Most Mac and Linux users think anything Windows can do their
operating systems can do better. Often, they're right, but then there
comes that day when they really need to run that one special Windows
application and then they're stuck.
Run Windows programs from your Linux desktop or Mac? With CrossOver, it's easy.
There are many ways of handling this. Some people keep old Windows PC
around; others dual boot their computers; and quite a few run virtual
machines (VM)s of Windows on their Linux PCs and Macs. That's all fine,
but it's also a fair amount of trouble.
Then, there's CodeWeaver's approach: Use a program,
CrossOver, which enables you to install and run the one or two Windows applications you need on your favorite operating system.
CrossOver is based on the open-source project Wine,
an implementation of the Windows application programming interface
(API) on top of the Unix/Linux operating system family. For each
application, CrossOver/Wine creates a small Windows virtual machine just
for that program.
You actually don't need CrossOver to run Windows applications on
Linux or a Mac. You can do it with Wine alone -- if you know precisely
what you're doing. What CrossOver gives you is easy, automated
installation of Windows applications, and technical support. And in this
latest version, the CrossOver interface has been improved so it's
easier than ever to install and manage Windows applications.
The latest version -- CrossOver 12.5, which is based on Wine 1.6 -- supports thousands of Windows programs.
These include: Quicken, Adobe Photoshop, various versions of the
Microsoft Office suite; and, of course lots and lots of games. On the
fun side of computing, CrossOver supports Guild Wars, World of Warcraft,
Star Wars: The Old Republic, and thousands of others.
Not all programs run equally well. Before you invest in buying
CrossOver, which runs $59.95, you'll want to take CodeWeavers up on its
offer of a free two-week trial to make sure that your particular
must-have program will run right with it.
In particular, this latest version offers better support for
Microsoft Outlook, Quicken, Internet Explorer 7, and improved
compatibility with the Microsoft Office suite. The company has also
fixed several crashes and made numerous usability improvements.
This edition also offers a real improvement in its interoperability
with Mac OS X. CrossOver 12.5, which will run with Snow Leopard or
later, now has the"Mac Driver" technology enabled by default for all
applications. The company claims that this brings improved integration
with the OS X desktop environment and improves functions such as
drag-and-drop, command-tab switching, Dock and Menu Bar integration, and
window transparency. In my limited testing with my Mountain
Lion-powered Mac Mini, Mac Driver lived up to these claims.
On Linux, CrossOver boasts a new user interface. This makes it much
easier to launch your installed Windows applications. I also found it
easier in general to install Windows apps on Linux with CrossOver 12.5.
CrossOver isn't perfect. Many Windows applications won't run properly
with it. But, many will work with it, and if you only need a couple of
Windows apps to make your Linux or Mac computing life complete then
CrossOver may well be exactly what you need.
Run Microsoft Windows Applications and Games on Mac, Linux or ChromeOS save up to 20% off
CodeWeavers CrossOver+ today.
Run Microsoft Windows Applications and Games on Mac, Linux or ChromeOS save up to 20% off CodeWeavers CrossOver+ today.
