universal binary?

[Srek]

No, universal binary applications for Macs can't be used with Windows, they rely on OS X as host OS.
Cheers
Björn

[maX_Andrews]

The next release of photoshop will be a universal binary, and it is set to be released early in 2007.
Only windows applications will run under windows, and universal binary applications are still under OSX, it just allows you to fully utilize either the power pc processor or the newer in tel models. If a program is PPC only, like the current photoshop, it is using an emulation called rosetta to translate the ppc instructions into intel instructions. THis is why you photoshop is not as fast as it should be in OSX.

If you install windows using bootcamp, and install a windows version of photoshop, it will run at full speed when booted into windows. There is also virtuailzation software called parallels desktop, that will allow you to run windows within OSX at the same time. Porgrams run nearly at full speed under parallels (but not graphics-dependent programs like games or 3D) and you don't have to reboot:
http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/

[lots]

A universal binary is a "fat" binary. Basically, this means that it has been compiled in such a way that more than one architecture can use the same binary. x86 (intel and AMD) and PPC chips are both different architectures. Executable files created for one will not work on the other. A fat binary will work on multiple architectures.

However, dont confuse this with different OSs. Each Operating system has a different set of commands, and a different way of dealing with files and hardware. This difference makes executables compiled for something like OSX incompatible with Windows. So even though OSX and Windows both use x86 hardware, the binary files created for OSX still will not work on Windows. Granted, it is much simpler to translate the system calls any programs make into what the host OS understands, rather than emulating a different architecture (which is very costly in terms of performance). This is why things like WINE on linux work pretty effectively at getting Windows programs running in Linux (similarly WINE is available for OSX, if I recall... though its probably not as developed at this point). WINE just translates system calls meant for Windows into Linux system calls.

[705]

thx 4 reply , really hellpfull...
I got another question,
How if I'm using dual booted MBP and I run photoshop in both OS. However, the PS is compiled in PPC and X86. Which is faster, the PS on my Window or on my OSX?

I'm using 3DSMax n gettin tired of using Windows. Is there any way I can use 3DSMax in OSX environment? Is there any news about Autodesk realising OSX version of Max?

thx 4 any reply....
sorry 4 bad English...

[lots]

thx 4 reply , really hellpfull...
I got another question,
How if I'm using dual booted MBP and I run photoshop in both OS. However, the PS is compiled in PPC and X86. Which is faster, the PS on my Window or on my OSX?

I'm using 3DSMax n gettin tired of using Windows. Is there any way I can use 3DSMax in OSX environment? Is there any news about Autodesk realising OSX version of Max?

thx 4 any reply....
sorry 4 bad English...

Rephrase the first question. It doesnot make sense.

3DSMAX is Windows only.

[Srek]

PS=Photoshop? If yes it will run faster under windows currently, since on a Mac Pro it would need to run using Rosetta which slows it down a good deal.
However due to the high speed of the Mac Pros Photoshop should still be very usable on them.
Cheers
Björn

[705]

yes, PS means Photoshop, sorry, me and my friend use that PS word frequently....
Is there any plan max to go to the OSX, or maybe Windows able to read the universal binary?

thx 4 any reply, really helpfull...
sorry 4 bad english

[maX_Andrews]

No, autodesk has never and will never release a version of 3DSMax for OSX. If you need to use 3dsmax, you'll have to run it under windows. You could also learn a new software package that has stronger mac support, such as Maya, modo, or cinema 4D.

But if parallels figures out a way to integrate actual graphics support into its virtualization software, then you can run 3dsmax in a window in OSX: http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/

But not yet.

[Srek]

or maybe Windows able to read the universal binary?
This is very unlikely, it would require Microsoft to reengineer the OS libraries of OS X (provided this is legaly possible).
Cheers
Björn

[lots]

Though, if windows were able to use UB based apps, that would make cross platform software much easier to write :P

[705]

Thx guys, reallly helpful...
One more question...hope the last?

If I want to do a programming and hoping it will run both OS, what should I consider? Does the binary or OS that is really difffer my way of coding?

thx for any reply...
Sorry 4 terrible english...

[lots]

Depends on the language you choose, and how much advantage your code takes of OS dependant APIs.

C++ using libraries found only on OSX, will quite obviously, only work on OSX. And if you dont make it a UB (this is an APPLE thing) you will either be limited to PPC or x86, depending on which platform you compile for.

If you write a java based program, it should work on most machines, barring any use of OS dependant API interactions :P In fact most programming languages that are similar to java should work on most platforms, assuming a virtual machine exitsts on that platform.

[Srek]

At Maxon we use a basicaly easy solution for the problem of cross plattform development.
We have created an own abstraction layer for the needed OS functionality of every host OS and kept the main code completely plattform independent. Also only standard C++ is used so variations in compilers don't have much influence.
This allowed us to keep over 95% of the code plattform independent and it limits adjustments that are neccesary because of OS changes to a small part of the code.

Hope this helps
Björn

[lots]

I think quite a few devs are doing things this way. At least from what I hear. Natrually each dev is different in some way, but the idea's the same *shrug*

Though that does make developing pretty simple :)

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