Boot Camp: an expensive downgrade for your Mac?

So Apple has launched Boot Camp, which is a piece of software that allows its customers to choose between Windows XP and OS X when booting up. But if you have OS X, why would you downgrade?

I am an Apple customer and although I couldn't use Boot Camp -- because I have a prehistoric PowerBook G4 instead of a trendy new Intel-based system -- I wouldn't want to.

I have already made my decision and bought my platform of choice, which is OS X and not Windows. There is a good reason for this.

Having used Windows for years I was surprised to find that an operating system could be a pleasure to use. OS X doesn't annoy me with intruding dialogue boxes that take over the screen and make me stop what I am doing; instead, Mac applications that need my attention gently bob up and down on the dock and wait for me to make time for them. How refreshing.

How effortless is it to install an application in OS X? There is none of the rubbish you have to deal with when using Windows XP. Just drop the icon from one box into another and hey, all done. Simple. Easy.

Microsoft Vista seems to be similar to OS X in many ways but it is still almost a year away. And even after it has been released, Microsoft will have to spend the next year cleaning up all the bugs that were missed during its extensive testing programme.

This week I spoke to Kevin Weiss, president of antivirus firm McAfee. During our conversation, he admitted that over Christmas he had just bought his first Mac -- to go with his well used iPod.

"I like it. It is very intuitive and it just works. It is easy -- Windows is not easy," Kevin said.

He also made a good point about the future prospects of Apple: "Now they are Intel based I think the prices will come down and they will compete very nicely with Microsoft in the consumer space but there are so many corporate applications that are written for Windows that it will be an uphill battle to get there."

This, I think, was his most important point.

I understand that some people have applications that need Windows. I understand that. I really do. I feel truly sorry for these people. You have my deepest sympathies.

But the future is all about browser-based applications and the sooner your corporate applications are browser-enabled the better.

IMHO, when compared to OS X, Windows XP is simply third class. In terms of usability, looks and security there is no comparison.

As Apple points out, "Windows running on a Mac is like Windows running on a PC. That means it'll be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world."

So why do it?