants gets more important, compatibility of design files with more folk from a more technical background is increasingly important.
Today, however, things change. Many Mac users, especially business Mac uesers, have to switch to PC because of compatability issues with software that doesn't run on a Mac. Or rather they did.
If you have to have just one machine on your desk, I know which logo I'll have on mine. And now that won't mean any sacrifice.
*j*
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David said 1:26PM on 4-05-2006
My high school lab is due to be replaced over the summer and while the head of IT was more than willing to keep my lab as the only Mac installation in the school, the superintendent was totally opposed. He could give no good reason for it, but he was opposed. This changed it. I emailed the boot camp link to IT, he showed it to the superintendent and the requisition will not be opposed - just because the computer CAN be booted into an OS that it almost certainly never will be. Can you imagine?
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jl said 1:29PM on 4-05-2006
The other possible reason for Apple to release BootCamp is to win back the pro-users who have PC and all the pro apps native to XP. Now they can buy a ProMac (in August) with the latest Intel chips. Install their Windows XP and pro apps without costing a single cent in software upgrades. When the universal versions of all pro apps come out, pro users will install them on the ProMac and start running their apps in OSX. Seamless transition and it’s brilliant !!!!
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Zach Holman said 1:30PM on 4-05-2006
Interesting thoughts. I think they're fairly valid, too. For example, take a CS class that teaches Java, for example. Instead of putting in a bunch of PCs and forcing the students to use Windows (and angering your Apple coders), or putting in static Macs (and angering your Windows coders), you can put in dual-booting Macs and let the students decide to pick whichever environment they feel more comfortable in. I like that idea. Naturally, it would be even more effective if you didn't have to restart at all and you could just quickly switch back and forth between the two.
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Mitch Aunger said 1:33PM on 4-05-2006
I agree that this new tool is gonna rock the world :)
However, a better solution is really this "virtualization" stuff (see the article on Macrumors - http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/04/20060404123257.shtml )
I would much rather do something like fast user switching to get to windows as opposed to rebooting.
The only negative is that this obviously requires the new intel macs and many schools may have to wait a long time to get access to new computers with spending cycles.
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Quicksilver801 said 1:41PM on 4-05-2006
Happy 30th birthday Apple. Thye have changed the world again and secured another 30yrs in the industry. Maybe as the leader again.
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tom stovall said 1:42PM on 4-05-2006
Well, there's also the other reason they did it... to start building hardware sales APART from software sales to be able to release OS X for all intel hardware.
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Brian said 1:51PM on 4-05-2006
I have been looking around at various grad programs and a lot of places now require you to have a PC laptop, according to them a mac is just not acceptable. Now I have a no doubt that I won't have to succumb to the pressure and buy one of those awful excuses’ for a computer. Yay Apple!!!
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lieven said 2:01PM on 4-05-2006
Now ther will never be an AutoCad version for Mac OS X...
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Thomas said 2:03PM on 4-05-2006
It interests me when they say it will be part of Leopard. It could just mean the finished version of what they launched today will be bundled with it but a part of me has this sneaky feeling that they'll be doing more with it than just dual booting.
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Chad said 2:15PM on 4-05-2006
I don't think this is quite it. I work for a large university and I'm not buying this argument. I can't imaging our university buying a machine that is not supported to run windows, just to run windows on it. For a dual purpose lab, you have two operating systems to maintain and that's going to be a real pain. If you were going to do it just to be able to buy the same machine and put whatever OS on it you want, you'll still have to deal with the fact that Apple (and probably microsoft) won't support your OS and you're stuck on your own.
For the education market, a much better solution would be to enable windows apps to run seamlessly inside OSX. I'm sure we'll get there soon, if not apple then some other company.
I think the real reason for releasing this is because there are plenty of people who want to try a mac for their next computer, but aren't ready to switch completely away from windows. This app gives them a safety net and prevents them having to have dual computers. Apple will win over a fair bit of on the fence switchers with this.
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Why Steve, Why? said 2:17PM on 4-05-2006
Am I the only one who sees the danger in this? Companies who may have been on the edge about publishing software for both OSX and Windows, will most likely only support the Windows platform saying to themselves "Mac owners can just boot XP, we can still sell to that market without putting the resources toward developing a mac version." This could mean the apocalyse. The end of OSX. (That may be a hyperbole, but you get my point)
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Stephen Rahn said 2:21PM on 4-05-2006
Your commentary is right on with the way things are typically done in the classrooms in Georgia. I have worked in K-12, university, and now State-level environments, and I can see how this will allow us to be so much more flexible in how we do things. We have some school systems that are Mac only, and it will now make it easier for us to work with them on student information data, online testing, etc. Keep up the good work!
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Tom said 2:28PM on 4-05-2006
The education market? Do you really think that's what Apple wants? They're willing to dramatically alter their ENTIRE LINE line of computers for one, rather small, market? Why not just sell a flavor of OS X only to the educational market that can duel boot? Or if that's too Windowsy for you, Apple could just sell an eMac replacement with duel boot capabilities?
Like it or not, Apple is a consumer-oriented company. That's their primary market. The geeks and coders may care about Boot Camp, but will an average Windows user really care? Will an average Windows user have a Windows XP (w/ SP 2) disc laying around? A lot of new Windows boxes from Dell and HP don't even ship with a physical disc (just a recovery partician). Ohh, and then said user has to go buy a Mac!
I'll conceed that this may well be one last nudge for those Windows users who are tired of viruses, have a handful of Windows-only apps that they need to run, have an iPod and/or are tempted by the svelty (and cheap) Mac Mini. But considering how a lot of sysadmins are comfortable with the status quo, I don't know if this (or anything) will be a large enough nudge.
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nezromatron said 2:37PM on 4-05-2006
Big deal. Like Autocad ever planned on doing it anyway. If anything this would give people more reasons to create OS X native apps, not less. Ability to boot to windows increases the number of people buying Apple machines. As they start using OS X more and more, they will push developers to create native os x apps.
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Jason Young said 3:08PM on 4-05-2006
No. No. No. No. No.
Dual-boot is, and has always been, an IT person's nightmare.
It's just a bad idea
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Jason Young said 3:09PM on 4-05-2006
My opinion:
http://rambleon.org/2006/04/05/more-of-why-bootcamp-is-a-bad-idea/
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Matthew said 3:15PM on 4-05-2006
This is bad for Apple. Dual booting gives people an excuse to boot into Windows (which isn't 1/2 as bad as people say it is), and developers an excuse to *NOT* write OS X native apps. Why bother when all your Mac userbase can boot windows?
As a sysadmin standpoint, its a horrible idea. You forget that the PC costs about 1/3 the price of your typical Mac system, plus the fact that PC's are way more network friendly and easier to manage.
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Oly said 3:19PM on 4-05-2006
I have a feeling this dual boot will mature to something a little more than where it is now.
1. you'll be able to set up a "share" partition that's FAT32 which can easily be read/write to from both OSs to easily send files back and forth (imagine a simple size slider in the original setup assistant).
2. you'll be able to "sleep" either OS and switch back and forth easily.
thoughts?
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