Exclusive Deal While supplies last, save 40% off over 40 iPhone 5 and iPhone 4/4S cases and chargers as well as Samsung S III cases at Kensington.com. Use coupon code 'SAVE40%' at checkout to receive this exclusive discount.      
toggle

AAPL Stock: 445.15 ( + 3.01 )

http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/08/03/windows.games.on.mactels/

Windows games coming to Intel Macs

updated 10:30 am EDT, Thu August 3, 2006

 

Windows games on Mactels


Gamer Scan has an article about "Cider," a portability engine just released by TransGaming. The software promises to relieve developers of the delay usually associated with porting Windows games to the Mac. Where such ports normally require total code conversion, Cider should eliminate that by using a shell that wraps around an existing Windows code base. It operates by first loading the app into memory (on an Intel-based Mac), and from there connecting to an optimized set of Win32 APIs. No further work is necessary. TransGaming says it expects titles using Cider to ship within the next few months.


by MacNN Staff

Post tools:

TAGS :

 gaming

Related Articles

Recent Articles

toggle

Comments

  1. FastAMX79

    Junior Member

    Joined: Sep 2000

    0
    08/03, 04:35pm | report spam | Reply |

    if this works

    then it will be alot harder for wintel users to bash macs since their only argument is 'no good games'

    but im sure they will find something like 'no upgrade path for the crappy graphics cards'

  1. Rodster

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Feb 2003

    0
    08/03, 05:21pm | report spam | Reply |

    Lose the Holier than thou

    You said it I didn't. I use both Mac and PC at home and yes upgrading a systems graphics card is important if you want to play the latest and greatest games. Try running FEAR on a Duo iMac. Sorry I look at this objectively and your dead wrong if you think PC's are not superior to Mac for gaming.

    This bit about we're better than them' is getting old and tired. There are something things PC's do better than Macs, get over it.

  1. FastAMX79

    Junior Member

    Joined: Sep 2000

    0
    08/03, 05:27pm | report spam | Reply |

    @ rodster

    chill out man. I never said Mac is Better than anything. All i was pointing out is if the software wokred then it would be one less things as why 'mac sucks' in the eyes of a average PC user. No where did i say mac was better.

    i also use both Win and Mac at home and work and i do agree each is good for one thing or another. im just saying games shouldnt be one. im sorry but i cant see spending over 2 grand (for a good PC with good CPU and Graphics card) to make it a wintendo. but thats just me.

    in a nutshell im saying it will start the correct path to maybe mac being an option for games. thats all.

    sorry to ruffle your panties

  1. r00b69

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2006

    0
    08/03, 05:35pm | report spam | Reply |

    performance?

    there is obviously some on the fly translation going on here so i wonder what percentage of performance will we get compared to a comparably speced pc?

  1. Zak Nilsson

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 1999

    0
    08/03, 05:55pm | report spam | Reply |

    Re: performance?

    The only real issue I can think of is the translation from DirectX to OpenGL. The game itself will be running natively on the Intel processors so that shouldn't be an issue.

  1. aristotles

    Grizzled Veteran

    Joined: Jul 2004

    0
    08/03, 11:38pm | report spam | Reply |

    @ Rodster, Fear runs fine

    On my dualbooting 1.83Ghz Core Duo MBP. Stop trolling.

  1. Fast iBook

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2003

    0
    08/04, 12:17am | report spam | Reply |

    Yea...

    My iBook G4 (revision a)when i had it could run UT2k4 demo with no burping. I now have an iBook G4 (mid 2005), aand the full version of UT2k4. I often play instant action with 20-30 bots, in many of the various types of contests. No pc laptop under 2k can touch that kind of performance. Now that apple is using the pointless 930 intel GPU's, i suspect if i do get another 'book, it will be one with a real GPU, and without shared memory. As for the myth that you can't upgrade macs, well it's just not true. Even "closed systems" such as imac, cube, and iBook have upgrade options for graphics. Sure some of the ways are expensive, but it is usually worth themoney if the upgrade allows a fuller usage of the computer.

    P.S. My old iBook G4 had 384 megs ram, my current one had 512, now it has 1 gig. The "pc is better at games" myth needs to die, because it keeps people from buying really neat computers not just for gaming, but for every day thingss too.

  1. mark.s

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2006

    0
    08/04, 07:49am | report spam | Reply |

    Cedega

    I wouldn't get too excited about this. TransGaming have a product for Linux called Cedega and it doesn't work that well. It's more hassle than it's worth configuring and hacking to try and get games to run under it. I'll be sticking with BootCamp.

  1. MacnnGregor

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Apr 2004

    0
    08/04, 01:43pm | report spam | Reply |

    rodster, rodster...

    PC's are better at somethings? Sorry that makes little sense.

    First you are comparing basic mom and dad consumer iMacs to gaming pc's.

    And Second very few things are better on either platform, especially now that they are running on the same cpu's. It is about SOFTWARE OPTIMIZATION. PC's aren't intrinsically better at games, it is just that the software has been optimized for DirectX and other MS tweaks. As much as Apple can similarly optimize its subsystems, it will also be just as good as pc's at games.

    Just like pc's don't have to be about boring pie charts, Apple doesn't have to be bad at games. It is just that the pc user has to work harder at finding the software to do Apple-like things, than people who have a Mac.

    In this way both can be tinkered to be just as good as the other in any number of applications (pc's needed Firewire, BT and other things to get to Mac specs and Macs needed better graphics cards and mice to get to pc specs) and neither is the superior .... BUT where Mac users DO have a claim for superiority is in the bundled iApps and usually better construction (Macs hold value longer) and in the best designs across the board.

    Thus you are wrong in your argument for parity in the platforms overall, and wrong in your reasons for pc superiority in specifics. Thanks for playing.

  1. ApeInTheShell

    Senior User

    Joined: Nov 2002

    0
    08/04, 04:21pm | report spam | Reply |

    Windows Gamers...

    Give it a break. Game developers know their user base is composed of Windows PCs. So they have little incentive to develop good games for the Macintosh. Yet this all depends on your definition of good. For PC gamers a good game has online capability, voice chat, optimized for high end graphics cards, better frame rate, and some new feature not in the previous version. Good games for the Mac exist but Windows users are ill prepared to find them. I don't think Apple markets the iMac as a gaming machine because the expectations are too high from PC users. If the iMac had upgradeable video cards and processors the users would have to be crazy to by the next version of the iMac. If you think the PC has any superiority at all you are dreaming. The Macintosh has a better graphical user interface, industrial design, plug and play, good value, and better technology. Try to find a PC from another company that is comparable to an iMac and is not a tower. I dare you.

Show More Comments

Login Here

Not a member of the MacNN forums? Register now for free.

 
close
Photo
toggle

Network Headlines

toggle

Most Popular

MacNN Sponsor

Recent Reviews

MaxUpgrades MaxConnect for 2006-2008 Mac Pro

Nobody outside of Cupertino's privileged bunch knows the future of the Mac Pro line for sure. Despite Apple's reluctance to tell us wh ...

Brother HL-3170CDW LED Printer

We've mentioned before that we are far from a paperless society. For now, at least, there are tasks that require a piece of paper for ...

HTC One

It is hard to overstate just how critically important the HTC One is to the Taiwanese company’s fortunes. Despite its alarming decline ...

toggle

Most Commented

 

Popular News