Intel Macs, will they run Mac software from pre-06?

[Steve Nunez]

I guess Apple wants users to go the "upgrade" or "exchange" route as most other non-Apple native OS X apps should run under Rosetta. I'm glad you found that info and posted it here.

[Dave Perry]

Steve,

As good as Rosetta sounds, I think video apps are just too demamnding on a system and Apple just doesn't want to degrade the performance of the pro apps to allow it to run under Rosetta.

I think this transition will be much easier than the on form OS 9 to OS X.

[Mike Moncrief]

Hi all,

thanks for the great info from all ! Let me just clarify and get this straight.. if i go to the local Comp usa etc.. and purchase a standalone version of lets say motion..later on i will be able to trade up to the whole Final Cut Suite for my intel based mac for a fee..?? Is that correct??

Thanks,
mike moncrief

[Boyd Ostroff]

Mike, it seems that this has been covered already but I'll post it one more time.... read Apple's Final Cut Studio FAQ at the following link: http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/topquestions.html. It states Apple's policy but you can't actually order the upgrade until February, and you won't be able to actually install and verify this works until March 31. But I don't see any reason to doubt they will honor this offer if you have a legitimate, shrink-wrapped copy of one of the applications on their list.

You might start by going to a local Apple Store and seeing if they have any copies of Motion, etc. still available. Or just ask them about this if it will ease your mind...

Every single time i install a service pack on XP i have never EVER needed new versions of software.. I buy DVD Studio Pro 4 for my mac and i cant install it without a new version of quicktime which i download, then it says i need OSX10.3.4 instead of 10.3.2 so i download that but of course i also need a different quicktime as well cause that wont run on this update!!..

Then after i get all this i finally get DVDSP4 to work but all of a sudden my other program for my Alesis HD24 doesnt work because it needs to use 10.3.2.. So now i cant use that until Alesis update it!! Same as my other mate who just got pro tools le, he cant use it cause it wont run on the new update until digidesign rewrite the software for it.. Now how is all this compatibility ? Its nothing but headaches and this is for things all less then 2 years old..

Your complaining about something written for MSDOS not working, the last version of MSDOS came out 12 years ago! And something which runs a lighting desk probably doesnt need too many updates, its only made to steer the hardware..

As far as Vista goes.. I expect little or no compatibility issues from XP to Vista.. There were very few issues from 2000 or 98 to XP..

Where i expect compatibiltiy problems is Rosetta.. You think Apple are going to put any effort into that thing when at best its lifespan is expected to be only a year or 2 ? That is going to be the biggest hack job just to shut people up..

The share price is rising because of iPods and because people realise how much better Intel is.. After years of Apple users bitching about how crappy PCs were, now it seems they are able to praise the move to x86..

Originally Posted by Boyd Ostroff

Nonsense. Microsoft hasn't come out with an OS upgrade in something like 6 years, and they are long overdue. Do you think there won't be any compatibility issues when Windows Vista makes its debut later this year? I don't use Windows very often, but one of the few things I have used (the software that runs our lighting console) needs MSDOS and won't run on anything newer than Windows 98.

Should Apple halt the wheels of progress and keep the PowerPC architecture that couldn't provide the level of performance professional users expect today? I think moving to Intel was a gutsy move on Apple's part, and of course there will be transition issues but they'll be worth it. And Apple has provided a bridge in the form of "Rosetta" which will run most existing MacOSX software. Apple also provided a bridge from MacOS 9 when they changed to MacOSX in the form of the "Classic Environment."

Professional users of high performance programs should be able to bear the cost of these very reasonable Final Cut Studio upgrades. Or if they can't then their existing G4 and G5 systems will continue to work just as well as they always have.

Or if people feel that Apple is "sucking money away" from them then they're always free to switch to the Windows platform. But we certainly haven't seen that happen yet. Apple's market share increased by 33% this year (from 3% to 4%). And Wall Street has clearly decided how satisfied people are with Apple's strategy as we've seen their share prices rise by 800% during the past five years when compared to Microsoft: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=AAPL...z=m&q=l&c=msft

[Boyd Ostroff]

Originally Posted by Randy Piper

Your complaining about something written for MSDOS not working, the last version of MSDOS came out 12 years ago!

Actually I wasn't complaining, just pointing out that there are software incompatibilites in the Windows world also.

But I get your point; you aren't happy with Apple, and you prefer using Windows systems. Let's not start a platform war in a thread about Apple software in the Mac NLE forum.

Its not that im not happy with Apple, im not happy with elitism that i often see from users who seem to ignore things like those compatibilty probs i just mentioned.. I can name a dozen things windows does better but a mac user puts their head in the sand the moment they begin to realise it might be true.

Having said that, im a mac user i have 2.. I just dont subscribe to that club.

[Zack Birlew]

Ok, I think some people may be taking this a little too seriously. Okay, yes it sucks that Apple releases these minimal upgrades all the time that contain worthwhile features that people upgrade for all the time, but that's just what they do. On the Windows side, upgrades are few and far between and the only things that do come out are Service Packs and security updates. However, Windows-based applications are the majority while Apple-based applications are specialty software. Both can help the other out and both are terribly expensive investments. Sure, there's Intel-based Macintosh computers now, but nobody said you have to upgrade yet, you can still chug away video projects on an old dual 1ghz G4.

What I've noticed with Apple computers is that the processor upgrades aren't worth upgrading to unless they are huge leaps in clockspeed. For instance, when Apple made the dual 2ghz G5, okay, 1ghz G4 guys should upgrade, but before that they made the dual 1.67ghz G4's, not worth it. Over the dual 2ghz G5, they've made the 2.5ghz, the 2.7ghz, and the Quad, the two former are not worth it but the Quad is considerable. But, Apple also announced their plans for the switch to Intel-based processors and that there is a possibility for a new OS, new patches, new software, and the probability of incompatibility issues across the wide expanse of Apple-based software. This would make the Quad undesireable to some since they would want to see what happens with the switch, while others would be delighted about the Quad and jump for that. Apple gave another upgrade and they presented their roadmap for change, yeah it may not be to everyone's liking, but that's just how it was going to go. If you need those old applications, why not just use your pre-Intel Macintoshes for those and use the new software on an Intel-based Macintosh? That's probably Apple's thinking. As far as a new OS goes, nobody says you have to upgrade to those either, I'm still using the first generation of OS X on my Powerbook G4 Ti, not too much video stuff, but other work (ie. scriptwriting, MS Office, ect.).

On the Windows side, speed is abundant, but comes at every beck and call. It's silly how often new processors come out with each 200mhz increment and sometimes not even that, they could offer an added 1mb cache and 100mhz increase, and it's equally silly how many people fall for it. However, when it comes to Windows-based PC's, there is often more people buying new whole computers than going to CompUSA or Fry's Electronics for specfic parts. So, the speed increases are good in that respect, you can expect to find the latest and fastest machine simply and easily. But oftentimes, you're paying more than you should for the worth of the performance recieved.

That's how Windows-based machines work, they frequently offer the fastest speeds at the smallest increments and Apple-based machines have been offering speed improvements in even smaller increments, but things should move faster along with Intel chips now, and the worth of the speed increases is questionable due to the added emphasis on software.

It's not about which process is faster, it's about shopping smart and examining how things are done on both sides of the computer world's fence. Only buy what you need, don't upgrade if you don't have to, and if anything, just try to upgrade the machines you have a little bit until the next best thing comes along. Same thing with Apple, you don't have to do the Intel switch now, you can still be that guy chugging away on that dual 1ghz G4 and nothing's wrong with that. Then, when the next best thing does come around, you'll get that and laugh all the way home! =)