Future Support for PowerPC Based Macs?
Wednesday, 30. April 2008, 16:13:48
Today marks a great day in the world of Java as Apple has just released the public version of Java 6 for Mac OS X Leopard. This is a beautiful thing for the future of web based computing on a mac and offers up Java developers the chance to be right on par with all the latest and greatest java code. I am happy to see this release myself as the company I am working for has a lot of Java based stuff on it's website and the future is looking towards more Java.
So why the bleak title? As it turns out the release of Java 6 is only compatible with 64 bit, Intel Based macs. Although my outlook may be a little ahead of itself but I think this recent release is enough to scare most PowerPC mac users. Will Apple continue to develop for and offer support for PowerPC based macs? Does this mean that we are now legacy users? My issue is that by not including PowerPC based macs in the update equation Apple will be making a lot of perfectly speedy and capable computers obsolete. Sure this is easier for their programmers, cost Apple a few dollars less and probably bring more computer sales from people that need the latest and greatest updates but it cerainly doesn't promote the continued use of a computer.
I personally own two macs and have one on my desk at my workplace and not a single one is an Intel mac. It's not that I wouldn't enjoy having one but it's that I am working on machines that I feel are completely up to speed with everything I do, upgrading would only be money spent. I only hope that this major update doesn't spell doom for Mac updates to come.
So why the bleak title? As it turns out the release of Java 6 is only compatible with 64 bit, Intel Based macs. Although my outlook may be a little ahead of itself but I think this recent release is enough to scare most PowerPC mac users. Will Apple continue to develop for and offer support for PowerPC based macs? Does this mean that we are now legacy users? My issue is that by not including PowerPC based macs in the update equation Apple will be making a lot of perfectly speedy and capable computers obsolete. Sure this is easier for their programmers, cost Apple a few dollars less and probably bring more computer sales from people that need the latest and greatest updates but it cerainly doesn't promote the continued use of a computer.
I personally own two macs and have one on my desk at my workplace and not a single one is an Intel mac. It's not that I wouldn't enjoy having one but it's that I am working on machines that I feel are completely up to speed with everything I do, upgrading would only be money spent. I only hope that this major update doesn't spell doom for Mac updates to come.
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