Question how much should I expect to pay for a PC program to be ported to work on a MAC? I also looking to hire?
The program interfaces with an input device.
The program interfaces with an input device.
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macOS Looking for someone to port a PC program to MAC
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OP: You have to take into account how much code there is, what language you're porting from (i.e. if it's already in C, then it would probably be significantly easier than trying to convert from a different language), programmer's time, and most of all, what you're willing to spend to get this program ported.
Maybe put some possible bids out there, see who's interested.
+1¢
Depending on the programming language and other things used to make the Windows program, you might be looking at five minutes of work or several months. Languages like C and Java are cross platform but not every program written in these languages can be ported straight away. Languages like C# and Visual Basic are Windows only and so a total rewrite (maybe not total for C#) would be needed.
Then there's the APIs...
I'd say there is 95% chance that it falls somewhere between $1000 - $1,000,000.
Is the input device a mouse? Is the input device some sort of laser lathe that has a special interface that is only available on a PCI-X card? This probably has an affect on how difficult it will be to port. Do you need a driver written for this hardware as well as the software program that interacts with the device?
I guess the point is that this is (probably) non-trivial, but exactly how much work would be required is impossible to determine from what you've said, and without actually seeing the source code (do you own it?) would be very difficult to even estimate. Without knowing how much work is involved, determining a price is impossible. I have never worked freelance, so i don't know how much i would charge per hour.
If you have to write a driver, that requires a lot more specialization than, say, a command line app. If you need a driver written, and the app is GUI and not CLI, then you need someone who knows OS X internals well enough to write a driver, and knows Cocoa/Interface Builder well enough to make a GUI for the app. The latter isn't so bad, but the "port" is basically going to require redesigning the GUI, because there aren't that many cross-platform development environments that allow for interface design.
You definitely need to give more information about what needs to happen, if you have the source code, if there's a GUI, what kind of device, etc. But you also need to set your expectations reasonably. If this is a 10 hour job, it may cost around $1000. If it is a 1000 hour job, obviously you're going to be paying quite a bit more.
I don't mean to dissuade you, but you're looking for a real niche programmer it sounds like, and they may be hard to find and expensive. If this is for your use only, i would just virtualize windows. If this is to sell along with the hardware, etc. you may need to plan to spend quite a bit.
-Lee
I guess the point is that this is (probably) non-trivial, but exactly how much work would be required is impossible to determine from what you've said, and without actually seeing the source code (do you own it?) would be very difficult to even estimate. Without knowing how much work is involved, determining a price is impossible. I have never worked freelance, so i don't know how much i would charge per hour.
If you have to write a driver, that requires a lot more specialization than, say, a command line app. If you need a driver written, and the app is GUI and not CLI, then you need someone who knows OS X internals well enough to write a driver, and knows Cocoa/Interface Builder well enough to make a GUI for the app. The latter isn't so bad, but the "port" is basically going to require redesigning the GUI, because there aren't that many cross-platform development environments that allow for interface design.
You definitely need to give more information about what needs to happen, if you have the source code, if there's a GUI, what kind of device, etc. But you also need to set your expectations reasonably. If this is a 10 hour job, it may cost around $1000. If it is a 1000 hour job, obviously you're going to be paying quite a bit more.
I don't mean to dissuade you, but you're looking for a real niche programmer it sounds like, and they may be hard to find and expensive. If this is for your use only, i would just virtualize windows. If this is to sell along with the hardware, etc. you may need to plan to spend quite a bit.
-Lee
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I tried to email you but MacRumors profile does not allow me to email you...
I tried to email you but MacRumors profile does not allow me to email you...
I was thinking of using rent a coder
There is a web site called rent a coder that I was going to try but I'm not sure if this is the best way.
The program exists for PC and yes it has a GUI interface for the input device.
Yes on the source code.
There is a web site called rent a coder that I was going to try but I'm not sure if this is the best way.
The program exists for PC and yes it has a GUI interface for the input device.
Yes on the source code.
Can you name the program? Otherwise, you are not going to get any serious answers.
Another alternative, if the OP wants to keep things secret for whatever reasons he/she might have, would be to let us know what language the source is in and perhaps give us an example of a different program of similar size/complexity. I think with that info some of the more experienced programmers might be able to give the OP a better ballpark guess.