CrossOver, Northstar Run Windows Apps on Macs—without Windows


News Analysis: New programs from CodeWeavers and True North Technology give Mac users access to Windows applications without running the Windows operating system.

As sales of Apple's Macs expand, so does the number of ways to run Windows software on Apple hardware. Two new methods offer Mac users access to Windows applications, but unlike Boot Camp or Parallels, they don't require running Windows itself or the Windows desktop.

CrossOver from CodeWeavers is a commercial product based on the open-source Wine program. The company has a Linux version and plans to release a Mac version in August. True North Technology's Northstar is a Web-based service that also employs X11 and Java. CrossOver runs only on Intel-powered Macs; Northstar works with PowerPC-based as well as Intel-based Macs.

Both provide Windows applications in their own windows on the Mac, giving users access to Windows applications and the Mac OS X software at the same time. Neither, however, is a virtual machine product.

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759...119TX1K0000594