Crossover for Mac from Codeweavers

What with all the hullabaloo about cross over for mac using some smart alec implementation of Wine that is supposed to allow for native execution of Windows™ applications on an Intel™ based Mac™ with the need of a full blown Windows installation / execution as per my current Parallels Desktop™ and many others' Boot Camp setups.

I decided to give it the most cursory of glances, given that I have already shelled out for and enjoy running windows in a parallel box.

I Downloaded it. Ran it, it does quite a good instructional job on its opening screen. Insert a Windows Application Setup CD or point it at a windows installer .exe file.

My first test was to attempt the installation and setup of what would be the main stumbling block if my father were ever to switch over. He has, must be approaching 10 years worth of financial data in a Quicken file. His current version is 2002, so I dig out the desired install CD and insert it.

Good it spots the disk and offers to install it. From a little drop down it has a list of pre setup scenarios, one of which is Quicken. "Great" I think - this could be a winner.

Off it goes faking various win32 hooks and pretending to reboot and set up what I believe it calls a "bottle" - whatever.


It's proceeding along and then it gets to the end of some process or another and informs me that it's failed. I don't panic too much at this point, it is after all a new piece of software it probably expected an up to date version of Quicken. I start it again asking it to install an "Unknown" program.


The install appears to be getting further, but at the end no Cigar. Not a good prospect, I still contain my annoyance with the appeasement of, well it probably is a bit of a niche piece of software. Despite knowing full well all Quicken is, is a tarted up bit of spreadsheet kit with some metadata tags stuck on the end.


Not one to try one thing then decry and throw the baby out with the bath water. I press on. Everyone on Adium keeps trying to use their posh MSN clients to send me weird and wonderful winks, nudges and graphics. Whilst not wanting to encourage such purile behavior it'd be nice to be able to receive the rubbish before scolding my friends for wasting my time.

So I try, albeit it's doomed to fail given the current MS tendency to kludge lots of bits together and make some bastardised applications akin to IE in the late 90s.

I did like the fact that cross over gave the .exe I downloaded from MSN a twee little cross over icon.


This didn't help however and another failed installation later I do give up and turn to the section in the online faq "How do I completely remove your software?" which it is good that they supply.


I might investigate further in the future I've got an Office 2007 disk here which I fancy trying without messing up my current cushy parallels setup. One of their screen shots does seem to show Visio on the desktop. (the site also claims to support Quicken, pah)


Although this could just be another stella way to piss my boss off by sending him more documents he can't open.

The verdict ?

I realise that the concept is amazing. That they can trick any applications in to thinking they are sat on a Windows machine sans a bloated Windows™ install.

This is a pre β release. Whilst I won't be dropping my Parallels install into the trash just yet, I will be keeping an eye on the Codeweavers website.