We don’t feature a great deal of Mac-specific software on vnunet.com/downloads, but sometimes there needs to be an exception. Apple Bootcamp is this exception and, with the release of Bootcamp 1.4, with support for the backlit keyboard display on a MacBook Pro. So, if you’re an Apple Intel Mac user, there’s never a better time to install Bootcamp if you want to run either Vista or Windows XP SP2 on your computer.

Bootcamp isn’t virtual technology. It’s not based around emulation. It doesn’t run slowly on your computer, nor does it run on top of Mac OS X. However, it’s also a doddle to install. Really, it is. It’s simple.

To get started with Bootcamp, you install the application on your Mac, on OS X. From here, you can create a Windows partition on your hard drive and then burn a Windows driver CD. Next, grab your copy of Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista, install to your new Windows partition. You can then choose to boot directly to Windows or Mac OS X. If you need to change this in the future, you can hold down the Alt key on your keyboard and you can choose between Winshdows or Mac OS X.

Bootcamp is native to your computer, which means that it uses the hardware built-in to your Intel Mac. This means it’s ideal for playing games that require direct access to your graphics card. You’ll get proper drivers so Windows recognises your graphics card, CPU and other technologies. It also means that Windows runs rather quickly on an Intel-based Mac.

Bootcamp 1.4 ships with a host of new features, including an improved installer, updated drivers and more.

Note that Apple Bootcamp 1.4 requires specific system requirements, such as OS X 10.4.6 or higher, 10GB hard disk space and more. System requirements.