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Running older apps on new computers

M

MidiVeg

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 5, 2008
10
0
As Lion becomes established and Mountain Lion is in the 'wings', I'm still needing to hold out and am using Tiger because the new OS won't support certain programs I'm using that are not compatible and are not being updated by the manufacturer. Apple has left us behind with no apparent alternative.

This was discussed widely when Lion first came out and Rosetta was not supported, but since then, has there been any answer to this issue? I still need to run these older applications, but want to upgrade my computer and OS as well . . .

Thanks
 
The only answer is to stay on Snow Leopard. There are no work arounds and this has been discussed quite a bit. Without getting into why apple dropped support, it is, what it is and you can either move to Lion and lose rosetta support or stay on the legacy OS.
 
maflynn said:
The only answer is to stay on Snow Leopard. There are no work arounds and this has been discussed quite a bit. Without getting into why apple dropped support, it is, what it is and you can either move to Lion and lose rosetta support or stay on the legacy OS.
Click to expand...

I'm still on TIGER, can't even get Snow Leopard if I wanted it . I'm not sure my old computer would even run it. thanks for the reply
 
One thing to keep in mind, is when you buy a new computer it will be running Lion or later and you'll lose rosetta. The sooner you find alternatives to your applications the better off you'll be :)
 
maflynn said:
The only answer is to stay on Snow Leopard. There are no work arounds and this has been discussed quite a bit. Without getting into why apple dropped support, it is, what it is and you can either move to Lion and lose rosetta support or stay on the legacy OS.
Click to expand...

It's a long story . . . there are synthesizer patches/sounds that are created by a specific application. There is no other app that can import them. If I switch to OS Lion, I lose about 15 years worth of sounds that i created for this particular synthesizer. It had been suggested at one point that there may be a way to interface 2 computers, but no one has been able to tell me how to do that.

I'm stuck in the mid 1990s! Help!! :)
 
I would buy a used Mac that will run tiger and hold onto it.
Unfortunately, Apple isn't going to bring back Rosetta.
You might be able to do something with an emulator, but they tend to be a real pain to get working.
 
Apple didn't really leave you behind, you chose to remain behind. Computer hardware and software changes over time, and when you commit to using something that doesn't change you can't blame Apple for painting yourself into a corner. You're using stuff that's seven years old.

You will not be able to upgrade and keep doing what you're doing. Sorry. The best bet is to convert everything while that old stuff is still working into a format you can use with a modern application, preferable one that uses a format that's less likely to be abandoned. The longer you wait the worse it will get. Barring that, buy up spare hardware that will run the outdated stuff. That way when things start failing you have a backup.

If you gave some specifics we might be able to help. Rogue Amoeba, for example, would still sell you a legacy version of Audio Hijack which could run on Tiger. You could use it to essentially capture all of those sounds, although it means playing them. It's awful that the people who made the program you use made it impossible to export the sound into a useable format. Sheesh.

You don't say what you mean by "interfacing 2 computers." Are you saying you can't network it?
 
"It's a long story . . . there are synthesizer patches/sounds that are created by a specific application. There is no other app that can import them. If I switch to OS Lion, I lose about 15 years worth of sounds that i created for this particular synthesizer."

Only "solutions" I can see:

1. Stick to the legacy hardware as long as you can. Might be worth it to start searching for a "2nd hardware platform" to be keep in reserve as a "spare" in case your main computer fails someday. But the reality is that, someday, your old hardware is going to break and you will no choice but to upgrade to newer hardware, and new software.

2. Begin the search for new software/hardware, even if that means leaving some old data behind. You may be able to "reconstruct" some of your sounds.

3. A third possibility might be to search for a professional outfit that could help you to "migrate" the data files you currently have towards a more modern app. May be possible. May NOT be possible.

If 2 or 3 are not options, then of course your only choice is to remain at 1. But you do so with the full knowledge that someday, things are going to break and you'll be left "dead in the water"....
 
thejadedmonkey said:
So you mean to tell me that you expect the OP to program a new version of the program he's using?

Sometimes the developer drops support, Apple breaks backwards compatibility, and you're just screwed.
Click to expand...

Apple is a company of innovation. They are usually on the leading edge of software and hardware. If you buy a Mac you should realize that; sorry. I'm amazed they keep as much backward compatibility as they do.

I try to not box myself in by using software that will be deprecated. I would expect to use software that leaves me with a way to use the products thereof in the future.

Anyone who is paying attention should know if a an application will be deprecated, especially if essential to their business. And threads like this should be a further reminder of that. I would have loved for Canvas on the Mac or WriteNow to have been able to survive, but they didn't. And as soon as I realized they'd be no more I migrated to other formats. And now I try to choose software that's likely to stand the test of time, although nothing's guaranteed.

If you choose to be a victim of the march of tech, so be it. But you'll have to suffer some, even with Apple.

And BTW, coding your own is a good way to insure your stuff works in the long run.
 
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