Mac Users Identify Yourselves!

[Dimwhit]

It shows a very shortsighted naiveté on there part to use a closed architecture to set up these tools when they very easily could have used more open source programming to make it a universal tool.

I think it's just lazy programming. But yeah, you have a good point. I'm the only Mac user in the group, so it wouldn't work for us, either. Of course, none of us are moving to 4e, so it's a moot point.

 

[buzz]

It shows a very shortsighted naiveté on there part to use a closed architecture to set up these tools when they very easily could have used more open source programming to make it a universal tool.

While I can certainly sympathize, I feel confident that Macs are still such a tiny share of their user-base that they're not harming themselves at all by ignoring them. It's also entirely possible that the various apps are rooted in existing applications or staff that are Win-focused, and thus it was cheaper to leverage them than start from scratch.

Thankfully, if your group is playing F2F, there's really little need for the DDI applications.

The only app that bums me out for being Win-only is the chargen tool. I mean, I can fire up XP under Parallels, but there's really no reason (possibly other than the "dress-up doll" feature) that a D&D chargen app can't be platform-neutral.

 

[azhrei_fje]

The only app that bums me out for being Win-only is the chargen tool. I mean, I can fire up XP under Parallels, but there's really no reason (possibly other than the "dress-up doll" feature) that a D&D chargen app can't be platform-neutral.

There's really no reason that any app can't be platform-neutral.

Most people will claim that there are performance issues. Bah. For example, take a look at MapTool. The author keeps adding features and the thing becomes faster! There's a new light/vision system coming that the author is claiming will be much faster than the existing vision implementation. It's not about the language, it's about the algorithms...

Or maybe there will be a scream about hardware compatibility. Maybe some VR glove isn't supported on one system but is on another. But those are niche products and hardly useful/used in general. Common hardware is likely to be supported by the cross-platform libraries.

The biggest reason I see against platform neutrality is that the vendor doesn't want to be platform neutral. They want you locked into Windows so that they only have to support a single DRM scheme, for example. Or they want you locked into OSX so that they know what support is already provided by the environment.

That's just short-sighted on their part and shouldn't be supported by people who have opened their eyes and recognized the problem.

 

[buzz]

There's really no reason that any app can't be platform-neutral.

I think there can be plenty of reasons depending on what the app does and what resources are available to the company producing it. Java isn't perfect.

EDIT: From the DDI article about the apps: "...we already had a DirectX-based 3D engine in-house, and there was no point reinventing something we already had available."

That said, most of what would be required by an RPG tool would seem do-able in a cross-platform solution, especially something like chargen.

 

[Glaken]

W
Thankfully, if your group is playing F2F, there's really little need for the DDI applications.

Actually, A part of the problem is that one of our members just recently moved from GA (where we are) to Oregon. We've been using iChat and a video camera to hook him in, I'm on a Mac and he is as well. If we could all use the virtual game board and chat, then it would eliminate the need to have an extra video camera for him to see the board.

I have a feeling this all really won't persuade them but maybe they'll see the error of their ways.

 

[buzz]

Actually, A part of the problem is that one of our members just recently moved from GA (where we are) to Oregon. We've been using iChat and a video camera to hook him in, I'm on a Mac and he is as well. If we could all use the virtual game board and chat, then it would eliminate the need to have an extra video camera for him to see the board.

I have a feeling this all really won't persuade them but maybe they'll see the error of their ways.

Well, there are other apps that let you play over the web that are Mac-friendly. DDI isn't the only option.

 

[Dimwhit]

Well, there are other apps that let you play over the web that are Mac-friendly. DDI isn't the only option.

Battlegrounds is shaping up nicely. My group is thinking of using it.

 

[Aeolius]

Busy night with Leopard ahead... gonna install it on my PowerMac G5, my wife's Mac Pro, my son's Macbook Pro, the family iMac, and the Mac Mini hooked up to the TV (yes, I got the family pack) . I have an iBook and older iMac that are left out of the loop, as they are G3s.

 

[buzz]

Busy night with Leopard ahead...

Amazingly, for the first time evar, I didn't pre-order the upgrade. I figured I'd wait and see how people fare for a bit. I'd love a postmortem, Aeolius.

 

[Aeolius]

You'll really want an Intel-based Mac, to enjoy what Leopard has to offer. Granted, even the Intel-based Mac Minis can't handle some of the more graphic-intensive operations, such as video effects in iChat.

My PowerMac G5 can't run Boot Camp or use the video effects in iChat, but seems to handle the rest with ease.

Safari still won't properly display Gleemax blog tools. Firefox works for that, though.