Intel Macs need more Universal Apps
My frustration with my new MacBook Pro Intel Mac is growing by the day. Not so much with the machines but with the lack of Universal apps that work with them.
For that reason, I recommend that before you buy, you seriously examine your software needs to make sure you can do without major programs like Adobe Photoshop and the many personal small apps that individual users tend to collect and rely on. There are cumbersome work arounds for some, Rosetta works for others but there are many that just don’t work at all.
I still can’t get Windows Media Player Web videos to reliably work, even with Rosetta. WireTap Pro isn’t Universal yet. And the smaller, more efficient ExpressCard slot on the MacBook Pro just isn’t - namely because there are no ExpressCards available for anything useful like wireless access.
The third party developers are way, way slow in switching to Universal and I’m finding my MacBook Pro a luxury I wish I had waited to indulge.
Those considering the purchase of an Intel Mac, consider yourself warned. Check your software to see what works and what doesn’t.
May 26th, 2006 at 11:31 am
Mike
I run windows and I have never been able to get windows media web videos to run reliably especially in firefox but also in IE. Real video works most of the time and quicktime always works for me.
May 26th, 2006 at 12:37 pm
Not sure why you are doing without Photoshop…I have been using a MacBookPro for the last four weeks and use Photoshop daily, with no problems at all…I’ll be jazzed when Adobe does get around to finishing up the Universal version, and I expect the performance of th app will improve dramatically. In any case, Rosetta has handled most of what I need to throw at it quite well. I have an eclectic assortment of apps I use regularly and have had only one fail to work. Opinions and experiences vary of course, but I for one am delighted with this computer.
May 26th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
Mike, I was surprised when you so quickly ordered your MacBook Pro because I thought the lack of universal apps would be a problem.
But there have been so many positive reviews about the new IntelMacs, with the speed of them being the main item of praise, that I thought maybe I was wrong. Maybe Rosetta is so great that you just don’t notice.
And couple that with Apple’s earning reports. They said that slower computer sales were indicative of customers waiting until the Intel Macs were rolled out further into the product line. To me, that’s backwards. I expected a lot of people to grab the last G4’s and G5’s because they needed new Macs and didn’t want the speed and compatability problems of the Intel versions running non-universal software. So I kind of expected a sales bump as people grabbed the last of the PowerPC Macs; though I think that Apple did the right thing by bringing out the MacBook pros first; the Powerbooks have been dragging for a long time.
So with all the great press, I was starting to dream about an Intel iMac. But your post reconfirms my belief: Don’t buy an Intel Mac until all the stuff you use (software, Express cards) is available and running natively without reported problems.
Personally, I never buy the first generation of any Apple hardware. There have been enough problems over the years (cracks in Cube; scratches in the Nano, etc.) that it just seems better to wait until the first refresh. I’m glad to read about the experiences of early adopters like you, Mike, because I rather read and empathize than live those experiences first hand.
May 26th, 2006 at 1:59 pm
Microsoft announced a long time ago that they were no longer going to produce Windows Media Player for the Mac. Instead, they direct you to download Flip4Mac, which allows you to play windows media directly in Quicktime. The player is free but if you pay for the upgrade it allows you to create windows media player content in Quicktime or in applications like iMovie or Final Cut. I believe they already have a Universal Binary version. I use it every day and have even created some Windows Media content. It works great for me.
As for the Expresscard issue there are actually quite a few cards in the Expresscard 34 format for Firewire and eSATA connection and Novatel announced in April that they are producing Wireless cards in the 34 form factor.
I don’t have an Intel Mac but I know that all of the software that I use for work is now Universal. People keep saying that there isn’t much out there that is Universal but I’ve been surprised how many apps are.
May 26th, 2006 at 2:12 pm
Well, I have an Intel Mac Mini. While I don’t use Photoshop enough to care about it using Rosetta, it works fine for me.
While I do wish Flip4Mac would get their quicktime plugin Universal already, I just setup a different browser to open in Rosetta, and all my plugin videos work fine.
Regarding WireTap Pro, have you tried the program Audio Hijack Pro? I like that program much better.
May 26th, 2006 at 3:12 pm
Hmm, Mike…
Almost all of the apps I use on a regular basis are Universal, w/the exception of MS Office and the Adobe suite. Both the Adobe and the MS stuff run just fine on my MacBook Pro. Maybe that’s because I upgraded to the MBP from a 1.25 ghz eMac, but I don’t see any huge drop in speed running those apps in Rosetta - but I am more of an “occasional” user of those apps, so YMMV. As I look in my Applications folder, I see:
Camino
Colloquy (irc client)
Comic Life
Cyberduck (FTP)
DVD2oneX2
Firefox
HandBrake
iWork ‘06
MarsEdit
OmniOutliner
OnyX
Parallels Desktop (Win Virtual Machine)
Quake 3
Quicksilver
RealPlayer
Skype
Transmission (BitTorrent client)
VLC (media player app)
World of Warcraft
…plus all of the Apple apps and iLife stuff.
All of these are Universal Binaries.
Looks like plenty of apps to me - although more good apps are always welcome.
I have plenty of PowerPC apps as well, but as far as I’m concerned they seem to run at approximately the same speed they did on my eMac. Which of course seems slow compared to the speed of Universal apps, but it’s not like I “lost” any speed by getting the MBP. I can wait a while for the laggards to get their acts together.
But hey, that WireTap looks like a pretty nifty app! I hadn’t checked that out before.
May 28th, 2006 at 8:55 pm
As someone above wrote, I don’t have money or need for an Intel Mac yet, so I bought a refurb iMac G5 17″ from the Apple Online store for $999 a few weeks ago. I bought a 1 GB DIMM for $89 to bring it to 1.5 GB, and this computer is awesome. It runs Photoshop much faster than my old Ti-Book 1Ghz, and it still runs Classic for my older stuff. I’ll plan on a MBP 2nd generation next year to join the modern world. Until then, cheap PPC stuff rocks my world.
May 29th, 2006 at 2:33 pm
My problem with Apple and their model changeovers is there never seems to be a discount on the old models.
Moving away from G4s and G5s? Great!! then how about a few bucks off last year’s model.
I suspect if they had any Pismo’s left they’d be selling them for full 2001 retail still.
I guess they aren’t in the same boat as the auto industry.
Regarding the slowness of Mactels, I suspect it is an exercise in relativity.
If you have a screaming G5 things will seem s-s-l-o-o-o-o-w by comparison.
Where as for me with the fastest machine I have being a G4 dual 450 mhz, I’d probably go into future shock!!!
July 24th, 2006 at 3:27 pm
I have a 20″ iMac Intel 2GHz and it seems to run really slow. I switched cold from windows, so Rosetta isn’t necessary - no converting old PowerPC technology. Can anyone suggest a way to make my iMac run faster? I’m tired of seeing the colored wheel everytime I open something…
May 6th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
These are really great posts. I appreciate your sharing this stuff with us and providing an open forum for comments. Very Web 2.0 !