In the Mac world, the once unthinkable is about to become commonplace - owning an Intel-powered Mac running Windows. When Apple first announced the news about a switch to Intel processors, there were gasps of wonder and some derisive groaning, shortly followed by eye-popping amazement at the possibility of running Windows XP and Mac OS X Tiger on a Mac. Once the idea of owning a powerhouse Mactel fermented, the demand for “when and how” boiled over. On April 4, Apple met the challenge and responded with Boot Camp - a beta utility that helps users configure their Intel Macs so they can install and run Windows XP and Mac OS X on the same machine.

While the install of Boot Camp is relatively painless, there are pitfalls users need to avoid. Running Boot Camp (Toporek, O’Reilly, $7.99) is an easy-to-follow guide that steps the user through the install and configuration process.

“Many PC users want to use a Mac but would hate to lose the investment in PC software they’ve made over the years,” says Chuck Toporek, best-selling author and senior editor with O’Reilly Media. “With Boot Camp and an Intel Mac, users can have the best of both worlds.”

The Running Boot Camp PDF download walks users through each install step including:

• What You’ll Need

• Updating the Firmware
• Running Boot Camp
• Partitioning the Hard Drive
• Installing Windows XP
• Installing the Macintosh Drivers
• Troubleshooting Boot Camp’s Obstacles
• Switching Between Mac OS X and Windows XP