• Shaun: Although ostensibly good, I imagine that the progression towards Windows XP on Mac/intel architecture is somewhat like pulling the linchpin from Mac's tight hardware/software integration. Traditionally, this has been the source of its performance and reliability. OS X was one of Apple's greatest forward thrusts, IMHO, by utilizing the FreeBSD base and Macifying it they were able to finally merge style and function into a modern OS in a meaningful and effective manner. It will definately be interesting to see what comes of this though.
• rob: Well the current Mac folks won't necessarily like the idea, but it definately furthers the Mac reach in the market and, consequentially, their bargaining power with hardware and software developers. Be ready for a LOT more hardware with the Apple look and feel, and compatibility.
  
  FWIW, I'm pretty sure OS X is based on the NeXT OS, which was Steve Jobs' company before he was rehired at Apple (and subsequently negotiated the purchase of the company). Nice bit of cash in the ole' wallet on that deal, me thinks. As if he needed it. But for sure, OS X was a huge leap forward, and I think this switch to Intel processors is the best thing to happen to the Mac since then. Allowing XP to run on the machine just makes them a much larger player in the market than the <10% or so they've been historically, and they make no claims of support so those who want the traditional reliability (I hesitate to say anything about performance, as I believe that to be marginal, if at all) can still use the pre-installed Mac OS.
• Shaun: I'm afraid sir, wrt FreeBSD/NeXT OS, you are incorrect ;)
  
  "UNIX users will feel at home in Darwin, the robust BSD environment that underlies Mac OS X. "
  - http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/unix/
  
  But, I will agree that the multiboot might just be their ticket to accessing the unwashed masses of the Windows world, and extending their market reach a bit further. My next (er. first?) laptop is likely to be a Mac. OS X is the primary factor for me, Intel platform the secondary. Stability, reliability, a slick UI and a touch of performance is all I really ask for in a portable. I'm over the shame now, and can freely express my cravings for a MacBook Pro. The fact that I can dual-boot to XP is merely sweet, sweet gravy.
• rob: Well I suppose we're both correct to some extent, but I am certainly not incorrect! :)
  
  OS X/Darwin does indeed have a BSD heritage, however, "BSD" in this sense means only the "flavour" of UNIX, rather than the name of the actual OS that Darwin was born unto.
  
  The two major derivatives of the original UNIX operating system, BSD and System, came about in the early 80's due to differences in philosophy of how the original OS, simply "UNIX", should evolve. The System series comes from AT&T as a commercial product, while the BSD (for "Berkeley Software Distribution") series was the result of the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) wanting to keep the source code (and hence, the developers) in the loop.
  
  As time went on, each of the branches incorporated different software, and made changes to filesystem structure and memory management, and they grew apart.
  
  OS X is the Frankenstein of NeXTSTEP, which uses the Mach kernel and a BSD style of UNIX, versus the System V branch that many others come from (notably Linux, Solaris). This makes it a BSD-style UNIX, but the actual OS that OS X is based on is Steve Jobs' very own object-oriented operating system, NeXTSTEP.
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Mac_OS_X
  
  Booyah!
• Shaun: Wikipedia proves nothing!!!! :) It is an untrusted, self-managed resource, too easily compromised...J/K.. Apple's unbiased and utterly truthful account is such... Most libraries and utilities are from FreeBSD, with some from NetBSD. http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Porting/Conceptual/PortingUnix/background/chapter_2_section_2.html
  
  Although both of those share a common heredity in the form of the original BSD Lite 4.4 which you are referencing, Apple admits specifically to FreeBSD as the reference code base for BSD technology.
  
  Counter Booyah!
  
  I admit I was wrong about the kernel origins, as I did not realize the Nextstep involvement, and originally thought it was based primarily on Mach/BSD.
  
  I was too hasty in declaring my victory, and will not underestimate your esoteric geek knowledge so quickly in the future...
• hiep: I just bought a G5 mac and am so jealous of the Bootcamp demo. All I've ever wanted to do was crawl up in a dark room with a PC and play videogames until my eyes fell out. The PPC mac has always provided me with a buffer zone from my addiction, kinda like methodone. Reading forums of people running HalfLife 2 on there macbooks is driving me crazy. I'm all excited that I got TigerWoods 2004(!) up on my mac. I figure I'll wait til they get their shit together and have universal binary for Photoshop and I'll switch over. Hell by then maybe I'll just get a PC. As far as I can tell Vista looks awfully like OSX.
  
  As for NEXT, I wish Apple would have taken on their penchant for cool black boxes. The NEXT box was the est looking computer ever. I hate white computers.
  
  H
• b: I have seen and used a mac with bootcamp and xp, and it was well.. xp on a computer not to exciting. The audio drivers didn't seem to work yet but I'm sure that Apple will sort that out. I am now looking forward to getting a new powerbook so i can run all my apps on the same machine. There is talk of Visualization of the guest OS in the new version of OSX due out at the WWDC in August.
  
  Oh.. and for the record OSX kicks ass.
• rob: hiep: nice, enjoy your shiny new G5. wow I didn't know anyone else shared the same dream as I did?! I thought you had only a mild gaming addiction, now I know the truth (but does Susan?)! Hahah Tiger Woods golf... hardcore dude! WOOT! Maybe you should take up snowboarding now that you're so close to Tahoe and everything else down there... it's just as addictive, and much more girlfriend/wife-friendly :)
  
  b: Me too man... I love the Apple hardware but have never been able to fully wrap my head around the idea of working exclusively in OS X (superior as it may be). The fact that it is based on a *nix is a huge plus for me, and it looks great, but I actually find Winblows more intuitive - but I'm a programmer, so no surprise there. It seems more "logical", vs. MacOS being more "intuitive".
  
  Anyway, seems that when it comes time to upgrade my desktop peecee that it may in fact be replaced with a nice little 12" MacBook Pro (assuming they will be releasing a 12" version). Portability rules! Gaming duties will be relegated to my HTPC, which is being upgraded this week :)

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