CodeWeavers has released CrossOver Mac Release Candidate 2 which allows you to install many popular Windows applications and games on Mac OS X. CrossOver includes an easy to use, single click interface, which makes installing Windows software simple and fast. Once installed, your application integrates seamlessly in OS X. Just click and run your application directly from the OS X Finder. Clicking a Windows file or document — including email attachments — will launch the appropriate Windows program, allowing you to work on the files.
Best of all, you run compatible Windows applications without Microsoft Windows.
Adding new Windows software is easy. Just place your install CD in your Mac, and CrossOver will recognize it and offer to begin the installation process. CrossOver then completes the installation and configures your application to run on your Mac. That’s all there is to it.
CrossOver Mac Release Candidate 2 changes:
• The beginnings of an audio input service (works only for small test applications. CodeWeavers plans to expand the feature in future versions)
• Support for Quickbooks 2000-2004
• A minor adjustment for the ‘My Mac Desktop’ target within file dialogs
• A minor improvement to the web browser in Quicken 2007.
More info: http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac/
[Attribution: MacNN]
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CrossOver Mac runs Windows applications on Mac OS X without Microsoft Windows – August 31, 2006
I love it and it allows me to play PC games (Counterstrike). This could be the to transform the mac into a safe gaming platform.
Hey, that was first post !!
this thing is next to useless, most of what it does run is available for mac anyway, and the rest doesnt work.
Agreed Andy. When you look at the compatibility list, at least 85% of it are apps that are also available natively for OS X. Sadly, CrossOver just doesn’t have much practical use at all.
You’d be a lot better off to use your money toward Parallels Desktop, and find an old copy of Windows 2000 lying around somewhere to install as a virtual machine. And if you’re a Windows gamer, Boot Camp is the only way to go.
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True…this product is not ready for primetime…but it’s still in development.
Give it time….I think it’s going to be worth owning at some point. No software tool is for everyone.
Erg4000, sure glad you got the first post. Boy, that’s great! because that somehow makes you superior to the rest of us. Wow! Your the winner this time. Way to go man!
Fredder5 – you totally forgot to mention that Erg4000 also got the second post! Now, that dude must have some serious skillage to get both a first and second post on the same thread. DZamn!
Yo, Fredder5 and mad cow — Man, don’t be haters!
I don’t agree that this software is useless just because supported applications have Mac versions. New Mac users may be overwhelmed with the costs of “crossgrading”. Crossover is actually an economical solution.
would this work with 3DS Max and Backburner?
“Yo, Fredder5 and mad cow — Man, don’t be haters!”
Hi Caladryl. I’ll forgive them.
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What I like about Crossover is that it makes Windows obsolete. I had to buy a windows license togehter with my Virtual PC at that time. I hope I will never have to do this again.
Sure, CrossOver is not a solution for all windows apps but it’s a start into the right direction.
Apple should buy CrossOver and make it a part of MacOS X. Win software develloppers and Apple should align their efforts to make software that won’t be ported to Mac, compatible with CrossOver.
As the devs at CodeWeavers continue to add functionality the number of Winblows apps that will run on CrossOver will increase exponentially. CrossOver isn’t all that useful right now but if they can keep at it, it will eventually be a great product.
I’ve used CrossOver for years under Linux, and it is a good product. I haven’t seen any exponential increase in application compatibility, however. It’s more like slow steady improvements. I don’t know how different Vista is compared to XP, but this could add a new wrinkle that CodeWeavers will have to deal with — potentially slowing them down some. It seems that products like Parallels and VMWare may be somewhat ahead with Vista compatibility, but they also have the downside of requiring a Windows license. Not having to have a license is definitely CodeWeavers strong point, as well as the integration with OS X. I hope they keep up the good work and give Mac users another solid choice for running Windows software.
Enough with the programs that already have Mac versions available.
Microsoft Project (a Windows only program) has got to do better than “bronze” compatibility.
Look at it in this way. Your work uses Windows and Office for Windows. Whilst Office for Mac is more or less compatible with the Windows version, there are still a few odd things that can mess up document formating etc which can be a major PITA and waste time.
In a way I would rather use Cross-over and pay only for Windows Office, than have to spend extra bucks for XP as well.
I like the idea of both Parallels and Cross-over. Both are still evolving although Parallels is more mature. However for Parallels you have to pay for the Windows OS.
However for Parallels you have to pay for the Windows OS
No, with Parallels you are supposed to pay for a Windows license.
My company switched from Parellels to Crossover about 2-3 months ago. We use Sage Line 50 everyday and we back up our user account folders everyday, which is what ultimately caused me to make a switch.
When using Parellels, the whole ‘PC’ was being copied over everytime it was used (4gig file). After switching to Crossover back up time is greatly reduced as it is only the files that I use that are backed up 32K-2Mb.
Sage works pretty much perfectly (one dialogue box during install couldn’t click on the ‘OK’ button had to use return key) within Crossover even though it is totally unsupported by Codeweavers.
Since the intial testing phase of both the programs we now use Crossover and Sage on 5 of our Macs. With no probelms so far. This has saved ourselves a few hundred pounds on XP licensing fees.
My suggestion would be try your application on Codeweaver weather it is in the compatibility or not, might save yourself some cash.
Makkame
MDN Magic Word = ‘cannot’ as in ‘cannot lose’
So how does one uninstall Windows programs without an “add/remove” section.
More importantly, is there a specific folder in the library that houses all the crappy DLL files, so I don’t have to worry about them spreading all over my Mac? Of course, I suppose spotlight can find them all.
I will pay anyone $500 cash if they are the actual first post person but will use my name instead of their own. I want so desparately to have the first post but I always seem to be too late and that makes me feel so small. Some people have all the luck, or is it that they are really better than the rest of us. Hard to say.
if u wana avoid using windows… then this is a great option. that’s it. alota great compatability apps are being built for OS X. good stuff
@Fredder5: Boo! Get over it, man. You’re looking for a fight for no reason. Why don’t you just write something useful, or interesting, so you can feel better about yourself, instead of straining to ridicule (without success) someone who just stated a simple fact? Try to be happy, okay… because otherwise you’re just boring the rest of us.
On CrossOver Mac: obviously it would make sense to folks who already have a bunch of Win apps (like me…) who would like to keep using them on a new Mac without having to repurchase the Mac versions, at least for a while. At least there are more options in the works for Windows-to-Mac switchers, which is definately good. Nothing like a little competition in the cross platform arena to make all the products better.
CrossOver has been out for Linux for several years, and the underlying open-source Wine technology on which it is based, for even longer. For as long as I remember, reviewers have been stating “good product, but not ready for prime time”. The list of working applications grows far slower than the new releases coming out. If anything, its usefulness is decreasing over time, not increasing. Parallels is a far better way to go. There’s no better implementation of the Windows API than Window’s own.
While I have to agree with “Reality Check” on the point that Windows’ API implementation is the best implementation when compared to itself (Duh!) I have to say that the issue here is that using Windows still leaves your implemenation vulnerable to all of the ills of the Window’s world. Using CrossOver seems like you get to leave behind a lot of the pain that plague a full Windows installation.
I have not used either as yet (I’m waiting to buy an Intel Mac until after Macworld Expo) but am anxious to get them a try!
This will be most useful for people who only need to run a few Windows apps, and those few apps happen to work. Then they can save money on getting a copy of Windows. Otherwise, it would be a hassle.