(MACintosh InTEL) Refers to a Mac powered by an Intel x86 CPU. In 2006, Apple switched from PowerPC CPUs made by IBM and Freescale to x86 CPUs from Intel. Apple also introduced Boot Camp, which allows an Intel Mac to start up either as a Mac or as a Windows machine, providing Windows has been installed (see Boot Camp).
Windows on the Mac
One of the major benefits of Macs using the same hardware as Windows is that Windows can be installed along with virtual machine software such as Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion, and Windows and Mac applications can run simultaneously.
Windows programs can be launched from the Mac Dock, creating a seamless, mixed environment. In addition, because the Macs are Intel based, Windows runs approximately 75% as fast as if it were running natively in a PC of equivalent speed. When Windows runs in non-Intel Macs using emulation software such as Virtual PC, it runs much slower because its instructions have to be converted to the PowerPC CPU. As a result of the Mactel platform, many Windows users feel comfortable switching to the Mac, knowing they can run Windows programs with adequate performance for which there are no Mac counterparts. If a Windows user migrates from an old PC, the Intel-based Mac runs Windows as fast or faster. See Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion.
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