Warning
To prevent the possibility of data loss, back up your disk before partitioning it or installing Windows. If you have a laptop computer, make sure the power adapter is connected.
Details
Boot Camp Assistant helps install Microsoft Windows on an Intel-based Macintosh computer by downloading the necessary support software, creating a partition on your disk for the Windows operating system, and then running the Windows installer. When using Boot Camp, you must restart the Macintosh desktop and boot into Windows.
Two alternatives to Boot Camp are virtual machine applications: Parallels and VMWare Fusion. Both Parallels and VMWare allow you to run Windows from the Macintosh desktop with just the press of a key. Parallels and VMWare Fusion can be purchased through The Computer Store.