If you've been counting on being able to run Windows on those
new Intel-based Macs, Apple's not about to
make it easy for you -- at least not if you're attached to Windows XP. According to Apple SVP Phil Schiller, the new
Macs announced yesterday (those being the
Intel iMac and
MacBook Pro) may not
be able to run current versions of Windows due to the fact that the computers will boot using the Extensible Firmware
Interface (EFI), rather than a traditional BIOS (current Power PC Macs use Open Firmware). EFI was developed by Intel
and allows a number of advanced features, including the ability to connect to the Internet from a command shell before
the OS is loaded. Since EFI was developed after the rollout of Windows XP, it's not supported by the current or earlier
version of Windows (it is, however, supported by 64-bit versions, but the new Macs are 32-bit, so it's back to square
one). However, all is not lost: Windows Vista will support EFI, and Apple has said it has no plans to directly block
Windows from working on the new boxes. So, if you're a Vista beta tester and have ordered a new iMac or MacBookPro, get
those install CDs out; the rest of you will have to wait for the official Vista release, or find a way to hack XP to
boot using EFI (which we're sure is about to become a major priority of some of you at this very moment).
