[Fooboy]

Sorry if this is the incorrect place to post this question (?)

I have a friend who got broken into and now has to get a new computer (their 2 PC's got stolen). I am advising him that an iMac would suit his needs (they want to do video editing and whatnot).

However, does anyone know how long apple is going to be officially supporting PPC as far as software and whatnot? I am hesisatant to recommend a pimped out Mac and the extra PPC software to have it all be unsupported in 2-3 years.

Sorry if this topic is commonly known or still purely speculative ... I haven't kept up with stuff since my move a month ago. I guess another way to get at what im asking - do you think its still "wise" to recommend/purchase current ppc apples? What are reasons for and against?

[_Ω_]

I think 2012 was the date floating around

[julesstoop]

Apple's next OS (+ Apps) will most surely support PPC. Introduction of the OS (late 2006, beginning 2007) will most likely more or less coincide with the last line (probably the X-serve) switching to Intel. These machines will very likely be supported for at least four to five years. All in all a grand total of at least 6 years.
So 2012 is not far fetched.

[Luca]

When Apple switched from 68k to PPC, it was 1994 and the current OS version was 7.1. The first version of the Mac OS that didn't support 68k machines was OS 8.5, which came out in late 1998. So assuming Apple follows their old plan, you will be supported until at least four years after the first Intel Macs come out... in other words, 2010. But given the cross-platform nature of Apple's OS and the relative wonderfulness of OS X in comparison to OS 7/8/9, it'll probably be even longer, since there won't be any reason to not support OS X on PPC longer than that. Just think about it... Apple's supported Classic mode until now, because there's no real reason to remove it. Same applies to PPC Macs. I am thinking they will be supported long after they are obsolete.

[Brad]

Luca and julestoop's projected timeline sound about right -- 2010 to 2012. Luca is also quite right about it being much easier now to support both processors than it was a decade ago. gcc and Xcode make compiling code for both sides a breeze.

<broken record>
I'd also suggest reading up on the sticky in the Speculation and Rumors forum to catch up on the information about the transition.
</broken record>

[psmith2.0]

I would advise him to wait another 18 months to get a dual-core Intel PowerBook. Anything he gets now will be completely obsolete by then, and will explode after next year's WWDC (according to my inside info).









I'm just being silly. What the guys above said, particularly Luca. Apple ISN'T going to make this clean, "go to hell, PPC!" break and strand bazillions of PPC-owning Mac users...that would be suicide for them! It'll be a slow, gradual phase over the next 4-6 years, well into - and past - 2010.

I'd bet my very life on it.

If anyone wanted/needed a Mac right now, they should buy it. I don't think there will be any issues whatsoever for a good 4-5 years. And by that time, aren't you going to want a brand new quad-core 4.6GHz 26" iMac HD with OS XII and iLife '09 anyway?

[ast3r3x]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Anything he gets now will be completely obsolete by then, and will explode after next year's WWDC (according to my inside info).

You made a funny.

[torifile]

Sure, the likelihood that OS X will work on PPC for the next 5 or 10 years isn't farfetched, but what about software developers? Will they all make fat binaries? I, personally, have no reservations about recommending/buying new PPC Macs because I know that the developers whose software I use will continue being good developers (and support their userbase) but there may be some that aren't. Just something to think about...

[Fooboy]

Thanks for the responses guys.

pscates - thanks for the laughs.

[psmith2.0]

No prob! I was just being silly and certainly wasn't looking to be mocking or disrespectful (I did include a genuine, honest answer afterwards).



And since the iMac was just updated, now's a great time for your friend to get one...they might not get updated again for a good while (the first quarter or so of 2006, if you look at prior update history).