Have anyone experience with Visual Foxpro on Apple MAC

[Stesvet]

I use Visual Foxpro 9 now, but many years worked with FPW 2.6a(still yet) however only on Windows.

I have read that VFP works also on Apple computers. Because I consider as a variant to buy an Apple computer (due to music recording with AVID ProTools software - it is my hobby).

So, I would like to know if VFP9 Works also on Appple MAC computer.

Eventually, if yes, could me anyone recommend what type of MAC computer should I buy? I have not any experience with MAC (e.g. if ith has also folders like program files, users, etc., maybe there could be a problem with 32 bit???)

Thank you!
Stefan

 

[Olaf Doschke]

There once was VFP MAC, but not for MAC OSX. The only variant running on MAC OSX is GUINEU, but it's not supporting the full language.
Your best way to use VFP9 on a MAC is by Parallels or having a Windows partition with Bootcamp.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Mike Lewis]

Stefan,

The only version of VFP that runs on a Mac is 3.0 - a very antiquated version (it came out nearly 20 years ago), and one that never really worked properly. All versions of FoxPro for Windows and FoxPro for Dos were available for Apple computers, as was the even earlier FoxBase.

I doubt you would be able to purchase any of those early versions today. And you will hate using them, given you are accustomed to VFP 9.0.

Best advice would be to say with Windows.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[Dan Freeman]

As the others have said, VFP is Windows-only. However, it's fully usable on a Mac in a Windows VM using Parallels (which is as close to magic as you'll likely see in the software world). You don't need to hesitate to run that way. I do it every day.

 

[Stesvet]

Thank you
Stefan

 

[dmusicant]

At my first Foxpro job, which was using Foxpro for Windows 2.6, my boss had a few copies of Foxpro 2.6 for Mac that he was willing to sell for $100. This was about 1997, I think. I didn't actually work for him, but he wrote my checks. I worked with a guy working for a company that was under contract with my boss, my boss supplied them with workers. I was tempted to buy a copy, and at times I have regretted that I did not. The $100 seemed a little steep at the time. I do volunteer work for an organization that runs Macs (and Protools 8 at this time), and would like to be able to run Foxpro 2.6 code on their machines. I imagine it might be attainable if you look, but it might not run OK on the latest Mac OS.

Yes, the first version of Visual Foxpro (3) was released for Mac as well as Windows, but Mac support stopped at version 3.

 

[Olaf Doschke]

Again, Foxpro for Mac doesn't run on the currrent MAC OSX anyway, Mac OSX isn't backward compatible to older Macintosh versions and so you couldn't even execute FoxproMac 2.6 programs. It's useless to think of that Foxpro version, you'd need a historic Mac computer, too.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Olaf Doschke]

In detail:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_OS_X

Max OS X was capable to emulate/virtualize Mac OS 9 until Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard), but I doubt Foxpro Mac 2.6 would run on Mac OS 9, so it's useless to think about the old Foxpro Versions on a new Mac.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Stesvet]

!!! For dmusicant

It seems to me that we could discuss these issues because:

a) I have Protools 9, but I am hoby-song writer and I do not know what setting I should use when recording acoustics guitar and voice (I speculate more than one year with it, but still not satisfied - I am totally autodidact concerning recording with Protools, as well, I d not knowbody who use it)

b) Maybe I am only one in World who uses and adapted FoxPro for Windows 2.6 in very large presonalisation range
* Namely, I use it cca 15 year, now, more with VisualFoxpro 9, however my students have tutorials on classroo's computers in FPW2.6a
* see for example my page

http:///www.svti.sk

- this is made in FPW2.6a

Write me whatever you need - I am able to give you many codes, even you could try my peronal standalone aplication WritingPad (however, it Works when Windows paths is possible be used ) -- I can send you a table with FPW2.6a help and so on.

Do not hesitate contact me (of course all for free ) .

 

[Stesvet]

!!! For dmusicant -

http://www.svti.sk

(there was error ///))

 

[craigber]

Another option is to use Remote Desktop on the Mac to connect to a Windows server

Craig Berntson
MCSD, Visual C# MVP,

http://www.craigberntson.com/blog

 

[Dan Freeman]

I use RD occasionally, mostly at the office. But if you're already running a Mac you don't need to add a Windows PC to the mix. Running Windows in Parallels lets you run Windows right on the Mac, and both Mac and Windows apps share disk and printer resources and you can copy/paste between them.

 

[craigber]

Parallels works provided you have the disk space and RAM to support it. But ultimately, Stesvet sill need to decide the best option for his environment.

Craig Berntson
MCSD, Visual C# MVP,

http://www.craigberntson.com/blog

 

[mmerlinn]

FoxPro 2.6 DOES run natively on Mac OS 9 computers. I do it every day on a G4 Quicksilver running OS 9.2.2 as well as a G3 running OS 9.2.2. I also run it on various incarnations of OS 7, OS 8, and OS 9 on Motorola based Macs.

FP 2.6 will run natively on all G3s and most early G4s (mostly those without a firewire port) although some G4s, like the Quicksilver, require a hard to find ROM patch which Apple released specifically to allow 9.2.2 to run on the Quicksilver. The Quicksilver is the fastest Mac that FP will run on as well as the fastest Mac that OS 9 will run on.

My G3s and G4s can boot in either OS X or OS 9 depending on what programs I need to run. As noted above, FoxPro will NOT run natively on OS X.

Over the years I have accumulated several copies of FPM 2.5, FPM 2.6, and VFPM 3.0 primarily to get the documentation. Most I have found on eBay for $25 in original unopened packages. Once I got myself covered I quit buying more, have not watched eBay now for several years, and do not know if any can even be found there anymore.

As best that I can tell based on my experience with it, VFPM 3.0 was released without thorough testing probably because MS did not want to continue to develop for the Mac and yet wanted to monetize what was already completed thereby releasing a buggy product. As a result, I prefer to use FP 2.6 rather than VFPM 3.0. Most of the documentation released with VFPM 3.0 was FP 2.6 documentation WITHOUT any updates for VFPM 3.0, which means that learning VFPM 3.0 entails a lot of trial and error to make it work. It appears that MS again did not want to spend money documenting a released product that they were not going to develop further.

mmerlinn

http://mmerlinn.com

Poor people do not hire employees. If you soak the rich, who are you going to work for?

"We've found by experience that people who are careless and sloppy writers are usually also careless and sloppy at thinking and coding. Answering questions for careless and sloppy thinkers is not rewarding." - Eric Raymond