CrossOver Updated for XQuartz 2.3.3.2 – Download Here

CodeWeavers has released an update to CrossOver, adding compatibility with the quartz-wm packaged in XQuartz 2.3.3.2 (recently updated by Apple). The program comes in two forms (Mac and Games), allowing users to install “supported” Windows programs on their Macs, without having to use costly virtualization solutions, or to install Microsoft's Windows OS.

CrossOver Mac allows you to install popular Windows applications and games on your Mac, provided that you pack an Intel processor. CrossOver's easy to use. The single click interface makes installing Windows software simple and fast. However, once installed, Windows apps may or may not work as expected, whether they are 'supported' or 'unsupported' apps. The Games version of CrossOver is just like CrossOver Mac, only it's optimized for running games, of course. CodeWeavers adds new supported Windows apps and games to CrossOver by constantly updating the software.

However, the latest version of CrossOver Mac and CrossOver Games simply fixes an incompatibility with the quartz-wm packaged in XQuartz 2.3.3.2. Apple has recently updated XQuartz, a version of the X.org X Window System that is able to run on Mac OS X. Together with supporting libraries and applications, XQuartz forms the X11.app that Apple has been shipping with installation discs ever since the release of Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard). Version 2.3.3.2 fixes a bug in the interaction between X11 and Spaces. X11 2.3.3.2 contains XQuartz-1.4.2-apple42.

CrossOver bridges directly between Windows software and OS X, unlike similar products that run the Windows operating system on a virtual machine. This, according to CodeWeavers, allows applications to run at greater speeds on a user's Mac, compared with running Windows games in a virtual machine.

Some of the key advantages that CrossOver has in relation to the other compatibility solutions include the ones listed below. Admittedly, each solution has its advantages and disadvantages, CodeWeavers asserts.

Dual-booting: Running two separate operating systems on one PC, and switching between them as needed by rebooting. Applications such as Apple's Bootcamp allow this to occur on a Mac OS X machine, for example.
Running a virtual machine: Emulation products such as VMware and Parallels allow you to run a full version of the Windows OS inside a program running on your native operating system. The Windows applications essentially run in a separate "box within a box."
Running Wine or CrossOver: Unlike emulation, Wine is a re-implementation of the Win32 API, allowing applications to run as if natively on the target OS. CrossOver is a commercialized version of Wine.

Readers can download a 30-day trial version of the software and see how it works for them. If they decide it's a keeper, CodeWeavers charges 39.95 for a one-user license. A CrossOver Mac Professional version is available for $69.95.

Download CrossOver Mac (Update / Trial / Buy)

Download CrossOver Games (Update / Trial / Buy)