compatibility

Yes you can play everything! With BootCamp you can install Windows XP and run all Windows apps!

Hope that helps.

vdcc,

Apple's Bootcamp does allow you to install Windows XP, however as Apple willingly admidts, it is still in BETA. If you want to find out if your applications and games work you have two choices:

1. Search these archives for the names of the apps and games you want to run, to see how others have reported their use.
2. Supply a list of all of these apps and games, and hope that people will be nice enough to post and tell you how they work one at a time.

Your third choice would be to risk that they all would work right now, and purchase an Intel Mac. I am almost certian that Apple & other third parties will make windows work at least as well as it works on a native PC in due time.

i don't think vdcc even asked about boot camp, he simply asked about compatible software on Mac Intel. I think we should direct him to Universal Applications (http://guide.apple.com/universal/). Those are applications that run natively on Intel. Other applications (Non-Universal) might still run on Intel under Rosetta. You need to check with individual vendors for this compatibility

To answer your original question, which was "can I run Windows applications in Mac OS X," the answer is no. Windows software and Mac OS X software are not interchangeable. The good news is that except for a very few highly specialized applications, and some games, you will be able to get all the software you used in Windows for Mac OS X.

Now, as some posters have pointed out is is possible to install Windows XP on an Intel-based Macintosh, which would allow you to run your Windows applications on a Mac, but in Windows; not in Mac OS X. Many people who are doing this are finding this is an excellent solution for games, which you mention. I think you will find that much of the same software you use now is available for Mac OS X, or if it is not then a viable alternative will be available. You should check out Version Tracker to find what Mac OS X software would want to replace your Windows versions with.

[Edit: fixed a typo]

If you are asking about the MS executable softwares (like .exe) being incompatible with Mac, the answer is the OS X. Windows and Mac OS are different operating systems like Windows and linux. Also, Apple controls both the hardware and software on Macs, so the architecture of Macs are different than PCs. But with intel processors and boot camp (still beta), now you can install Windows on intel-based Macs and run Win only softwares on the Windows partition of your disk.

If you ask the incompatibility issues between PPC and Universal binaries for Mac OS X, the answer is the processors, intel working with universal binaries natively and PPC through a "translator" program, Rosetta. Universal programs run under both Intel and PPC Macs, but PPC only programs run through Rosetta under Intel Macs (which eats up your RAM).

Version Tracker is a web sit that catalogs and lists Macintosh and Windows software that you can download. Just click the link and you'll see.