What’s your setup on your Mac if you are using 10.5? OSX classic mode? OS9? How well does AM run? Have you compared it to the PC version?
I am thinking of getting a Mac instead of a PC, but of course AM is a concern on the mac.
Hints and tips to make AM run a mac the best would be good too.
Thanks in advance.
With the G5 about to be released and AM OSX alpha now out, it could be a good time to make the switch back.
Personally, I find AM in classic mode infuriatingly slow (and unstable), yet folks like David Rogers seem to make it work and that’s using version 9.5!
My G4 500 is a bit sluggish by today’s standards and maybe that’s the reason I do most of my Hash stuff on the newer PC. But frankly, there’s virtually no difference in performance and stability between the two of them when it comes to running AM 10.5. I don’t even bother to streamline my extensions to suit AM on the Mac anymore. If there are bugs, it’s fairly certain they are cross platform. Even the scroll wheel / middle button shortcuts I’ve envied PC users for enjoying, is set to disappear with the release of the OSX alpha version.
If you get the rendering in shaded mode problem, which I suffer from on both platforms, at least you have the alternative of switching to Direct X if you are on a PC. Which makes me think that your choice of video card could be the more crucial choice you have to make.
Patrick,
I think many of the issues that Mac users have had to deal with are going to disappear with the release of the OSX version, because a lot of them are the fault of the Mac’s poor implimentation of certain things in OS9, like OpenGL and memory management. So far the realtime redraw in the OSX alpha seems real smooth. Plus you won’t have to restart your computer each time A:M crashes (like in OS9)! I agree with pequod with the slowness of classic mode.
A big drawback (to some) is the lack of Mac plugins. There aren’t many that are must haves, but I know I use Marcel Bricman’s Zevel plugin ALL the time (maybe a little less since the creation of the stitch tool). Thanksfully, Ken Baer ported Zevel over for us.
If you are looking at the G5, like I am, an OSX A:M and a G5 sounds like a great match. If you plan on staying in OS9 with A:M (which would mean no G5 for you!), I say just stick with a PC.
Jim
As mentioned…
I run A:M (10.5 these days) in classic mode osX 10.2 (os9.2.2) and sure it’s a bit sluggish compared to running it in os9 but i’m far too lazy to reboot back and forth 
besides that would ruin my perfect uptime. I’ve been playing with pre-alpha versions of the osX port for a while now and it’s coming along in leaps and bounds. Now that it’s in actual alpha I will be sending them boat loads of bug reports in an effort to make this the best version of A:M on any platform and with any luck Hash will support Alti-Vec and it’ll be the fastest too
I find it to be very stable but i’m kind of a freak of nature in that department. In release versions of the software I go months between crashes… I still think it’s all in the RAM (1.5 gig on my main system, a G4 533 dual proc)
The only plugins I miss are some of the texture plugins that Yves has out for the PC. but my understanding is that with the change of compilers for the mac version plug-in development for the mac will become more feasible so that might change.
But I animated my shot from Day Off the Dead in A:M 8.5 running in classic mode which many people would state was patently impossible
Well, my computer right now is a PIII 500 PC laptop, so ANYTHING would be faster 
I really like working on a laptop, so I was looking at the G4 laptop, anyone running this?
By the time I save up the money, maybe there will be a G5 laptop, but even a G4 @ 400 would be a breath of fresh air to me.
Honestly, I am just really tired of Windows and if I can use my tools somewhere else, I will.
I run A:M on a 500 Mhz iBook and it is just fine so a g4 laptop would be even better even when just considering the graphics chipset. I wouldn’t hold out too much hope for a g5 laptop… if the cooling technology in the towers is any indication they must run fairly hot.
-David Rogers
2X-AGP ATI Rage Mobility 128 with 8 megs of vram. not a barn burner by any stretch.
-David Rogers
Not having Darktree on the Mac is a show stopper for me.
I love my macs but. . . for 3D. . . nothing gives you more options and bang for buck than a room full of Athlons.
I started with a Mac but I switched to a friends old PC because AM seemed to run better and that DTree plus others werent on the Mac. But I played with the Alpha of OSX and wow what a change! Still not fully featured but you can see that its going to be so cool! I think OSX is really going to make AM shine!!! Yay Hash!!!
Maybe DTree can port to the Mac?? Lets start the petition!
osx is a big reason why I am considering a mac. the os is very impressive.
Darktree should be mac, it sucks it isn’t.
what about render speed? 1 GHZ G4 is equal to?? 1 GHZ P4?
in relation to A:M the render speeds have been roughly equivalent MHz to MHz with the introduction of the osX port we have the door opened for a lot of optimization for Alti-Vec which gives the G4 a boost, depending on the app you can get up to a two times speed increase just via alti-vec optimizations.
so for now consider them the same for the near future… we shall see what we shall see.
I’ve always said that dark tree is neat, and really would be a fine mac app but it’s not neat enough to compensate for the complete and total suckosity of Windows. If they port it I’ll buy it but you couldn’t get me to buy a PC for it on a bet. Heck if they were to just port the A:M plug-in I might consider running the app itself in a PC emulator (whichever one isn’t owned my MS)
-David
Suckosity!!! That is simply brilliant! Im a big fan of OSX. For me I think its a nicer OS to work with. DTree would be great on OSX but not a big deal for me. Im trying the alpha and so far not to bad. The re-draws can be a little slow but it is more stable than I would have thought! Cant wait for more updates.
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