Apple-Intel architecture
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- This article is about the architecture of Intel-based Apple computers; for the transition from PowerPC see Apple Intel transition.
Running operating systems other than Mac OS X
On April 5 2006 Apple made available for download a public beta version of Boot Camp, a collection of technologies which allows users of Intel based Macs to boot Windows XP Service Pack 2[Apple makes Macs run Windows XP]. This feature will also be included in Mac OS X v10.5, "Leopard".Both Linux[Mactel Linux] and Windows XP[Windows XP on Intel Macs] are currently able to boot on the new Intel Macintoshes.
Prior to Boot Camp, which provides most hardware drivers for Windows XP, drivers for XP were very difficult to find.
Being able to boot between multiple operating systems has the following benefits:
- Being able to choose the user's preferred system and its interface.
- Being able to use more software (in particular, more games) by being able to run programs designed only for Windows, which would likely be faster than emulation or a compatibility layer.
- Being able to use software that is designed only for, works faster on, or is more intuitive on Mac OS X (for example, Adobe Photoshop).
- Being able to make transitions between operating systems easier by using the same familiar hardware.
- Being able to use an Apple-Intel computer to provide support for both systems using the same hardware.
- Being able to test applications across different operating systems without having to invest in twice as much hardware, or to test files/documents between different platform-specific software suites (for example, to test a web document between Internet Explorer 6 and Safari 2.0).
Technologies
Extensible Firmware Interface
Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) is the firmware-based replacement for the PC BIOS from Intel. Designed by Intel, it has been chosen by Apple to replace OpenFirmware, used on PowerPC architectures.GUID Partition Table
GUID Partition Table (GPT) is a standard for the layout of the partition table on a physical hard disk. It is a part of the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) standard proposed by Intel as a replacement for the outdated PC BIOS, one of the few remaining relics of the original IBM PC. The GPT replaces the Master Boot Record (MBR) used with BIOS.Trusted Platform Module
A Trusted Platform Module is microcontroller that stores secured information. Intel Macintoshes use the chip to prevent Mac OS X from running on non-Apple PCs. The chip is controversial because it could play a role in future DRM technologies.Virtualization
With support of Intel's VT-X technology, the Core Duo allows for high performance (native) virtualization - the ability to run and switch between two or more operating systems simultaneously, rather than having to dual-boot and run only one operating system at a time.The first software to support this is Parallels Desktop for Mac, which was released in June 2006. Although it works on a Core Duo, the virtualized machine has only one CPU. Other limitations and conveniences relative to Boot Camp mean that the best choice depends on the circumstances.
Microsoft has stated that its Macintosh Business Unit will port Virtual PC to the Intel Mac platform[Can Developers Give Mactel an Enterprise Boost? -eWeek].
References
See also
External links
- [Intel EFI Open-source implementation, code-name 'Tiano']
- [XP on Mac Contest]
- [Apple boots Windows XP on Intel-based Macs]
- [Mactel Linux]
- [Bootcamp for Intel Macintoshes]
- [A video on BootCamp Beta]
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