iLife going Intel only

Although the iLife '09 suite offers a variety of new features and capabilities, PowerPC owners will be disappointed to learn that certain functions now require an Intel-based system, according to Ars Technica. The company has made an effort to develop recent software with support for both processor types, but one of the notable features in GarageBand '09 has proved to be an exception. Users wishing to view a Learn to Play music lesson from Sarah Mclaughlin or Sting will need to run the software on an Intel-based Mac with a dual-core processor or better.

The Learn to Play feature could prove an incentive for owners to switch to the latest Intel systems. Users that desire to learn an instrument can take advantage of a variety of lessons, with additional celebrity sessions available for $5 from the Lesson Store in GarageBand.

Aside from the GarageBand feature, other components have slowly ruled out particular PowerPC CPUs. The trend was present in the last iLife suite as well, as iMovie '08 can only be used with only with a Power Mac G5 dual 2.0GHz, iMac G5 1.9GHz or an Intel-based system, eliminating support for the G4 CPUs. Future versions of iLife will presumably follow the same trend.

by MacNN Staff