PriceSCAN Blog

Virtually all computer users have acquired some familiarity with the Windows operating system, albeit sometimes against their will. Those who have chosen to follow the Mac path are unlikely to abandon OS X just because they can now run some Windows apps that are unavailable for Tiger. The BootCamp software that allows Windows to run on Macs is more likely to persuade current Windows users to consider switching to Apples. After all, they've been immersed in the iPod-fueled culture of Jobsian cool for years now. What's been holding them back but the high price of the Mac and the fact that their Windows-based software won't run on it, making the switching cost even higher.
Now, Windows Vista's consumer release has been pushed off into 2007, and reportedly the need to maintain back-compatibility is a main reason for the delay (see “Looking Backward, Dark Vistas”). Meanwhile, OS X already offers many of Vista's promised advanced features. With BootStrap, the Mac can run those Windows applications (by booting up with XP) that Microsoft is struggling to make work with Vista. What better time to make the transition to the Mac as painless as possible, and what better way than to render the new Macs platforms that preserve the usability of Windows apps? And if Apple can increase its market share from its current, relatively paltry 3%-5% level, more developers are likely to offer Mac versions of their software.
None of this is going to bring down Bill Gates' empire, and it's not clear how many Windows users will pay a premium for a Mac, even if it can run XP. But BootCamp could allow Apple to make a dent in Microsoft's hegemony, and its introduction suggests interesting strategic options for both firms. If making XP-compatible software run on Vista proves an intractable problem, Microsoft might steal a page from Apple and facilitate running both operating systems on the same machine, letting users keep their old programs while transitioning to Vista apps. As for Apple itself, its duel OS strategy is unlikely to allow it to make much headway into the world of servers, now dominated by Windows and Linux. Of course, OS X does have that Unix-like kernel, and there's all that enterprise software written for Linux....
Perhaps its time for Cupertino to think about compatibility with one more operating system. After all, as anyone who's ordered a Philly cheese steak know, if you're going "with whiz", you might as well throw on some onions.