Apple's Boot Camp puts Windows XP on Intel Macs

Apple is offering a download to allow Macs to run Windows XP

Apple has released a tool that enables Windows XP to run on Intel-based Mac systems. The company said the feature will also be included in the next release of Mac OS X, due in November. Developers of cross-platform applications and Mac users needing to run Windows-only applications will welcome the move.

Boot Camp, available for immediate download from Apple's web site, allows users to create a second disk partition on an Intel-based Mac and then install Windows XP with Service Pack 2 in a dual-boot configuration alongside Mac OS X. The process requires users to have a Windows XP install disk

Apple said that Boot Camp simplifies Windows installation by providing a easy graphical step-by-step assistant, and creating a CD with Windows drivers for the Mac's built-in graphics, USB, audio, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and AirPort WLAN.

However, Apple also warned that Boot Camp is a beta version licensed for use on a trial basis, and the company does not provide technical support for it or for Windows XP.

Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice-president of product marketing, said in a statement, "Apple has no desire or plan to sell or support Windows, but many customers have expressed their interest to run Windows on Apple’s superior hardware now that we use Intel processors."

The move follows a competition in March in which Mac enthusiasts claimed a prize of $14,000 for coming up with a hack to enable Windows to run on Intel-based Mac systems. Apple unveiled its new Macs with Intel Core Duo chips at its Macworld show in January.

Apple said the Boot Camp technology will be included in the next major release of its Mac OS X operating system, codenamed Leopard.