CodeWeavers CrossOver to support Intel-based Macs

By Peter Cohen pcohen@maccentral.com

CodeWeavers Inc. on Wednesday announced plans to support Intel-based Macs. CodeWeavers makes CrossOver and CrossOver Office. The software allows Linux users to use software designed to work on Windows operating systems without needing to have Windows installed. What’s more, CodeWeavers offers custom software porting services based on CrossOver.

CodeWeavers is a corporate backer of Wine, open source software that lets Windows applications run on Linux systems not through emulation, but by implementing a compatibility layer that provides implementations of the Dynamically Linked Libraries (DLLs) Windows application depend on. (Wine itself is a recursive acronym that stands for “Wine Is Not an Emulator.) CrossOver is a proprietary version of Wine.

Apple announced plans to shift its CPU manufacturing outsourcing from IBM to Intel at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier this month. Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that the first Intel-based Macs should available by this time next year, although attendees of WWDC were able to get their hands on early prototype units to help manage some initial compatibility testing.

CodeWeavers explained that despite CrossOver’s Unix underpinnings, Apple’s PowerPC architecture has heretofore made it unfeasible to bring CrossOver to the Mac. This will change with the advent of Intel-based Macs, according to CodeWeavers.

“By installing CrossOver Office on Intel-based Macs, many Windows-only applications, including Windows-based games, utilities and business applications, will operate seamlessly and reliably,” said the company in a statement.
Great news IMHO because this great application, Crossover Office, will now make it possible to have the best of both worlds on a Mac!