13 Comments

Apple to charge for BootCamp

January 21, 2007 by in Apple with 13 Comments

Apple, always looking for money, is rumored that Apple will charge Panther Tiger users to install BootCamp on their computer. Although final pricing has not been determined pricing is rumored to be in the ballpark of $29.

bootcamp.jpg

This is not the first time Apple has charged existing users for an upgraded feature. Recently Apple decided it will charge late model Mactel users a nominal fee to unlock 802.11n wireless, and previously Apple charged Jaguar users $30 for iChat AV while it was included in Panther for free.

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  • http://tuaw.com David Chartier

    You might want to be careful as to how you throw around some of this information. First: how could “Panther” users install BootCamp to run Windows? Is this just a typo? AFAIK, Panther doesn’t run on Intel Macs, and you can’t install BootCamp + Windows on PPC machines.

    Second: by law, Apple *needs* to charge for enabling 802.11n on their Macs. This isn’t simply some new way to ‘stick it to their customers’ – it’s to adhere to proper accounting procedures, and we all know how important it is for them to walk on the better side of *that* line right now.

  • Xshare

    You mean…. charge Tiger users? Panther users are probably not on MacTels… I don’t even think there is an x86 Panther out.

  • Suzuka

    Impossible, there is no intel version of Panther, and windows XP won’t install on PPC processors

  • Suzuka

    Forget my last comment, you said they will charge PANTHER users for it, it really ment Tiger, I already have Vista installed, so this doesnt really affect me

  • jcjohn

    At least there’s enough of a user base now for piracy to be prevalent.

  • http://www.uneasysilence.com Dan

    I get all the DAMN cat names confused! Can’t they just call it by version number?!

  • Websnap

    Complaining about paying for this is like getting mad at adobe for charging for Photoshop CS3 when I’ve been using this beta for free. Just because we can use the bata for free doesn’t mean shouldn’t pay for the final product. Besides, all of this is mute until apple actually announces it.

  • http://www.uneasysilence.com Dan

    I wasn’t mentioning the fact that they had to stick it to the users for the 802.11n thing – Just pointing out the fact that they are.

    Well remember they wanted to charge $5.99 for it before the (more reasonable) $1.99 price point stuck.

    Do you think that $5.99 is a bit greedy?

    And Websnap, I’m not complaining – just merely pointing out the fact.

  • mark

    We’ll also have to wait and see how Apple handles this $1.99 upgrade fee in countries where the law is not applicable.

  • Adam Potts

    $5.99 is unreasonable? Psh. Good thing you’re not going to have to spend $200+ like I will to get N-compliant down the road, you’d blow a gasket. I’d personally love getting N for the same price as a greasy value meal at McDonald’s.

    And why is it a bad thing for Apple to charge $30? Next you’ll be reaming Parallels for charging $79…

  • mark

    I think the idea is that it is unreasonable to pay any more than is necessary to break-even for distribution of the patch. Remember, this is hardware people have already paid for – Apple didn’t put these cards in for free. The idea of trying to make an additional profit, after the fact, from a legal problem is silly at best.

  • viperguy

    Moving the price down by 4 dollars sounds fun to me =p… if they kept the tag price of 5.99, where would these 4 dollars go to? Not for the “fee” I’m sure. And neither to my pocket too…

  • Buzzkill

    I’m all for Apple charging customers more for software/hardware/services. Since most Mac users think their #hit doesn’t stink they can feel better (or better then YOU) by paying more. Just a note I use PC-WIn, PC-Linux, and Mac’s, but as I don’t have to pay for them, work does.

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