New MacBook doesn't run the games Apple claims

[digby]

I asked the other day (and my daughter posted on the Aspyr web site), as well as on The Other Older Site:

Why won't The Sims Pet Stories work on my Macbook??


Well, I spent a good chunk of the day talking to Apple, and at the genius bar -- looks like the new MacBook doesn't have the GMA950. It was upgraded to the X3100. Which doesn't run a number of games. Apple and Aspyr think the games run, but they don't realize that the upgrade means they're NOT supported.

And Apple hasn't figured out that The Sims Pet Stories... the #1 game that they recommend for the MacBook (on their "beginning gaming" page)... DOESN'T WORK ON A MACBOOK.

So I guess I have to wait for Aspyr to patch their games. And they just email back with platitudes (like "you probably didn't have the disc in the drive.").

ARRRRRRRRRGGH!


background: I just got a MacBook and the Mac version of The Sims Pet Stories for Christmas and tried it out, but it just quits everytime I try to launch it. It says "Mac laptop friendly" on the box and it mentions the MacBook and the Integrated Intel graphics in the system requirements.
OSX 10.4.11, repaired permissions, checked the ram (1 gig), tried patching, tried logging in as a new user.
My daughter was going to take the macbook off to college, but without the sims, she might just have to stay home and go to welding school instead.

[GGD]

I'm a bit confused about exactly which MacBook you own. You say that you're running 10.4.11, but from what I recall, the newest MacBook that has the X3100 was announced after 10.5 was introduced, and required 10.5.

http://support.apple.com/specs/macbook/M..._2007.html

[digby]

It is confusing -- we got some educational units. New MacBooks, but running Tiger. The Apple Geniuses were great-- tried running games with 10.5 as well -- no difference.

[space-time]

[quote digby]It is confusing -- we got some educational units. New MacBooks, but running Tiger. The Apple Geniuses were great-- tried running games with 10.5 as well -- no difference.
This brings up a question I wanted to ask for a while. I apologize, I don't want to hijack the thread. Also, I don't want to make an analogy between Leopard and Vista. But, if you are just happy with Tiger (like I am) and see no need to upgrade to Leopard, is it possible to buy a new machine and install Tiger on it (like people put XP on new laptops instead of Vista). I would like to get a new MacBook sometime next year, especially if Apple brings the LED displays to the consumer line, but I am not sure whether I like Leopard or not, I haven;t tried it yet and I hear conflicting reports.

[GGD]

I've been thinking along the same lines, and even bought a MacBookPro just after Leopard was announced because it was still shipping with Tiger installed, and a Leopard drop-in upgrade disk. I want to have the option of running either OS and deciding when is best to transition to Leopard (all the Macs in the family at the same time, maybe next summer).

For this new MacBook, when it first came out I recall people trying to boot 10.4.10 on it, and it didn't work, but I'm guessing that 10.4.11 that came out after Leopard added the support for the X3100 video.

The problem is getting an Intel 10.4 install disk, the retail 10.4 is PowerPC only, and the intel 10.4 was only shipped in the box with new Macs, and it's not included with that new MacBook (except for what seems to be a special educational configuration). But presumably a 10.4.11 boot drive created on another intel Mac would boot it.

There is a licensing issue too, since that MB comes with a 10.5 license but no 10.4 license (my MacBookPro came with both versions of the OS, so a license for either).

As for new HW releases next year, I doubt that they will run 10.4 unless maybe Apple comes out with a 10.4.12 to add support for them. At some point, buying refurbs from the previous generation might be the only way to get a Tiger bootable Mac.

[ADent]

Apple has a tendency to disable support for earlier OSs at any hardware changeor just on a whim.

For example eMacs at 800 and 1000MHz may or may not boot into OS 9 depending on many things. For example if it shipped with a Superdrive, no boot in OS 9. If it came with a combo drive it would boot OS 9. Same machine, same motherboard, different OSs supported based on build config.

I imagine a new retail MB 3100 would not boot OS 10.4 - except for the special education versions.

[digby]

Hey, I want my thread back!








Will no one think of my poor little daughter?

[ho'ard]

What's wrong with welding school?

[M A V I C]

I find it interesting that it would play with the GMA950 but not with the X1300. You sure it would play with the GMA950?

[AllGold]

I'm sure an X3100 can do everything a GMA950 can do. It's just a matter of Aspyr fixing their game to not quit when it sees an unrecognized (X3100) video card. If they take too long, I'd imagine someone else will come up with a hack.