Why did Apple, after all these years, finally decide to support Windows on their machines?

It is surely not because they have grown a friendship with Microsoft. As Bootcamp website stated: "More and more people are buying and loving Macs. To make this choice simply irresistible, Apple will include technology in the next major release of Mac OS X, Leopard, that lets you install and run the Windows XP operating system on your Mac."

They have rightly inferred the key reason why more people are not adopting Mac. Almost everyone knows Mac's are cooler (perception), easier, more friendlier than Windows and more secure. However most of us made an investment on Windows. Our day-to-day applications run on windows and windows only. It is inconceivable (for many) to throw all of that away despite the benefits.

Unfortunately Apple only went halfway. A significant step forward but halfway nevertheless. The people who have made strong investment on windows over the years will continue to use windows for their day-to-day work. Switching to a Mac requires a reboot, no less. Also having a dual operating system makes Mac partition susceptible to corruption / damage by windows based viruses, thereby potentially impacting the security perception of Mac.

I think Apple should actually promote / develop thin windows emulator to natively run windows applications with Mac finesse.