Apple has formally given its thumbs-up to attempts to install and run Windows XP on Intel-based Macs. It has posted a tool called Boot Camp that allows iMac, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini owners to run the Microsoft OS more easily. The company also confirmed the next major Mac OS X release, Leopard, will integrate the twin-OS technology.

The Boot Camp software requires Mac OS X 10.4.6, released last two days and which has already been hailed by supporters of Windows-on-Mac initiatives as an update that improves the ability to dual-boot their systems. Boot Camp creates a CD with all the Mac-specific XP-compatible hardware drivers then dynamically repartitions the host Macs hard drive to make room for the XP installation without the need to re-install the native operating system.

Its been claimed Mac OS X 10.5 – i.e. Leopard – will use processor virtualisation to run multiple x86 operating systems without the need to re-boot. Boot Camp doesnt preclude such a solution – todays release may simply support one of two approaches the final version of the utility will provide once Macs ship with virtualisation-capable processors.

[Via MacobServer]