Briefly: XP support on Mac?; Apple vs Apple; Virtualization

Microsoft is still uncertain about whether it will provide support for running Windows XP on Macs that use Apple's Boot camp technology.

According to The Wall Street, Microsoft said it is still studying whether it will offer technical support for Windows on Macs. "There are several open questions to address before we have a final answer," says Kevin Kutz, director of Microsoft's Windows client group told the publication.

The report also notes that Apple's Boot Camp requires a new copy of Windows XP, which is available for suggested retail prices of $199 and $299, depending upon the edition "It won't work to use less-costly upgrade versions or software installation disks for PCs that users already have."

Meanwhile, Apple's release of Boot Camp finally explains the disagreement Apple and Microsoft were previously rumored to have had over the way Windows should be supported on Intel Macs.

Apple vs Apple ruling not before Easter

A High Court judge is unlikely to rule before Easter in the legal fight between Apple Computer and the Beatles' Apple Corps record label over the use of the apple logo, the Associate Press is reporting. The report is contradictory to others which suggested a decision could have been handed down as early as this week.

In closing arguments, Apple Corps lawyer Geoffrey Vos reportedly said Apple Computer is a "Johnny-Come-Lately" that is attempting to steal the British company's trademark and increasingly encroach on its territory.

Anthony Grabiner, an attorney for Apple Computer, rebutted by arguing that the Cupertino, Calif.-based company is not in breach of its previous $26M settlement with the label, explaining that music lovers are smart enough to tell the difference between the use of the apple logos.

The presiding judge, Edward Mann, reserved his judgment for an unnamed date, but added that it was unlikely to be before the Easter break, the Associated Press reported.

First Virtualization Solution for Intel-powered Macs

On Thursday, a company called Parallels released a beta of its Windows virtualization solution for Intel Macs called Workstation 2.1.

The free-for-the-time-being software is the first virtualization solution specifically designed to work with Intel Macs. Unlike Apple's Boot Camp, the software enables users to run Windows, Linux and any other operating system at the same time as Mac OS X — very similar to Virtual PC.

Workstation 2.1 will eventually cost $50 when it is formally released, but until then users may download a free, fully functional copy of the beta. Parallels is eager for Mac users to present feedback on the application through its Web site.