MAC OSX 10.5 LEOPARD AND ARCHICAD 8.1 COMPATIBILITY

[Anonymous]

Wondering if there are any out there that are using ArchiCAD 8.1 with Apple's Mac OSX 10.5x Leopard? And, are you having any compatibility problems?

Currently I'm using it on 10.4x Tiger with no problems, but I'd like to upgrade to Leopard. I wrote my ArchiCAD supplier, but they just said it would "probably" work, but because 8.1 is a bit "behind" they don't have any official tests. I don't have to upgrade to Leopard ..... I do NOT want to upgrade 8.1 ...... it "works" for me!

Any help in this regard greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
Don Brubaker, Architect

Please reply to masterarchitect@sbbmail.com

[Thomas Holm]

Archicad 8.1 works in Leopard. I have it installed and can run it, and have used it when I found converting to 12 was too much of a task (library issues etc, do a search in this forum). But I don't work in it, unless forced to.

And remember, on an Intel Mac you have to copy an entire working Archicad folder from a PPC Mac, because the 8.1 installer won't run on a Macintel.

[Anonymous]

Thomas,
Thanks for the reply. I've been working on a MacBook Pro with 8.1 for several years; and, I think I do indeed remember having to manually install 8.1. It's been flawless with TIGER, so am just trying to make sure it will also work flawless with LEOPARD as well.
Though I understand that Graphisoft is in business so needs to keep developing ArchiCAD ....... I sure miss the "simple days" that made ArchiCAD so great. To me that is versions 4 through 8.1, perhaps 9. I remember the users meeting in San Francisco for version 4.5 where the head of Graphisoft came and spoke ...... and listened ....... to the majority of us who praised them for the simplicity of ArchiCAD, yet its ability to the most complex projects.
ArchiCAD is just WAY too big now, not to mention the upgrade costs that have increased significantly.

[Karl Ottenstein]

[Not a hardware issue - OS is software - so moved form the Hardware forum to the Installation forum.]

See also downloads of version 7 and 9 here:
http://www.graphisoft.com/support/archicad/downloads/Fileconverter.html

(You can painlessly keep your complete 10.4 installation around just in case you have a Leopard problem if you have enough hard disk space, or another disk installed in your Mac. Just use Disk Utility to partition your disk, if necessary. Then use the shareware Carbon Copy Cloner to make a clone of your boot partition before upgrading to Leopard. You can then easily boot from either the 10.4 or 10.5 partition if necessary. If you find no problems, then get rid of the old 10.4 partition.)

Cheers,
Karl

[Thomas Holm]

mstrrktek wrote:
....... I sure miss the "simple days" that made ArchiCAD so great. To me that is versions 4 through 8.1, perhaps 9. I remember the users meeting in San Francisco for version 4.5 where the head of Graphisoft came and spoke ...... and listened ....... to the majority of us who praised them for the simplicity of ArchiCAD, yet its ability to the most complex projects.
ArchiCAD is just WAY too big now, not to mention the upgrade costs that have increased significantly.

Don't agree one bit!

Last year, I spent some time in 8.1 with a very small project addition that I didn't bother to migrate to 12. But I would never go back full-time!
The productivity enhancements that GS have built into the subsequent versions since 8.1 must be worth the upgrade cost for any full-time professional business, small or big (we have just 2 licenses). The model > save view > place on layout > publish layout book workflow is so smooth today, compared to the raw and meager times of PMKs and Plotmaker.

I would only understand you if you work part-time on a more-or-less hobby basis. That is, if you can't charge fully for your time, and have plenty of it.

For everyone else, I think upgrading, and actually a subscription, and learning the new features of each new version to make the most of them in your business, is a must to stay competitive!

[Anonymous]

Thomas,
While I can appreciate your position on ArchiCAD upgrades, my experience is that the majority of Architects, at least in Northern California, are one and two person firms. Most of the Architects I know locally are still on 8.1 and 9.
I stopped upgrading, and so did they, because I felt like I was reinventing the wheel every time - having to make sure all the library parts work and essentially changing some, if not a lot, of the ways I was working with the old version of ArchiCAD I upgraded from - just to get back to doing the same thing I was doing in the first place - designing and construction documents.

I am full time ..... and then some; which, actually, is the reason I can not afford more the time versus the cost to upgrade.
I agree there are probably many features I would enjoy using, that would probably save me more time if I upgraded.

BUT, this is why I first both changed over from the PC to the MAC; and, at the same time from AutoCAD to ArchiCAD - I'm an Architect that utilizes CAD to help me be creative and produce good construction documents. I don't want to be a "CAD drafter", constantly keeping up with the Jones'. I don't want the CAD software driving me. I am competitive NOT because I'm keeping up with the latest upgrade, but because I do pretty darn good design and construction documents that both the client and the contractor like and helps them save dollars in construction.

Again, I appreciate your position; and, perhaps one of these days will upgrade again. But, unfortunately it will probably be because one version of ArchiCAD doesn't work with some version of Apple's Mac OSX (or vice versa); and not just because it saves me a little time, has a nice bell or whistle, or does something a little easier.

I want to spend my time providing a client good design not showing them how great my CAD software is.

Thanks again for your input on 8.1 with Leopard.
Don

[Thomas Holm]

mstrrktek wrote:
I want to spend my time providing a client good design not showing them how great my CAD software is.

Well, we have that in common, although we draw different conclusions from it despite that over here, we pay a lot more for the software, and have lower income rates - and salaries too.

But everyone's entitled to his own opinion. Have a good life!