How long do you think Apple will continue to support its PowerPC hardware when it comes to software, particularly iTunes? I'm currently syncing my iPhone to our home computer, an iBook G4 (2005 edition).
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PowerPC support for future versions of iTunes?
- Thread starter barnaby117
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SnowLeopard2008
macrumors 604
Not long. PPC is horribly outdated and inefficient. I wish Apple would just kick it out the door once and for all. 😀
LOL at username and comment
PowerPC makes up 66.6% of the Macs in my house and that is counting hackintoshes. All droping PPC support is doing is making me build hackintoshes.
mkrishnan
Moderator emeritus
One never knows, but I'd personally be surprised if they pulled that trigger too quickly. I'd personally put my guess around the beginning of 2011, which would make the last PPC macs about four to five years old...
OTOH, I would guess that the number of users who use the latest iTunes features or the latest iPods on PPCs is lower -- I don't know numbers, but I'm guessing the number of people syncing iPhone 3GS's to G4 Macs is few and far between, and likewise that few customers are renting video content from Apple. So it might be that if they stop supporting new iTunes versions for PPC, customers on PPCs wouldn't miss much.
OTOH, I would guess that the number of users who use the latest iTunes features or the latest iPods on PPCs is lower -- I don't know numbers, but I'm guessing the number of people syncing iPhone 3GS's to G4 Macs is few and far between, and likewise that few customers are renting video content from Apple. So it might be that if they stop supporting new iTunes versions for PPC, customers on PPCs wouldn't miss much.
fireshot91
macrumors 601
I, for one, have only a Power Mac G5, and use that to sync: iPod Nano, iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS.
I mean, yes, if they drop support for iTunes in PPC, I would sync to a Windows based computer, and most likely use that as my main, and the PowerMac G5 will probably get no usage.
No, the only thing I do on my computer is not just syncing iDevices to iTunes, but it would be much easier to sync it with the computer I'm using instead of going downstairs to a different computer, leaving my phone(s) there while syncing and using the Mac upstairs.
I don't think there is much time left for PPC for anything. I'm thinking by 2012, everything will be Intel only. That should be sufficient lead time to get a new machine.
mkrishnan
Moderator emeritus
Again, I didn't say it didn't exist -- just that it was not common. My only Mac is a PPC (and actually it's boxed up right now) too. I'm just saying (guessing) that you don't have such a large cohort of fellow G5 users with 3GS's or who are doing other things that would motivate them to need the latest iTunes. And in 2011 or 2012, I think there will realistically be even fewer such people.... And, like you said, most of them will handle it one way or another. That's all.
Ironically, I would guess that if Apple stopped making iTunes releases for Windows XP, it would actually be much more cataclysmic than stopping support for PPCs at this point! 😱
I'd have to agree with you. In any case, I think support will completely stop when there's a technical reason why it couldn't continue.
Having said that, I'm sad to say that iTunes 9 probably won't be going on my laptop. I have a hard enough time with iTunes 8, but it's a necessity for syncing my iPhone. Maybe I'll get my desktop back before then.
Thanks for all of the great thoughts -- we'll probably end up replacing the iBook before too long, I was just starting to think what I might do if they didn't support PPC.