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How to Install Bonjour/Rendezvous for Windows

Apple has a version of Bonjour/Rendezvous for Windows XP and Windows 2000 that it makes available at its developer Web site. As I write, Apple refers to the version now available as "Rendezvous for Windows Technology Preview 4." This is Apple's way of saying that the software isn't fully tested, but it worked just fine for me.

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Bonjour/Rendezvous for Windows can be downloaded from developer.apple.com/macosx/rendezvous/. Though it's described as a "preview" (that is, beta) version, it has worked fine for me.

You install the Bonjour/Rendezvous software just as you would any other Windows application. The Technology Preview installs a Printer Setup wizard on your Windows machine. When asked whether you want a shortcut placed on your desktop, respond Yes.

What Is Bonjour?

In Mac OS X Tiger, Apple changed the name of a technology called Rendezvous to Bonjour. Both are pretty silly names for some pretty serious technology. There is no difference between Bonjour and Rendezvous. Be aware that it may be a while before the Windows version gets a name change.

Apple describes Bonjour this way: "Bonjour lets you create an instant network of computers and smart devices just by getting them connected to each other." After that, the devices start broadcasting and discovering the services each is offering to the others.

Bonjour is based on standard Internet technologies, and Apple has offered it to be adopted as a standard. I hope this happens and encourage Microsoft to adopt Bonjour (or whatever the "standard" version is finally called) as a Windows component.

Apple uses Bonjour for tasks as diverse as instant messaging and sharing printers and files. Thanks to Bonjour, the iChat AV instant messaging program can tell you what other users are currently on your local network and the types of chattext, audio, or videotheir computers support. iTunes and iPhoto use Bonjour to support music and photo sharing on local networks.

Note that I am talking about Macs and local networks. At the time of this writing, only a Bonjour Printer Setup wizard is available for Microsoft Windows. The wizard installs the Bonjour technology on your Windows machine and makes it easy to connect to a printer that itself is connected to the USB port on an Apple AirPort base station or to AirPort Express.

If you own several Macs, Bonjour is important technology. Apple has begun extending it to the Windows world, where it could play an important role in powering the home media environment of the future. Maybe Microsoft will come on board some day and speed the process. Bonjour is good stuff!

The software will ask you to reboot your Windows machine once the installation is complete. You might as well do so then because you won't see the shortcut to the wizard until you've restarted your PC.

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If anyone with sway over Bill Gates should read this, ask him to build Bonjour/Rendezvous support into Microsoft operating systems. It has the potential to make Windows almost as easy to use as Mac OS X, at least in some ways.

After installing the wizard, I recommend installing the proper Windows drivers for the printer that's connected to the AirPort Extreme Base Station or to AirPort Express. If this is the same printer you've been using previously with Windows, the machine won't need new drivers.

You will, however, need to download Mac OS X drivers from the printer manufacturer's Web site. Be warned that not all printers have Mac OS X drivers available, though if you are using a major-brand printer, you are probably covered.

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