If you're planning to upgrade to OS X Lion, it would be handy to know ahead of time which of the applications installed on your Mac are compatible with OS X Lion, and which ones aren't. Such a list would be very helpful; alas, one doesn't exist yet, although there are web sites trying to compile such a list from early Lion users.
You don't actually have to wait for a compatibility list; you can use the System Profiler in Snow Leopard to discover which applications won't work with Lion. How is this possible? Because Lion doesn't include Rosette, a compatibility layer that allows older PowerPC-based software to run on Intel-based Macs.
You can use the System Profiler to display any applications you have installed on your Mac that use PowerPC code.
Use System Profiler to Find PowerPC Applications
- Launch System Profiler by selecting About This Mac from the Apple menu.
- In the About This Mac window that opens, click the More Info button.
- From the Contents list on the left-hand side of the window, scroll down to the Software section and select Applications.
- System Profiler will create a list of the applications installed on your Mac. The process can take some time, so be prepared to wait a bit. Once it's complete, you will see a list of all of your applications.
- Widen the System Profiler window until you can see the Kind column in the window. You can also just use the horizontal scroll bar, but I like to see as much of the list as I can.
- Click the Kind list to sort your applications by kind.
- Any application that has a Kind value of PowerPC or Classic won't run under OS X Lion.
Most of the applications I have that are of the PowerPC kind are older games, most of which will probably never be updated to run under Lion because the developer has long since abandoned the application.
Don't be surprised if you see a familiar application listed as PowerPC; for instance, my list includes Microsoft Word, Excel, and other components of Office as PowerPC items. Before you worry that an application you need won't run, take a look at the Version column. In my case, all of the PowerPC Microsoft Office applications are from a very old version of Office that I keep on my Mac for compatibility.
If you have any PowerPC or Classic applications that are must-haves, contact the manufacturer to see if updates are available or planned.
By the way, I also had a few Classic applications show up in my list, none of which I need. Most were installers, including one for an HP 5MP LaserJet printer from 1995. The printer still works and we use it quite often, however, I don't need the old installer application since OS X has had its own printer installer for a long time. The printer has certainly outlived the Mac it was originally connected to.
