since that post I'm in the midst of switching to linux … I tried around 5 years ago and just didn't have the hardware support / usability / documentation / or software I needed.

I'm impressed with how far linux has come (at least fedora) in the hardware support and app department. I'm also very impressed with the lower level applications (like jacks) and how configurable those are … windows doesn't even deal with those areas.

The docs are still a bit weak but there seems to be more books out geared toards the end user as opposed to here's how you do network admin (I picked one up). Thats really helping … I really don't think the cost would be too huge .. I think I've got just about everything I was used to on the PC working without being a hard-core-programmer in about a week's time. So, I think it can save money … but everyone's experience is different.

I have heard that people at Side Effects usually create in-house experimental OSX ports for each newly released Houdini version… starting from the old PPC days… not even intel… so it is not a technical issue… of course it is a business strategy…

It goes without saying that *any* port to *any* system is a business strategy.

J.C.

I wouldn't be surprised if the real complications with porting to a new OS are all the secondary issues and necessarily the major bulk of the program- ie. audio libraries and compatibility issues, compiler quirks, window manager snafus, glitches and workarounds, etc. Just seeing the many XP 64bit issues being fixed in an OS you already are very familiar with makes me shiver thinking about it.

That said, of course I want a Mac myself.

jason_iversen
I wouldn't be surprised if the real complications with porting to a new OS are all the secondary issues and necessarily the major bulk of the program- ie. audio libraries and compatibility issues, compiler quirks, window manager snafus, glitches and workarounds, etc. Just seeing the many XP 64bit issues being fixed in an OS you already are very familiar with makes me shiver thinking about it.

That said, of course I want a Mac myself.

I couldn't agree more. At work, we maintain cross platform build on Windows/Linux/Solaris/OSX for our Geological Modeling software and it is a lot of work and have a very high on going maintenance overhead. It's worse if the code base is very old and requires lots of highly customize tools and build environment.

In my spare time maintaining a very small RIBClient (SWIG) library for Python/Java/Ruby is also no small effort, one change and all platform combination have to be build and tested again. Since the RIBClient is a personal project, I use CMake and SVN to maintain sanity.

Yes, I use a Mac myself to do my development work.

Cheers

Keep the hope alive. Maybe someday now that they released Aprentice HD, maybe they have a plan for the OSX port aswell.

It would be nice. But If you can load linux on your mac why not just run it via linux? Whats the problem?

a little bit connected with discussion:
http://www.insidecg.com/2007/12/04/rhino-for-osx-in-development/#more-341 [insidecg.com]

(Rhino goes to OSX)

I am going to buy a 8 core mac soon…for Final Cut…
because I also have a Red camera coming and they work well together.

But honestly, when I'm using a full screen app….I don't care if its OSX windows or amiga….it's the app….

Mac users want Houdini ported for mac….fair enough…I hope it happens…

I am not a brand loyalist….I use what works.
In the past couple of months I've met some Mac users who have flat out told me ….if I'm not using a Mac…i must not really be doing professional work.

Mac built up a reputation for being a graphics powerhouse….
how did it do it…
Buy Shake from Nothing Real…..cancel it for Windows…charge double to linux users
This was linux/windows only at first….
Windows first big anti-trust suit was for including Internet explorer with windows…..imagine if they were to buy Adobe, and cancel photoshop for mac.

What next….take out the competition…buy Chalice and rayz from Silicon Grail….cancel it.(later to become Motion)
Now were on a roll….next we buy Final Cut from Macromedia….oh cancel for windows.
This was forcing a user base to switch….to at that time underpowered machines.(renderman took forever to port….partly because at that time the performance was just too slow, and here wouldn't be studio interest….even from Steve Jobs' Pixar)

You have to remember that with mac you are paying more for the hardware for the priveledge of using a nice OS. And in the old days even when severely underpowered with motorola CPU's, you would still pay for that priveledge.
Steve Jobs on the other hand, running Pixar, had to go with what worked
http://www.macobserver.com/article/2003/02/10.7.shtml [macobserver.com]

Shake users had a choice….jump to underpowered macs and get shake for $3500….or go with linux and modern hardware and pay $7000 for the same software….

Now I am going to buy a nice 8 core mac next month for double what I would build a PC for.(Not all pc users buy from Dell and HP… and 8 core pc's were around long before mac's “fastest computer on the planet” came out.Look on Boxx's website, you can get a 32 core if you so desire.)
We can install any motherboard, any graphics card, any processor ect.
And the OS of our choice….unless that choice is Mac.
If mac were truly the people's OS…then they would sell the OS.

didn't mean to hijack the thread
I just had to vent a bit..
I look forward to my new mac….
I'm sure it will change my life

Meh, The eye candy is nice but it distracts me from what i really want to do. Yeah its better then windows i guess. Get a hardware firewall with XP and window blinds and your good to go. the new osx has something called Time line or something that backs up all your data on the HD so you can go back if you delete something. Me I just burn my stuff to dvds lol. I think the reason or one of them for not porting osx to PC's is that it would be a big ass pain to try and support all the different hardware combos. I think thats the why. You can make windows run smooth. If mac made a game laptop i would buy it.

I think the support for

~mac
~linux
~windows

is a bit much. Thats why Houdini is still win/linux

speaking of time line backing data up check this out

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/11/06/apple_chastised_for_ignoring_two_mac_data_loss_issues.html [appleinsider.com]

l

this applies to networks too….

if network crashes while moving a file….you loose that file…on both drives

this is repeatable…
http://tomkarpik.com/articles/massive-data-loss-bug-in-leopard [tomkarpik.com]

just a heads up for mac users

^ oh thats just great. I have a Imac but its been turned off for a while lol. I don't really get the time line thing. It takes up so much space its like your writing all your data 7x over its retarded. The new video over the net thing is cool tho. If its as fast as they say it is. If macs had better GPU's i think they would sell alot more. Port some of the top selling games over and you got a winner for sure.

Happy new year to everyone in the Houdini community. The release of Houdini 9 and the new Apprentice HD initiative helped make 2007 a busy year. We look forward to making 2008 even more exciting!

Robert

and you put that on this thread for a reason Rob?
Should I get my credit card ready now?

:shock:

-k

rmagee
Happy new year to everyone in the Houdini community. The release of Houdini 9 and the new Apprentice HD initiative helped make 2007 a busy year. We look forward to making 2008 even more exciting!

Ahhh! A clever hint!

This will be a great year indeed!

Macworld announcement maybe?

javascript:emoticon('')

If it goes osx, I'm buying Escape in february… I need just a tool like H Escape for my edit suite.

According to this article,
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/01/02/apple_presenting_secret_at_final_cut_meet_radiohead_on_itunes.html [appleinsider.com]
Apple will present a product it has yet to announce at a Final Cut Pro user group event just a day after the Macworld keynote.
Could this be H9?
Or maybe the ‘Phenomenon’ compositor..

rmagee
Happy new year to everyone in the Houdini community. The release of Houdini 9 and the new Apprentice HD initiative helped make 2007 a busy year. We look forward to making 2008 even more exciting!

Robert

WHEN??!!!?!?!?!