PC programmes on Mac?

[Rob A]

hey guys, im new to the whole Mac experiance, but i will soon be getting the new Macbook Pro, and was just wandering, with it being Intel will i be able to put my PC Adobe photoshop on it, or do i need to now get the mac version?

thanks guys.

 

[iMeowbot]

There isn't a good solution for running Windows applications on the new Macs yet, but chances are very good that this will change soon. You may want to scan through this thread for some discussion of where things stand (and a lot of whining thrown in for good measure to keep you irritained).

 

[Gee]

hey guys, im new to the whole Mac experiance, but i will soon be getting the new Macbook Pro, and was just wandering, with it being Intel will i be able to put my PC Adobe photoshop on it, or do i need to now get the mac version?

thanks guys.

You'll need to get new Mac versions of your programs. Most of the major stuff is available for Mac and PC - MS Office, Photoshop, etc.

 

[mad jew]

Oohhh, a surprisingly tricky question. OSX will not directly be able to run Windows software, as before. However, there are two options that may come to fruition. Firstly, an emulator-like program (effectively like VPC) may potentially be able to run Windows (and then Windows apps) taking advantage of the Intel chip at good speeds. Alternatively, someone may figure out how to load Windows onto a second partition of an Intel Mac meaning you can boot into either operating system. At the moment, neither of these are possible however it is only a matter of time before they're both feasible IMO.

In the meantime, you'll probably have to get Mac version of your apps, sorry. Maybe talk to Adobe about getting a rebate on the grounds that you've already bought the licence from them.

 

[Nermal]

A third option is CrossOver. It's currently a Linux-only app, although the company has expressed interest in making an Intel Mac version too. Essentially, it's a Windows emulator, and will therefore allow you to run Windows apps.

The difference between CrossOver and Virtual PC is what it emulates. VPC emulates a PC, and you install Windows on it. CrossOver emulates Windows itself, so you don't have to buy a Windows licence. Furthermore, since they have all the pseudo-Windows source code, they can customise it and deliver a more Mac-like experience

Since CrossOver is an incomplete emulation, not all software will run. The Linux version's compatibility list is here. Most of the apps in this list have been tested and submitted by users. Officially supported apps (apps that they will provide technical support for if you can't get them running) are Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, IE, Access, Project, Photoshop, Visio, Lotus Notes, Quicken, iTunes, FrameMaker, QuickTime, Shockwave and Windows Media Player. Remember that this list is for the Linux version - a lot of these apps are available in native Mac versions.

 

[Eric5h5]

with it being Intel will i be able to put my PC Adobe photoshop on it.

The real answer is "no". If you have a Mac, you need Mac software, plain and simple. The processor is irrelevant: Intel or PPC, you still need Mac software. The software that runs a Mac is completely different than the software than runs a PC.

Sure, you CAN try to mess around with emulation or dual-booting or what have you, but that's going to be a bad idea for anything other than the novelty factor (only geeks like me think it's cool; for regular users it makes no sense). If you actually want to use your computer and have a good experience, you need native software.

The bad news is, you got a MacBook Pro. You probably should have waited a year, or gotten a PowerBook instead. The reason for this is that it's going to take Adobe forever to make an Intel Mac version of their software. So in the meantime, you're stuck running Photoshop through Rosetta, which emulates PPC on Intel chips...and emulation is slow. Rosetta is fast for an emulator, but it's still slower than PPC.

On the other hand, World of Warcraft is getting a native Intel Mac version very shortly, so maybe you can play that for a while, as you wait for an Intel Mac Photoshop.

--Eric

 

[HiRez]

A lot of companies have "sidegrades" or "crossgrades" where you can get a version for another OS at a reduced price. Not sure what Adobe's policy is on that though.