Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Mac: Microsoft Office 2011 will not be 64-bit

If Mac OS X supports 64-bit applications since Leopard (and even more since Snow Leopard), we can not say that the major publishers are scrambling to offer 64-bit versions of their software on a Mac. Adobe has finally released a 64-bit version of Photoshop CS5, but on the side of Microsoft, it will still go without for Office 2011. This is what one learns in a blog post of Mac Office developers where the author reports on the transition from Office to the Cocoa framework.

Historically, Mac OS X allows you to develop possible applicability in two frameworks: Cocoa and Carbon. This facilitated the transition from Mac OS Classic and Mac OS X, but is ultimately incompatible 64-bit. That's why Photoshop CS4, always in Carbon at the time, had not benefited from 64-bit version unlike the Windows version. Also in Carbon originally Board enters the Cocoa framework with version 2011, but Microsoft says that time constraints have forced the publisher to push the development of a 64-bit: "Because of our work to improved compatibility, we could not complete the transition of the entire user interface to Cocoa. And like Apple's frameworks need to wear a full Cocoa application in order to post a 64-bit, Office 2011 will be available only in 32 bits. "

And remember that the Microsoft 64-bit, despite its advantages in terms of memory management, poses problems of compatibility, even in Office 2010 for Windows. You may recall that Microsoft had already dragged their feet to bring Office Mac Intel version, but this will remember that we also still waiting for 64-bit versions of iTunes, iLife and iWork ...

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