Could Mac OSX run Windows apps natively?

Advertisement (Why?)

Once Intel chips landed inside Macs and Boot Camp made its debut, it got a lot harder to blame rumor mongers for making a certain leap: Mac OS X could one day run Windows apps sans-Windows. Indeed, projects like the open source Wine have facilitated some of this functionality, albeit in a limited fashion, for some time now. But a new discussion on a Wine mailing list could refresh hope for those looking to get their Frankenstein on with Mac OS X and Windows computing.

The discussion begins with a mailing list message called Interesting Behavior of OS X, in which Steven Edwards describes the discovery that Leopard apparently contains an undocumented loader for Portable Executables, a type of file used in 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows. More poking around revealed that Leopard's own loader tries to find Windows DLL files when attempting to load a Windows binary.

Yes, that last bit is the juicy one. According to the fledgling investigation in this as-yet short message thread, folks are suspecting that Leopard contains at least the building blocks for Apple to one day add a compatibility layer to Mac OS X for running Windows apps right alongside Mac OS X apps. "Just add Windows" and Boot Camp itself could fall off the list of ingredients for bridging these two computing worlds.

Of course, this could also be nothing; perhaps leftover from some behind-the-scenes project, spare code from adopting EFI (though this reply notes that PE files are flat-out rejected in Tiger on Intel Macs), or who knows what else. Still, if your conspiracy theory wells have run dry during Macworld's pre-season, this should be more than enough to keep you busy for at least a week or so.

News source: ars technica

Link: Interesting Behaviour of OSX

#1 Foub on 03 Dec 2007 - 11:04

If you can't beat them, join them......

#2 redmosquito on 03 Dec 2007 - 12:06

that would make mac even better, i mean lets face it:

you get the (better) good OS and all the apps you MIGHT miss (i dont miss any but i know some)...

but thats controversial and i see a mac vs. windows-discussion coming up and so im outta here... =)

#3 AlexMagik on 03 Dec 2007 - 13:15

if this is true, this can be my first mac. i've 5 in my office, but until i can run all the software i need (vs.net included), i won't be able to switch...

(2 replies) #4 Primetime2006 on 03 Dec 2007 - 14:08

LOL. I could just see it too. Mac can't keep up with the competition, so they'll start building their OS's so that Windows programs can run on it. "Can't beat them, so join them" seems to come to mind. Then MS will sue them and that'll be the end of that chapter.

Go for it Apple, pleeeeeease! I want to see you get destroyed.

#4.1 hotdog963al on 03 Dec 2007 - 17:18

LOL@ ^. Shame Microsoft don't sell brains eh.

#4.2 TheBigB on 04 Dec 2007 - 21:48

Quote - (hotdog963al said @ #4.1)

QFT
Almost everyone who knows a considerable amount about Linux knows about WINE.

(2 replies) #5 Croquant on 03 Dec 2007 - 16:16

Oh brother.

Do you really think the boys in Redmond would ever let Apple Inc. do anything that would let people run Windows apps on a OS not owned by Microsoft?
If you answered yes to that question, I have some prime Florida swamp land I'd like to interest you in.

#5.1 SkyyPunk on 03 Dec 2007 - 17:50

I dont believe there is anything against doing this...nothing says apps HAVE to run on windows and windows alone...

#5.2 Binary on 03 Dec 2007 - 19:26

Quote - (Croquant said @ #5)

Ever heard of WINE? Last I checked, it's still a project and hasn't been shutdown. There is no reason Apple couldn't do this, and actually have it done in Cocoa so that windows apps appear as if they are true mac apps using native widgets/GUI elements.

#6 aNILEator on 03 Dec 2007 - 17:47

To run it I would assume you'd need Windows installed in a boot-camp alike fashion, and apple encourage you to buy a windows license, so as long as you're windows is legally licensed why would Microsoft care?

Same thing would go if Apple managed to code their own way of making apps compatible, same as that open source remake of windows I saw floating about the tubes a year ago or so

(2 replies) #7 +Chrono951 on 03 Dec 2007 - 18:20

Does anyone else notice that Macs and PCs seem to be getting closer and closer to each other? Maybe someday we'll just have one OS and one type of hardware that everything runs on.

#7.1 +sLm4ever on 04 Dec 2007 - 23:46

yes !! ... one OS to rule them all

!? ...

macs are being windows and windows are being macs ...

#7.2 vanacid on 29 May 2008 - 18:28

It is the worst idea I ever heard

(3 replies) #8 C_Guy on 03 Dec 2007 - 19:00

So, even more than before, the driving force behind Macs is the fact that you can run Windows and Office... and now, Windows applications? Sounds almost as good as running a Windows-based computer!

#8.1 Binary on 03 Dec 2007 - 19:28

Quote - (C_Guy said @ #

Except that a windows based computer cannot run OS X legally!

You missed the point.

#8.2 QuarterSwede on 04 Dec 2007 - 04:58

Quote - (Binary said @ #8.1)

Exactly, and last I check I still hated using Windows.

#8.3 vanacid on 29 May 2008 - 18:29

(QuarterSwede said @ #8.2)

QFT +1

#9 Webgraph on 03 Dec 2007 - 20:57

And what's next? Mac OS X on non-Apple computers? That would definitely force Microsoft to clean up their act!

(1 reply) #10 thenewbf on 03 Dec 2007 - 22:04

Steve Jobs got Bill Gates to invest $150 million in Apple and promise to keep Mac Office going for a few more years in exchange for a five-year patent cross-licensing agreement back in 1997. The idea in everyone's mind was that Microsoft would grab lots of Apple technology, which they probably did. However the exchange wasn't totally one-way and Apple got some legal right to the Windows API. Even though the deal has since expired, the rights it conferred at the time still lie with the respective companies. Whatever Microsoft grabbed from Apple they can still use, same for Apple using Microsoft technology. Apple is therefore technically allowed to have Windows apps running in OS X without Microsoft being able to do anything about it. And since that's exactly what's been happening in the labs in Cupertino, there's no doubt that someone 'forgot' to take the code out before Leopard shipped. Who knows, maybe this is one of those 'top secret' features Apple promised last year and they just didn't include it in 10.5.0 because they hadn't gotten it quite right yet. Since Apple seems to be determined to offer "free software upgrades" to its customers (AppleTV, iPhone, etc), maybe this can be another one of those free upgrades.

#10.1 RAID 0 on 03 Dec 2007 - 23:22

That would be great to see. Now, programs can crash on your Macs.. it'll be just like the Windows experience! After that happens, we can hear more bitching about macs and their problems! This is a win-win situation for Apple and MS.

(1 reply) #11 goatsniffer on 04 Dec 2007 - 03:12

You can't plug in an OS's apps into another due to legal and technological reasons. You can't even plug older Win apps into a new Win OS.

#11.1 vanacid on 29 May 2008 - 18:30

There is no legal problem in doing this.

From a technological point of view, it may be difficult, but it is not impossible.

(2 replies) #12 billyea on 04 Dec 2007 - 04:58

I've seen what Mac OSX apps like Safari look on Windows. VISUAL CLASH FTL! I don't want that happening to my mac.

#12.1 Narlzac85 on 04 Dec 2007 - 05:29

Nobody to blame there other than Apple for not using native GUI elements. Any application that doesn't use custom GUI elements could probably be made to look like the native OS by whoever writes the necessary files to make the program cross platform compatible (a la Java although it doesn't look native at all, it can and does look different on each OS)

#12.2 billyea on 04 Dec 2007 - 06:24

Quote - (Narlzac85 said @ #2)

Yes, but what most people are thinking when they hear of Mac OSX supporting executables is that it can run executables produced for Windows, which haven't gone through the same care.

(2 replies) #13 dotf on 04 Dec 2007 - 15:15

Yaaay I can finally have malware and virii on my mac!

#13.1 rec_kris on 29 May 2008 - 04:13

qwe

#13.2 vanacid on 29 May 2008 - 18:31

Hahahaha... good one.

Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!

Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.

Neowin.net