Waterproofing
Hardware compatibility with mac os. How to make an external drive compatible with Mac and Windows? A single manufacturer of hardware and software

Hardware compatibility with mac os. How to make an external drive compatible with Mac and Windows? A single manufacturer of hardware and software

If you need to format your hard drive or USB stick so that the devices are compatible with Mac and Windows, then this is easy to do. It is important to know that formatting the device will delete all data, therefore, in order not to lose information, it is better to make a backup right away.

To format the device you need:

Run disk utility, find /Applications/Utilities/ ;
Connect your device;
Click on the disk name in the left corner of the Desktop and then click the Set button;
Click on the drop-down menu “Format”, select “MS-DOS (FAT)”. Here you can also rename the device;
Click the "Erase" button to format your device for compatibility with Mac & Windows PC.

Formatting is usually a quick process, but it all depends on the size of the files on the device being formatted.
As a result, the flash drive or external hard drive will be compatible with Mac OS X, Windows 95, 98, Windows XP, Vista, 7, and even Windows 8. This formatting method is ideal for USB flash drives, external hard drives that are designed to be used under multiple OS.

The main disadvantage of using FAT32 is its file size limit. So, on the device being formatted, there should be no more than 4 GB. If you use exFAT to format a device larger than 4 GB, it will cause incompatibility with older versions of OS X and Windows.

Software

To ensure a smooth transition from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X, Carbon was created. An application written with Carbon can run on any of these operating systems. On the other hand, Mac OS X inherits a lot from OpenSTEP, which is not backward compatible with other versions of Mac OS. At the moment, Apple recommends an API called Cocoa, and there the OpenSTEP legacy is quite noticeable -- many class names start with "NS" (NSObject, NSArray), which is short for NeXTSTEP.

Mac OS X also supports Java. This means that applications written in Java using Swing look the same as applications using Cocoa. Traditionally, Cocoa applications are developed in Objective C, an alternative to Java. However, on July 25, 2007, Apple stated that further extensions to Cocoa would not be ported to Java. As part of Mac OS X, starting with version 10.5 Leopard, a Ruby interpreter with Cocoa support is shipped.

Unlike its predecessors, Mac OS X is a complete UNIX-03 certified operating system. This means that most programs written for BSD, Linux, and other UNIX-like systems will compile and run on Mac OS X with little or no additional code changes.Package managers such as Fink or MacPorts (formerly DarwinPorts) have been developed to easily install such programs.These are similar to apt in Debian or ports in FreeBSD.

Starting with version 10.3, Mac OS X also includes X11.app by default, a customized version of the X server. This allows applications designed for X11 to run on Mac OS X -- using gtk, Qt for X11 (Qt4 supports Mac OS X in both X11 mode and normal Aqua mode), and so on. X11.app uses Quartz for display. However, X11.app has a number of problems, such as the lack of Aqua-style in the design of applications and incomplete support for Unicode.

Older OS versions can run the X server through XDarwin.

Mac OS X is based on the XNU kernel, built on the Mach 3.0 microkernel.

Hardware

Early versions of Mac OS X supported all Macintosh computers (laptops, desktops, or servers) with PowerPC G3, G4, and G5 processors. Later versions no longer support older hardware: for example, 10.3 Panther does not support older G3s, 10.4 Tiger does not support systems without FireWire ports, and the 10.5 Leopard beta presented at WWDC did not support G3s at all. However, there are utilities such as XPostFacto and installer patches made by third parties to install new versions of Mac OS X on hardware not officially supported by Apple, including some pre-G3 systems. Excluding some features required by the hardware (such as graphics acceleration, DVD burning), the operating system offers the same functionality on all supported hardware.

The PowerPC version of Mac OS X remains compatible with older Mac OS applications through the so-called Classic emulation, which allows users to run Mac OS 9 as a process in Mac OS X, so many older applications run as if they were under the old operating system. Classic does not support computers with Intel processors.

In April 2002, eWeek reported a rumor that Apple had a version of Mac OS X, codenamed Marklar, that ran on Intel x86 processors. Marklar's idea was to move Mac OS X to an alternative platform that would allow Apple to overcome the challenges of developing the PowerPC platform. The rumors remained unconfirmed until May 2005, when a version of Mac OS X for Intel processors appeared on file-sharing networks.

On June 6, 2005, Steve Jobs confirmed the rumors and announced at WWDC that Apple would switch from PowerPC to Intel processors within two years. Prior to that, Apple switched platforms from Motorola 68K to IBM/Motorola PowerPC -- Apple included the Motorola 68K emulator in the new OS, which allowed most 68K applications to run. Apple has supported the emulator for 11 years; however, when switching to Intel, it was removed. The new OS included a PowerPC emulator called Rosetta. Also, a new version XCode and the corresponding console utilities allow you to develop universal binaries (fat binaries) -- executable files that can contain support for multiple platforms (ppc, ppc64, i386, ...).

Currently, most applications that are only available for the PowerPC are supported using the Rosetta emulator. However, Apple is asking developers to create universal apps for both platforms. Universal applications run faster on Intel-based computers than PowerPC applications run with the Rosetta emulator. Some PowerPC software, such as kernel extensions and System Preferences plugins, are not supported on Intel-based computers.

While MacIntels can run PowerPC, x86, and generic apps, PowerPC Macs can only run generic and PowerPC apps. Support for the PowerPC platform remained in Mac OS X 10.5. Jobs also confirmed the rumor that the new version of Mac OS X had been running on Intel processors for most of its existence, as cross-platform already existed in Mac OS X -- OpenSTEP was ported to many platforms, including x86, and Darwin included support for both ( PowerPC and x86).

Mac OS X has been ported to the iPhone and iPod touch. Despite major changes - such as the closed platform and the lack of a desktop (replaced by SpringBoard) - the port retained such features as Darwin, the XNU kernel. Some third-party programs retain the effects from the desktop version, such as Converter.

Evolution of Mac OS X

Apple's operating system Mac OS X is currently available in two versions: a version for workstations and laptops, as well as a version for a server, which is necessary for organizing the work of an enterprise's local network. Since the release of Mac OS X 10.0, six more modifications have been released, each of which bears the name of an animal from the cat family.

Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah (Cheetah): became the first updated version of the operating Mac systems OS. It appeared in March 2001 and was created on the basis of the UNIX operating system and FreeBSD services. New technology allowed to increase the functionality, reliability and security of the new operating system. But version 10.0 of Cheetah was unstable in operation, it lacked a number of features that are in latest version Mac OS X systems, so Apple released a free update.

Mac OS X 10.1 Puma: A free update developed by Apple that upgraded Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah to version 10.1 (Puma), fixing a number of bugs that existed in the first version and improving stability. It has such functions as: personification, high quality graphics, quick access to system settings, expanding the range of networking capabilities and peripherals, playback and recording of DVD discs.

Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar: More than 150 different changes and additions have been made to the new version of Mac OS X operating system, the main of which was support for hardware accelerated user interface using Quartz Extreme technology, as a result of which all image processing is performed by the video card processor. This version introduced the QuickTime 6 multimedia center, the iChat Internet instant messaging program, a unified address book, and the Inkwell handwriting system. Mail programs have been improved to include spam filtering, Finder search for files, and Sherlock 3 internet search.

Mac OS X 10.3 Panther: Released on October 24, 2003, it introduced FileVault data encryption technology. Subsequent system updates brought a number of changes such as: fixed some security issues, increased reliability in working with remote files in mixed networks, improved file sharing system and wireless networking support, updated video card drivers, directory system and OpenGL support. Changes and improvements have been made to the Safari browser, mail client, address book, Stickies and QuickTime, as well as improved support for third-party software.

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger: Released in April 2005, it includes over 200 changes and additions to make your computer run faster and more stable. The main novelties of this version of Mac OS X are the unique Spotlight quick information search function and the interface for Dashboard widgets, an Automator application designed to automate a series of constantly repetitive actions, which made it possible to perform routine work with a single click.

Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Released on October 26, 2007, it includes over 300 enhancements and additions. The changes primarily affected the core of the operating system, the DTrace dynamic tracing framework is now integrated into it, and there is also the Cocoa Bridges environment for developing applications in Ruby and Python programming languages, Scripting Bridge allows you to automate Mac applications through programs in Objective-C, Ruby and Python. Rails, Mongrel and Capistrano were also included in the system. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is now recognized as a complete UNIX system. An important event was the appearance in this version of the Boot Camp program, with which you can now install Windows on Macintosh computers as a second working operating system. The new version of Mac OS X has completely updated the Finder and other useful applications, adding features such as Stacks, Quick Look, Spaces, and Time Machine for creating system and data backups.

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: Released in June 2008, it includes a number of major changes. Now it works only on Intel processors, uses 64-bit technologies in its work, works equally with 64-bit and 32-bit applications, takes almost half the disk space, installs, loads and works faster. All standard Mac apps OS X (Finder, Mail, Safari, iCal and iChat, etc.) were converted to 64-bit code in the new version, which significantly improved their performance and made them more resistant to hacker attacks. Grand Central Dispatch allows you to take full advantage of multi-core systems and increase computer performance. Added interface scaling. Snow Leopard OS uses Bonjour technology for file sharing, stacks for working with windows of programs, and it also updated the Expose function, which has become even more convenient and accessible. Increased backup speed, iChat can now use the AIM relay server to transfer data to prevent connection failures.

Even the most ardent fans of OS X sometimes need to use the "enemy" Windows. The situations are different: from the need to use banking clients and corporate software to launching games. There are many ways to run applications written for Windows, using both third-party tools and Apple proprietary solutions.

Conventionally, they can be divided into three categories: a full installation of Windows, the use of virtual machines and emulators of the Windows software environment. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, so we'll go through them all so you can choose the one that's best for you.

Installing Windows with Boot Camp

Especially for the unfortunate who is not able to break all ties with Windows, Apple created the Boot Camp Assistant utility, with which you can prepare your Mac for Windows installation and actually install it. In this case, a separate partition is created on the disk, allowing both operating systems to work independently of each other.

You will need 50 GB of free space and a Windows boot disk. The installation process itself is very simple, you just need to follow the prompts of the wizard and wait for the completion. After the reboot, you will have at your disposal a full-fledged version of Windows, just like on a regular PC. It remains to install the necessary applications or games - and you can use it. Learn more about requirements and supported versions.

Benefits of Boot Camp

Performance. Since everything Mac resources uses only one OS, we get the maximum performance.
Compatibility. Thanks to full Windows, full compatibility with any applications and games is ensured.

Disadvantages of BootCamp

The need for a reboot. To start Windows every time you have to restart your Mac.
Lack of integration. Windows does not support the HFS + file system, which means that it will not be possible to access OS X files from it, as well as vice versa.

Using virtual machines

This method has much in common with the previous one, but differs slightly in implementation. With it, we also get a full-fledged OS, but it is not installed on real hardware, but on a virtual one. Special software (virtual machine) emulates the hardware platform for running Windows, taking away some of the resources of the Mac, and it turns out that one OS runs inside another.

Parallels Desktop

parallels.com

Perhaps the most popular virtual machine among Macs. Parallels is updated regularly, always works with current versions OS X and Windows and has additional features such as hybrid mode, when OS X and Windows interfaces are displayed simultaneously on the screen, and applications run regardless of their ownership. In addition, the program can start Windows from Boot Camp partitions, which is convenient if you need to access any applications or data without rebooting.

The disadvantage of the program is that Parallels is not free. The junior version will set you back $79.99.

VMware Fusion

vmware.com

Another commercial solution for OS virtualization. The key feature of VMware Fusion is the Exchange Wizard, which allows you to transfer the entire environment from your Windows PC to a virtual machine and continue using applications already on your Mac. Installed Windows shares a clipboard with OS X, as well as access to files and network resources. Its apps are fully integrated with OS X features (Spotlight, Mission Control, Exposé). It also supports running Windows from a Boot Camp partition.

VMware Fusion costs 6,300 rubles, but before buying, you can explore its features in a free trial.

If your plans do not include additional expenses for running Windows applications, then your choice is from Oracle. Compared to paid counterparts, it has much fewer features, but it is quite suitable for simple tasks. You should not count on integration with OS X system functions, but basic things like a shared clipboard and access to network resources are available here. Free VirtualBox fully justifies all its limitations.

Benefits of virtual machines

Simultaneous operation of two operating systems. You don't need to restart your Mac to run Windows applications.
Sharing files. Since Windows runs inside OS X, there is no issue with filesystem support.

Disadvantages of virtual machines

Low performance. Due to the fact that Mac resources are shared between the two operating systems, application performance is significantly slower, especially on older computers.
Compatibility issues. Some applications (most often games) that require direct access to the hardware may not work correctly or not work at all.

Using emulators

With emulators, everything is completely different than with virtual machines and Boot Camp. Rather, they have something in common with virtual machines, only they do not emulate Windows as a whole, but only those of its software components that are necessary for the desired application to work. We will not have a full-fledged OS and access to its functions: we get a certain compatibility layer that allows you to run a Windows application directly in the OS X environment.

All emulators work on the same principle. The installation of the application is initialized through setup.exe, and then in its process the necessary launch parameters are configured and the necessary libraries are automatically loaded. After that, an application icon appears on the Launchpad, which will work in the same way as all native OS X programs.

winebottler

winebottler.kronenberg.org

This emulator can turn an .EXE file into an OS X compatible application. WineBottler also allows you to automatically load some already configured Windows applications. It is completely free and compatible with OS X El Capitan.

Wineskin

Another emulator that, like the previous one, uses the Wine libraries to create ports. Compared to the previous solution, Wineskin has more settings and allows you to fine-tune the parameters. We talked about its configuration and use in detail in.

crossover

A commercial emulator whose development team has already adapted and customized many popular Windows applications and games for you. CrossOver has a friendly interface, and also eliminates the need to dig into the settings and deal with possible mistakes. The only negative is that it is paid. The license costs $20.95, but there is a 14-day trial period.

Advantages of emulators

No Windows license required. Emulators run applications through a compatibility layer, so a licensed copy of the OS is not needed.
Performance. Again, due to the savings in resources that are spent in virtual machines running full-fledged Windows, we get higher performance compared to them.

Disadvantages of emulators

Difficulty of setting. To use Windows apps, you first need to set them up, which isn't always easy, especially with games.
Compatibility issues. In some cases, applications (often resource-intensive) may not work correctly or not work at all.

What to choose

What is the end result to choose from such a variety? There is no single answer to this question. In each case, you need to build on your needs, but in general, the recommendations are as follows.

boot camp suitable primarily for gamers, as well as for those users who need maximum performance and compatibility with software. We reboot the Mac - and we get a full-fledged Windows computer.
Virtual machines help out in cases where both operating systems are needed at the same time. We sacrifice performance, but avoid reboots and get good integration.
Emulators can only be recommended for simple tasks and infrequent use. For example, when a couple of times a month you need to use a bank client or occasionally get nostalgic in your favorite game.

Choose the most suitable option for yourself, and tell us in the comments what needs you use Windows applications on your Mac for and how you launch them.

Software

To ensure a smooth transition from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X, Carbon was created. An application written with Carbon can run on any of these operating systems. On the other hand, Mac OS X inherits a lot from OpenSTEP, which is not backward compatible with other versions of Mac OS. At the moment, Apple recommends an API called Cocoa, and there the OpenSTEP heritage is quite noticeable - many class names start with "NS" (NSObject, NSArray), which is an acronym for NeXTSTEP.

Unlike its predecessors, Mac OS X is a complete UNIX'03 certified operating system. This means that most programs written for BSD, Linux, and other UNIX-like systems will compile and run on Mac OS X with little or no additional code changes. Package managers such as Fink or MacPorts (previously DarwinPorts) have been developed for easy installation of such programs. They are like apt on Debian or ports on FreeBSD.

Since version 10.3, Mac OS X also includes X11.app by default, a customized version of the X server. This makes it possible to run applications developed for X11 on Mac OS X - using gtk, Qt for X11 (Qt4 supports Mac OS X in both X11 mode and regular Aqua mode) and others. X11.app uses Quartz for display. However, X11.app has a number of problems, such as the lack of Aqua-style in the design of applications and incomplete support for Unicode.

Older OS versions can run the X server through XDarwin.

Mac OS X is based on the XNU kernel, built on the Mach 3.0 microkernel.

Hardware

On June 6, 2005, Steve Jobs confirmed the rumors and announced at WWDC that Apple would switch from PowerPC to Intel processors within two years. Prior to that, Apple switched platforms from Motorola 68K to IBM/Motorola PowerPC - Apple included the Motorola 68K emulator in the new OS, which allowed most 68K applications to run. Apple has supported the emulator for 11 years; however, when switching to Intel, it was removed. The new OS included a PowerPC emulator called Rosetta. Also, the new version of XCode and the corresponding console utilities allow you to develop universal binaries (fat binaries) - executable files that can contain support for multiple platforms (ppc, ppc64, i386, ...).

While MacIntels can run PowerPC, x86, and generic apps, PowerPC Macs can only run generic and PowerPC apps. Support for the PowerPC platform remained in Mac OS X 10.5. Jobs also confirmed the rumor that the new version of Mac OS X ran on Intel processors for most of its existence, since cross-platform already existed in Mac OS X - OpenSTEP was ported to many platforms, including x86, and Darwin included support for both (PowerPC and x86).

Mac OS X has been ported to the iPhone and iPod touch. Despite major changes - for example, the closed platform and the lack of a desktop (it is replaced by SpringBoard) - the port retained such features as Darwin, the XNU kernel. In some third-party programs, the effects from the desktop version are preserved - for example, in the Converter program.

For a long time these two operating systems We are at war. Some prove the charm of "apple" software, while others climb out of their skin, arguing in favor of Windows. There are still adherents of Linux, but we will not touch them.

So why is Microsoft software more suitable for ordinary users? We found 10 reasons in favor of Windows. And here is the first of them.

Games

There are practically no games on Mac OS. Of course, you can install a virtual machine, install a toy there and enjoy. But this is a game with crutches, otherwise you will not say. And the Yabloko corporation does not want to attract developers from the gaming industry to port games to Mac OS.

The same Windows 10 has a game mode in its functionality - the OS itself limits all background programs that are now unnecessary in resources. And all the released power is given to the game. Agree, this is much more convenient than manual cleaning of background applications.

Hardware update

Since we have already touched on the topic of games, it must be said about the configurations of the Macintosh and the usual system unit.

You can update the system unit on Windows as soon as you want: add memory, change the video card to a more powerful one, completely rebuild from scratch on a new one motherboard- all of this is available to you at any time. The main thing is that there are enough funds for this. Games come out more and more demanding every year, component manufacturers also do not sleep, releasing updated or fundamentally new stuffing for the block. But this does not apply to laptops and monoblocks: things are no better here than with an apple gadget.

But with an apple, such a number will not work for you. Add RAM already causes serious difficulties, but it’s not even worth stuttering about something on a larger scale. And given the gluttony of new games, in 2-3 years the question will arise of replacing the current gadget with a newer one.

Even without taking games into account, there are many equally voracious programs that need strong hardware. By the way, the system unit on Windows is 2 - 2.5 times cheaper than a similar configuration of Apple products. So think.

System Compatibility with Peripherals

Another cant of Mac OS is compatibility with various devices. Printers, scanners, Wi-Fi routers and many other office equipment are not always correctly detected by the Macintosh. And there are times when the system completely refuses to work with anything.

Those devices for which Apple develops drivers on its own will work without problems.

This situation is almost impossible on Windows. This OS won't detect a technique unless it's very old and very specific. And then, if there are drivers, there are very high chances that everything will work correctly.

Working with program windows

The Macintosh has a nasty feature of strangely expanding applications to full screen mode. For example, the browser can expand partially, cropping the window size to a specific page. The same goes for some other utilities. Weird logic. There is, however, the Magnet utility. For the program to work correctly, we recommend installing it on a clean operating system.

On Windows, there is no such problem. Full screen mode is full screen mode.

The choice of software for systems

By the way, about the programs themselves. For Windows, a huge amount of software is simply available for every taste and for any task. You simply will not find such an abundance for Mac. Yes, you won't find it there. Even existing software is very often inferior in its functions to PC counterparts.

The same Office that lives on the Mac is seriously inferior to the Microsoft giant. Although, this may not matter at all, since there are already many services running through the browser now. Files are stored in the cloud, and you can work with them from any device.

There is one more thing: programs on apple technology eat more RAM than on Windows. Not much, but still.

System Prevalence

Apple installs Mac OS only on all-in-ones and laptops. There is iOS for smartphones and tablets. It would seem that everything is fine. But why not integrate Mac into mobile technology? Naturally, some of the functions will not be available due to a lack of hardware resources on the iPhone or iPad.

And the guys from Microsoft are very actively putting their OS on mobile devices. The same Microsoft Surface is a direct confirmation of this, although its price tag is somewhat overpriced. And how many third-party mobile devices does Windows 10 use as OS? There are a lot of them and their number is growing. This is also helped by the development of atomic Intel and sufficiently powerful video chips.

3D in OS

With the development of technologies in the field of 3D and augmented reality, Microsoft very zealously began to introduce them into their systems.

What about Apple? They have been feeding the people with promises for a long time, but there are no gestures in this direction. And if they do, to what extent?

Summing up

What is there to say? Windows PCs are much larger than Macs. And this applies not only to computers: there are plenty of smartphones and tablets on Windows 10.

Here expanse for gamers, eyes run wide from the abundance of software. The upgrade is much faster and cheaper than that of apple products. Yes, and not everywhere at Yabloko you yourself can change the hard drive or RAM. And this means that you need to go to the service center.

A heated debate may now begin about the fact that Mac OS is more secure, it is almost not afraid of viruses, etc. Actually, if you have a normal antivirus and a head on your shoulders, viruses are not very dangerous for Windows either. They may also begin to argue that by installing Boot Camp, you can use Windows programs. It is possible, but it is crutches again.

About the speed of operating systems. It's all very subjective. There are quite a few who claim that Windows 10 is equal, if not better, in terms of speed and fluidity. Animation in both systems is on top.

The personal opinion of the author of the article is as follows: the transition to apple products is not justified. Neither economically nor in terms of the range of software and games. If you just want to try something new, then install a virtual machine with Mac OS, and then decide whether it is worth the money or not.