Mactel plans move CodeWeavers to add Windows-to-Mac porting
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Jun 22, 2005 at 12:55am
CodeWeavers, a Windows-to-Linux software developer, has announced a major expansion of its software porting capabilities to include support for Windows-to-Macintosh application porting. The new capabilities is made possible by Apple’s eventual move to Intel x86 chips, according to CodeWeavers CEO Jeremy White.
It promises to significantly reduce the time and cost of developing Mac versions of Windows software, opening new possibilities for mid-tier Windows software companies, he says. In fact, Apple’s decision to shift to Intel chips is good news for many Windows developers who, for reasons of time and/or expense, have never created Mac versions of their key applications, he added.
CodeWeavers is best known for its CrossOver and CrossOver Office productivity tools that let Windows applications run natively on Linux. Until now, however, despite the fact that both CrossOver and the Mac operating system are built atop UNIX, CrossOver was restricted to Windows-to-Linux application porting because the tool requires Intel CPUs for optimal operation, and Apple desktops have historically used IBM PowerPC chipsets, White says. However, with Apple’s announcement of its intention to move to Intel chips in 2006, developers will soon be able to use CrossOver Office to port their Windows applications to the Mac OS without incurring the sizable time and expense of creating a separate, Mac-centric application, he adds..
What’s more, by installing CrossOver Office on Intel-based Macs, many Windows-only applications, including Windows-based games, utilities, and business applications, will run, White says.
Software companies and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) who wish to license CrossOver technology can gain an installation and support framework that will ensure native use on the Mac OS, with no re-writing of the application itself, according to theCodeWeavers. In situations where a full license of CrossOver isn’t needed, developers can also retain CodeWeavers to create custom Mac versions of their apps using portions of CrossOver.
JuggerNaut Says:
I’m a bit confused about CrossOver. Will it provide a level of emulation or will it deliver a native Mac app?
CrossOver is based on WINE (Wine Is Not Emulation), which is nothing more than a set of reversed engineered Win32 APIs layer. So when you install and run Windows applications on say Linux with WINE, the apps think they’re running on Windows. No emulation involved or required.
Posted on June 22, 2005
Dan Birchall Says:
It looks like Crossover is a development tool for creating native Linux (and soon Mac) Intel binaries, while Crossover Office is more about actually running Windows code on Linux (and soon Mac). Two different products, methinks.
Posted on June 22, 2005
Richard Dalziel-Sharpe Says:
Not really good I think.
Just take a look at the godawful interface of most Windows applications.
Having no clear guidelines as to how a human uses a computer as we have in the Mac universe, Windows developers seem to put their interface elements whereever, and to hell with the end user.
One small caveat here of course. Since the coming of OSX, Apple also seems to be a bit confused about what is really the most natural and simple way of doing things.
Posted on June 23, 2005
Richard Dalziel-Sharpe Says:
Addendum to my above.
At least when Windows developers had to do a reasonably full rewrite of an application for us, the end result did have some semblance of a Mac app. If I interpret how Crossover works, this will no longer be the case.
Posted on June 23, 2005
elmer Says:
Even if something still looks like a Windows app, it’s better than not having a Mac version at all.
Posted on June 23, 2005
Bob Says:
While opening the Mac experience to windows with menu bars attached and other interface aberrations as well as a universe of inferior niche programs this move will allow corporations to switch to Macs without having to replace their existing software. Training costs could also be reduced on mission critical PC applications.
This bodes well for future penetration of Windows area of strength. I hope there will be some honesty in their marketing of these products to new Mac customers who might unknowingly buy them. I’ve had to use VirtualPC for AutoCad and hope to be able to run the program without Windows! You eliminate the security issues if their web links work on OS X.
I hope the use of Macs for cross platform software develops faster with the Intel switch and tools to compile Windows application codes with the associated interface differences. If Apple could get more PC software coded as Mac software first we might have a better chance of expanding true Mac OS based software rather than ports.
Posted on June 23, 2005
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Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
ken2 Says:
I’m a bit confused about CrossOver. Will it provide a level of emulation or will it deliver a native Mac app?
I have a feeling that Steve J gave developers a year’s warning in order for situations like this to develop.
Posted on June 22, 2005