Boot Camp after Leopard?

The Boot Camp license agreement that states that the software is only licensed until Apple comes out with a commercial release of Boot Camp, or until 30 September, whichever comes first, has given birth to talk and speculation.

While people that will be upgrading to Leopard need not worry, because the new version of the OS will automatically include Boot Camp, for those that will still be using previous versions, the future is unclear. Apple has stated that while Boot Camp will not have its full functionality, it will still work, and people will be able to access their data, the only option that will no longer work is the creation and deletion of partitions.

One possibility is that Apple will offer a stand-alone version of Boot Camp for purchase. Considering that to actually get any benefit out of the software, you also have to buy a copy Microsoft's OS, they might get away with it as long as it does not cost too much.

However, the other possibility is that the Leopard version of Boot Camp will have additional functionality over the existing software, making it compelling to update, while the current software is offered freely. Last but not least, if Apple pulls out Boot Camp for pre-Leopard versions of the OS, third party developers will step in to fill the void.

For many people out there, Boot Camp is what makes or breaks the deal and secures a new Mac user. The ability to experiment with the Mac while still keep everything from you old computer is just too good to pass up, and Apple is well aware of this. Whatever they decide in the end, it seems unlikely that they will drop the ball with Boot Camp.