Mac OS X

• • Manufacturer: Apple Inc.Designers: Apples Industrial Design Group, led by, Jonathan Ive

  • Generation: 10.0 - 10.6

  • Bits: 32bit - 64bit

  • Year Released: 2001 - 2010

  • Media: internet download or CD/DVD

  • Summary: Traditionally passed over for Windows as a gaming computer, the evolving OS X has a growing audience of gamers and game producers alike.

History

Mac OS X originally was released after a beta as version 10.0 named "Cheetah" in March of 2001. Since then six newer versions have come out with the current being 10.6 "Snow Leopard". Most games specifically produced for the OS X platform are targeted at the casual gamer. There are games available on the system that are universal or are shipped to be playable on the system that target the hardcore gamer.

Traditionally, Windows has been the platform of choice for personal computer gamers because of Direct X and its ability to handle better 3D graphics. Also windows is used by a greater audience which creates a greater market for games of that platform.

Hardware

An example of one hardware set up for a OS X.

Model Name: MacBook Pro

Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,5

Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo

Processor Speed: 2.26 GHz

Number Of Processors: 1

Total Number Of Cores: 2

L2 Cache: 3 MB

Memory: 4 GB

Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz

Notable Qualities

• • Not venerable to PC viruses.

  • UNIX based operating system.

• Simple interface.

• "the Mac is five times more stable than Windows" Gabe Newell, Valve founder.**

Notable Titles

Many well known Windows games have been produced for the Mac system. Some are designed as universal software or others have versions specifically designed for the Mac system. Games like Halo, Age of Empires II and III, Call of Duty 2 have Mac compatible versions. Where as games like Warcraft III and The Frozen Throne, WoW, WarHammer Online, and Bioshock come universally compatible with both Windows and Mac in mind. *Since March 30, 2010 Valve will now be making its new Steamworks games compatible with Mac OS X 10.6.

Notable Titles (include but are not limited to):

• • Age of Empires 2 and expansion

  • Age of Empires 3 and expansions

  • Age of Mythology

  • America's Army

  • Battlefield 1942

  • Battlefield 2142

  • Bioshock

  • Black & White

  • Black & White 2

  • Call of Duty

  • Call of Duty: United Offensive

  • Call of Duty 2

  • Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

  • Civilization III

  • Civilization IV and expansion

  • Command & Conquer 3

  • Command & Conquer Generals

  • Command & Conquer Generals: Zero Hour

  • Command & Conquer Red Alert 3

  • Counterstrike

  • Counterstrike Source

  • Diablo II

  • Diablo II: Lord of Destruction

  • Diablo III

  • Doom 3

  • Eve Online

  • Everquest

  • Fate

  • Gears of War

  • Half-Life

  • Half-Life 2

  • Half-Life 2: Episode One

  • Half-Life 2: Episode Two

  • Halo: Combat Evolved

  • Left 4 Dead

  • Left 4 Dead 2

  • Lineage

  • Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

  • Medal of Honor: Allied Assault

  • Myst IV: Revolution

  • Myst V: End of Ages

  • Myst Online: Uru Live

  • The Path

  • Portal

  • Portal 2

  • Quake 4

  • Quake Live

  • Red Faction

  • Rise of Nations

  • Rome: Total War

  • Rome: Total War: Barbarian Invasion

  • Sim City 4

  • The Sims and expansions

  • The Sims 2 and expansions

  • The Sims 3 and expansions

  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

  • Spore and expansions

  • Star Wars: Force Unleashed

  • Starcraft and expansion

  • Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

  • Unreal Tournament

  • Unreal Tournament 2003

  • Unreal Tournament 2004

  • Warcraft 3 and expansion

  • Warhammer Online: Age of Reconing

  • World of Warcraft and expansions

  • Zoo Tycoon and expansions

  • Zoo Tycoon 2

References

• • * Valve's release 3/30/2010: http://store.steampowered.com/news/3569

  • ** Article by Chris Foresman 5/21/2010: http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/05/mac-lags-windows-in-gaming-performance-excels-at-stability.ars

• http://www.apple.com/macosx/what-is-macosx/

• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_designed_Mac_OS_X