With Apple's release of Boot Camp, which will allow you to easily load Windows XP onto your Intel-powered Mac, some have postulated that this

Probably the most valid argument against Apple opening up OS X for general use on commodity PCs is that it would open the flood gates to a myriad of driver-related problems. David argues that part of what has allowed Apple to maintain high levels of stability with the operating system is that they control the hardware that it is used on. I had a debate over instant messaging with a co-worker about this today, who took the same position.

Although I understand the concern, I think it's important to keep in mind that even if Apple does allow OS X to be used on hardware that it does not manufacture, they still have the ace up their sleeve in that they can offer a different level of guarantee that everything will work as expected on their own hardware. Essentially, they can offer two tiers of support - all Mac support, and "other". The "other' category will be populated with two types of users: techies that want more control over the hardware they use, and budget users that simply cannot afford Apple's hardware. I fall into both categories.

While I can acknowledge that Apple makes very nice hardware with great design & aesthetic qualities, at the end of the day I can't get over the fact that PC hardware at similar performance levels is cheaper. As a Windows user since Windows existed, it pains me to admit that looking at Mac software is looking at software the way it should be: with a focus on usability and design. Too much of the Windows software we know and tolerate simply has little to no design value.

So Apple, please, please, please let me install OS X on my PC (like Chris Pirillo did). I'm an Apple customer waiting to happen, but I can't afford your hardware. The tantalizing possibility of dual booting is too much to handle. My true utopia will be achieved when it becomes possible to boot into either operating system (on any hardware), and still access the other one in a virtualized window. Now how cool would that be?

You really have to see this to believe it. Some poor soul has decided to try to amalgamate the latest version of every known software driver onto one CD for the purposes of creating an unattended Windows XP setup disk that would work on literally any PC. And it looks like he's making extremely good headway on this project!

So far there are 8 driver packs that make up the entire project, supporting: Chipset, CPU, Graphics, LAN, MassStorage, Sound, and WLAN. The final file, Driverpacks BASE contains all the required documentation and batch files to slipstream the drivers onto a Windows XP setup CD, and even includes an UpdateChecker to ensure everything is as up-to-date as it can be.

Windows XP has a stupendously aggravating behavior when first installed when it comes to searching files. For some reason, out of the box Windows XP only searches files that match a certain set of file extensions. While for many people that set is enough, it can drive you crazy to do a search for a file that you know exists based on the contents in the file, and get no results.

If you've ever been bit by this shortcoming in Windows, there is a way to turn off the filtering "feature" using the Windows GUI. But we're DownloadSquadders, and we want it to be even easier! So download this .reg file from Chris Sells, a very well-known Windows developer, and run it on your system. Voila - file searching works as you would expect it would.

In an effort to appease PC hardware manufacturers, Microsoft has announced that they will be certifying PCs for Vista readiness, then allowing manufacturers to affix a "Windows Vista Capable" sticker to them. This is an effort to show users that the PC they buy for the holiday season this year will be capable of running Windows Vista when it is released next year. Microsoft needed an alternative to a simple "Windows Vista" sticker, since the operating system will not be available at the time the systems are sold.

Unfortunately, this is a half-measure that will likely do little to help sales of PCs this holiday season. Savvy computer shoppers will realize that although the PC they are thinking about purchasing will be "capable" of running Vista, they will effectively need to purchase an operating system twice if they purchase one running XP, as they will have paid for their XP license in the purchase price of the computer, then will have to purchase a retail upgrade to Vista when they become available. My buddy Marc Orchant has a very common-sense suggestion for Microsoft on this issue. But don't hold your breath.

Worse, Microsoft admits that "Windows Vista Capable" does not necessarily imply the ability to experience the fullness of the Windows Vista experience. The set of requirements a PC must pass to be certified as "Windows Vista Capable" consists of first fulfilling the requirements to display the "Designed for Windows XP" logo. Above that, they will need a "modern" processor, at least 512MB of RAM, and a DirectX 9 class graphics card. If these requirements seem vague, it's because they are. There's a good chance that a "Windows Vista Capable" system will not actually be capable of displaying the vaunted new Glass interface, amongst other high-performance graphical features.

So, my advice is not to get fooled by the "Windows Vista Capable" sticker, and wait until you have the option of seeing Vista running on the PC you're considering buying. That way you pay for the OS once, and you know that the system is actually ready for Vista, not just capable of running it.

Here's my list of what would make the Origami or UMPC a major killer app for me:

1. 100GB-300GB Drive (4200-7200 RPM).
2. 1-2GB DDR Memory.
3. 2-4GHz processor.
4. 128MB nVidia GeForce4 or equivalent. (Gotta have halo)
5. Ports and slots (2 USB, SD/MMC/SM/MS, VGA/DVI, Mic, Headphones, DV, IEEE 1394, S-Video, Ethernet).
6. Wireless, Bluetooth, GPS/Sat. (perhaps the latter will also allow DirecTv reception?)
7. Digital camera for both stills and video conferencing. (pricey models will have an integrated video-camera?)
8. Prop-stand. I think this is essential because it will make so many laptop-hostile environments suddenly UMPC-friendly, for example: on a plane, places where there is no table, or no chair, small booths at a restaurant, cramped kitchen counters, narrow hall table, bathroom counter, nightstand, top of your piano, need I go on?

Yet even more reasons Origami could change our lives:

8. My brother is a musician. Origami would be perfect for him because he could cart it everywhere to hook into the sound system and record everything. Origami essentially would act like a very advanced mobile storage device with a screen and almost everything else. Origami combines so much functionality into one device.

NOTE: We will have to wait for a nice sized hard drive in an Origami until generation 3 or 4. I want a 160GB - 300GB drive in an Origami device which would prove its usefulness as a media device.

9. My sister is a nurse and she goes to a patient's home to provide hospice care every day. Origami would be perfect for her because she needs to take readings of blood-pressures and cholesterol levels. She could bring all her games, home-work, music, e-books, pictures and other content with her everywhere. With a built-in digital camera and video-conferencing, she could collaborate with colleagues from her company in real-time to help diagnose problems with patients or with documenting cases for later research.

As you can tell, the list just keeps going on and on with the potential uses for Origami, or the UMPC as some are fond of calling it. Whatever you call it, with some careful engineering, and the right mixture of functionality, hardware, and software, I really think Origami will be a hit with high school and college kids, consumers and gadgeteers. Maybe one day soon Origami will even wow the critics or even those who right now think a UMPC is a big joke.