Leopard Underpinnings Suggest Windows Compatability

This would be a really useful feature. There is a thread similar to this in Reader News, there I posted that this would convince people to switch. And I still feel that way.

I USED to think this too. Thing is, the incompatibility doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. Think about viruses. Think about useless frameworks clogging up the system. Spyware, even.

If they are building another application layer to support windows like programs, they'd damn well better build a safe one.

But I always thought the exclusivity of Apple was what makes macs so awesome. Maybe people will see Mac OS X as a weird alternative to windows. I would.

Luminaire has a good point. While a windows layer would be useful virus makers could also use this as an exploit to make viruses for OS X and that would be a complete disaster.

Yippy!!!!

I can't tell you how I've missed spyware and virus scanners since switching to Mac! When OS X can run all manner of Windows executables, it will be like I never left. Thank you Apple for being so thoughtful. Group hug!!!!!

um.... the virus issue would only be a problem if they didnt make it secure..... im pretty sure it doesnt matter if its .exe or wahtever osx uses.... because if theres a security hole, that could be exploited in windows executable format or osx format... thats not the problem.

& windows viruses would be largely if not completely incompatable.

It's only potentially disastrous without a sandbox of some sort. If the Mac OS X environment ran win32 in sandbox's, it could potentially defeat any potential infection.

I recall reading that one of the reasons why no one bothered to develop OS/2 apps was because it ran Windows apps anyway... BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID!

Honestly, I was hoping leopard already came with something like this layer already done. Now, let's wait and see.

When openening a .exe-file...

Have you also noticed this:

I recall reading that one of the reasons why no one bothered to develop OS/2 apps was because it ran Windows apps anyway... BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID!

I agree somewhat. It would be nice for some sort of port of .NET. At my last job I helped bring aboard macs to the firm under the direction of our CIO. We were not fully adopting Macs but we were allowing the use of them under certain guidelines - Parallels, Intel, etc.

Unfortunately the one hurdle we had was .NET. Most of our users would rather not have relied on Parallels all the time to use our internal home grown applications. The money to develop mac ports was not there either. Not even with the GNU .NET port that is going on.

This would be nice for those applications we built in house if they could run - however there were other hurdles like NTLM authentication, security, etc etc.

Long story short, I would hate to see Photoshop lose the native API calls from OSX for a windows port but I would not mind seeing my custom ticketing system or in house call manager run natively as well.

I think people are still going to develop quality applications for OS X, even if this is true. OS X just has so many great frameworks and is a superior environment.

When openening a .exe-file...

Have you also noticed this:

I don't have Darwine but Parallels an Fusion, so instead of openning exe files and other windows associated files with Darwine in my Rigs Leo runs Parallels and open the associated program, ex. a ini file is opened in windows notepad.

I dislike this behaivor, I prefer to open with a Mac text editor. What I didn't test is if my PowerBook wants to open Virtual PC, I will try that.

Yeas they have Crossover and Viruses dont really affect Mac OSX coz they are made to destroy Windows not Mac.

Also most destructive things would need root access

The fear is not about destroy things, but about taking resources (cpu, network, etc) for sending data (spyware) or spreading itself (virus).

This could mean danger! Imagine if windows virusses start working on macs too!..

You guys aren't giving Apple enough credit. I'm sure they're analyzing that so it won't happen.

People are acting like Apple's already anounced that its including a Windows layer...

If I see this story on one more tech page, I'll kill a kitten.

Apple has already cleared this up. It's nothing more than some leftovers from when they ported iTunes and Safari to PC.

WINE in Linux does the same thing, dont see virus's spreading in Linux.

If I see this story on one more tech page, I'll kill a kitten.

 

Apple has already cleared this up. It's nothing more than some leftovers from when they ported iTunes and Safari to PC.

Well, just for the sake of argument, the article does say that PE files are completely rejected under tiger and iTunes was ported to windows using this OS, and yet Leopard recognizes them.

If I see this story on one more tech page, I'll kill a kitten.

 

Apple has already cleared this up. It's nothing more than some leftovers from when they ported iTunes and Safari to PC.

Really? They must be pretty careless to leave Windows leftovers. And just because they ported iTunes and Safari to PC how come there are leftovers in Leopard?

If I see this story on one more tech page, I'll kill a kitten.

 

Apple has already cleared this up. It's nothing more than some leftovers from when they ported iTunes and Safari to PC.

i wish somebody closed this topic with your reply. i can't believe so many stupid idiots are so excited about this. it's not peanut butter, guys.

Uh no, this is remaining open.

i wish somebody closed this topic with your reply. i can't believe so many stupid idiots are so excited about this. it's not peanut butter, guys.

Is not?

I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't use any AV software when using Windows...

I've never had any problems like the "horror" stories I've heard...