3 replies to this topic

[les.warden]

Sitting here thinking about the next version of RM coming out that is supposed to be a native Mac version. I know, dangerous, right!!

 

I understand this is currently a Windows product, and is currently wrapped so it will work on a Mac, but it is still a Windows product. Mac people work a little different from Windows, but not all that much. There are different keystrokes we end up using that are similar to obtain a particular function, like instead of Windows Ctl (control)-SomeKey, we may use command-SomeKey or command-shift-SomeKey or control-shift-SomeKey. Yea, I know, why isn't the Windows Ctl and Mac control the same??   The list goes on, similar..but a little different. So a couple questions..

 

Some of the forum comments I've read on editing references, "which version of Word are you using?". Now I do have Microsoft Office 2011 on my mac so I do have Word, but I bet not every mac user does. There are other mac applications for editing like Pages, Notes, TextEdit, etc.

Is there an idea about how this Windows app might operate on a mac "natively"? Might it still force one towards MS applications, whereas mac users may have veered away from MS or may have never used MS applications.

Also, is there anywhere in these forums or elsewhere where mac users are able to see their suggested, basic requirements, listed for RM?

And lastly, is there anywhere in these forums or elsewhere where mac users are being asked for their input for mac usage?

 

Seems normal to me to be asking ones customer base how they might see the product operating in their hands.

 

Just wondering....again!

-les

[Rooty]

Les;

 

Few mac users install Microsoft programs. They are expensive, clunky and easily replaced by more user friendly free Apple options (ie Pages for Word, Numbers for Excel).

 

Commands differ because the keyboards are physically different and Apple writes software to be consistent and user friendly across all apps.

 

If RM8 native mac is done right it will behave as a normal mac program, use the proper menu bar and integrated apps like Preview for PDFs, etc. RM8 should have few mac hardware requirements but will probably require reasonably current OS versions (ie sierra/high sierra/mojave). However you are right that there seems no way for mac user input to RM8 and the slow response to problems with the current wrapper version is not encouraging. Tech support seems to use older non-retina desktop units and are surprised by retina laptop issues common to most mac users.

[Jerry Bryan]

I don't think we can really know what the user interface looks like until it comes out. I'm a Windows user who has a pretty strong dislike for the Mac user interface, and there are surely many Mac users who have a pretty strong dislike for the Windows user interface. We can all vote with our pocketbooks when it comes to purchasing computers.

 

The RM developers have stated that RM8 is being developed with a software tool that allows the same software code to run natively on both Windows and Mac. It's hard to know what that means for what the user interface will look like - whether it will look like Windows for Windows users and like Mac for Mac users, or just what it will look like.

 

Jerry

[les.warden]

Thanks for the replies. My gut feeling (and hope) is the Mac version will offer more towards the Mac. I have to believe utilities that help software developers offer up versions towards different OSes take the different OSes nuances into account. Once RM8 gets split, maybe RM will have openings for Mac developers. 👍