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Published On: Jul 23, 2004 09:21 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Jul 23, 2004 09:21 PM
PearPC enables Mac OS X to run on Windows
Are we looking at another
step toward a common computing platform or more jobs for computer platform
interoperability?
PearPC was released on May 10
and is an early alpha of an application that will run Mac OS X on top of
Windows. While computer emulators are not that uncommon anymore (Virtual PC for
Windows, Virtual
PC for Mac, VMWare,
WINE), the demand has typically
been toward emulating Windows on either the Mac or Unix platform. PearPC is the
first new application I've found that emulates Mac OS X on
Windows.
Mac OS emulators for the Unix platform have been available for a while for interested enthusiasts. According to an FAQ on the PearPC website, Basilisk will run older System 6, System 7 and Mac OS 8 OSes in 68k emulation and has been even been updated to support Mac OS X. And it has even been ported to Windows NT. (I saw no mention of anything later.) But what encourages anyone to create software that allows anyone to run the Mac OS, currently running on less than five percent of computers, on platforms with larger shares of users?
A few thoughts come to mind. Maybe it's no more than a challenge. Or maybe this is a case of OS envy that's never been able to hurdle the emulation speed barriers. Or maybe it's just easier now and computer platforms are showing signs of greater interoperability.
Mac OS emulators for the Unix platform have been available for a while for interested enthusiasts. According to an FAQ on the PearPC website, Basilisk will run older System 6, System 7 and Mac OS 8 OSes in 68k emulation and has been even been updated to support Mac OS X. And it has even been ported to Windows NT. (I saw no mention of anything later.) But what encourages anyone to create software that allows anyone to run the Mac OS, currently running on less than five percent of computers, on platforms with larger shares of users?
A few thoughts come to mind. Maybe it's no more than a challenge. Or maybe this is a case of OS envy that's never been able to hurdle the emulation speed barriers. Or maybe it's just easier now and computer platforms are showing signs of greater interoperability.
Posted: Sat - May 15, 2004 at 12:05 PM