What’s all this about new Macs having an Intel chip?

Two decades after the first Mac arrived, Apple said Wednesday that it would offer users of its latest models a simple way to run the Microsoft Windows operating system as well as its own.

That means a single Apple computer will deftly run programs written for either the Mac or Windows, though it will have to shut down one system to start the other.

Um, why would you want to run Windows on a Mac?

  • Gaming. This is probably the primary reason. Since even virtual machine solutions typically still emulate some aspects of video, to get the full performance Windows still has to be running natively directly on the hardware.
  • Best possible performance. For those who want Windows and their Windows applications to run as best as they possibly can, again, running Windows directly is required.
  • A desire to run Windows (for whatever reason, whether it be preference, desire, necessity, etc.) on quality Apple hardware, while also having the option to run Mac OS X.
  • Other applications for which direct hardware access is required.
  • Becuase you can. No reason at all other than to “do it”.

Is this a good thing for Mac users?

“We think [it] makes the Mac even more appealing to Windows users considering making the switch,” Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, said in a statement.

Investors seemed to think the strategy would help Apple expand its share of the personal computer market beyond the 3 percent to 5 percent level where it has stood at for many years.

What would Steve Wozniak say?

“It’s a great thing for Apple,” he told a reporter by e-mail. “I don’t see the earth being rocked, but I can now recommend Apple hardware to a lot more people. One pitch is that if Windows gets too frustrating and unbearable and unsafe, then they can easily switch.”

Well, that sounds pretty good. So will I be able to run Classic Mac applications on my Mac?

Classic applications do not work on Intel processor-based Macs.

For best results using Mac OS X, upgrade your Mac OS 9 applications to a Mac OS X version. Check with the manufacturers for more information.

So you’re saying I’ll be able to run Windows, but not Mac Classic, on my Mac?! So that some guy can play Doom?

Update: It seems there is a way to run your Mac Classic applications! First, load Windows onto your Intel Mac. Then, download this Mac Emulator that runs on Windows. And run your Mac programs. In emulation on Windows. On your Mac.

Is that weird?