Running Boot Camp Book Review
Running Boot Camp
Book Review
 By
Dale Farris, Reviews CoordinatorGolden Triangle PC Club April 2006 General Overview This is a super-handy guide to the entire process of installing Windows XP on an Apple Macintosh machine, and the entire book is available in an electronic PDF file from O'Reilly. When Steve Jobs jumped on stage at Macworld San Francisco 2006 and announced the new Intel-based Macs, the question was not if but when someone would figure out a hack to get Windows XP running on these new "Mactels." Enter Boot Camp, a new system utility that helps you partition and install Windows XP on your Intel Mac. Boot Camp does all the heavy lifting for you. You won't need to open the Terminal and hack on system files or wave a chicken bone over your iMac to get XP running. This free program makes it easy for anyone to turn their Mac into a dual-boot Windows/OS X machine. Running Boot Camp guides you step-by-step through the entire installation process, including upgrading your Mac's Firmware, creating the Macintosh Drivers CD to make XP work properly with your Mac's hardware, and using the Boot Camp Assistant to partition your hard drive and install Windows XP. You'll also learn how to avoid common pitfalls (such as previously partitioned drives and wrong disk permissions). Finally, you will find out which Mac functions don't work in XP and which XP features backfire on a Mac. With this invaluable guide at your side, you'll finish configuring your dual-boot Mac in as little as two hours, avoiding numerous hazards and annoyances along the way. Table of Contents In this super PDF file, you will learn all you need to install Windows XP on a Mac machine. The material is organized into the following 6 sections: What You'll Need Updating the Firmware Running Boot Camp Installing Windows XP Switching Between Mac OS X and Windows XP Running Windows XP on a Mac Target Readers Obviously, this handy PDF file by Mac and PC professional Chuck Toporek is primarily aimed at Mac enthusiasts who are interested in running both Mac and Windows software on their machines. With the announcement of the exciting news about Intel-based Macs, this created quite a stir in the computer market and stimulated a lot of interest in being able to run both operating systems. The author briefly explains some of the history of the challenges to creating dual boot Mac/Windows on an Intel Mac, and then he begins his excellent instruction on what you need to need to know and have available in order to achieve this impressive feat. All the install information is here, and the material also includes added information that helps readers further understand the importance of this next step in personal computing. The author also describes backup possibilities, defines firmware, gives suggestions on XP Intro books for non-Windows users, and addresses install issues for custom, multi-partition Mac environments and their solutions. The author also frequently provides warnings to help avoid turning your MacTel into a boat anchor or doorstop, which gets across the point that you should be very careful with the install process! Obviously, this material is not targeted at novice computer owners who have never, ever touched any hardware inside their machine, or who may barely have begun to acquire fundamental mouse skills. However, seasoned, veteran computer technicians or others who are experienced in building and repairing their machine will definitely want to seriously consider this fact-filled guide to installing and running Windows XP on a Mac machine. Book Contents 32 pages; figures and screenshots; handy tips; notes; frequently asked questions; Author Chuck Toporek About the Author Chuck Toporek cut his teeth on a Mac II system when he got his first job in publishing in 1988, and has been using them ever since. Chuck is a senior editor in charge of the Mac OS X/Apple Developer Connection (ADC) series for O'Reilly Media, Inc. He is also the author/editor of Inside .Mac, the Mac OS X Panther Pocket Guide, and co-author of Mac OS X Panther in a Nutshell. Chuck resides in Portland, Oregon with his wife, cat, and far too many books. ISBN April 2006 - First Edition 0-596-52772-1 List Price $7.99 PDF file price About O'Reilly Media O'Reilly Media is the premier information source for leading-edge computer technologies. The company's books, conferences, and web sites bring to light the knowledge of technology innovators. O'Reilly books, known for the animals on their covers, occupy a treasured place on the shelves of the developers building the next generation of software. O'Reilly conferences and summits bring alpha geeks and forward-thinking business leaders together to shape the revolutionary ideas that spark new industries. From the Internet to XML, open source, .NET, Java, and web services, O'Reilly puts technologies on the map. O'Reilly Media creates products that they
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