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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Consumer Hardware & Components > New hardware drivers for intel-based Macs

New hardware drivers for intel-based Macs
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ryarber
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Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Tupelo, MS
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Jun 7, 2005, 12:56 AM
 
Won't the hardware drivers for intel based macs take a long time in coming? Seems to me that was the major sticking point for me during the migration from OS 9 to OS X, that for a long time, there were just no drivers for the peripherals, eg. my logitech keyboard and mouse, scanners, digital cameras, etc. Won't this be a real problem for a while and a reason to stay with the PPC platform for a while after the intel trasition is made? I'm looking for reasons that people will want to hang on to their PPC machines for a while and not be discouraged from going ahead and buying a new one between now and the change.

Will they need a new logo to say that this peripheral is compatible with OS X for intel?
     
tooki
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Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
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Jun 7, 2005, 02:45 PM
 
Rewriting drivers for Mac OS X was a huge deal because Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 are so entirely different, at the relevant levels, that the drivers could not be adapted for use (as could be done with applications): they had to be rewritten from scratch.

Most drivers will only need minor modifications to be run on the new machines. The switch to Intel should also make it easier to port some drivers from Linux to the Mac.

In short: I don't expect it to be a big deal, and I can guarantee it won't be the world of pain that the OS 9 -> OS X transition was.

tooki
     
GORDYmac
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Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Decatur, GA
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Jun 9, 2005, 10:12 AM
 
Since the processor seems to be the only real difference between Macs and PCs now, I don't think drivers will need to be rewritten this time around--at least not stuff like Printer Drivers and USB devices. Just my lay opinion.
     
   
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