No More Power PC Support

[Anonymous]

I suppose this is common knowledge, but according to a GS press release Power PC will no longer be supported beyond 2009 (or I believe version 12).

While this makes sense the way hardware is moving, it does makes life a little harder for us PPC users. As it is, AC 11 runs very slowly on my dual G4 and dual G5. Disabling auto rebuild etc, helps, but for the moment I have gone back to AC 10.

Had I know 11 would be so slow I would have waited to upgrade.

Don Lee

[stefan]

Imagine how it runs on my G4 Powerbook (single processor)...
I'll be only using my PC desktop for ArchiCAD.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Don wrote:
I suppose this is common knowledge, but according to a GS press release Power PC will no longer be supported beyond 2009 (or I believe version 12).

Don Lee

It depends. If Graphisoft comes out with a new release every year from now on (there was one year between 10 and 11), then it will only be version 13 (Unlucky number for PPC users? ) and version 12 would still support PPC, I guess.

[TomWaltz]

I think part of the problem is that GS is developing separate PPC and Intel versions. They are not using the Apple Universal Binary, that would be able to run on both PPC and Intel machines. I'm assuming this has to do with the amount of legacy code to be converted into the more modern programming system.

[stefan]

TomWaltz wrote:
I think part of the problem is that GS is developing separate PPC and Intel versions. They are not using the Apple Universal Binary, that would be able to run on both PPC and Intel machines. I'm assuming this has to do with the amount of legacy code to be converted into the more modern programming system.

I think that is indeed the reason: there are not two but three versions: Windows, PPC and Mactel... And with three different compilers (Visual Studio, CodeWarrior, XCode), I understand putting only effort in the newer systems. Too bad.

If they had made the PPC version indeed a true "universal binary" (it would probably be very large) the PPC might have survived and being compiled with the free Apple XCode instead of the retired CodeWarrior compiler. That said, the Powerbooks are stuck with really old G4 processors and I noticed ArchiCAD 11 on my Powerbook is a bit over its capabilities for any real work, so it would probably have been a more theoritical issue than a practical one.

[Mishi]

And sadly, Ac11 and LWS runs and handles much better the memory on PPC than on Intel Mac. My latest experience shows that AC11 for Intel Mac don't have even a slight difference in memory handling than on an M$ box.
So I can just say everyone that if you consider buying a new Mac i would just invest upgrading memory, fast harddrive and videocard in the old G5 systems. AC runs much better on them. I can proove it.

so as long as it is supported for PPC just use it. Meanwhile i'm hopeing that GS will make an AC version which runs on a mac as it was running on the old PPC systems.

have a good day folks...

[Dwight]

Mishi wrote:
So I can just say everyone that if you consider buying a new Mac i would just invest upgrading memory, fast harddrive and videocard in the old G5 systems. AC runs much better on them. I can prooove it.

Would others please comment on this while my horror subsides?

[TomWaltz]

Dwight wrote:

Mishi wrote:
So I can just say everyone that if you consider buying a new Mac i would just invest upgrading memory, fast harddrive and videocard in the old G5 systems. AC runs much better on them. I can prooove it.

Would others please comment on this while my horror subsides?

I've found the Intel machines to cut about 10% off almost every process compared to the G5's running Archicad.

PowerPC apps like Adobe CS2 ran like crap on the Intel, but CS3 screams.

[March_ Bruce]

I have given up on relying on GS for backward support - hardware & speed can be relatively easily changed but the real issue would seem file access... yes archicad 10 can open files to 4.1 but the libraries have only been updated since v6.5 WITH MISSING & DUPLICATE PARTS & MATERIALS FILL & LINEWEIGHT ISSUES - many early details in MSA detailer (which was sold as the greatest thing since sliced bread by GS) seem orphaned without major efforts - the whole ArchiCAD library reliance seems a growing ACHILLES HEEL & because of the lack of GS updates to such objects & WIBU protection which FORCES the need for a legacy machine just to go back into older versions which don't run properly in emulation because of the WIBU - the only software I can't run is the most expensive applications I supported...

I want to have respect for copyright but WHEN SOFTWARE PROTECTION SCHEMES CREATE COMPATABILTY HELL FOR THOSE WHO PAY THE FREIGHT IT WOULD SEEM WRONG and arguably in breach of a licencees reasonable expectation of fitness for use - it makes me sympathize with the hackers who beat copy protection &/or vote with my wallet & go elsewhere...

LEGITIMATE PAID LICENSEES SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS or RUN OLDER FILES OF THE SOFTWARE &/or ACCESS PAST CLIENT & 'DESIGN INVENTORY' - VERSIONS 6 & 6.5 INCLUDED WITH 7 DO NOT RUN IN CLASSIC, ROSETTA OR XP EMULATION & REQUIRE AN OLDER MAC OR PC - VERSIONS 4.1-5 DON'T HAVE WIBU COMPATABILITY AT ALL

UPDATED LIBRARIES OR WIBU DRIVERS OR HACKS OR SOME WAY TO ACCESS PAST ARCHICAD VERSIONS/FILES BACK TO THE 4.1 THAT CAN BE OPENED WHEN NEEDED WOULD SEEM EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IF PPC's are being orphaned so soon...

The support GULF would seem to be soon widening & add risk undermining the merits of the added complexity of the 3D methodology that this application is dependent upon...

[Stress Co_]

Mishi wrote:
So I can just say everyone that if you consider buying a new Mac i would just invest upgrading memory, fast harddrive and videocard in the old G5 systems. AC runs much better on them. ...

Oh.. i know this will sound like a no brainer but,.... How/where will I notice the benefit of more SDRAM vs. a faster Video card?