Apple Warns Users When Starting 32-bit macOS Apps

rgMekanic

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TheLoop reported Wednesday that macOS users running the latest High Sierra 10.13.4 will now get a warning when launching a 32-bit app. Apple kicked 32-bit apps off iOS starting in version 11, and now it seems they are starting the process in macOS as well. The alert will only happen once, so no worry about constant nagging. Apple posted a notice on their support page about this new alert, and notes that all future Mac software will eventually be required to be 64-bit. I have to wonder if this is a move at least somewhat inspired by the rumor that Apple will be using it's own CPUs in the future.

Apple began the transition to 64-bit hardware and software technology for Mac over a decade ago, and is working with developers to transition their apps to 64-bit. At our Worldwide Developers Conference in 2017, Apple informed developers that macOS High Sierra would be the last version of macOS to run 32-bit apps without compromise.
 
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I hope they would warn me if I tried to launch a 23 bit app :). I think you have a typo in the title and first sentence...
 
Well if a user has access to a 23bit application they have a few more things to be concerned with :)
 
it must be a new Base23 number system. Yeah, I suspect that would have issues with a system designed to work with a Base2 system
 
I'm no Apple fan, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Microsoft should have deprecated 32bit versions of its OS with the launch of Windows 7, 9 years ago.

It has been a goddamned eternity since you could even buy an x86 desktop CPU new. Just kill off the 32 bit compatibility layer already, and encourage the remaining applications to use the full 64bit memory address space better.

It would be a wondrous day when the hybrid zombie 32/64bit game engines were put out to pasture once and for all.
 
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I'm no Apple fan, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Microsoft should have deprecated 32bit versions of its OS with the launch of Windows 7, 9 years ago.

It has been a goddamned eternity since you could even buy an x86 desktop CPU new. Just kill off the 32 bit compatibility layer already, and encourage the remaining applications to use the full 64bit memory address space better.

It would be a wondrous day when the hybrid zombie 32/64bit game engines were put out to pasture once and for all.

Next you will say they should kill off 16-bit apps also.
 
I'm no Apple fan, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Microsoft should have deprecated 32bit versions of its OS with the launch of Windows 7, 9 years ago.

It has been a goddamned eternity since you could even buy an x86 desktop CPU new. Just kill off the 32 bit compatibility layer already, and encourage the remaining applications to use the full 64bit memory address space better.

I have an Atom based Windows tablet that's won't run Windows 10 64 bit due to Intel's not enabling one of the features needed for full 64 bit support.
Still a very usable tablet, so I'm glad there is still a 32 bit version available.

I also support an old application at the office. Even though the app is 32 bits, the install code still has some 16 bit code.
Windows 7 32 bit allowed me to get rid XP, so I'm glad it was available.
Now if I could only get rid of the old application :(
 
I'm no Apple fan, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Microsoft should have deprecated 32bit versions of its OS with the launch of Windows 7, 9 years ago.

It has been a goddamned eternity since you could even buy an x86 desktop CPU new. Just kill off the 32 bit compatibility layer already, and encourage the remaining applications to use the full 64bit memory address space better.

It would be a wondrous day when the hybrid zombie 32/64bit game engines were put out to pasture once and for all.

That doesn't work with a lot of legacy applications (business and industry) that there will never be a 64-bit replacement for.

And besides, that would also make a massive number of games unable to be used anymore.

And you can also use most 16-bit applications with 32-bit versions of the OS. Not so with 64-bit versions.

It would have been suicide business-wise if they would have done away with 32-bit versions of their OSes years ago.

It would also keep a lot of computers on ancient versions of the OS instead of upgrading like they should for security reasons.
 
Apple and MS might try this, but there is so many companies out there that are not willing to spend any money to upgrade there software to 64 bit at all. I've seen it so many times many companies that make millions and millions of dollars but yet will not spend one dime on upgrading there stuff. The bigger they are the cheaper they are.
 
Apple and MS might try this, but there is so many companies out there that are not willing to spend any money to upgrade there software to 64 bit at all. I've seen it so many times many companies that make millions and millions of dollars but yet will not spend one dime on upgrading there stuff. The bigger they are the cheaper they are.

This is somewhat true. However, some of the equipment they still use has no 64-bit or even 32-bit version of the application. Not much they can do about it in that case.

And besides, what is the point of spending up to hundreds of thousands or more on new equipment and software when the existing stuff works just fine?

What would you do in the same situation?
 
I have an Atom based Windows tablet that's won't run Windows 10 64 bit due to Intel's not enabling one of the features needed for full 64 bit support.
Still a very usable tablet, so I'm glad there is still a 32 bit version available.

I also support an old application at the office. Even though the app is 32 bits, the install code still has some 16 bit code.
Windows 7 32 bit allowed me to get rid XP, so I'm glad it was available.
Now if I could only get rid of the old application :(

Well you could argue had MS more forcefully pushed Windows to 64 bit. Intel would never have released a half baked chip to begin with... and you could run 64 bit on that tablet.
 
Well you could argue had MS more forcefully pushed Windows to 64 bit. Intel would never have released a half baked chip to begin with... and you could run 64 bit on that tablet.

That wasn't the chip. It was Intel rushing out Bay Trail Firmware with 32-bit only support.

They rushed it out because in-order Atom sucked complete ass, as did the PowerVR graphics they shipped with those things. You could fix support with a simple firmware upgrade.

If Microsoft had been harder on forcing 64-bit only, Intel would have delayed their release until the following spring. I think that would have been more painful :D
 
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Most of the major Linux distros have been killing 32 bit versions off at last as well. Its well past time for the 32 bit stuff to go away.

As for suggestions that killing 32 bit for Apple will make it easier to switch to ARM. I am sure that would make things much easier as developers still publishing 32 bit software where not likely to react all that fast... best for apple to get rid of those bits of software most of which I'm sure are abandoned projects. If users can't use them before the switch they won't be upset when they also don't run on the ARM version of osx.
 
I'm no Apple fan, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Microsoft should have deprecated 32bit versions of its OS with the launch of Windows 7, 9 years ago.

It's funny you say that, I just saw the dialog for the first time on any of my apps, and it was for Microsoft OneNote. Apart from my browser, Microsoft Office products are the worst memory hogs on a Mac, yet still apparently 32bit
 
I understand that progress takes effort and sacrifices, but at the same time, this bullshit of removing functionality for the sake of it needs to stop.

Apple has zero regards for programs conservation and that can even be dangerous, i think.

It it was a different cpu architecture, i wll understand the hassle, but todays cpu are idling 98% of their lifetimes, so crap like this are just unreasonable.

I give MS crap, but i do praise their efforts for backward compatibility.
 
It's funny you say that, I just saw the dialog for the first time on any of my apps, and it was for Microsoft OneNote. Apart from my browser, Microsoft Office products are the worst memory hogs on a Mac, yet still apparently 32bit

64-bit office is way better than 32-bit, especially when working with large documents and Excel when working with huge data sets.. up to a point. Once you get past that point, you really need something like NI Diadem or else you won't be doing anything.

I find it funny that the MAC version of Office would be 32-bit. The ONLY reason for Office to still have a 32-bit version is to:
1. Run on 32-bit OS
2. Still work with all the 32-bit plugins.
 
Standards are beneficial.

Weeding out developers and software that are unable/refuse to keep up with evolving standards is a positive for everyone.
 
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I've developed iOS software before. It's not that hard to go from 32 bit to 64 bit code (well, it depends on the code...) What I think will sting is deprecated libraries. When you have an app that is only 32 bit, it's likely very old. When your originally developed it, your were using the SDK's and libraries of the time.
Now when you go to recompile and link the binary, you'll have to replace all the deprecated methods. If your code is using C functions (pointers), 32->64 can cause a few more issues depending on your code. At least you don't have to go from PowerPC (RISC) to CISC. I think those developers had Endian (big & little) to deal with - that is no fun at all.
Another big problem for developers - if they spend the time to convert, are they getting paid for it? A lot of the old iOS apps I had under my management were not very popular anymore. I had a few users, but I couldn't justify spending the time to redo them. (In addition to going from 32 bit to 64 bit, I was also looking at redoing the art work as they didn't have hires images and looked like crap on modern devices).
Back to Apple, this will let them remove 32 bit support from the OS and reduce the size of the OS. I think this is a good move. A few favorite old utilities/games might break, but time moves on.
 
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