Mplabx

[Checco]

Hi guys,

anyone running MPLAB X on OSX? I've always run it in a Windows VM for ease of maintenance, but I'd like to know how it runs under OSX and whether it'll hog the system much.

Now I've been using OSX for about two years and I still try and stick to that old Windows approach of installing as little as possible to avoid compromising performance. Is this also the case with OSX?

Thanks!

 

[vansmith]

I'm not familiar with the app but if it's free or if you have a license, why not just give it a try and see how it works? Odds are that you'll get better performance on the Mac instead of running through the VM unless it was a poor port of Windows software.

As for installing applications, my personal preference is to keep the machine as "clean" as possible. Although it does certain things better (and worse) than other platforms, it's still a computer that has to manage resources and such. Consequently, the more that is installed, the greater the chance that something can go wrong. That's not to say "don't install anything" but if you don't need something, remove it.

 

[Checco]

I'm not familiar with the app but if it's free or if you have a license, why not just give it a try and see how it works? Odds are that you'll get better performance on the Mac instead of running through the VM unless it was a poor port of Windows software.

As for installing applications, my personal preference is to keep the machine as "clean" as possible. Although it does certain things better (and worse) than other platforms, it's still a computer that has to manage resources and such. Consequently, the more that is installed, the greater the chance that something can go wrong. That's not to say "don't install anything" but if you don't need something, remove it.

Hi van, thanks for the response. It's free and requires Java, which I have because my banking software also requires Java. I probably should just give it a shot. I was a bit hesitant as it involves both the IDE and Compiler, so quite a lot of files required. Once installed and tested, I'll feed back for the benefit of anyone else considering the OSX version.

Point taken about keeping a system "clean" - be reasonable in other words.

 

[vansmith]

If it truly is as "heavy" as you've implied, I'm more confident in saying that you'll have better luck with the native version. And, since it's free, it's worth a shot.

That second point about cleanliness is a personal preference but in more general terms, the less you have to cause potential problems, the more likely it is that you'll have a secure and stable system. That's not to say that you can't have 100 applications and be as stable as a rock but that when you simplify the equation, things get easier.

 

[Checco]

I decided to go through with the MPLAB X install. Here's an update for those who may have a similar need.

1. Although I already had Java Version 7 update 45 installed, I was required to install Java for OS X 2013-005. A little more clutter.
2. The IDE and compiler installations were quick, far more so than on Windows.
3. The IDE was quick to load and I opened one of my projects from the Windows IDE directly - no importing/migrating required.
4. And this where it gets good. The whole experience is much faster than on Windows. Code completion, lookups, etc. Just rapid, immediate.
5. Compiling was the cherry - probably a quarter of the time (~5s from 20s+).

This performance improvement against XP, with 3GB RAM and two cores (i5) - generous. That handicap possibly due to multi-core support, but whatever! The results speak for themselves, the aim is to be productive with an IDE.

Summary: at least in the case of MPLAB X, don't hesitate...go native!