FMP8 Runtimes and minimum OS

[gregincolumbus]

What is the experience of everyone regarding FMP8 runtimes? On OS X....does the user HAVE to have 10.3.9 for it to work (runtime, not advanced) and does Windows HAVE to have SP2 to work?

These are both major hurdles for distribution for my solutions if it proves to be true.....

Thanks

Greg

[SteveB]

FM 8 requires SP2 on Windows. Someone else will have to answer about Macs.

Steve

[Oldfogey]

I raised this very same issue in the 'Developer' forum. No useful response. I have had a runtime run perfectly well on XP without even SP1. The trouble is that you never know. I seem to recall that, when V7 first came out, a few people reported runtimes working quite well on systems lower that Win2000 or Win XP.

This is a serious problem with distributed packages. I have recently come across four customers with XP but no SP2. They all looked blank when I raised the question of SP2. There must be zillions out there with just the barebones W2K and WXP. Scarey! :titanic:

[gregincolumbus]

Steve

Isn't the issue with SP2 an installer issue? My runtime would not have the installation requirement....so my question is...will it RUN on a computer without it?

This is a critical issue for me...I have potentially 5,000 installations to deal with on both Mac OSX and Windows....I am early in the development process, so it is not too late to dump FMP8 and return to FMP6....

Requiring XP and OSX is steep enough..add a 10.3.9 requirement and SP2 Requirement and FMP8 Advanced will be come a very expensive book end.....

Greg

[SteveB]

I have no idea whether or not XP SP2 is a requirement or not...I was only repeating what Filemaker said. I do runtimes, but haven't sent out FM8 versions to know whther it is a problem. My last version was done with FM 6, and FM 7 didn't impress me at all, but FM 8 changed my mind. Too many goodies to pass up.

I'm sure I'll have issues with users not having, not knowing, not caring, not understanding the need for XP SP2. I guess only Filemaker can really definitively answer this one.

Steve

[gregincolumbus]

Steve

I am new to FMP8 too. I purchased Dev 7 but never did much with it...too many rough edges....all the new goodies in 8 convinced me to go for it...but I am hoping the requirements arent as steep as they seem.

I have used FMP since Version 2 and started using runtimes with SDK3, but most of my users are schools.....needless to say....most do not have the most up to date hardware or OS.

I appreciate your help however...thanks!

Greg

[flapjacks]

This may be a dumb question but why don't you just use FMP and server? Too expensive for your clients?

John

[SteveB]

I can't...customers are single users scattered all over US.

I'd give you odds that MS only changed a few key files...clearly it wasn't a re-write of the OS. Mostly for security. I still think the definitive answer can only be found inside Filemaker Inc. They really should be watching these forum and answering these types of questions.

Steve