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> Apple is a bit special though, since their hardware and software go together. You mean that there are no applications programs written by other than Apple fo

> Apple is a bit special though, since their hardware and software go together. You mean that there are no applications programs written by other than Apple for Mac computers? So, there's no Apple version of Autocad, Adobe Acrobat, Distiller, or Premiere, no version of D. Knuth's TeX, no LaTeX, no way to compile and run LINPACK, no SPSS or SAS? Or for each of these, have to get a 64 bit version? Maybe a 64 bit version doesn't exist? Maybe the user already has licenses for 32 bit versions and wants to continue using that software? I don't know anything about Apple; I've been on mainframes, super-minis, DOS, OS/2, and Windows. So, I'm asking, trying to understand. Some of my most valued software is old, for 32 bit Windows, and I wouldn't want to be without it. So, I'd guess that no longer running 32 bit software would disappoint a lot of long time Apple customers, but I don't know anything about Apple.

wtallis 9y ago
All of the applications you listed have had 64-bit versions for years. Several have been 64-bit only for a long time, eg. Adobe Premiere dropped 32-bit support in 2012. (Distiller and LINPACK have equivalents built in to the operating system.) You'll have to try harder to find a reason to be upset about this deprecation.
- graycat 9y ago
  > Adobe Premiere dropped 32-bit support in 2012. And if someone bought Premiere in, say, 2010 and have been using it since then, to buy a new Apple computer they will need to buy a new license for Premiere? Look: (1) I don't know anything about Apple. (2) I'm trying to learn. (3) I'm not a Windows fanboy. (4) I'm not against Apple. (5) I'm not in a computer hardware, operating system, programming language war. (6) It's perfectly reasonable for a person with my background to think about software compatibility. (7) I'm not trying to criticize, catch, trip up, denigrate, talk down, etc. Apple. Currently I have sore spot about old software: My computer quit, and I had to rush out and just buy a computer. So, at Sam's Club I got an HP laptop with Windows 10 Home Edition. With that computer working for just simple, routine, Internet access and little more, I'm building my new computer and first server for my business. But I'm finding problems with Windows 10 right along. One of the big problems is that there is too much software that I had working fine on Windows XP SP3 32 bit Professional that (A) won't work on Windows 10 and (B) for which I know of no replacements unless I start paying money, not being sure the software would work even if I did pay money, and even if it did work I'd have to discover and document the usual obscure nonsense, set lots of options, etc. before I could use the software. So, as soon as I have my new computer working, the HP laptop will get its top closed, its Ethernet and AC power connections unplugged, put away some place, and left to gather dust. For my new computer, I won't have Windows 10 on it at all. I will install Windows 7 64 bit SP1 Professional. But I'm also installing Windows XP SP3 32 bit Professional to be sure I can run all my old software in case Windows 7 won't. Software compatibility means a LOT to me. So, it was easy enough for me to guess that Apple made a big mistake dropping support for 32 bit applications software. There is a lot of third party software out there, so much that it's tough for me to believe that somehow Apple has duplicated all of that. Then some of that software was written for 32 bit computing and was important for some users. And some of the companies writing that software went out of business and, thus, won't be writing 64 bit versions. So, I have to believe that some Apple users will still want to run some such old 32 bit software. But, maybe not. I'm surprised. But I was trying to learn. And, I'm not a Microsoft fanboy, e.g., I want nothing to do with Windows 10. Maybe I should try to buy a copy of 64 bit Windows XP Professional!!!! "If it ain't broke, then don't fix it.".
  - chrisseaton 9y ago
    The way people use software has shifted over the last decade. Most people (obviously not you, but believe me most people) now licence and use software as a service. I pay yearly to use my IDE and word processor and things like that, and they keep updating it because I keep paying. I don't think I have any software that I have paid up front for. Maybe a couple of little apps and a disassembler I use. If they stopped being maintained I'd just move onto something else and not worry about it. Almost nobody has a archive of old software they still want to use on macOS, or worry about using an old version of something like Photoshop. That's just not how almost anyone uses software any more. > There is a lot of third party software out there If you mean unmaintained software that won't be updated to 64 bit... well I really don't think there is in the Apple ecosystem. That's just not how people use Apple computers. Software compatibility means a lot to you, but you're in the minority there. It doesn't mean much to most people. Everyone else has gotten used to being quick to adapt to changes to things like instruction set and pointer size. And finally of course - people just have a lot less native software at all any more. Most people use web apps for the majority I would guess of their work now. As long as the browser is updated (which it will be, because Apple make it) most people will be never know the difference.
chrisseaton 9y ago
> Some of my most valued software is old, for 32 bit Windows, and I wouldn't want to be without it. But, as you've said, you're not an Apple customer, so this isn't irrelevant is it? Apple customers in general don't work like you do. > I'd guess that no longer running 32 bit software would disappoint a lot of long time Apple customers I don't know what to tell you except that your guess is wrong. The vast vast majority of Apple customers don't need to run old 32 bit software, and Apple optimise for the well being of the majority of their users.
- gh02t 9y ago
  > But, as you've said, you're not an Apple customer, so this isn't irrelevant is it? Apple customers in general don't work like you do. Thank you, this was exactly my point. Buying Apple and expecting long-term backwards compatibility is a mistake. If that is what you need then buy something else. I'm sure some people are being screwed by it, but it's not like this came out of nowhere.

wtallis 9y ago

All of the applications you listed have had 64-bit versions for years. Several have been 64-bit only for a long time, eg. Adobe Premiere dropped 32-bit support in 2012. (Distiller and LINPACK have equivalents built in to the operating system.) You'll have to try harder to find a reason to be upset about this deprecation.

graycat 9y ago
> Adobe Premiere dropped 32-bit support in 2012. And if someone bought Premiere in, say, 2010 and have been using it since then, to buy a new Apple computer they will need to buy a new license for Premiere? Look: (1) I don't know anything about Apple. (2) I'm trying to learn. (3) I'm not a Windows fanboy. (4) I'm not against Apple. (5) I'm not in a computer hardware, operating system, programming language war. (6) It's perfectly reasonable for a person with my background to think about software compatibility. (7) I'm not trying to criticize, catch, trip up, denigrate, talk down, etc. Apple. Currently I have sore spot about old software: My computer quit, and I had to rush out and just buy a computer. So, at Sam's Club I got an HP laptop with Windows 10 Home Edition. With that computer working for just simple, routine, Internet access and little more, I'm building my new computer and first server for my business. But I'm finding problems with Windows 10 right along. One of the big problems is that there is too much software that I had working fine on Windows XP SP3 32 bit Professional that (A) won't work on Windows 10 and (B) for which I know of no replacements unless I start paying money, not being sure the software would work even if I did pay money, and even if it did work I'd have to discover and document the usual obscure nonsense, set lots of options, etc. before I could use the software. So, as soon as I have my new computer working, the HP laptop will get its top closed, its Ethernet and AC power connections unplugged, put away some place, and left to gather dust. For my new computer, I won't have Windows 10 on it at all. I will install Windows 7 64 bit SP1 Professional. But I'm also installing Windows XP SP3 32 bit Professional to be sure I can run all my old software in case Windows 7 won't. Software compatibility means a LOT to me. So, it was easy enough for me to guess that Apple made a big mistake dropping support for 32 bit applications software. There is a lot of third party software out there, so much that it's tough for me to believe that somehow Apple has duplicated all of that. Then some of that software was written for 32 bit computing and was important for some users. And some of the companies writing that software went out of business and, thus, won't be writing 64 bit versions. So, I have to believe that some Apple users will still want to run some such old 32 bit software. But, maybe not. I'm surprised. But I was trying to learn. And, I'm not a Microsoft fanboy, e.g., I want nothing to do with Windows 10. Maybe I should try to buy a copy of 64 bit Windows XP Professional!!!! "If it ain't broke, then don't fix it.".
- chrisseaton 9y ago
  The way people use software has shifted over the last decade. Most people (obviously not you, but believe me most people) now licence and use software as a service. I pay yearly to use my IDE and word processor and things like that, and they keep updating it because I keep paying. I don't think I have any software that I have paid up front for. Maybe a couple of little apps and a disassembler I use. If they stopped being maintained I'd just move onto something else and not worry about it. Almost nobody has a archive of old software they still want to use on macOS, or worry about using an old version of something like Photoshop. That's just not how almost anyone uses software any more. > There is a lot of third party software out there If you mean unmaintained software that won't be updated to 64 bit... well I really don't think there is in the Apple ecosystem. That's just not how people use Apple computers. Software compatibility means a lot to you, but you're in the minority there. It doesn't mean much to most people. Everyone else has gotten used to being quick to adapt to changes to things like instruction set and pointer size. And finally of course - people just have a lot less native software at all any more. Most people use web apps for the majority I would guess of their work now. As long as the browser is updated (which it will be, because Apple make it) most people will be never know the difference.

chrisseaton 9y ago

> Some of my most valued software is old, for 32 bit Windows, and I wouldn't want to be without it. But, as you've said, you're not an Apple customer, so this isn't irrelevant is it? Apple customers in general don't work like you do. > I'd guess that no longer running 32 bit software would disappoint a lot of long time Apple customers I don't know what to tell you except that your guess is wrong. The vast vast majority of Apple customers don't need to run old 32 bit software, and Apple optimise for the well being of the majority of their users.

gh02t 9y ago
> But, as you've said, you're not an Apple customer, so this isn't irrelevant is it? Apple customers in general don't work like you do. Thank you, this was exactly my point. Buying Apple and expecting long-term backwards compatibility is a mistake. If that is what you need then buy something else. I'm sure some people are being screwed by it, but it's not like this came out of nowhere.