After Mojave

[Rod]

Anybody starting to think about the next macOS ?
I just noticed the latest iMovie update will start to change the formatting of existing and new files to make them compatible with the next macOS.
It made me conscious of the few remaining apps (mostly games) that I still use which are still classified as "not optimised" for Mojave, therefore not compatible with the next macOS. Of course there's still time for developers to produce 64bit versions but will they bother?
Some of the best games of all time, best graphics and complex story lines like Bioshock Infinity and Borderlands the Pre Sequel, the first FPS game I've ever played where the interactive characters have an Australian accent thanks to 2K Australia.
Will all these games be relegated to the classic Mac games classification ?
Only to be played by users with devices where the "clock has been stopped" before the change to 64bit only.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Lifeisabeach]

I started thinking about it a year or so ago when it was first expected that Mojave would be 64-bit only. Thankfully it wasn't so that bought me some time, but I started weeding out and replacing any apps I had that were 32-bit only AND hadn't seen an update of any kind in over 2 years or so. Some had been abandoned for longer than that. I have some games that will never see an update, and one of my own bigger concerns is the future of Wineskin for running Windows apps without an emulator. Reportedly running anything under WINE will not be an option once macOS is 64-bit exclusively. I have a handful of games and apps that works perfectly under WINE and I'm going to hate it if I have to resort to using a VM or BootCamp just for those.

 

[chscag]

"I have some games that will never see an update, and one of my own bigger concerns is the future of Wineskin for running Windows apps without an emulator. Reportedly running anything under WINE will not be an option once macOS is 64-bit exclusively. I have a handful of games and apps that works perfectly under WINE and I'm going to hate it if I have to resort to using a VM or BootCamp just for those."

If you don't mind spending some $$ to run those games, the developer of "CrossOver" (which is now a 64 bit app) has assured me that the next big update of CrossOver will have the capability to run 32 apps. As you know, CrossOver is a sophisticated version of WINE that can run Windows apps and Windows games.

I emailed the developer some time ago and asked about running those 32 bit Windows apps and games when the next version of macOS goes public and will no longer run 32 bit apps. He assured me in this email which I will quote to you below:

From: Brian Mathieu <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Using CrossOver to run Windows 32 bit apps in next version of macOS (10.15.X)
Date: January 24, 2019 at 09:19:02 CST
To: Charles<[email protected]>
Reply-To: <[email protected]>

Hi Charles,

Thanks for writing us. We're working on the next major update to CrossOver right now that will include support for running 32 bit Windows software on macOS 10.15. I don't have a firm release date, but it will be available well before 10.15 is released to the public.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks,
Brian
CodeWeavers Support

Hope this will help you out. I currently use CrossOver and update it whenever a major release goes public.

 

[harryb2448]

chscag do you really think it is worth the US$500 lifetime cost?

 

[chscag]

No, I wouldn't give them $499.95 for their lifetime subscription. It's not worth it. I used an older version of CrossOver for years to run a Windows program and did not update it until it was absolutely necessary. Whenever they publish this new version that will work with 10.15 and be able to run Windows 32 bit programs, I'll update to that copy and then update no more.

It's either that or I'll install VirtualBox and then Windows 7 to run the Windows stuff that I have. I have a licensed copy of Windows 7.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

"I have some games that will never see an update, and one of my own bigger concerns is the future of Wineskin for running Windows apps without an emulator. Reportedly running anything under WINE will not be an option once macOS is 64-bit exclusively. I have a handful of games and apps that works perfectly under WINE and I'm going to hate it if I have to resort to using a VM or BootCamp just for those."If you don't mind spending some $$ to run those games, the developer of "CrossOver" (which is now a 64 bit app) has assured me that the next big update of CrossOver will have the capability to run 32 apps. As you know, CrossOver is a sophisticated version of WINE that can run Windows apps and Windows games. I emailed the developer some time ago and asked about running those 32 bit Windows apps and games when the next version of macOS goes public and will no longer run 32 bit apps. He assured me in this email which I will quote to you below:

Hmmmm, that's interesting. I was under the distinct impression that this was going to be a problem inherent with WINE, and Crossover should be just as vulnerable, unless they are ditching WINE as the backend. I'm quite familiar with Crossover, or rather I used to be and was even an advocate for a few games, but abandoned it when I discovered Wineskin just worked so much better given how some apps and games work better under different WINE engines. Porting Kit is based off Wineskin (basically they provide pre-packaged Wineskin wrappers that are highly optimized for the game or app that the wrapper is made for... it's excellent!) and they were supposed to be working on an alternative for 64-bit compatibility. I'll have to read up more on what they have planned. Interestingly, my Wineskin apps all show as 64-bit apps under my System Report, so I'm not sure what the problem is expected to be.

 

[Rod]

I wasn't referring to Windows games or apps in my original post. I have used Wine in the past but for the macOS games I have bought and those that still remain in my App Store purchases, can I use a wrapper like Wineskin to play them on the next macOS?


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[Randy B. Singer]

Folks who want to easily know immediately which of their apps are 32-bit only, and thus either going away or in need of upgrading for Mac OS 10.15, can use:

32-*****eck (free)
Downloads – The Eclectic Light Company

 

[MacInWin]

To translate Randy's blocked letters, it is "Bit Ch" without the space. The language cleanup is a bit aggressive.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

I wasn't referring to Windows games or apps in my original post. I have used Wine in the past but for the macOS games I have bought and those that still remain in my App Store purchases, can I use a wrapper like Wineskin to play them on the next macOS?

Nope. Although I wonder if running Mojave or earlier in a VM is an option? If so, you'd need a pretty beefy Mac to handle the CPU load for a game under emulation.

 

[chscag]

Nope. Although I wonder if running Mojave or earlier in a VM is an option? If so, you'd need a pretty beefy Mac to handle the CPU load for a game under emulation.

I would rather run Windows in a VM than run Mojave that way. Of course you can always partition your new SSD and load Mojave on one partition and the new version of macOS on the other. Either way it's going to use resources. And when we're talking about the price of a large SSD, the ouch factor takes over. LOL

 

[ferrarr]

Nope. Although I wonder if running Mojave or earlier in a VM is an option? If so, you'd need a pretty beefy Mac to handle the CPU load for a game under emulation.

Since macOS can be installed on multiple partitions, Apple doesn't like to allow VM macOS clients, on macOS hosts. The last time I was aware of it, they required a macOS server version, to get the VM to work with macOS. This was back around Snow Leopard/Lion/Mountain Lion.

 

[Rod]

So it appears that the answer to my question is no. The games that I have purchased over the years including the ones I'm playing today will no longer be playable after Mojave. I suppose I already had accepted that. As my son says, I can just play them on Steam or similar online service which is fine for him to say living in Australia but I have always preferred to own my games and I only play solo versions. So games like Deus Ex, Rage, Bioshock and Prey just name a few I would have to purchase again via Steam or keep a dedicated device running Mojave or earlier just for game playing. I suppose someone might think it worthwhile to produce a Mac solution to allow 32bit games to be played on a 64bit OS.


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[Rod]

When you think that the current version of Borderlands I purchased from the App Store cost AU$64.00 it is quite an investment to loose. All up there would be a few hundred dollars worth of games which will be rendered useless in this transition. And that assumes I can still download them from my purchases.
A bit of a deal breaker for me, it would be the first time that I might consider not upgrading on a compatible device.

 

[chscag]

I guess it depends if the games you invested in are Mac 32 bit games or Windows games. It's actually a lot easier in my opinion to run the Windows games in a VM (VirtualBox is free) than it is to partition your hard drive and keep Mojave on one partition, the new version of macOS on another.

If you go the VM route for Windows games, you'll need to have a licensed copy of Windows. That can be expensive since MS charges premium prices.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

Since macOS can be installed on multiple partitions, Apple doesn't like to allow VM macOS clients, on macOS hosts. The last time I was aware of it, they required a macOS server version, to get the VM to work with macOS. This was back around Snow Leopard/Lion/Mountain Lion.

Snow Leopard and earlier had to be server versions of OS X to run in a VM. Starting with Lion, the regular version can be run in a VM, although it still must be on a Mac running macOS/OS X. On the App Store, you can get Parallels Desktop Lite. It used to be free for running macOS in a VM but no longer free from what I just read.

 

[Rod]

I think you have it there Chas, at it happens I do have a licensed copy of windows so that route is possible for me even though I'd loose out on the games I already own.
I just became aware of Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade, the shape of the future I suppose. Apple's Netflix Killer Has Landed (Apple TV+ And Apple Arcade Explained) | Lifehacker Australia
I will just have to move on and accept that I've had my value out of those games and now they're gone. I won't be upgrading for a while anyway so time to squeeze as much value out of my current game as I can before then.
A bit off topic, I've set Safari as my default browser today. A long time since I've done that but then Safari has come a long way since then.
I like it in Dark Mode, it has a simple uncluttered appearance which appeals to me and I like the option of the sidebar display for Reading List and History.

 

[Groovetube]

I'm still running Sierra, Id love to update to Mojave as it's at .4 now, but avid pro tools still, doesn't support it yet. Like usual, by the time that happens the 'after Mojave' will be out well before I can even try to update to Mojave. If I could only get Seirra to stop forcing me to click on details when I get nagged to update in the middle of work! (thats a very M$ thing to do...)

 

[Rod]

If your'e thinking about it just remember that Apple tends to remove the last macOS after the release of the next one. Now that Mojave is at the 10.14.4 stage you might like to download the installer. If you have 5Gb to spare. Alternatively set a reminder to do so before the next macOS upgrade is released.

 

[Groovetube]

I have something like install Mojave file thing in downloads (if I remember) is that the full install or just a pointer file to download?

If they pull that there's going to be a huge number of pro pro tools users in a fit of rage if they can't update to it and forced to only update to the one after Mojave because no possible way Avid will support the next MacOS probably for at least another year, apple is pumping out OSs too fast. Pro tools guys are moving to windows in droves because of apple's complete blindness to pros. Im a bit surprised at the number of audio/studios moving to PCs right now, never thought Id see that.