[Dexel]

Surely I'm not the only one who has second thoughts when reading all the Boot Camp enthusiasm on the web, and even in german local papers (http://www.ksta.de/html/artikel/1144323887268.shtml).

So I start this thread.
What do you think? Will third party developers - of specialist software in general and of Maxwell Render in particular - fade their native OS X development? Mr. Daringfireball thinks not, but I have doubts. Which lead to my next question: do we even need a native OS X Maxwell when 10.5 will bring built-in - presumably parallel - Windows operation? Will we get one?

Of course I'd love to hear a statement from NL, too.

Thank You
Sebastian

[JDHill]

Hi Sebastian,

For one thing, it should be safe to assume that the cost of any piece of software could be reduced if the developer could compile it only once.

I personally see this as a win-win for Apple, as well as Mac users...Windows users can't use software compiled for Mac, but Mac users get the best of both worlds. And it's also a good pre-emptive strike against Vista, from a Mac point of view...if Vista winds up being attractive, a Mac user simply needs to buy the software...not an entirely new machine...and Apple doesn't risk losing a customer.

Of course, the price of a Mac may need to be reduced for it to truly become a competitive choice for a current Windows user.

~JD

[uki]

You bet on it.

I am sure they already stopped the mac version. Too many flaws still, too much other issues outstanding with the pc version as well.

But I still hope, that it is not like that. For me, looking onto a Windows screen and its graphics is so uninspiring, that I am afraid of the time, I am left with that one only instead of MacOS.

[Dexel]

JD,

I totally agree that this is a win-win for users, developers and of course Apple.

My concern is that developers stop writing native OS X code - as you predict - and I am either left with a useless PowerMac (and buy an IntelMac, surely another win for Apple) or I buy an IntelMac and cannot use native OS X 3d apps because the Maxwell plug-in is only Windows.

Running OS X and Windows parallel and using OS X formZ with a Windows plug-in still sounds sci-fi to me.


uki,

you can count me in hoping with you. We might see beautiful OS X relegated to emailing, browsing and basic administration, and all the real work is handled by Windows. Because "the cost of any piece of software could be reduced if the developer could compile it only once" (JD). Simple economics. Would it be that bad? At least we could use Maxwell properly.


Sebastian


OK, there is much further discussion on this topic in general on other forums, we need not elaborate here. A specific Maxwell statement from NL would be great of course.

[uki]

Did you see the video?

I am especially pleased with the early part, where they use the OS interface (and not windows) of Cinema 4D to show the setup of Maxwell.

Hopefully our worries are too pessimistic.

[Dexel]

Very nice !

Maybe it was all just silly pessimism — I want to be proven wrong.

S