Running Windows Apps on an Intel-Based Mac
Published on 26 Jun 2005 · Filed in News · 207 words (estimated 1 minutes to read)Here’s an interesting side effect of Apple’s announcement to move the Macintosh platform to Intel-based CPUs: CodeWeavers has announced that they will expand their services and products to include the new Intel-based Macs (see CodeWeavers sees Mactel move as an opportunity on the NewsForge site). More information is also available in the official CodeWeavers press release.
This is a very good thing. If CodeWeavers is successful in making a version of CrossOver Office to run on the Intel-based Macs, it will make it easier to users to choose whatever platform best suits their needs, be it Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X. They won’t feel tied to a specific platform just because there’s one application they need that only runs on one specific platform.
Right now, I use Microsoft’s Virtual PC for the Mac to run any Windows-specific programs I need. This works reasonably well, but takes a performance hit because it has to emulate an Intel-compatible CPU. With Intel-based CPUs under the hood already, Virtual PC (or CrossOver Office, or VMware, or Xen, or any other emulation software) will practically fly. This makes emulation a much more attractive option than it is right now. That, in turn, means more choice and more freedom for end users.