Using Boot Camp

Boot Camp is the mediator between all things Windows and all things Mac.  It is like the parent that solves issues between two bickering children. But at the same time, it is not a compromise.  Apple’s Boot Camp, which comes with all new Macs, lets the user have (at the risk of sounding cliche) the best of both worlds.

At first, I was hesitant about partitioning my hard drive and installing Windows Vista on one side, afraid that my precious Snow Leopard side might be affected in some way.  But since it was essential at the time, I did so anyway.  How did it turn out? Well, as far as I can tell, my Mac OS side remains unaffected, and my Vista side is not great (obviously, since it’s Vista) and is a little slow, but performs just fine overall.  While rebooting my computer to switch sides can be a pain, this can be fixed with software such as Parallels for Mac or VMware Fusion, which let you run each OS side by side.

So, here are the facts:

-You will need the latest version of Boot Camp ( go to System Preferences and click “Software Update”)

-You will need a brand new, untouched copy of Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2 or later, or anything after that (i.e. Vista Home Premium, etc.)

-In “Applications,” open “Utilities,” and click on Boot Camp.

-Be sure to print the instruction manual (although it is long, you WILL NEED IT!)

-Time for total process: about 1 hour (Windows takes awhile to install, again, beacuse it is Windows)

-Questions? email us at [email protected] for help

-Visit http://www.apple.com/macosx/compatibility/ for more information.

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