Sailwave running on Surface Pro X - and the future of Sailwave on ARM Based Mac products

Does anyone here run Sailwave on a Surface Pro X ? This is a product that runs Windows 10 on a non-Intel X86 processor architecture. For those thinking of moving to Mac or getting new Mac in 2021, this may be a time to review your options? if Sailwave is important to you.

I run have Apple MAC products and run Sailwave on two different systems without issues using two types of virtualization software Parallels and Crossover, both cost money the Parallels option is more comprehensive but cost more than Crossover which is Wine based. In 2021 when the first ARM-based MAC products are rumoured to hit the high street (to be confirmed by Apple later this month) there is no advertised Visturalization software announced at this time…Why not?? perhaps it has a lot to do with the Microsofts Surface Pro X product, which already has an official Microsoft version of Windows 10 running on this ARM-based product.

However, there are reports some very current, that Windows is not the same on the Surface Pro X, Hence the question? does Sailwave a 32bit application work on the Pro X?, which could be a guide to how it “Could” operate on the new MAC.

Thanks…Just thought i would ask now.

JohnW

Hi John,
I expect Jon will reply more technically but my two cents worth.

Sailwave will not run using WINE/Parallels/CrossOver on ARM based Chromebooks only Intel based ones. I doubt Sailwave will run on Microsoft Surface Pro X or Apple Mac systems that use ARM based CPU.

It might be that the development tool Jon uses to code Sailwave has or will have in the future an option available to cross-compile for a different CPU architecture to Intel x86.

Kind regards,
Huw

Hi John,

The Surface Pro X - should in theory run Sailwave if Microsoft has done their job properly. Obviously the proof will be in the eating as they say!
Will look forward to hearing how it goes if anyone gets a Pro X. Some of the compute-intensive features I would expect to run considerably slower. But this may not be a problem for most as generally, Sailwave is quite fast. Time will tell
The Surface Pro X is as I understand running Microsofts Arm version where the operating system runs on Arm code but the application runs an emulation, so where the application is making calls to the OS these will run at full speed but other code is emulated and will run slower.
from the web

Using WOW64, an x86 emulator, ARM chips can run 32-bit apps, but not all 64-bit versions. The Surface Pro X can natively run 64-bit apps but only those that have been ported to ARM64, an evolution of ARM that supports 64-bit processing.

As Sailwave is a 32-bit application it should work.

As for Apple - little is known at present about what they are doing - at least to me. There are rumors that they are bringing Arm processors (of Apple design) to the Mac and that these will be phased in over the models which will take some time. The first is rumored to be a 12" laptop. Unless anyone knows more at this time - Apple hasn’t released any info on the capabilities or compatibility

Jon

Jon,

Yes rumours suggest first MAC with ARM will be in the MacBook range, and we will not have to wait long to find out as every year Apple run their WWDC in June where new products are announced etc etc. This year because of Covid19 it will be an online event only, and it starts on 22nd June, so that will be when we can expect to get the first snippets of info about the new model(s).

I have read a small number of articles that clearly indicate that yes 32 bit apps run on the Surface Pro X without issues…

JohnW

There is a variant of Windows 10 called S mode which only allows you to run apps from the Windows store. And there is a way apparently to switch it to normal Windows. I heard about it on another forum so Google it if you wish to know more.

Latest from Apple WWDC first AMD Apple MAC to be released before end of 2020, with the complete range transitioned in the next 2 years.

I assume we will have to wait a little longer to find how this will impact the current Viritualisation software packages, including Parallels and Crossover etc. etc. and where will the Surface Pro X version of Windows 10 fit into this equation??

Some MAC users already run Linux based operating systems on older Intel powered macs, so not sure how the AMD powered devices will continue that support.

JohnW

John,
I think you mean ARM CPU based Mac systems not AMD.

From what little I have seen, Apple are supposedly including some built-in something to allow applications written for Intel/AMD CPU to still run. My take from a little reading is that it is akin to WINE.

“With a new version of its Rosetta emulation tool, software written for Intel-based Macs will run on the new Arm-based machines,”

Kind regards,
Huw

Huw,

What a mistake to make…apologies to all not sure what was going through my mind at the time…

Thanks for pointing that one out…

JohnW

All,

Bad news on the ARM virtualisation front.

The following is a brief quote from a very popular MAC site (Macrumors)

…"Rosetta can translate most Intel-based apps, including apps that contain just-in-time (JIT) compilers. However, Rosetta doesn’t translate the following executables:

- Kernel extensions
- Virtual Machine apps that virtualize x86_64 computer platforms…"

JohnW

Hi John,
The good news is Microsoft has released an insider version of their Arm Windows which now even runs 64-bit apps. Sailwave runs fine on this Arm Windows version. Also, Parallels have released their Beta version for the Apple Mac using the Arm Processor and they both work well together allowing you to run Sailwave just fine on an Arm-based Mac :grinning: Interestingly the Apple Mac with the M1 running Windows 10 Pro, benchmarks at double the speed of the Microsoft Surface Pro X.