Gotta do what you gotta do
Im in the same boat at work and decided to just virtualize xp for the 2 apps I need. No big deal. Bulk of computing still in osx. Virus and malware free environment is my #1 reason to keep my work machines mac's
If I go this route, can you do simple things, like copy and paste, between XP and OSX?
If you want to run the Windows version; Boot Camp or Some virtualization package (or both).
If you want to run the SL Rosetta version; get VirualBox, it won't cost you a dime (technically VBox only supports SL Server but normal SL works too).
If you do decide to go this route keep in mind that VB doesn't currently it support QE or CI so anything heavy on graphics will be choppy.
How long do you think running SL via virtualisation will be possible on newer and newer hardware? Is this likely to get easier or harder with newer OSX updates? We really need a stable long-term solution. Dumping OSX and just running everything on Windows is one option (and would keep my IT department happy, as the University is more PC-centric). But there are other applications I'd lose (Sente being an important one to me).
Spectrum, can you tell us a little more about the files? How big are the files? Are they image files? Data files? If you look at them in text edit, do you see a bunch of xml looking text or do you see a bunch of non printing characters? Once you open them in the PPC application, are you able to save the data in a different format or do you need the ability to open these files on each and every Mac your company owns?
The files are originally a proprietary image format (.img). I've not looked at them in a text editor, but will do. We currently have two options to work on them directly on OSX. One is Fuji software, the other is an AIDA software package that we bought at the time we purchased the scanner. Both are PPC apps, and neither are actively developed any more for OSX. The scanner system, however, was also sold to us with a PC network licence for the same AIDA software, which is actively developed.
My colleagues in the states are in a different position, as when they bought the scanner (4 years ago), it was an entirely OSX system with only OSX software. And a department that only runs Macs. That same system they bought will not run on Lion, so as they update/buy new computers they will lose access to all their files.
I would say park a G4 over by the Fugi scanner and make it convert files all day so you can view them on your fleet of Lion machines.
Well, within the software, we can export raw data in TIFF format, and can then analyse with other software (for example ImageJ, but this requires yet additional workflow, due to the Fuji storing intensities in Log-format. However, the ImageJ interface is a poor substitute for the features offered in the Fuji software). In any case, this does not allow us access to any file that we have already performed analysis on (draw lanes/bands/peaks etc) which become some form of overlay. These will all be lost in a TIFF export. Furthermore, doing the conversion still requires that we always have a working machine that can open all the old files. Basically I am now seeing that proprietary formats are a real pain for future compatibility.
As for replacing a machine that is 3 years old because it is out of Applecare? Please. You can get 3 more years out of it easily. I suggest a RAM and SSD upgrade, staying at Snow Leopard and you can easily cross this bridge in 2014. Perhaps by then, Fugi will have enough pressure to update the software to run on newer hardware.
That is true. And i wouldn't normally jump straight onto a new machine. But I am wondering if it is better to quickly get a MBPro or MacPro now (which could probably still run SL), before they get updated the the Air/mini style (which probably will NEVER be able to run SL). There again, when I have new people joining the lab new year, and if they need a laptop to work on, what do I buy them?
Another option is to write a contract with Fugi to make a file converter for you or update the software for you. Are you paying maintenance fees on the equipment or software? If so you might find the cost of adding new features is "affordable" and by that I mean affordable to an outfit that could spend £100k on the equipment to begin with. If you bought it in 2010, was it new or used? If it was new, you have a case to force conversion of the software. If it's already available for Windows, then Win 7 / Parallels may solve your problem.
When we bought the scanner, it was from a distributor of Fuji machines (Fuji now sell exclusively through a massive company called GE Healthcare who only supply PC systems/software). But in any case, the distributor also sold it to us as a PC package, but we purchased additional Mac software licences from them. About half of our groups run Mac labs, so it affects us much more. But the point is that the institute I came from used this same machine exclusively with Macs, therefore I have lots of old files, and they continue to produce new Mac files on a daily basis. I have continued to use the Fuji software because it works/runs better than the AIDA Mac software we were sold (which is PPC only anyway!).
Seriously, if I'd known at the time that Rosetta would be dropped in future OSX revisions and I'd known that the software was only PPC for Macs (I had no reason at the time to look into this) our purchasing decision would have been different. So, you could easily argue that we made an unfortunate purchasing decision, but at the same time, there was no message from Apple (that I am aware of) that Rosetta would be dropped in the future. If there is such a document/press release from Apple, someone please show it to me! I have contacted Apple, and of course had no response on this issue. It is a major loss to Apple's user base, and since the only option is to run Windows versions of the software, we may as well just bite the bullet and move over wholesale. What benefit do I have in buying new Macs from this point forward, only to have to BootCamp or virtualise? It just creates more potential headaches.
I also have no idea whether if I we attempt to virtualise windows to run the Windows version of AiDA within OSX, whether it will recognise our network user licence. Any ideas on this?
Such a long post...but fundamentally, keeping Rosetta (or selling Rosetta as an optional install), and/or an official statement from Apple supporting virtualisation of old OSs indefinitely is the kind of assurance I need to be comfortable purchasing new Mac computers.
And if Apple do not intend to do this, they should have made a PUBLIC statement 3+ years ago (when Leopard was released) that Rosetta was temporary, rather than making out that it was the best thing since sliced bread! I honestly think Rosetta is an amazing piece of software - why drop it? And why no OFFICIAL announcement about this? We are talking about a multi-billion pound company! Can they not afford to send out an email or press release to all users informing them of this plan? In advance?!?
That is why I am so annoyed at Apple. They seem to think that people only use their computers for Office/PS/iLife, which in my opinion is far from a complete depiction of their installed user base of 20-odd years.
