Mac Intel & Filemaker 8

[Jarvis]

I'm curious about the implication of Apple Imacs switching to Intel chips.

Will this create any hardware/software compatiblility issues with Filemaker 8, or Filemaker Server?

If anybody can explain this I would be grateful.

Thanks,

Jarvis

[stanley]

Jarvis:

There shouldn't be any problems with compatibility, only with speed. FileMaker will run on the new Intel Macs via Rosetta, which is an emulation layer in the OS, until FMI re-releases FileMaker as a Universal Binary, at which time FileMaker will run natively. Questions have been raised about whether Rosetta will be able to handle some high-intensity tasks, like video editing, but the consensus is that there should be few or no problems with lower-intensity tasks, and the type of database work usually done in FileMaker falls in the latter category.

Apple's got a very short description of all this here:

http://www.apple.com/universal/

Having said that, the new Intel Macs are essentially release 1.0 of a whole new computing line, and I would avoid their use for mission critical database work for the time being. Once we see the kinks and bugs rise to the surface, and those problems get worked out, we could feel secure in using the newer machines.

I haven't yet heard any word from FMI regarding when the FileMaker line will be released as Universal Binaries.

-Stanley

[Jarvis]

Thanks Stanley. This is reassuring information. Jarvis

[iMarcW]

See here for FileMaker response:

http://www.fmforums.com/forum/showtopic.php?tid/172957/post/191445/hl/universal+binary/#191445