I don't think the porcessor will affect the OS, so I don't think it will be possible.

Only through VirtualPC, which isn't very spectacular.
Use a PC for AutoCAD.

Someone just needs to give those boobs down at AutoCAD a swift kick in the butts and tell them to make it freakin compatible with MACs.

I was browsing through a local Apple store a few weeks ago, and asked the guy if there's any word about a Mac-compatible version of AutoCAD. He said Autodesk has been working one for about 18 months now, but it hasn't been released yet.

Does anybody know if there's any truth to this?

The IT guy has said that from what he's read, you will be able to install Windows XP on the new Macs. There may be some mild hack that you need to do, but he said you should be able to create a dual boot system. I read a few articals about it too that said it should be possible. Microsoft and Apple will not support it though. It will be interesting to see if it actually works once they come out.

at the moment, you can't easily install xp, as xp won't work on EFI based computers without an updated version from MS.

there's a reward (over $10,000) for anyone that can pull it off without using virtualization, and somebody might be successful at it, but the most likely scenario right now is waiting for an EFI-supporting windows vista sometime in the next year or so.

I wouldn't count on XP ever running on one of the new mactels. possible though.

somehow, eventually there'll be a way to run autocad on mac hardware. just might take a little while.

vectorworks.

Yeah, that's a solution.

(read with heavy sarcasm implied.)

well many architects who choose to work on Macs use Vectorworks...even big name folks like Antoine Predocks, etc.

If you want to use AutoCAD, then don't use a Mac...end of story.

Hows that for a solution?
(read with as much sarcasm as you care to.)

anything is possible with the know-how. people have gotten osX to run on windows boxes already, and it should be possible to install windows on the new intel macs with no emulation... so one could boot XP and run autocad on an intel mac with no performance penalties.

The issue, I see, is support and program functionality within the OS'. SInce neither Apple or Microsoft has any plans to support this, it will be difficult for any application to run smoothly since there is no support for this functionality what so ever. The best bet for AutoCAD being used on a Mac is Autodesk making a version of AutoCAD that runs on the mac...everything else is day dreaming...sorta like web browsers using open standards...I have heard that one for over 8 years now...and yet, all browsers still process webpages a little differently.

there is a way to install windows vista (previously called longhorn) on the new intel macs, but not xp. XP will only work under emulation... (read manamana's post)

and if you are even considering running AutoCAD under virtual PC- you should use windows 2000, because XP takes waaay too much memory. but it's only good for 2D drafting... if you start doing 3D, you'll get bogged down.

besides, Vectorworks is a pretty good program... ArchiCAD also runs under OSX... there are many other CAD programs besides AutoCAD...

-to

3ifs:
in case it hasn't been made clear, that's not possible.

The leaked OSX that runs on windows boxes is an older, BIOS-using (as opposed to EFI) version that shipped with the development boxes last june for software developers.

with the official release of the mactel, they switched to EFI. The EFI-using OSX on the mactels won't run on widows boxes (even if the TPM is cracked) and windows XP won't run on the new mactels.

With an EFI supporting version of windows, it should be a piece of cake to dual boot.

sorry manamana... i neglected to read your previous post.

i remain positive that it will be possbile with EFI windows.

Autodesk was supposed to release a .DWF viewer for Mac OS X. They announced it atleast 18 months ago. It's still vaporware.

I wouldn't count on them to release a Mac OS X version, though.

Presently, Archicad has some pretty amazing translation capability. As everything is going in the BIM direction, I would invest in either Archicad or Vectorworks and leave the 2-d world behind or buy a less expensive 2-d program like PowerCADD.

Good luck!

Wm

PS The emerging trend is for construction companies to push the whole CAD industry into their corner because they have so much more money to spend on software than design professionals. The top 200 construction firms worldwide generate about $70 billion in revenue. Comapre that to less than $1 billion for the top 200 design firms.

So the BIM thing is going to take off and architects will be left once again to follow.

makeArchitecture, that has always been the case...

Before it was the engineering companies that really championed the Autocad software...

It would be cool if you could run Mac OS X and Windows simultaneously on a Mac system. With the advent of quad systems, there is the horsepower to handle the load.

Now that the macs are intel-based, the problem of simulation becomes much simpler. Since there is no need to translate each machine instruction, the simulator does not have to do much more than "fake" the operating system's API (the code that is responsible for creating the windows, buttons, etc.). This means a very fast simulation - I'm basing this on personal experience of simulating a linux machine on a windows one.
I've talked to some guys from iEmulator and they said the performance of their 1.7.9 version is so good that they don't expect it to be a problem. You would, however, have to spend some good 23.95$ for it.

The other option is not to simulate windows but to integrate it into the macos, much like the Classic and the Xwindow systems. This project, called "Darwine", already has impressive results - they ran winzip!
darwine (if you can't read hebrew, just look at the pictures).
The wine project, on which darwine is based, is able to run MS office on linux, eventhough some obscure configuration is required.

One way or another, the mactels would run autocad. The big question is why architects were driven to such a point where they can only use one program. As customers, you should try to move the software industry to support standard file format instead of standard programs. This way you could choose your favorite tools and platforms, and still exchange files - like graphic designers did with the PDF, for example.

In theory (and hopefully practice), the new versions of VirtualPC will allow the MacIntel machines to run PC programs nearly as fast as a PC. We're talking close to 95% or so of the PC of the same processor, etc:.
The reason is because Virtual PC would no longer have to do the translating of Intel x86 commands to IBM processor commands (which took the majority of the processing power right out of VPC).
Think of it this way:
In the past, it was like having to read a German book while translating it to French (languages), and translating the German cultural imagery into French cultural imagery (GUI). Now, the book is in French too, and all that remains is the imagination part - but as the book is already written in French, imagery translation is quick and not too hard to do comparatively to the past.

All we're waiting for is enough newer versions of our foundation applications to come out with Intel-processor native versions. Adobe won't be coming out with the Intel-native versions until early 2007 or late 2006... so, as a basic rule, have patience while the transition is being made and ground is being built up. Let the foundation cure, so to say... then you can take a walk on the cement.

by the time Apple can actually deliver their new probooks, maybe there will be a compatibe AutoCad version.