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Boot Camp is a Mac OS X utility that lets you run Windows on your Mac without relying on virtual machines or crippled emulators. Boot Camp supports Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 (with OS X 10.6 or later). Boot Camp creates a Windows partition on your hard drive, along with the Mac OS partition. This means that none of your Mac content is touched at all, and Boot Camp has no effect on the operation of Mac OS.
The process of running Boot Camp to install a Windows partition includes running a preparation utility on Mac OS (after backing everything up of course), creating the partition and installing Windows, and then selecting which OS to boot into every time the machine boots up. To select an OS during startup you simply hold down the Option key and select the startup disk you want. Boot Camp gives you full access to all the power your MacBook or iMac have to offer, including all RAM, multiple processors and cores, 3D graphics, and all the ports.
Using your powerful Mac for both Mac OS and Windows used to require virtual devices, and while VMs have some advantages (allowing you to run both operating systems at the same time), for many users just being able to boot into either is all they want. Since Boot Camp is free, easy to install and use, and is supported by Apple, this is a winner of an app.
Publisher's Description
From Apple:
Boot Camp enables you to install Windows on your Intel-based Mac computer, using a Microsoft Windows install disc that you provide. Windows is installed on its own partition. After installation, you can use either Windows or Mac OS X on your Mac computer.
- The download file is a .zip file. Double click it to uncompress it.
- Double-click the Boot Camp disk image.
- Copy the entire contents of the .zip file to the root level of a USB flash drive or hard drive that is formatted with the FAT file system For detailed information about this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5628
- When running Windows, locate the Boot Camp folder on the USB media you created in Step 3 and double click to open it.
- Double click on setup to start installing the Boot Camp Support Software.
- When prompted to allow changes, click on Yes and follow the onscreen instructions.
- Installation can take a few minutes. Don't interrupt the installation process. When installation is complete, click Finish in the dialog that appears.
- A system restart dialog box appears. Click Yes to complete the installation.
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All versions:
3.9 starsout of 21 votes
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Current version:
0 stars Be the first to review this product -
My rating:
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"Wonderful for a new Mac user"
Version: Apple Boot Camp Support Software 1.4 Beta
Pros
It is great that running windows system on a mac machine
Cons
I have to spare more memory and disk space for running both system
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"Roger T Andesron"
Version: Apple Boot Camp Support Software 2.1
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
I forgot to rate this Boot Camp 2.1 download update, so it gets 5 stars from me. Thanks -
"Works perfectly!"
Version: Apple Boot Camp Support Software 2.1
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
No problem.
Straight up Boot Camp or within VMware.
I only wish my external iSight was fully supported and that they would develop a piece of software for Windows to see my Mac partitions.
Cheers! -
"Problem"
Version: Apple Boot Camp Support Software 1.2 Beta
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
I installed Bootcamp 1.2b today. Now the trackpad and the keyboard don't work at all. Any suggestions? -
"No problem on early 06 iMac"
Version: Apple Boot Camp Support Software 1.1.2 Beta
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
No problem here. -
"Version 1.1.2 results in BSoD"
Version: Apple Boot Camp Support Software 1.1.2 Beta
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
The latest version of Boot Camp (1.1.2) is resulting in a Blue Screen of Death on my MacBook. This occurred on both an upgrade (from version 1.1.1) and a fresh install. Once I blue screen, I'm no longer able to boot into Windows -- even in Safe Mode. Frustrating!
This also resulted in many disk errors. I had to boot from the Tiger installation disk and repair my disk.
I'm going to try rolling back to 1.1.1.
Specs:
MacBook 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo
2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
120GB 2.5" Seagate Momentus 5400.2 5400RPM 8MB Cache SATA
OS X 10.4.8
Everything else is stock.
Any other MacBook users having problems? -
"Woot!!"
Version: Apple Boot Camp Support Software 1.1
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
Works perfectly. iSight support, Apple keyboard, mic, time sync and that pesky audio port!
Don't for get to burn the Mac drivers CD then run it to install the new drivers. Yes you have to install the new drivers if you want the new support. -
"iSight????"
Version: Apple Boot Camp Support Software 1.1
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
The Win XP drivers installer needs a lot of work.
I STILL DON"T have iSight support. The device was listed in hardware but had a ! warning sign on it and said it wasn't programmed or something like that. I don't know if the iSight problem is because the drivers installer appeared to have froozen and I restarted or not but the drivers installer needs to work better than it does. I did re-run the drivers installer. The user shouldn't be wondering if the installer is still working and the dialog boxes that the user needs to click away for "this is not microsoft approved software" need to pop up somewhere besides behind the installer dialog if possible.
I still like BootCamp and this IS Beta software. -
"Mac Mini users - DO NOT INSTALL THIS UPDATE!!!!!!!"
Version: Apple Boot Camp Support Software 1.1
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
This must be the worst update EVER!!! I tried to update my working Bootcamp 1.0 drivers on a Mac Mini but that *censored*ed up my Windows XP SP2 installation. Now bluetooth, Airport and USB2 doesn't work at all and I guess I have to revert to 1.0 by installing XP ones again (takes about an hour - yawn!). I can't recommend this to any Mac Mini users out there!!!! unless you love to re-install operating systems like Windows XP! -
"crash crash crash"
Version: Apple Boot Camp Support Software 1.1
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
This ver 1.1 just keep locing up.
I try to save drivers to a folder it freezes, I try to partition my drive it freezes.
Still no support for my airport once instaled.
Not very impressed at all.
