Intel Transition

News on the PowerPC – Intel Transition for Macs.

Mellel Word Processor – Universal Binary

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The developers at RedleX have sent out word that Mellel word processor will soon be a Universal Binary.

As always you can check the list at guide.apple.com/universal for a full listing of Universal Binaries – as of today, the list is over 1100 applications. Of course iWork ’06 from Apple is already a Universal Binary, and Nisus Writer Express is as well.

Rumors are (and they are probably fairly accurate) that Apple will have Intel machines across their full desktop and notebook lineup by August of 2006.

New Intel-based Mac mini’s Are Available.

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As you have probably heard by now, Apple has released Intel Core Solo and Core Duo-based Mac minis, now making half of their product line Intel-based. Specifications:

Macworld looks at MacBook Pro, Migration Strategies

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Macworld has a “First Look” at the new MacBook Pros, that some maybe interested in looking, if you are interested in the first of Apple’s Intel-based notebook offerings.

They have some good benchmarks in relation to apps on PowerPC vs Intel, including Photoshop. Considering that a lot of non-multimedia software that genealogists use don’t necessarily rely on a speedy processor, they had good news as well, to quote Jason Snell from the article, Several of my bread-and-butter applications, most notably Eudora and Microsoft Office, aren’t currently available in versions that run natively on Intel processors. But I honestly haven’t perceived any slowness in those applications.

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Apple Lists Universal Binaries, MacBook Pro Upgraded

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If you are curious about which Mac OS X applications have already made the transition to Universal Binaries, Apple has put together a list of Universal Applications. At this time, MacFamilyTree is the only genealogy application listed as a Universal Application, although most reports are that current Mac OS X genealogy applications will run just fine under Rosetta.

We have a short page dedicated to explaining just what a Universal Binary is as well as how older Mac OS X applications will run under “Rosetta”.

Classic Environment on an Intel-Based Mac

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HardMac.com has information about software that may possibly run MacOS 7, 8, or 9, under an Intel-based Mac. Originally the software was being developed to run under Linux or PowerPC based Macs, however it has been ported to Intel Macs. Note that the developers don’t have access to an Intel Mac just yet, however this looks promising.

The project is called SheepShaver, and it’s Open Source. On a PowerPC Mac, it runs the applications at native speeds, otherwise it emulates some of the hardware. It runs MacOS 7.5.2 thru MacOS 9.0.4.

Give this project a few months, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see something come out of it, that works. This would be important to those Mac-based genealogists who are using older software that runs under a Classic environment, and who want to upgrade to a new iMac or MacBook Pro.

Report of Reunion on new Intel iMacs

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Over in the ReunionTalk Forums, a member reported that Reunion 8.0.6 runs just fine on the new Intel-based iMacs. Bob White reported that it was “pretty close to twice as fast as it was on the G4 eMac that I’ve been using. Charts pop up like a lightning strike.”

In the same thread, a member of the Leister Pro technical support team reported that Reunion 9 will run natively on Intel-based Macs.