CrossOver Mac — CodeWeavers’ latest Windows-compatability product — is on its way. Intended for Intel Mac OS X machines, CrossOver Mac will allow Mac users to run their favorite Windows applications seamlessly on their Mac, without the need for a Windows OS license of any kind. Below are answers to some of the questions we are receiving on the product.
Some FAQ from CodeWeavers:
When Will CrossOver Mac Ship?
Late July/Early August 2006
What Applications Will it Run?
We intend for it to run all the applications that our current CrossOver Office product runs [including such titles as Microsoft Project 2000, Microsoft Outlook 2000, Microsoft Access 2000, Microsoft Outlook 2002 (XP), ,and more] with some new additions in the Microsoft 2003 version products. We also hope to offer support for a limited number of games. However, the final mix of supported applications is still being determined.
What Will it Cost?
CrossOver Mac will be priced at $59.95 for a single copy. Volume and Educational discounts will apply. CrossOver Mac will come with 1 year of both Level 2 support and free product upgrades from CodeWeavers.
Can I pre-order CrossOver Mac?
Not at this time.
Can I sign up for the Beta Test program?
Yes, but we have a backlog of testers. The best way to sign up for the Beta Test group is to email info@codeweavers.com and request access to the beta. Please be aware that we already have a very large pool of testers and so your request may not be accepted. We will respond to all requests.
Will CrossOver Mac run on older versions of Mac OS?
No. It will only run on Mac OS X.
Will CrossOver Mac run on PowerPC Macs?
No. It will only run on Intel OS X Macs. Our underlying technology — Wine (http://www.winehq.org) — requires an x86 architecture chip.
Will CrossOver Mac work with my printer?
Yes, it should work just fine.
More info about CrossOver Mac here.
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This would work well for me. Do they have to have support for your specific software, or will it be generic and just work for most titles?
“CrossOver Mac will allow Mac users to run their favorite Windows applications seamlessly on their Mac, without the need for a Windows OS license of any kind.”
Holy Grail time.
No kidding. I feel like clapping some coconuts together!
THAT’s what I’m talking about. If they can truly iron out some of the bugs, get the thing compatible with a large proportion of software (excluding games – that’s what Boot Camp is for) and provide a nice Mac-like experience throughout, then we have something here.
And if they don’t, hopefully Apple will.
Next step: Making those butt-fugly Windows programs LOOK better. How about an interpretive layer that automatically skins them like OS X programs? Now that would be ideal.
MW: nearly – as in “nearly complete – the ultimate PC killer Mac”
I am personally excited for this possibility, but I am still wrestling with whether it will be a good or bad thing for OS X development.
MW: “problems”. Yes, and opportunities.
If this is what CodeWeavers can do, it kinda makes ya wonder what’s going on in the basement of Cupertino’s R&D department working with a billion dollar budget.
If Apple makes a Rosetta-like Windows translator for OS X, that’d make MS Windows OS quickly obsolete with their 100,000 viruses/year and endless headaches.
Schools and businesses will dump their MS Windows-only machines before the next purchase cycle.
Soon the software developers will see how much easier it is to code directly for the Mac OS.
The wind’s they are achangin’.
Do ya feel it?
60 bucks isn’t really that much less than what you’ll pay on Ebay for a real copy of Windows as long as you don’t need XP Pro, in which case this thing wouldn’t e an options anyway. I guess the benefit is in being able to run it alongside OS X and not giving any money to Redmond. Unless I’m missing some other benefit.
Based on my experience with CrossOver Office and Wine on the Linux platform, the supported apps will work great – the unsupported might work great, kinda work, or not work at all – depending on how the original software authors utilized the Windows API and how many hacks they employed.
Over all, a great product if a native OS X app doesn’t exist.
Mac market share (consumer): 17% to 23% just around the corner!
MW: mean “And I mean it.”
The wind’s they are achangin’.
Do ya feel it?
Yes. It it just coincidence that this was announced on the eve of Independence Day?
Oh baby let the revolution begin!
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Limited games — possibly more of the “casual” games that aren’t processor-intensive…that’s actually what I’m looking for.
I heard there was a minor earthquake in Redmond this morning…
I just hope that the visible Mac interface remains. I would puke last night’s supper to see the stodgy, clumsy, and butt ugly PC interface on my Mac.
If this is what CodeWeavers can do, it kinda makes ya wonder what’s going on in the basement of Cupertino’s R&D department working with a billion dollar budget.
If Apple makes a Rosetta-like Windows translator for OS X, that’d make MS Windows OS quickly obsolete with their 100,000 viruses/year and endless headaches.
Schools and businesses will dump their MS Windows-only machines before the next purchase cycle.
I’m not fond of rumors. They just don’t bring anything to the table. Speculating about ruymors is even worse.
That said, friends of mine (that live in Minnesota) has seen CodeWeaver up close and personal. Knowing what this thing can do, it does make you wonder what Apple may be getting to deliver in one to two years (after Microsoft’s back has been broken).
the interface is an integral, and crucial part of the mac os. getting pc apps to run in mac os x is allowing windows second rate standards to come into the equation. windows developers basically just dont give a shit when it comes to user interfaces, yes i know thats a generalisation but true more often than not.
id also be hesitant because of the virus factor.
dont like the idea at all.
but each to his own.
How much did those morons in Redmond pay for Virtual PC? It must really hurt to sit down since Apple told them where to stuff it.
I heard there was a minor earthquake in Redmond this morning…
Nah, ’twas just a certain tech company going brown over this announcement.
The were also reports of it “raining chairs” in Seattle, but we’re working in confirmation of that.
And if that all starts to really kick off, and Windows applications run OK under either Codeweaver, Bootcamp or Parallels…. Why would companies from Adobe to Aspyr to anything else still bother developing Mac-specific products?
Would they even need to?
Just a thought
Apple isn’t going to take a dump in Microsoft’s back yard.
Virtual PC will make a comeback, eventually, and that’s the deal between Redmond and Cupertino, stay the heck away from virtualization.
You heard it on Channel Z, All static, all day, forever.
If I use CrossOver, will I need to walk into the light? Carol Ann? Are you still there?
Most of you aren’t understanding what this is. CrossOver is a semi-closed version of the Linux Wine project. It’s not prefect but it does work. Wine itself has been working on reverse engineering windows API and translating them into linux ones for 8 odd years and are still in a rough beta.
Reimplenting the mess that is called windows APi is a nightmare.
There is also a gaming version called http://www.transgaming.com/ Check out the windows only games they get to playy on linux with miminal loss of speed.(<10% based on game and systems used), good enough for most action packed FPS, and RPG’s.
“There is also a gaming version . . .”
And here I am still playing Marathon after all these years. What Pfthor, you ask? i know I should move on but the classic stuff is still so much fun.
pretty please please. All I need is to have IE for Windows to run so I can do work on the net until those ass-backwards companies get with the program and make their sites Mac compatible.
Good news, but don’t get too excited. This is no holy grail. Code Weavers has to hand-tune support for each application separately – which is why the list of supported applications is so specific. It will run those applications, but not much else. I’ve used it on Linux. Furthermore, most of the support is focused on MS Office, which has a much nicer native version of MacOS anyway. Parallels is a much nicer solution.
This is interesting from a theoretical perspective, but not very practical. Probably simple things like application updates will break compatability, and support is very, very limited. I suppose it will find uses, like someone who just needs Outlook, but it’s a solution that will satisfy only a minority of people.
Still, it’s encouraging to see yet another developer dive into Mac development – I think Mac users will be much more supportive financially of this kind of attention compared to tightwad Linux users.
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Well of course Linux users are tightwads. All I ever hear from them is “Linux is free, free, FREE!” Apparantly, the law of “you get what you pay for” does not apply to Linux. Why wouldn’t one want to spend hours tracking down drivers for perhipherals and endlessly tinkering with the OS to get it to run properly.
Linux: Free OS + cheap PC = endless hours of nerd-tinkering goodness!