There are many PC laptops on the market that are very capable of running the Microsoft Windows operating system and many of them are available in compact and very stylish form factors. However, none seem to be able to compare to the super slick and ultra fashionable laptop computers that have become more than a portable computer, but also a status symbol with the internationally recognizable Apple logo. In the past, to buy one of these Apple Macbook laptops meant buying into everything that is Apple computers, including Apple's operating system. That meant fewer choices of software, especially open source and freely available software. Granted that there were many great software that ran better on an Apple system than on a PC, but the hurdles of trying to communicate with PC users or share files with PC users oftentimes turned prospective users away. But not anymore...

The new Apple MacBook computers are now better and faster ever since Apple adopted the Intel Core 2 Duo chipset that is used throughout the PC laptop market. This change in direction from Apple Computers has enabled PC computer geeks like me who have always eyed the Apple hardware to entertain the possibility of acquiring one just to run Microsoft Windows on it. The possibility of running Mac OS X on a PC laptop was also new, but why would you want to do that when the Apple hardware is a lot nicer. For me, there was no reason to own an Apple MacBook other than for vanity reasons. And that is why this article will try to give you the best of both worlds by having your Apple MacBook laptop and your Microsoft Windows operating system all at the same time. Having your cake and eating it too? I think so...

Pre-Requisites

• Licensed copy of Boot Camp.
• Licensed copy of Microsoft Windows XP or Vista.

Installation Procedure

• After setting up your Apple MacBook computer and performing all the necessary system updates, install Boot Camp. This software will create a separate partition to run your Windows operating system. Ask a computer nerd about partitions if you are unsure or uncomfortable with it. Partitions essentially create a separate area on your hard drive (hence "partition") to do anything you want such as store files or install new operating systems.
• After going through all the required steps, the MacBook will restart in PC mode prompting you for a Windows operating system to install. Provide it with your licensed CD/DVD of Windows and follow the on-screen instructions. You will be taken through the typical Windows installation steps that you are already familiar with (if you are a geek).
• You are done!

What? That's it? Yes, with the introduction of Apple Boot Camp, the process of installing a Microsoft Windows operating system on an Apple could not be any easier. Within an hour, you will be up and running with your Microsoft Windows XP or Vista on the hottest laptop on the market. Of course, there are some minor issues here and there, but they depend on the external peripherals you want to run with your new Windows MacBook and the associated drivers. There are many resources on the internet that will help you resolve these popular problems, but for 90% of users who do make the switch, you will not run into any major hurdles.

Have fun with your slick, cool, new Windows MacBook and let the whole world know how you like it.

Melvin S. Tan has spent all his life around computers and has a degree in computing science from the University of Alberta in Canada. Melvin is presently employed in the software engineering industry but in his past time, he maintains The MacBook Laptop Store which is a website devoted to Apple's MacBook laptop system.