PPC really not dead?

[Veldek]

Every thread I read so far said, that you can still buy a PPC based Mac because each app will run on both platforms from now on, because of the "universal binaries".

Now, where do you get this knowledge? Is it because Steve Jobs said so?

I'm sure Apple's apps will run on both systems. I don't doubt that apps like MS Office or Photoshop will run on both systems. But I somehow doubt that every single developer will make their apps processor independent, as soon as the switch began or ended, just because Steve Jobs said so. It would mean extra effort after all.

So what makes everyone so sure, that the PowerPC will be supported not only by Apple in the next years?

 

[sparksinspace]

Every thread I read so far said, that you can still buy a PPC based Mac because each app will run on both platforms from now on, because of the "universal binaries".

Now, where do you get this knowledge? Is it because Steve Jobs said so?

I'm sure Apple's apps will run on both systems. I don't doubt that apps like MS Office or Photoshop will run on both systems. But I somehow doubt that every single developer will make their apps processor independent, as soon as the switch began or ended, just because Steve Jobs said so. It would mean extra effort after all.

So what makes everyone so sure, that the PowerPC will be supported not only by Apple in the next years?

Very simple.. if you develop software for money, you do that for a market, right? If the market has an installed base of millions of Macs with PowerPC, you'd be pretty stupid if you didn't include those when you build your app... we certainly will do so.

 

[desenso]

I would tend to agree. I imagine that the Pentium Macs will take a VERY long time to capture more than 25% of the Apple market. In that case, why would Software developers limit themselves to a SMALLER market?

Doesn't make sense.

If anything I'd be more worried about developers taking the time to even expand into the universal binary, not the other way around.

 

[treysmay]

from what steve-o said, its really not difficult to make universal binary with x'code 2.1 or is it?

 

[Veldek]

Yeah, thanks. That makes a lot of sense. Now I'm a little bit relieved.

 

[sparksinspace]

from what steve-o said, its really not difficult to make universal binary with x'code 2.1 or is it?

It depends.. we are using Qt/Mac, so hopefully Trolltech will sort out everything and we won't even have to use Xcode (except for debugging)... for people who are using their own low-level libraries, in particular when it comes to bit-manipulations things might be much more involved, this is because of the small/big-endianess of the processors. However: I suspect that most people already have a version for both and if they haven't it's a bit of fun for the programmers and will give them a great feeling of achievement when they've supplied the version for both processor architectures.

I also believe that most software companies will see this as an opportunity to increase market share. And.. I think it's obvious that Apple want to build other products with MacOSX (or a lite version) in it, like a tablet PC/pda/phone/etc/etc... remember we're talking 10 years...

So, I am very happy about this (though our product already runs on Mac, Windows and Linux).. but I just adore Apple design so much that I can't wait until that old "its nice, but too expensive" argument weighs a bit lighter and more people can fell like they "have arrived" when unpacking their first Mac.

 

[Sun Baked]

I would tend to agree. I imagine that the Pentium Macs will take a VERY long time to capture more than 25% of the Apple market. In that case, why would Software developers limit themselves to a SMALLER market?

Doesn't make sense.

If anything I'd be more worried about developers taking the time to even expand into the universal binary, not the other way around.

Pentium Macs may capture a 10% market share of PC sales.

It's not just a Mac any more, it'll be another place to run Windows.

We all know how many people have wanted PowerBooks, iBooks, iMacs, etc.

Imagine how many people will bite and buy a Mac now if they are priced right.

No more will they have to worry about a new set of software.

If people leave the Mac OS on the drive, the developers "may" find that the Mac OS just became a very popular PC OS.

 

[Jo-Kun]

PowerPC processors aren't dead anyway: Xbox 360/Nintendo/PS3 (cell variant)

about software

new packages will be 'dual' for a long time

considering people who buy a new Mac now intend on using it at least 4y at full and mostly even 6y

so until the % of intelbased macs isn't greater than PPC versions everybody will make its software for both (as we have seen in the beginning of OSX while OS9 was still in majority & when PPC was introduced at first)
so excpect everything to work for the next 5 years on all systems & than gradually move to Intel-only specs...

 

[iN8]

Pentium Macs may capture a 10% market share of PC sales.

It's not just a Mac any more, it'll be another place to run Windows.

We all know how many people have wanted PowerBooks, iBooks, iMacs, etc.

Imagine how many people will bite and buy a Mac now if they are priced right.

No more will they have to worry about a new set of software.

If people leave the Mac OS on the drive, the developers "may" find that the Mac OS just became a very popular PC OS.

If you no longer have the MacOS on Apple supplied hardware, is it still a Mac? I think not. It is just Windows/Linux etc. on Apple hardware. The MacOS is ultimately what makes a Mac. The hardware/OS integration is a part but not the deciding factor.