CodeWeavers now has available for download a free, 60-day Beta of CrossOver Mac, which enables Intel Mac owners to run Windows applications, including games, without restarting their computers and without requiring a copy of the operating system. However, not all applications run without a hitch; CodeWeavers hosts a database of compatible software.
Anyone who participates in the Beta will be able to buy the final version of CrossOver Mac for US$39.95, instead of $59.95, with a 15-month support period, rather than 12 months. CodeWeavers will also offer a free upgrade to CrossOver Mac 6.0 when it comes out. The deal will expire when the final version ships, a date that CodeWeavers has not announced yet.
CodeWeavers also sells CrossOver Linux and CrossOver Server, which enable running Windows software in Linux or on Linux or Solaris thin clients. The company uses WINE (WINE Is Not an Emulator), technology that remaps Windows APIs to their UNIX counterparts on the fly. Since Mac OS X is based on UNIX, CodeWeavers has been able to modify their technology for that operating system too, since it can now run on Intel processors.
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