Computers
as a Second LanguageComputers
as a Second LanguageComputer Fundamentals
CAN
AN IBM COMPUTER USE Macintosh SOFTWARE? No.
The Operating System ROM for the Macintosh is designed to work with the
Motorola CPU and the Operating System ROM for the IBM computer is
designed to work with the Intel CPU. Therefore the two systems are
totally incompatible. A disk which has been programmed to work on a
Macintosh will be unintelligible to an IBM machine. Sometimes you will
hear the name of a software package that is available for both types of
computers. In this case, the software company has written two versions
of the program, one specifically designed to run on the Macintosh and
another specifically designed to run on the IBM.What
about the reverse scenario, can a Macintosh computer use IBM software?
The answer is YES! There are computer programs, such as Soft
Windows and Virtual PC, available for the
Macintosh that allow it to emulate a PC. When loaded
into the Macintosh's RAM, the computer operates as if it were an IBM
machine. Because it is just an emulation,
certain programs will not always function properly.The
Commodore AMIGA computer has the capability
of running programs for all computer systems including IBM, Macintosh
and the obsolete Commodore 64. This is possible with various hardware
accessories which are installed inside the AMIGA.
The accessories are called hardware emulators and they
provide many of the capabilities of an older Macintosh or IBM-compatible
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