Universal versus Non-Universal apps

[MacsomJRR]

OK, "newbie" question here (please delete if this is somewhere else)

What exactly is the difference between a "universal" app and the current applications that are available for current mac chips? Do the universal apps run faster on the new Intel macs? Is there a big difference between universal and everything else?

If someone could spell this out slowly for me that would be much appreciated

 

[strider42]

OK, "newbie" question here (please delete if this is somewhere else)

What exactly is the difference between a "universal" app and the current applications that are available for current mac chips? Do the universal apps run faster on the new Intel macs? Is there a big difference between universal and everything else?

If someone could spell this out slowly for me that would be much appreciated

Apps compiled with universal binaries will run natively under PPC or the new intel architecture. That is, they work full speed on both. This is simlar to the old Fat binaries when the transition to power PC from 68k happened.

Non universal binary apps like just about every program out there right now not made by apple themselves, will run on the intel architecture through rosetta, which is a form of binary translation.

Eventually, you'll see apps compiled for intel that won't run on the PPC platform anymore, but that's going to be a ways off since universal binaries make it pretty simple to support the powerPC platform for a long time.

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

Apps compiled with universal binaries will run natively under PPC or the new intel architecture. That is, they work full speed on both. This is simlar to the old Fat binaries when the transition to power PC from 68k happened.

Non universal binary apps like just about every program out there right now not made by apple themselves, will run on the intel architecture through rosetta, which is a form of binary translation.

Eventually, you'll see apps compiled for intel that won't run on the PPC platform anymore, but that's going to be a ways off since universal binaries make it pretty simple to support the powerPC platform for a long time.

Yeah, he pretty much covered it all. To get even more information, watch the keynote on the quicktime website.