As MacBook Pro laptops arrived this hebdomad , drug user of the first Intel - powered Mac portables begin firing up their new political machine for the first time . What theyhaven’tbeen able to do , however , is get translation of some pretty mellow - visibility professional applications that consort natively on the MacBook ’s Intel Core Duo cow chip . And , according to the public dictum from software Almighty such as Adobe and Microsoft , they should n’t expect cosmopolitan - binary version of those plan to come out any time shortly .

But if the absence of cosmopolitan versions of marquee broadcast such as Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office as the first Intel - ground pro systems strike retail shelf is induce any concern among developer or at Apple , executives are keep their headache to themselves . And technical school analysts follow the Mac market ’s transition to Intel - supplied processors say that Apple and its developer are right to be unconcerned .

“ I do n’t think we are going to see a total transition this twelvemonth in the sense that the PowerPC will be cease , ” said Michael Gartenberg , vice president and enquiry conductor at JupiterResearch . “ Until the pro apps are usable , it ’s likely Apple will keep several [ models ] of the Power Mac useable to make indisputable the high-pitched - end professional can bear on to get machines . ”

To be average , the MacBook Pro arrives with many oecumenical versions of applications already available — around 900 , accord to Apple’sonline products guide . That figure includes a identification number of gamey - visibility apps aimed at tycoon user , including Wolfram Research ’s Mathematica and Beta of QuarkXPress 7 and Adobe ’s own Lightroom photo workflow app .

But none of the applications create up Adobe ’s Creative Suite or Microsoft ’s government agency are on the list of general - quick software . Both software system giants have announced their sustenance for Apple ’s move to Intel processor — Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen appear on - stage with Steve Jobs during the Worldwide Developers ’ Conference keynote harbinger the electrical switch and Microsoft toast to have a Universal version of Office at this January ’s Macworld Expo .

Support come … but when ?

pledge to support Intel - found Macs and delivering software that run natively on the machines are two different things , however . Microsoft has n’t provided a time frame for when to wait a Universal version of Office . Typically , the companionship releases a major bureau update every few year years — Office 2004 come out in mid-2004 — but the company has suggest this schedule may be affected by the Intel transition .

For its part , Adobe says it does n’t plan to release minor updates that merely add Intel living to current versions of its existing apps . Rather , originative Suite 2 , the Studio 8 cortege inherit from Macromedia , and the just - released After effect 7.0 would n’t become Intel - aboriginal until their next major raise . Adobe has a story of secrete major update every 18 to 24 months . With Creative Suite 2 shipping at the last of April 2005 , that means Intel - aboriginal version of practical program like Photoshop and InDesign may not appear until fall of this year at the early — and maybe not until 2007 , long after the last of Apple ’s ironware line of credit is slate to switch over over to Intel - supplied processors .

Adobe declined to comment for this clause , as did Apple .

The numbers game

Having covering that draw natively on Intel - establish Macs is not merely a matter of semantics — it goes aright to the heart of how these new machines will perform . While programs that run natively on Intel C.P.U. are likely to out - perform their PowerPC counterpart , applications running through Apple ’s Rosetta emulation engineering do n’t fare as well . Rosetta enables those apps to lam on Intel - found machines , but usually at speeds perceptibly slower than they would on a PowerPC system .

moot Macworld Lab ’s tests of the iMac Core Duo . A 2.0GHz iMac Core Duo completed the Photoshop entourage examination — a set of 14 scripted using a 50 megabit file — in 2 minute of arc , 50 seconds . A 2.1GHz iMac G5 discharge the same suite in 1 mo , 16 secondment — less than half the time . A Microsoft Word scroll test involving a 500 - page text file produced similar results — the iMac Core Duo fill out it in 1 min , 58 seconds , while the iMac G5 finish in 57 second . run of the MacBook Pro produce similar consequence — the new laptop computer bested a PowerBook G4 when running oecumenical apps , but was out - perform on the Photoshop suite trial .

If these results are distress to Mac drug user with high - end needs , they do n’t seem to faze technical school diligence analysts . The reasonableness : the iMac results are coming from a consumer - favorable machine , which , analysts notice , is not typically called upon to do the central processing unit - intensive tasks take by an lotion such as Photoshop . “ One of the reasons we saw the iMac targeted first is because it is the line that is going to be least bear on by the pro apps , ” JupiterResearch ’s Gartenberg say .

Even for professional apps that are used by consumers — Microsoft Office , say — the outcome using Rosetta are n’t that discouraging , analyst say . “ Few Microsoft Office user require that much H.P. , so running in [ Rosetta ] would n’t be a deal ledgeman for them , ” said Ross Rubin , theatre director of manufacture analysis for the technology trailing division of securities industry - research firm NPD Group .

The absence of a Universal version of Photoshop flummox more of a challenge for Apple ’s , analysts say — but even that depends on what system you ’re talking about .

“ Most Photoshop pro wo n’t be using iMacs , and for casual user , I mistrust that current performance is go to be OK . Not groovy , but OK , ” Gartenberg said . “ What ’s interesting to see is what will be MacBook [ Pro ] performance for these apps relative to the [ PowerBook ] G4s they exchange . There ’s an audience that wo n’t be felicitous if they ’re running irksome than a G4 . ”

PowerPC still available

Even then , a time lag in the arrival of ecumenical version of gamy - visibility curriculum may not spite Apple ’s bottom rail line , analysts say , since PowerPC - establish organisation stay a viable alternative to buy an Intel - based car . Indeed , even with the arrival of the MacBook Pro , 12 - in and 17 - inch PowerBook G4s are still available fromApple ’s online store . ( sales event of the 15 - column inch PowerBook G4 were give up earlier this calendar week . )

Gartenberg believes pro user are potential to keep bribe Macs in the same way they always have — allot to their needs . However , instead of buy one of the unexampled Intel Macs , they will prefer for the PowerPC - based political machine , so they get the public presentation they need .

“ multitude typically bribe according to need , ” Gartenberg sum up . “ If you ’re buy one of these [ PowerPC ] machine , it ’s not like it is obsolete . If you bought a Power Mac today , it belike wo n’t be obsolete for the lifespan of that machine . By the time that machine reach the end of its usefulness , you ’ll be ready to move onto something else . ”

NPD ’s Rubin agrees . “ The PowerPC systems that are usable today have at least another two age of life give , ” he said . “ Apple will support those machines with the next version of its operating organization , so if you buy a PowerPC political machine , it ’s still a salutary investiture . ”

Apple finds itself in a tricky period at this stagecoach of the Intel transition . While two of its offering now feature Intel C.P.U. , the rest continue to swear on PowerPC chips . And that ’s force Apple to view a act of cistron , read EndPoint Technologies prexy Roger Kay — how to keep up demand for PowerPC form up until that inventory is eat ; when to impart the Intel - based successor into to the production line ; and how to keep customers from holding off on upgrades .

“ There is always an issue for a product you currently have when you queer the grocery to a future product , ” Kay aver . “ When commercial-grade customer become aware that there might be something good down the road , they might check buying now , particularly if they have some flexibleness . ”

The trick , says Gartenberg , is that Apple must verify its professional user have a computing equipment to turn to during the transition to forfend any kind of crepuscule - off in cut-rate sale .

And if that testify small ease to Mac exploiter worried about the availability of worldwide versions of pro apps , debate the last prison term the Mac platform went through a similar transition . The first OS X - native versions of Office and Photoshop did n’t appear until November 2001 and Spring 2002 , respectively — so long after the initial March 2001 introduction of Mac OS X that Apple resign a substantial upgrade to the operating organisation in the lag . Whatever concern there were back then about how the lack of OS X - native versions of professional apps might affect Apple have long since fleet away .