Getting Critical: PearPC

[MacBytes]

Category: 3rd Party Software
Link: Getting Critical: PearPC (http://www.macbytes.com/link.php?sid=20040924111653)
Posted on MacBytes.com (http://www.macbytes.com)

Approved by Mudbug

[Bendit]

Hah, the author thinks the software will become fast and usable and it will affect Apple's hardware sales.

It will only ever be as fast as Virtual PC is on the Mac. And Virtual PC is working with open specs and has years and years behind them. PearPC is working with closed specs.

If anything it will always be a little slower than Virtual PC and virtual pc is not fast enough to replace a PC except if you just need one critical windows app. There are no critical mac apps so I don't see how this would affect Apple's sales. If anything it would help them.

[painimies]

Hah, the author thinks the software will become fast and usable and it will affect Apple's hardware sales.

It might affect Apple's hardware sales... Positively. Here's a quote from the article:
"As a matter-of-fact this little program convinced me to buy my iBook on which I am writing you today."

[iMeowbot]

I doubt it will do much to hardware sales, but the PearPC people are basically working with open specs too. Modern Apple systems are for the most part vanilla CHRP, with all the legacy firmware voodoo moved into files. With a lightweight software shim like MOL, Mac OS runs quite acceptably on unmodified non-Apple PowerPC systems.

[Mord]

you can run the mac os on pegasus systems???, never knew that.

[iMeowbot]

Yep, AmigaOne too.

[nagromme]

Cool. Can I run the AmigaOne OS on my Mac? :)

[wrldwzrd89]

Cool. Can I run the AmigaOne OS on my Mac? :)
Only if the AmigaOne OS understands the Apple Boot ROM that all Apple Macs have - at least that's what I'd think would be the limiting factor. I haven't studied or used the Amiga OS much.

[Santaduck]

Thanks for a fun link!

Reminds me of the Linux on iPod (http://ipodlinux.sourceforge.net/index.shtml) project.


Steve Jobs should just change his mind and port X to x86... He's on a roll now, but Apple history is ... a rollercoaster =\.

[paxtonandrew]

Steve Jobs should just change his mind and port X to x86... He's on a roll now, but Apple history is ... a rollercoaster =\.

It has been said time and time again on this site and others, we will NEVER see an x86 version of Mac OsX. It will never happen, as it will kill Apple. We don't want to see that happen. Old but relevant (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=26800) thread about the switch to x86 this one is fresh (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=90497), and is about the same subject, non x86ing Mac OsX.

[Nermal]

If (and that's a big if) Apple were to port OS X to x86, it wouldn't run on just any x86. The computers it runs on would still be Macs, they would still have proprietary hardware in them to prevent people from installing the OS on generic computers.

The possibility of an x86 port was higher a couple of years ago than it is now. With the advent of the G5, Apple currently has no reason to go to Intel/AMD.

I installed PearPC yesterday. There's something sad about waiting 7 bounces for Terminal.

[wrldwzrd89]

If (and that's a big if) Apple were to port OS X to x86, it wouldn't run on just any x86. The computers it runs on would still be Macs, they would still have proprietary hardware in them to prevent people from installing the OS on generic computers.

The possibility of an x86 port was higher a couple of years ago than it is now. With the advent of the G5, Apple currently has no reason to go to Intel/AMD.

I installed PearPC yesterday. There's something sad about waiting 7 bounces for Terminal.
I agree with you 100% - if Apple were to make an x86 version of Mac OS X available, they'd lock it to machines with specific hardware in them, just like the Macs are.

If you take IBM's upcoming developments into account - the rumored PPC970MP and whatever becomes Apple's G6 - there's even less reason to add/switch to x86.

PearPC's biggest problem is its extreme sluggishness. On a real Mac, Terminal opens in 1 bounce (at least for me).

[Nermal]

Yep, it takes 1 bounce on my real Mac too (although it might've taken 2 bounces on my old G3).

[iMeowbot]

Cool. Can I run the AmigaOne OS on my Mac? :)
This (http://www.maxuae.de/) should get the old 68K versions running.

As far as I know, the PowerPC version of the OS (4.0) is still vaporware.

[cb911]

PearPC has been around for ages... and they still haven't made all that much progress. well, at least they're really optimistic.