[Love Calm Quiet]

My PowerBook G4 is getting long-in-tooth and I'm looking to move to 15 or 17in MBPro.
Concern: I've got money to replace the PB, but not to upgrade all my PPC-based software (Dreamweaver MX 4; FileMaker 5, etc.) that are *not* "universal" (PPC/Intel).

Did I hear something about the Snow Leopard (required on new MB Pros) *not* accommodating such now "legacy" versions of software? ...will i need to look at *older models* of MBPros (pre-unibody) that will run Leopard?

[Simon]

Snow Leopard runs Rosetta (PPC emulation) just fine. The only difference is that it's not a default install like it was on Leopard. But even if you don't configure SL to install with Rosetta, whenever it's needed SL will offer to install it on the fly.

[amazing]

Simon has answered the question, but just to top things off, here's macintouch's Snow Leopard compatibility list:

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: Compatibility

[CharlesS]

Yeah, just go with the standard install of Snow Leopard. The first time you try to run a PPC app, it will automatically download and install Rosetta, after which point you’ll be all set.

It’s actually better to do it this way, because downloading Rosetta will log the download on Apple’s servers, thus letting them know that people are indeed using Rosetta, so Apple doesn’t get any bright ideas about axing it in the next release.

[OreoCookie]

Just as a comment: Apple's choice to not include Rosetta in the default installation might be a nudge to developers that it may not be included in the next release. I'd start saving up for updates to software that is still PowerPC. Or alternatively, if you give us a list, we can suggest alternatives.

[EndlessMac]

As the others have mentioned PPC applications will run using Rosetta but the real issue is whether the applications are compatible with Snow Leopard. Most software companies are only promising full compatibility and support with their latest software. Your older applications may work in Snow Leopard but there maybe a few bugs and issues or they may not work at all. Amazing gave you a link to a compatibility list but you can find other lists if you do a search on the internet.

Whether you are using Mac or Windows, every time you upgrade your OS you might encounter problems with older programs working unless the software companies are providing updates to make them work on the new OS. You did not say what Mac OS you are using? You can go with your plan of getting a used MBP with Leopard if you current have Leopard or get the new MBP and use your PB for those few applications that don't work in Snow Leopard while you save up money to update your applications. As you move forward into the future you are going to have update those applications anyway unless you are planning to never upgrade your computers ever again.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by OreoCookie 

Just as a comment: Apple's choice to not include Rosetta in the default installation might be a nudge to developers that it may not be included in the next release. I'd start saving up for updates to software that is still PowerPC. Or alternatively, if you give us a list, we can suggest alternatives.

It might be. But I'm pretty sure excluding printer drivers wasn't a sign that Apple is going to ax printing support, so then again it might not be.

[Art Vandelay]

Not including printer drivers saves GBs of space. Not including Rosetta saves 3.5 MB. I think that makes it clear that Rosetta is on its way out.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay 

Not including printer drivers saves GBs of space. Not including Rosetta saves 3.5 MB. I think that makes it clear that Rosetta is on its way out.

^^^ This.

Apple definitely intended this to be a signal to developers.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Simon 

^^^ This.

Apple definitely intended this to be a signal to developers.

"Intended for this to be a signal"? What, is Apple mute and illiterate? If Apple wants to say something, it can say it. If we were to read Apple's signals, we could have concluded years ago that Objective-C would be phased out in favor of Java and Cocoa itself would be made just a client of the official OS X applications framework, Carbon. You can try to read in a thought process behind it, but if Apple has an official message to send, it has channels for doing so.

[Art Vandelay]

I think it's a signal to end users.

[Love Calm Quiet]

Thanks for all the clarification (and edification), folks. Very reassuring.