apple news/media reports

04/11/2007, 12:15pm, EDT

Wednesday, April 11th

Boot Camp beta to expire, support to cease

Users of Apple's Boot Camp beta software could find themselves lacking support and driver updates, once the product ships with the forthcoming Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard this spring. Boot Camp is special software developed by Apple that allows Intel-based Mac owners to create separate partitions on one or more hard drives to support Microsoft's Windows XP and Vista operating systems. The Boot Camp licensing terms however state that the software is only usable until the company releases a commercial version or until the September 30th deadline, whichever comes first. Apple has not revealed whether it will issue a final version of Boot Camp for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger users, according to News.com, but rumors abound that the company will provide standalone copies of Boot Camp for Tiger users when the final product ships.

Apple has also reassured Boot Camp users who have set up Windows partitions that their files will not instantly disappear should they choose not to purchase the final version, but admitted that support will be limited for those users who continue to use the beta.

"The Windows installation on a user's Mac will continue to work after the Boot Camp license expires," said Lynn Fox, a spokeswoman for Apple. Fox warned that the Boot Camp Assistant software -- which is designed to help set up and manage Windows partitions -- will no longer work when the test period expires. Fox also noted that Apple will no longer provide driver updates to beta users following the expiration.

The Boot Camp Assistant software provides an easy-to-use interface that allows users to delete Windows partitions, and although third-party utilities exist that can achieve the same result, these programs require their own specific instructions and could prove troublesome for many users.

"Apple is a company that listens to its customers," said Samir Bhavnani of Current Analysis. "If they start getting negative publicity around this [and] if they have a sense that customers aren't ready to upgrade, I am confident [Apple] will do something to help support them."


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Huh?
0
04/11, 12:24pm, EDT
Apple has also reassured Boot Camp users who have set up Windows partitions that their files will not instantly disappear should they choose not to purchase the final version, but admitted that support will be limited for those users who continue to use the beta.

Wow, support is going to be limited! This is great, since, according to Apple's Boot camp site:

Apple does not provide technical phone support for using Boot Camp Beta, burning the Macintosh Drivers CD, or installing Windows XP. Support is available on Apple's website. Fee-based support agreements are not available for Boot Camp Beta.

Exactly how much more limited will it become then it already is?
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Aug 2001
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it means
0
04/11, 12:32pm, EDT
Everyone who purchases Leopard will receive full support of Boot Camp (not Windows but Boot Camp) this includes phone support. The users of the Beta will continue to not have access to phone support.

If they didn't state this up front, people would bitch about the fact that 10.5 users could get phone support for Boot Camp and users of Tiger and the expired beta could not.
Senior User
Joined Apr 2001
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Big deal!
0
04/11, 12:39pm, EDT
If you want to run Window$ on a Mac then, you can deal with the consequences. Boot Camp is great so, why not pay for it if you're not going to buy Leopard?
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Support?
0
04/11, 1:09pm, EDT
How many companies support Free Beta software at all? Most beta EUL state that we support nothing, promise nothing, and if you machine stops working we take not blame.
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pay for it?
0
04/11, 1:20pm, EDT
I am unconvinced given past public beta programs (X11 in particular) that there will be a Payware release version available for the Tiger user.

It's not really necessary since the beta works well. Drivers updates won't really be necessary, since you won't be getting a new machine without Leopard after it releases, and the beta already covers pretty much all the current hardware (8 core excluded :P ).

A Payware release of BootCamp for Tiger would of course require some support going forward, with regard to drivers, Microsoft OS version support,.. I doubt it will happen.

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Are you kidding?
0
04/11, 1:22pm, EDT
Do you guys just have nothing to write about so you manufacture rubbish like this? Apple doesn't support BootCamp now - is there any research before you write? More and more I see these pointless articles that don't make any sense and are Stating The Obvious. Come on.
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re: huh?
0
04/11, 1:35pm, EDT
once again testudo is spouting nonsense. he's complaining about a product that he's never used and/or doesn't apply to him. bwa ha ha ha!
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DUH!!!
0
04/11, 2:57pm, EDT
Boot Camp will be available with full support when you buy leopard. That was clearly stated when people signed up for boot camp beta.
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Joined Apr 2002
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04/11, 3:02pm, EDT
I have no idea why you felt compelled to post that. Testudo's post is not so much a complaint, as a simple statement of fact.

Were your cornflakes tainted this morning?

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testudo
0
04/11, 3:47pm, EDT
The word you want to use is "than" not "then".
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