Boot Camp Boots Up Savings,
Flexibility for Computer Users
Profiles in Success: Bemidji State University
Bemidji, MN — They called it “The Mac Challenge.” In the fall of 2006, students at Bemidji State University (BSU) were invited to visit the school’s “Super Lab,” test out a variety of software applications, and see if they could tell whether they were using a Mac- or Windows-based computer. Identical 17-inch flat-panel displays and USB keyboards were connected to the systems, which were hidden in boxes. Students then put a variety of Windows applications through their paces. The result? All of the Windows applications tested on the Mac mini performed flawlessly. And according to Brian Allen, BSU’s director of technical support, “The Mac mini running Boot Camp was faster, hands down.” Now that Intel-based Macs can run both Windows and Mac applications, the biggest “challenge” may be just what universities will do with all of their PCs.
Allen describes his team of computer technicians as fearless risk-takers. So when they heard that Apple was introducing Boot Camp — which lets users install the Windows XP operating system on a Mac — as part of Mac OS X Leopard, they immediately wanted to take the new technology for a test drive. “To use Apple’s motto, we have an amazing staff who all ‘think different,’” Allen confirms. “We like to bounce things around, and see how they work. But the real reason we were excited about Boot Camp was that we could see multiple benefits for our students. The bottom line is, we knew Boot Camp would enhance our students’ learning environment.”
Pilot Program Promises Success
“With the Intel Macs, students now … can run both Windows and Macintosh applications. It’s the best of both worlds … two computers for the price of one.”
— Brian Allen, Technology Director, Bemidji State University
Allen, along with computer technicians Craig DuMarce, Scott Theisen, and Russell Hemstock, first glimpsed the potential of Boot Camp during a pilot program at BSU. For this test, they created a dual-boot image on 10 Mac mini and 10 iMac computers, then loaded several applications which run exclusively on the Windows platform. The team then placed the Mac systems in BSU’s business office and computer labs, and asked users to pound away and write down any problems.
Says Allen, “We didn’t have one single, solitary problem report on any of the applications. That was one of the biggest selling points for us — we had rock-solid proof that Boot Camp would work. Then in our ‘Super Lab,’ where we run high-end graphics applications like AutoCad and 3D Studio MAX, we had an ArcGIS conference. We had those users test out the Mac computers running the Windows apps — and I have to admit, we were biting our nails the whole time. But once again, everyone was really happy with the Macs. From then on, we knew that anything we could throw at a dual-boot Mac would work.”
Next Page: System Flexibility Enhances Computing Environment
