Why in the world would Microsoft decide not to bother updating their Virtual PC software for the Mac? After all, it’s not like..oh yes, I suppose that Apple’s bootcamp does basically render that whole thing useless now.

Microsoft Corp. said that it is dropping any plans to update its Virtual PC virtualization software to enable it to work on Apple’s new Intel-based Macs.

The news came on the heel of the announcement by VMware that it’s releasing virtual machine software for the Mac.

At Microsoft, the company’s Mac Business Unit (MacBU) is giving Virtual PC the pink slip, because, a spokesperson said in e-mail to TechWeb: “Developing a high-quality virtualization solution, such as Virtual PC, for the Intel-based Mac is similar to creating a version 1.0 release due to how closely the product integrates with Mac hardware.”

Instead, Microsoft is recommending “alternative solutions offered by Apple and other vendors” to those who want to run Windows and its applications on a Mac.

Earlier this year, Apple unveiled a beta version of its dual-boot technology, dubbed Boot Camp. One virtual machine package, Parallels Desktop, is already available, while VMware said Monday that it would have its virtualization software in testing before the end of the year.

When Apple introduced its first Intel-powered Macs in January, Microsoft hinted it would update Virtual PC for the Mac to work with both the new systems and older boxes equipped with PowerPC processors. Rumors of its demise, however, have been spreading for months…. Source: TechWeb