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Boot Camp is Apple's new software that enables Windows XP to run on Intel Macs. The warranty question arises from the fact that the software is available as a beta for which Apple provides no technical support.

According to the Boot Camp release notes that accompany the software: 'SHOULD THE APPLE SOFTWARE PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION' (Apple's capitals), although it goes on to say that warranties may be protected by local laws.

Reports on Apple's discussion boards suggest that Apple store employees have been told to warn users

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not to install Boot Camp.

'Joshua Wolf' phoned his store after the Mac Hardware Test reported an error with his MacBook Pro.

'The guy at the store told me via the phone, "You didn't install Boot Camp did you? That's a beta and it voids your warranty.", Wolf writes.

Mischa Mclachlan received a similar warning: 'I was in the Apple Store in the UK buying a new iMac Core Duo, i mentioned to them i was gonna try Bootcamp, and they said "Oooo.. i wouldn't do that...that will void your warrantee!" and they made strong references to HARDWARE to me.'

However coreyammons was told by Apple that his warranty is safe: 'OK, so all this got me a little worried so I called AppleCare and asked. I asked "if I install Boot Camp will it void my warranty since it is Beta software." He said "Hmmm, that is a good question, I do not know let me check..." I thought Oh Crap! He came back on the phone and said "No, it does not. " So I asked one more time for clarification. I asked "So if I install Boot Camp it will not void my warranty correct?" He said, "That is correct, it will not."

Apple, which has yet to contribute to the Discussions thread, has been asked to clarify the situation.