Workstation with a unique design

Recall that the debut of the first computer called Mac Pro, which came to replace the PowerMac G5 workstation, took place in August 2006. At the time, this was a truly revolutionary step forward as it was the first Apple workstation to feature an Intel processor. In fact, the first Mac Pro marked the end of the era of PowerPC-based computers and the beginning of a new era of Apple workstations based on x86 processors.

Despite the radically different "stuffing", the 2006 Mac Pro in its appearance was not much different from the PowerMac G5. It was made in a recognizable case, one look at which was quite enough to identify it with a 100% probability of being the brainchild of Apple. However, despite its idiosyncratic and unique design, the 2006 Mac Pro case, like the PowerMac G5 case, was a classic, made by all the canons of desktop PC cases.

As for the concept of use and purpose of the Mac Pro, then, like the previous PowerMac G5, it was not just a personal desktop computer, but a workstation aimed at users professionally involved in the processing of photo, video and music content.

Naturally, with the update of the Intel processor line, the Mac Pro configuration was also updated - since 2006, several generations of these workstations have been released. However, the case design remained unchanged. And in June 2013, the announcement took place new version Mac Pro, which differs from all previous generations not only and not so much in hardware configuration, but in a completely different design. It is this new Mac Pro 2013 model that we will cover in detail in this article.

Design

So, let's start with the main thing: with the revolutionary design of the Mac Pro 2013. If you try to pick up epithets that would be appropriate in this case, then this is: creative, extravagant, defiant, unusual, glamorous, stylish. Moreover, in this case, there is no bias or exaggeration on our part. The design of this computer is really very unusual and defies all the canons that have remained unshakable for decades. Instead of a traditional box with rectangular walls (parallelepiped), Apple engineers created a cylindrical body that vaguely resembles an aircraft turbine engine. The new cylindrical body is very compact: its diameter is 167 mm and its height is only 251 mm. Well, the mass of the new Mac Pro is approximately 5 kg (the exact value depends on the configuration).

With such dimensions, the computer will not take up much space on the table, and putting such a “beauty” under the table is just blasphemy. Without any exaggeration, we can say that the appearance of the Mac Pro 2013 will make it a decoration of any interior.

But most importantly, with such a compact size, the performance of the Mac Pro 2013 is higher than the performance of the previous generation Mac Pro. That is, the compactness of the new workstation is achieved by no means at the expense of performance degradation. However, we will talk about performance and configuration a bit later, but for now let's get back to the design.

The outer cylindrical shell of the body is made of aluminum, it is dark brown, close to black, and the coating is glossy, almost mirror-like. The casing has a decent thickness (they obviously didn’t save on metal) and, in addition to a purely decorative function, it also performs the functions of a radiator and an air duct. It's the high-gloss cylindrical shroud that gives the Mac Pro 2013 its extravagant appearance. There is a certain degree of glamor in this appearance, although we are talking about a professional workstation - however, Apple has its own ideas about whether professional equipment should be beautiful.

There is a rectangular hole in the casing of the case, which gives access to various interface ports, the power button and the power connector.

If we talk about interface connectors, then their number cannot but rejoice. There is an HDMI 1.4 connector, two RJ-45 gigabit network ports, six Thunderbolt 2 connectors, four USB 3.0 connectors, and two minijack connectors (one for headphones with headset support, and the second for a combined optical digital and analog audio line-out ).

It would seem that it is not very logical to place the interface connectors and the power connector next to the power button, because if the computer is turned by the interface panel towards the user (so that the power button is available), then the power cable, as well as all interface cables, will stick out forward, which is not very convenient . But in practice, this is not a problem: the interface panel should just be deployed from the user, and if you need to turn on the computer or connect something (for example, the same flash drive), then, given the dimensions and weight of Mac Pro 2013, it is very easy to do . It can always be easily rotated, and the built-in motion sensor will immediately detect that the case is rotated or moved, and the backlight of all connectors and the power button will automatically turn on.

Naturally, one of the most intriguing questions is how it was possible to stuff the "stuffing" of the workstation into such a compact cylindrical case, and even ensure sufficient cooling. Looking ahead, we note that the Mac Pro 2013 is based on a server processor Intel Xeon E5 and two AMD FirePro professional graphics cards! How all this can be placed in a small cylindrical case is incomprehensible to the mind. It is clear that the traditional design of the motherboard, perpendicular to which video cards are installed, is simply impossible in this case.

To understand what the trick is, it is enough to remove the cylindrical casing of the body (fortunately, this is very simple to do). To do this, it is enough to move the corresponding slide-type latch to the “open” position and simply lift the casing.

With the cover removed, it becomes clear what the secret of Mac Pro 2013 is. Here, not the traditional orthogonal placement of boards is used, but “triangular”: two video cards and part of the motherboard, along with a 450 W power supply, are located along the edges of a regular triangular prism. Another part of the system board is located at the base of the entire structure.

The non-standard layout of the board and video cards allows not only to create a very compact computer, but also to solve the problem of cooling: only one fan is used to cool all components in the Mac Pro 2013 case big amount blades. This fan is located at the top, and below, at the base of the cylindrical housing, there are ventilation holes. The fan sucks in cold air from below and blows it through a cylindrical housing, which acts as an air duct.

Moreover, in the center of the whole structure there is a prismatic type radiator (open at the top and bottom) with vertically arranged fins. Each of the three side faces of this heatsink is a heat sink for Mac Pro 2013 heat-producing elements. Thus, one face is in contact with the motherboard elements (Intel Xeon E5 processor and other components), and two more - remove heat from the AMD FirePro video card chips.

It is clear that such an unusual arrangement of components in the Mac Pro 2013 would simply be impossible if conventional video cards and a standard motherboard were used. Of course, in this case, all components are proprietary, they are designed specifically for Mac Pro 2013 and are only compatible with Mac Pro 2013 and nothing else. By the way, this is also a kind of guarantee that the design of this case will not be copied by other manufacturers, since not everyone can afford to manufacture (or order) cases, motherboards, and video cards specifically for only one computer model.

Well, finishing the description of the design of the Mac Pro 2013, we note that even after removing the cylindrical casing, you can only access the memory modules (you can install four of them in total). But everything else remains inaccessible to the user. You can, of course, unscrew the screws and try to make further disassembly, however, firstly, you lose your warranty, and secondly, it still won’t work, because changing anything in Mac Pro 2013 outside the service center is easy impossible.

Configuration

Well, now let's get acquainted with the configurations of the Mac Pro 2013 workstation.

So, to begin with, all 2013 Mac Pro models are equipped with 22nm Intel Xeon E5 family processors (codenamed Ivy Bridge-E) and two professional AMD graphics cards FirePro, each of which is connected via a PCI Express 3.0 x16 interface. There are two base versions of Mac Pro 2013, as well as various modifications of these base versions. Taken together, a sufficiently large number of possible models is obtained.

In the younger version, a quad-core processor is installed with clock frequency 3.7 GHz, and in the older one - six-core processor clocked at 3.5 GHz. Optionally (for an additional fee), the Mac Pro 2013 workstation can also be equipped with an 8-core processor or a 12-core processor. The parameters of these models are given in the table:

All 2013 Mac Pro models use DDR3-1866 ECC (Error Correcting) memory. The junior base model is equipped with three modules with a capacity of 4 GB each (12 GB in total). The older base model Mac Pro 2013 already comes with four 4 GB (16 GB) modules. Depending on the number of installed memory modules, either three-channel (for three modules) or four-channel (for four modules) operation mode is implemented. In addition, you can optionally order the Mac Pro 2013 with 32 GB (four 8 GB modules) or 64 GB of memory (four 16 GB modules).

As for graphics cards, as already noted, all Mac Pro 2013 models are equipped with two graphics cards from the AMD FirePro family. These can be AMD FirePro D300, D500 or D700 models. Note that, except for Mac Pro 2013, these video card models are not used anywhere else (at least not yet). However, according to what we have, the AMD FirePro D300, D500 and D700 models are slightly simplified versions of the models. Similar to the range of processor and memory options, the 2013 low-end base model comes with two AMD FirePro D300 professional graphics cards, the 2013 high-end Mac Pro base model comes with two AMD FirePro D500 professional graphics cards, and is optionally available with dual AMD FirePro D700 graphics cards. The parameters of these models are given in the table:

In terms of storage, both base configurations come with a 256GB SSD, but you can also order a 512GB or 1TB SSD as an option. Moreover, in Mac Pro 2013, SSD drives are installed with PCI interface Express 2.0 x4, which provides higher throughput (up to 2 Gb/s) than traditional SATA 6 Gb/s.

As we have noted, Mac Pro 2013 is replete with various interfaces. These are 4 USB 3.0 ports, and 6 Thunderbolt 2 ports, and two gigabit network ports, and an HDMI 1.4 port. Well, plus, there is one combined minijack audio output (optical digital and analog) and one headphone audio output with headset support.

Gigabit network interfaces are based on two Broadcom BCM57762 controllers, and Fresco Logic FL1100 controller is used to implement USB 3.0 ports.

Controllers are used to implement Thunderbolt 2 ports. Each such controller is connected to four PCI Express 2.0 lanes and allows for two Thunderbolt 2 ports. It is clear that three Intel DSL5520 controllers and 12 PCI Express 2.0 lanes are required to implement 6 ports. Naturally, the question arises: where do these 12 PCI Express 2.0 lanes come from? Indeed, the Intel C602J chipset itself supports only 8 PCI Express 2.0 lines, and all these lines are busy: four are used to connect an SSD drive, two more are used to connect two gigabit network controllers, one is to connect a USB 3.0 controller, and the last line is used to connect the module wireless communication. Only 8 PCI Express 3.0 lines from the processor remain unused (in total, the processor supports 40 PCI Express 3.0 lines, of which 32 are occupied by video cards), and it is these 8 lines that are used to obtain 12 PCI Express 2.0 lines - for this, a PCI Express PEX line switch is used 8723 companies . Unfortunately, there is no information on this switch on the company's website, however, most likely, it is very similar in its characteristics to a 6-port switch (for 24 PCI Express lanes). Apparently, the PEX 8723 uses an 8-lane PCI Express 3.0 connection (input port) and distributes their bandwidth to three ports with 4 PCI Express 3.0 lanes. These are the ports that Thunderbolt 2 controllers connect to. Thunderbolt 2 provides up to 20Gbps of bandwidth per external device, and each Thunderbolt 2 port can daisy-chain up to three 4K monitors or up to six Apple Thunderbolt Displays at 2560 resolution. ×1440 pixels. In addition, these ports allow you to connect external systems storage, which solves the problem (if any) of insufficient installed SSD storage.

The HDMI 1.4 port can also connect a monitor or TV with up to 4K resolution.

In addition to two gigabit network interfaces, Mac Pro 2013 also has a Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac wireless module and bluetooth module 4.0, which is usually used to connect a Bluetooth keyboard and Apple mouse. The wireless communication module is based on a three - antenna controller . This controller provides a theoretical data transfer rate of up to 1.3 Gbps for the 802.11ac protocol. Well, the Bluetooth 4.0 interface is implemented on a chip.

Note that in the case of Mac Pro 2013 there is also a speaker of quite acceptable quality. Of course, it is not suitable for professional work with sound, but it certainly will not be superfluous.

Well, in conclusion of the description of the Mac Pro 2013 configuration, we note that all models have OS X Mavericks 10.9 operating system installed.

In addition, optionally with the purchase, you can order the installation of software such as Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X and Aperture.

Our 2013 Mac Pro test unit was equipped with a 12-core Intel Xeon E5-2697 v2 processor, two AMD FirePro D700 graphics cards, 32 GB of DDR3-1866 memory, and a 512 GB SSD, which is almost the maximum possible (even for additional money) configuration.

Performance

Naturally, it only makes sense to measure the performance of a Mac Pro 2013 workstation under OS X. Still, this is a workstation, not a user's computer, and installing Windows on such a computer that costs several thousand dollars looks at least illogical. Such workstations are purchased for very specific applications that must be optimized for it, that is, at least they must be able to use two professional video cards and all processor cores (in our version, all 12 cores). That is why we consider it absolutely pointless and incorrect to test the Mac Pro 2013 in games or other Windows applications. Testing a workstation makes sense only with the application of those tasks for which this workstation is oriented.

True, it should be noted that there are simply no specialized benchmarks for workstations under OS X (as, by the way, under Windows), and in general there is no variety of benchmarks under OS X. There are several synthetic test applications, but we think that the popularity of these benchmarks is due not so much to their adequacy, but to the absence of any others. Well, paying tribute to tradition, we will also use these synthetic benchmarks (fortunately there are very few of them), but once again we note that their adequacy, especially in relation to a 12-core processor, is questionable.

So let's start with the most popular benchmark (current version 3.0). On the website of the manufacturer of this test, you can find results for various platforms.

In our case, for the 64-bit Geekbench 3 benchmark, we got the following result:

The next benchmark is . Again, the manufacturer's website can be found with test results for various platforms.

For our test Mac Pro 2013 with a 12-core Intel Xeon E5-2697 v2 processor, we got the following result in NovaBench 1.1:

Another cross-platform benchmark is . In this test, we got the following results:

Moreover, in this case, it should be taken into account that the Cinebench R15 test cannot use two GPUs, and support AMD technologies CrossFire in OS X, as you know, is not. That is why the result in OpenGL is not very high, and the adequacy of the test in this case is questionable.

Well, the last test is Blackmagic Disk Speed ​​Test 2.2, which evaluates the performance of the disk subsystem. The results for a PCI Express x4 SSD are impressive:

Of course, testing with synthetic benchmarks is not as revealing as testing based on real applications. And therefore, as it seems to us, it is much more interesting to test the new Mac Pro 2013 in real applications. Naturally, the question arises: what applications does it make sense to use? Actually, there are not so many options in this case. Given that the Mac Pro 2013 is, first and foremost, a workstation, it would be wise to use a video editor for this. The latest version of this video editor 10.1.1 is specially optimized for Mac Pro 2013 and can use its full potential (in particular, use two video cards at the same time).

There are several other specialized applications that are also optimized for Mac Pro 2013, such as Motion 5.1, Foundry's Mari 3D graphics tool, and Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve color grading tool. In addition, Adobe is also in its latest product releases.

For Mac testing Pro 2013, we used Final Cut Pro X 10.1.1, which came preinstalled on our test unit (remember, you can order a Mac Pro 2013 with Final Cut Pro X preinstalled). In testing, we disabled rendering in background(Background Render) and created a project of 13 4K videos with a total capacity of 9.2 GB.

In our case, the project was rendered in 52 seconds and exported in 3 minutes 47 seconds. Naturally, these results by themselves do not say anything - they make sense only in comparison with the results of running the same tasks on some other PC. As such a reference system used for comparison, we chose the iMac 27 (simply because we had nothing else at the time of testing) with the following configuration:

For the reference system, the render time was 3 minutes 24 seconds, and the export time was 5 minutes 30 seconds. That is, our 2013 Mac Pro test unit renders 3.9 times faster than the iMac 27, and exports 1.45 times faster. This superiority is apparently due to the fact that when rendering in Mac Pro 2013, two graphics cards are used simultaneously. But the export is implemented mainly due to the processor, and, apparently, the program simply fails to load all 12 cores in this case, and therefore the superiority of Mac Pro 2013 is not so obvious when exporting.

Of course, the testing of rendering and export speed in Final Cut Pro X 10.1.1 does not allow us to fully appreciate all the advantages of the new Mac Pro workstation. And therefore, in order to complete the picture, we also give the test results obtained by Apple itself for the Final Cut Pro X application:

In this case, a new Mac Pro with a 12-core Intel Xeon E5 processor (2.7 GHz), two AMD FirePro D700 graphics cards, 64 GB of DDR3 memory and a 1 TB SSD is compared to a previous generation Mac Pro equipped with a 12-core processor Intel Xeon 3.06GHz, single ATI Radeon HD 5870, 64GB DDR3, 512GB SSD. As you can see, the advantage of the new Mac Pro is obvious.

Noise level

In addition to being very compact, the new Mac Pro 2013 is also very quiet. As we have already noted, only one fan is used to cool all the components inside the cylindrical case. It would seem that this single fan must be insanely noisy in order to cool such power. But… nothing like that. According to the manufacturer, the noise level of the Mac Pro 2013 in idle mode is 12 dBA, and under load - about 18 dBA. It's hard to believe in such numbers, especially when you consider that 18 dBA is a noise level that an ordinary person simply cannot hear. But here we must understand that the noise level is not an absolute value, it radically depends on the distance to the source, and Apple data almost certainly correct - the only question is from what distance. And most importantly - how to translate these numbers into a language understandable to potential owners.

Therefore, we conducted our own noise level measurement of the Mac Pro 2013. The measurement was carried out in a special sound-absorbing chamber, and the sensitive microphone of the sound level meter was located at a height of 50 cm vertically above the body of the workstation. We measured idle noise at 25 dBA, which is so low that it merges with ambient noise, making it impossible to "hear" the Mac Pro 2013 in idle mode. Also note that the idle power consumption of the Mac Pro 2013 is 51 watts.

We used rendering the project in Final Cut Pro X 10.1.1 to create the load. In this mode, the power consumption of Mac Pro 2013 increased to 340 watts, but the noise level was only 28 dBA. Download Mac Pro 2013 so that it can be heard, we simply could not.

Thus, today Mac Pro 2013 is not only a productive, compact and stylish workstation. It is also the quietest computer, which can give odds to any ultrabook in terms of noise level. True, there is one pitfall here (well, you need to find fault with at least something!). Let's imagine a hypothetical situation that the fan has failed for some reason. Then you simply will not be able to diagnose the problem that has arisen - and it is fraught with overheating with a fatal outcome.

conclusions

So, in conclusion, we will repeat the main conclusions that can be drawn regarding the new Mac Pro workstation.

The design of the Mac Pro 2013 can rightly be called unique and revolutionary. Unique - because the 2013 Mac Pro Workstation is unlike any other computer that has ever existed. Revolutionary - because such a design requires a change in traditional approaches to the layout of all components. Of course, this revolutionary design has a downside. Firstly, it requires the use of proprietary components, and secondly, the Mac Pro 2013 cannot even be partially disassembled, and it is simply impossible to do anything with it outside the service center. And how this approach is justified for a professional workstation is a rather moot point.

The undoubted advantage of the new Mac Pro is the fact that this powerful workstation is very quiet. Moreover, as it seems to us, today it is the quietest computer ever created (with active cooling).

And, of course, one of the main advantages of the new Mac Pro is its high performance. However, speaking of performance, we emphasize once again that you can only realize the full potential of the Mac Pro 2013 if you use applications that are optimized for this workstation, such as Final Cut Pro X 10.1.1. Do not forget that the Mac Pro 2013 is exactly a workstation designed to perform tasks such as professional video editing, photo editing, and more.

The 2013 Mac Pro Workstation certainly earned our editorial award for original design.

The client terminal can be installed and used on Mac OS computers using Wine. Wine is free software that allows users of Unix-like systems to run applications designed for use on Microsoft Windows systems. Among others, there is also a version of Wine for Mac OS.

For installation on Mac OS, we recommend using the freeware development PlayOnMac. PlayOnMac is a Wine-based software that allows you to easily install Windows applications on a Mac OS system.

To install PlayOnMac, open the official website of the product, go to the Downloads section and click the download link latest version.

After the DMG installation package has been downloaded, run it from the Downloads section of your system:

After that, the window for the first launch of PlayOnMac will appear. After clicking the "Next" button, the installer will begin checking and installing the various components required for operation.

The first of the required components to work is XQuartz . This is a software tool for using the X Window System on Mac OS. The X Window System provides standard tools and protocols for building a graphical user interface on UNIX-like operating systems.

If you already have XQuartz installed or want to install it yourself later, select "Don"t install XQuartz for the moment" or "I"ve downloaded file by myself" respectively.

Installing XQuartz takes place in several steps. At the first stages, you need to read the important information (Read Me) and agree to the terms of the license.

Before starting the installation, the Mac OS security system will require you to provide a password for your account:

Wait for the installation to finish. You must restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

After rebooting the system, run PlayOnMac again from the setup file in the Downloads folder. You will be greeted again by the first launch window. This time the installer will offer to install MS Windows fonts, which are also necessary for correct operation.

Agree to the terms of the license agreement and wait for the installation to complete. After that PlayOnMac is ready to use, you will see its main window:

Wine update

Wine version 1.4 is installed with PlayOnMac. Currently, the latest stable version is Wine 1.4.1 . A beta version of Wine 1.5.21 is also available for download, which contains a large number of improvements, but may be less stable. It is recommended to install the latest version of Wine.

To update Wine to the latest version, open the top menu of PlayOnMac and select the Manage Wine Versions command:

This will open a window with the versions of Wine available for installation. Select the latest version (on this moment 1.5.21).

Move the latest version of Wine to the right side of the window. After that, the installation process will begin.

When the installation is complete, the new version of Wine will appear on the left side of the PlayOnMac wine versions manager window. After that, you can close this window and start installing the trading terminal.

Terminal installation

To install the terminal, download the "mt4setup.exe" installer. Once the download is complete, run the setup file. It will automatically open with PlayOnMac.

After that, the standard terminal installation process will start, go through all its steps:

Upon completion of the installation, PlayOnMac will prompt you to create shortcuts for the terminal components - the client terminal itself and the MetaEditor code editor:

After creating the necessary shortcuts, you can start working with the trading terminal. To launch it, double click on it in the PlayOnMac window.

Known Issues

As noted above, Wine is not a completely stable application. Accordingly, some terminal functions do not work correctly. The following issues have been identified so far:

• Market not working

With the exception of the above problem, you can fully enjoy all the functions of the terminal in Mac OS.

Terminal data directory

For each installed program, PlayOnMac creates its own virtual logical disk with the necessary environment. On disk, the terminal data directory during installation is by default located at the following path:

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Department of Education and Science of the Kemerovo Region

State educational institution secondary vocational education

Belovsky Pedagogical College

Specialty 27015 "Applied Informatics"

Course work

Macintosh hardware platform

Completed by: student of group 0111,

Kravtsov Alexander Vladimirovich

Head: teacher

Skorobogatov Alexander Sergeevich

Belovo - 2014

• Introduction
• 1. History of appearance
• 2. Hardware and software platform Macintosh
• 3. Features of the operating system
• 3.1 Introduction to the Mac OS family
• 3.2 History of Mac OS
• 3.3 Operating room Mac system OS X
• 3.5 Evolution of Mac OS X
• 3.6 Pros and cons of Mac OS
• 4. Software
• 5. Hardware
• 6. Hackintosh (OSx86)
• Conclusion

Introduction

The purpose of the course work is to study the Macintosh hardware and software, the formation of its advantages and disadvantages, the real possibilities of application in the conditions of informatization.

The tasks of the course work include:

1. study of the history of the emergence of the platform;

2. to characterize the development of the Macintosh and its lineup;

3. analysis of platform features;

4. analysis of the features of the operating system;

5. output;

My interest in this topic is caused by the growing, fast paced growth of users of the MAC platform. Thanks to the sale official computers from Apple in large stores, lower prices, as well as the availability of warranties and support in Russia. A little earlier, Apple computers were supplied "gray" - that is, without the PCT and warranty in our country, but now the situation has changed.

1. History of appearance

One of the members of the Computer Club owned three stores selling electronic components. His name was Paul Terrell. He said he wasn't looking for printed circuit boards that the user had yet to mount, but for complete computers. He intended to purchase 50 computers, provided that they were delivered ready-made. Friends turned the garage of Jobs' parents into an assembly shop, and family members were persuaded to help in the work. So, the younger sister of Steve Jobs installed capacitors and resistors in the marked places, for which she received one dollar from the board. Over time, she learned to collect four fees an hour while watching soap operas and concerts on TV. Wayne wrote technical documentation. This is how the world's first personal computer Apple I was assembled. When the friends finished assembling, they calculated all the costs. Out of a penchant for quirkiness, they set a price for their product: $666.66. However, Terrell was not enthusiastic about computers: the machines were just stacks of printed circuit boards with no casing, no keyboard, no software, no floppy drives or any other way to download programs. There was no monitor either. Nevertheless, Terrell paid the money, hired a case specialist, and only after that the computers acquired a decent presentation. But the first personal computers were gathering dust on the shelves of Terrell's store for a long time. Meanwhile, Wozniak had already begun work on the Apple II computer. The new modification provides free sockets in the panel, as well as all sorts of other innovations for updating and adjusting to meet any special customer requirements. Jobs put forward his proposal - to enclose the computer in a compact molded plastic case. Then it will compare favorably with the clumsy sheet metal boxes of other microcomputers. Now Wozniak and Jobs were finally ready to storm the computer world.

The Apple II quickly took the company to unattainable heights: by the beginning of 1980, there were already several thousand people on the staff of Apple, and the company's annual turnover exceeded $ 10 million. Such a rapid rise slightly relaxed the company's management, and the consequences were not long in coming.

Released in 1980, the Apple III was a complete failure. The new computer cost between $4,500 and $7,800, depending on configuration, and is equipped with twice the speed of a 2MHz Synertek 6502A processor. With the ability to emulate the Apple II, it was a groundbreaking computer, the company's first attempt to move away from a successful and well-selling technology. On paper, everything looked great. But...

The Apple I and Apple II were the designs of one man, Steve Wozniak. The Apple III was created by a team of engineers under the direct control of Steve Jobs, whose energy was overflowing, who one day demanded one thing, the next the exact opposite - to the great displeasure of the engineers. In May 1980, it was announced that the computer would be released in July of that year. In July, the release was delayed until September. In October, it became clear that in a good way the computer was not ready to enter the market - but Jobs literally pushed the computer to the market in November in order to be in time for the December sales peak ...

The computer entered the market in November 1980 - and fully justified the most unpleasant fears of engineers. When mass deliveries finally took place in March 1981, 20% of the machines were out of order upon arrival. Microcircuits fell out of the slots during transportation. Those that turned on "died" after a few hours of operation: Jobs insisted on the absence of a fan and the microcircuits "fell out" of the slots due to thermal expansion. For three dramatic years, the Apple III continued to be modified - but this computer never earned the recognition of buyers. In April 1984, its release was discontinued. In total, about 120,000 computers of this family were sold - compare this with almost one and a half million Apple II users! But Apple's troubles didn't end there.

In the fall of 1978, Steve Jobs and marketing planner William Hawkins began to develop specifications for the next generation project, which was codenamed Lisa. The Lisa project had nothing to do with the Lisa computer, which was released in January 1983. In 1978, the project aimed at a $2,000 business application computer with a built-in greenish tint monitor, with a deadline of late 1981. What made Apple Computer change its plans so drastically? There is only one answer - Xerox.

In 1970, Xerox established the Palo Alto Research Center in Palo Alto, California, bringing together the best minds in information technology of the time under one roof and challenging them to create the technologies of the future with no concern for practical applicability and project feasibility. In 1973, the Xerox Alto system was created in this very center, the first implementation of a wide variety of computer technologies that we use today. It was a personal computer (in the sense that only one person could use it) that could communicate with other Altos using Ethernet. Overlapping windows, mouse pointer.

In 1979, Jobs, along with Bill Atkinson (later the author of the QuickDraw graphic library, based on the interface of Lisa and Macintosh computers), visited Xerox for the first time and instantly imbued with the ideas of Xerox Alto. The specifications of the new computer have undergone major changes.

There is (and is widely believed) the version that Apple stole the Xerox GUI from Xerox - in fact, you can say that Apple borrowed some general principles, inspiration and confidence that this can be done. Apple did not receive any source code or drawings from Xerox.

Seeing that their fruitless ideas were being actively implemented at Apple, 15 employees of Xerox moved to Apple, and passionately engaged in the hard work of creating a user interface inspired by what they saw and developed in Xerox's "promising laboratory".

In 1981, Markkula removed Jobs from the leadership of the Lisa project. It was a matter of serious disagreement within Apple. Although Jobs was the founder, he owned only 11% of the shares, and the company was managed by Mike Markkula. The reason for this was the failure of the Apple III, and one can imagine how it was perceived by the ambitious and energetic Jobs. Apparently, "work on the bugs" was done seriously. Jobs took on a minor side project, the Macintosh, which was intended to be Lisa's "little brother" with a price tag of $500. The first public presentation of this computer took place at the annual dealer conference in Acapulco, Mexico. At the time of its release, Lisa was technical excellence - 1 MB of memory, expandable to 2 MB, a 5 MHz processor, an external five-megabyte hard drive. But, alas, at first Lisa was not sold because of the high price, then Lisa II came with advanced features at a much lower price, and its fate could be much more enviable than that of its predecessor, but almost simultaneously with Lisa II it began to be sold and the first Macintosh - and that was the end of the Lisa. Warehouses were overstocked, but instead of lowering the price, Apple simply destroyed the unsold models.

So, the first Macintosh appeared in early 1984. Enclosed in a molded plastic case, it was pleasing to the eye and favorably differed from the gloomy gray boxes - computers of those times. An unusual contraption was supplied with him, which was called the funny (for a computer, of course) word "mouse". When turned on, the good-natured "Mac" greeted everyone with a wide smile, and on a small screen, he did such miracles that it is difficult to describe. Instead of entering incomprehensible abracadabra (which techies called nothing more than “system commands”), it was possible to move document pictures, open folders, load games and programs with a few clicks of the mouse - in general, it was easy and pleasant to work. It goes without saying that with such advantages, the new computer simply could not go unnoticed. They began to talk about him, argue and write about him, he aroused interest, even won hearts. Hearts, but not wallets.

Although the price of the first "Mac" was only $2495 - half the price of the IBM-compatible "personal" of those times - no one was in a hurry to buy it. Neither the attractive appearance nor the special conveniences in work could compensate for the obvious shortcomings of the computer: there was only 128 KB of memory, without any possibility of expansion, and instead of a hard drive, there was only one 400 KB disk drive. The buyer, who decided to purchase this expensive toy, received only two MacWrite and MacPaint programs in the box with the new computer - simple text and graphics editors.

But the creators did not sit idly by. Soon a new model appeared with 1 megabyte of memory and a double-capacity drive. Around the same time, the young company Aldus released the PageMaker program, designed for computer layout. The first version was very primitive, but at that time it was a real revolution in the publishing business. Since other computers had very weak graphical capabilities (and some did not have them at all - they worked exclusively in text mode), the created layout system appeared only on the Mac. The program appealed to everyone who was somehow connected with printing; publishing houses and printers began to actively buy Macintosh. So the Mac became a publishing-oriented computer. The most interesting thing is that at first Apple executives were against this turn of events - they considered the publishing business a hopeless business, and saw the success of their own offspring in "education and the corporate sphere" - but fate decreed otherwise. Gradually, the "Mac" gained popularity. But very gradually.

The turning point came in 1987. The released Mac II model was no longer a candy bar. The color display, made in the form of a separate block, could have an arbitrary size, unlike the first Mac, which had a screen size of only nine inches diagonally. The 1 MB memory could be expanded up to 68 MB. In addition, a new silicon motor, the Motorola 68020 microprocessor with a frequency of 16 MHz, worked in the new computer, which provided simply unheard of performance. Compared to the 8MHz 68000 found in early Macs, the new processor was an order of magnitude faster. And yet, the main highlight of the Mac II was not in the processor and not in the color monitor, but in six expansion slots that allowed you to configure the computer to perform specific tasks - you could install, for example, a powerful and expensive video card for graphics, or high-quality and no less expensive audio system for sound processing. Thanks to original engineering solutions, NuBus, the local bus to which expansion cards were connected was configured automatically, and no knowledge was required to install a new device, such as manipulating jumpers and jumpers. The painful operation of adding new boards in IBM-compatible PCs has become available even to novice users. In the end, the new Macintosh model turned out to be exactly the computer that everyone wanted to have. Sales soared, Apple grabbed a large share of the market, and its profitability reached an all-time high of 50%

Further development model range The Macintosh followed a well-known pattern. Apple reaped the fruits of its labor, and it was completely unreasonable that it believed that the period of prosperity would never end, and in the design of computers it used the already well-worn formula: “The processor is better, the frequency is higher, the price is higher.” So, in 1990, the famous MacIIfx appeared, presented only as a “speed demon”. Indeed, the speed of this computer was not to occupy - running on a 68030 processor with a frequency of 40 MHz, it was three times faster than the fastest models created before it, and remained the fastest Apple computer until the introduction of the Quadra 840AV model. It also had a truly "demonic" price - $ 10,000 (it's ridiculous to say, but at present this computer can be purchased for less than $ 60, that is, for less than 1% of the initial cost).

Of course, getting fabulous profits from the sale of expensive (but always of the highest quality) equipment was far from the only occupation of the “fruit empire”. Research and advanced developments, without which the release of new models would have been impossible, were never interrupted - it was just that the engineers worked separately, the management made their plans separately, and their paths very rarely crossed. One successful engineering project resulted in the release of two revolutionary models: Quadra 660AV and 840AV (audio-video). These were computers that were years ahead of their time - most modern Pentium 4-based systems still cannot match them in multimedia capabilities. They supported speech input and voice control, had a built-in fax modem, telephone, and half a dozen other enhancements, such as a separate digital signal processor and video processor. Quadra 660AV, in addition to everything, was equipped with a special AudioVision 14 "" monitor, in which, in addition to a microphone with a narrow directivity pattern, ideal for speech recognition when working at a PC, stereo speakers were also mounted. This was the technology of the future! In 1991, the Mac 7.0 operating system was created, where 32-bit addressing, program menus, virtual memory were applied - about fifty fundamental innovations in total. The same year saw the launch of the Macintosh LC, a relatively cheap ultra-slim computer that became one of Apple's most successful commercial projects.

Unfortunately, even this brilliant technique could not help Apple in the fight against the formidable and powerful competitor - the Wintel platform. Windows 3.1 was released in 1992. And in 1993, Windows-based systems sold 10 times more than Apple computers. The old Macintosh, while still expensive, could not compete with the fast and much cheaper PC. Apple was rapidly losing markets and needed to transfer its equipment to high quality new level. The company, many years ahead of - and determined - the main direction of the development of the personal computer industry, was going through difficult times of crisis. Ahead was a whole series of unsuccessful searches for a new image, mass layoffs of employees and the curtailment of product lines, then a change in leadership led by CEO Michael Spindler. We needed a new, inexpensive and promising platform.

Work on the transfer of the Macintosh platform to Power PC processors began in 1991. In 1993, a prototype of the Power Mac system was already ready. About ten percent of the operating system code had to be rewritten to ensure software compatibility between the old and new platforms. In 1994, the Power Mac rolled off the assembly line and was introduced to the general public in March. Using a Power PC 601 processor running at just 60 MHz, this computer outperformed any existing Pentium PC, and cost only $1,700.

In 1997, another "speed demon" was introduced. The Power Mac 9600 is an advanced chassis with 64MB of memory, expandable up to 768MB, 6 PCI slots, and two Power PC 604e 200MHz processors. All this pleasure cost $4700. Apple has announced the release of the new Macintosh-G3 family. The new generation Power PC processor became the heart of the new computer. Compared to the similar Pentium II, the performance gain of the G3 processor is 30%. In fact, the motherboard for the G3 differs from the motherboard for the Pentium only in the socket for the processor itself. Thus, it becomes possible to use standard devices in the Macintosh, which significantly reduces its price.

A year later, when the first Power Mac G3 appeared, Apple decided to regain lost ground in the educational market. For this purpose, a fairly interesting computer, somewhat reminiscent of the very first Macintosh. And just like the original Mac, the Power Mac G3 All-in-One tried to put everything a user could need: a fifteen-inch monitor, a 24-speed CD-ROM drive, a 4 GB hard drive , a network card, a 3D graphics accelerator and, of course, a 266 MHz Power PC G3 processor. All this economy was offered to schoolchildren and students at a “divine” (obviously for Apple, but hardly for students) price of one and a half thousand dollars. The development was never widely adopted.

Much more successful was the model known to the general public under the name iMac. To raise prestige, increase sales, strengthen the position of the company - all this was done by the iMac model, which was ideally suited to the motto "Think different" ("Thinkdifferent"). Inside, it was practically the same All-in-One, except that a modem was added, a USB bus was added, and network capabilities were improved. But outside ... iMac resembles a fantastic trophy brought by Jobs from distant galaxies. Rounded smooth shapes, a greenish case with a sheen ... The presentation of the computer caused a stunning effect - fans stood in lines from the night to get a new product as soon as possible, thousands of orders were received by the company.

End of the twentieth century. The Power Mac G3 model is released (and when Motorola developed the new processor, then the G4) in a modified design - a translucent plastic case, comfortable carrying handles and the same “bull's eye on board”. It turns out Power Mac G4 Cube, which is a masterpiece of engineering genius - in a small cube measuring approximately 20x20x30 cm, technical wizards from Apple managed to place system board, Power PC G4 450/500 MHz processor, up to 1.5 GB memory, 20, 30 or 60 GB disk, drive: CD-RW or DVD-ROM, 2 USB and 2 FireWire ports, Ethernet 10/100 Base-T, 56 Kbps modem, USB audio device only. Passive cooling! And the price is $1799. Unfortunately this model has been discontinued.

Further more. Power Mac G4 with 800 MHz processor. With two processors, but with an increased frequency - 1 GHz. The Power Mac G4, of course, can be called a machine for "home" use with a lot of pressure - rather, it is a model for professionals who prefer to work from home. It is ideal for processing and creating multimedia content - design, music, video. These models are the most standardized and expandable - they have three or four memory slots, the ability to install a Zip drive, most necessary devices: Audio, USB, Fire Wire, 56Kbps modem and 100Mbps Ethernet card are integrated into the motherboard, and expansion is possible with four standard PCI slots. In addition, the video adapter interface is also standard: AGP 2x or 4x, which allows you to use any modern video adapter.

On June 23, 2003, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Apple Computer announced a new line of desktop personal computers based on the long-awaited G5 processor. New models, there are three of them: two single-processor with clock speeds of 1.6 and 1.8 GHz and one dual-processor with a clock speed of 2 GHz per processor, while it should be borne in mind that each processor has its own bus with a clock frequency of up to 1 GHz. The new marvel of technology includes 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet, three PCI slots, three USB 2.0 connectors, two Fire Wire 400 connectors, analog audio in and audio out, and an AGP 8X bus. Prices start at $1999 for the entry-level model... Apple Computer's two-processor 64-bit monster costs $2999, about a third cheaper than comparable dual-processor workstations from Dell (with a "backward" 32-bit architecture). The dual-processor Power Mac G5 with a clock speed of 2 GHz per processor confidently outperforms dual-processor workstations with 3 GHz Xeons (Xeon) in almost all tests, including tests "from real life". The result is quite logical, it is nothing more than a consequence of good engineering work and not average talents of the 64-bit PPC970 processor, developed by IBM with the participation of Apple Computer engineers.

2. Hardware and software platform Macintosh

Platform (in relation to the computer) - the type of computer, determined by the brand of the central processor and the operating system on which it runs.

The common hardware platform CHRP (Command Hardware Reference Platform) is a joint development of an interchangeable computer by Apple, IBM, Motorola, which provides the ability to work with operating systems: Mac OS, Windows and OS / 2.

Macintosh computers are characterized by the Apple Desktopbus (abbreviated ADB) device connection method - a special type of connection for connecting a mouse, keyboard and joystick to a computer. When using it, all devices can connect with each other, and only one should be connected to the machine directly. This type of connection is called a chain. It is also possible to daisy-chain a number of additional devices such as a CD player, hard drive and scanner.

Macintosh machines have built-in audio support and network connectivity, and also provide plug and play (plug and play), i.e. when connecting new equipment, it is only necessary to make its adjustment and coordinate with the existing one. Macintosh Power or Macintosh AV computers using the Geo Port adapter connect directly to telephone line, allowing you to contact online services, receive and send faxes without using a modem.

Macintosh personal computers are represented by several types. Compact (monoblock) models are entirely in one housing. They may have a built-in or external hard drive, they have clear, but small screens that do not display colors or halftones, few random access memory and no slots for expansion cards. Modular Macintosh, unlike compact Macintosh, consist of several parts or modules. All processor units in such models have one or more expansion sockets (slots). Mobile (portable) Macintosh Powerbooks are miniature, easy to transport models. The small size of the machines in this series, however, limits the possibilities and can contribute to slow operation. Instead of a mouse (mouse), mobile models have built-in ball manipulators - koloboks (trackball) or a platform sensitive to finger movement - touch tablet or a patch (trackpad), which saves space.

The keyboard on Mac machines can be standard or extended. The latter has some additional features and additional keys (Help), (Home), (End), (Page Next) or (Page Back) and (Quick Delete). The keyboard has special, specific buttons, the action of which, however, does not represent anything that computers of other systems do not have. In addition to a mechanical switch on the back or front panel, Macintosh models have a power key in the upper right corner of the keyboard or in the upper middle, which depicts an equilateral triangle pointing to the left. Although it does not perform this function for some Macs, for most of them, this key should be used to start the computer (this will also turn on the monitor). Next to the key that prints a space is the so-called command key, which says (Command) or an icon, also known as the Apple Key or Clover Key. It functions as a key on IBM computers and is most commonly used in keyboard shortcuts. The (Select) key next to the key is also used for keyboard shortcuts. On IBM computers, this key functions as well as the functions of the (Control) key using a single key. The key generally provides the type of help that is most applicable to the situation.

3 . Operating system features

Operating system - an ordered sequence of program management together with the necessary information arrays, which is for automated management of computer resources and optimization of the user's task execution time.

The OS is the "soul" of the entire computer. It is she who is the link between the physical and logical levels of information representation in a computer. Diagnostic and control programs technical means can function both under OS control and directly on the basis of technical means. All other categories of software function only on the basis of the corresponding OS. Therefore, the speed of the entire information and computing complex depends on the OS.

operating hardware software mac

3.1 Introduction to the Mac OS family

Mac OS (Macintosh Operating System) is a family of proprietary operating systems with GUI. Together with Mac OS X, the second most popular operating system in the world (usually takes about 10% of the market). Developed by Apple Corporation (formerly Apple Computer) for its line of Macintosh computers. The popularization of the graphical user interface in modern operating systems is often credited to the Mac OS. It was first introduced in 1984 with the original Macintosh 128K.

Apple wanted the Macintosh to be presented as a computer "for everyone else" ("fortherestofus"). The term "Mac OS" itself did not really exist until it was officially used in the mid-1990s. Since then, the term has been applied to all versions of Macintosh operating systems as a convenient way to distinguish them in the context of other operating systems.

Early versions of Mac OS were only compatible with Macs based on Motorola 68k processors, later versions were compatible with the Power PC (PPC) architecture. Recently, Mac OS X has become compatible with the Intel x86 architecture. But Apple's policy is that it only allows Mac OS to be installed on Apple computers.

3.2 History of Mac OS

Mac OS was released in 1984 with Apple's first Macintosh personal computer. The ideas embodied in the first version of the Mac OS system, its authors learned from Xerox. The Xerox PARC Research Center at that time already had a computer with a graphical operating system, which at that time was a real breakthrough in the evolutionary development of operating systems. But they used it only for their own needs and did not plan commercial use.

Combining existing developments and their own ideas, Apple programmers created Mac OS, the first graphical operating system available to everyone. It already then used the familiar window interface for all of us, folders with files, and for the first time a manipulator called a computer mouse was used, capable of moving the cursor over the entire screen area. This concept was consistent with the main idea of ​​Apple itself, which proposed to create a computer accessible to everyone, both in price and in technical terms.

Even then, the authors of Mac OS set out to create an operating system that would be convenient and intuitive for any user who had not even studied a computer before. Until that time computer programs and processes were controlled using the command line, so the appearance of visual icons denoting folders, trash, computer and other elements became a real sensation of that time. The authors began to call these icons icons. The developers of Mac OS set the foundation for the future development of all operating systems, much of what they came up with back in 1984 is now the benchmark for all software developers.

The first version of Mac OS occupied only 216 KB of disk space and worked even with a simple copy from one computer to another. But such a product was completely unprotected from counterfeiting, therefore, in order to save their income, the developers devoted all their time not only to its technical improvement, expanding functionality and stability, but also to protection. After the release of the first version of Mac OS, nine more modifications were released, in which such improvements were introduced as:

Using a multi finder that allows you to work with several applications at the same time;

Improvement of multimedia functions and possibilities of work on the Internet;

Change of black and white icons to color ones, and later the appearance of a new “platinum” interface and the ability to choose a theme to your taste;

The emergence of a new file system HFS +;

Improved installer functions;

The appearance of the Sherlock program, designed to search for files on local drives and on the Internet;

The emergence of a multi-user mode and differentiation of access rights.

The peak of the work on the image, improving the capabilities and ensuring the stability of the Mac OS operating system of that time was its ninth version, which can still be found on some Macintosh computers. It is called the classic Mac OS. The Macintosh was gaining popularity, and the Mac OS was a huge commercial success for the company. But time passed and Apple's management decided on global changes.

In March 2000, a completely new tenth version of Mac OS X was released, which does not support software designed for Mac OS 9. To create it, the initial program code was completely rewritten, and the NeXTSTEP operating system was taken as the basis, the developer of which was one of those who once founded Apple, but by coincidence left it. The developments of NEXT, together with its leader, were bought by Apple, thanks to which its founder, Steve Jobs, is again at the head of it.

Mac OS X now uses the Mach kernel, standard BSD services, and all the basic features of the Unix operating system. This made it possible to increase its functionality, security and stability many times over. Preemptive multitasking, which is used in Mac OS X, allows several processes to run at once without interfering with each other, and if one of them fails, it prevents the entire system from crashing and interrupting other processes.

At the moment, Mac OS X has its own beautiful, not overloaded with special effects and eye-pleasing Aqua interface. It is easy to use and friendly. It uses the Core Foundation programming environment, which includes components such as the Carbon API, Cocoa API, and Java API. The graphical environment is presented using technologies such as Quick Time, Quartz Extreme and Open GL. In addition, Mac OS X allows you to use software written in programming languages ​​such as C, C++, Objective-C, Ruby, and Java. An important advantage of Mac OS X is its security when working on the Internet, it is well protected from Internet attacks, and the number of viruses that can hit it today is negligible.

Given all the advantages of Mac OS, the question immediately arises why it is still not as widespread as its main competitor, the well-known Windows OS. The answer is very simple, Mac OS is installed only on Apple Macintosh computers, which is a fundamental decision of its management. This does not mean that Mac OS is not compatible with computers from other manufacturers and cannot be installed on them. Of course, you can install the system, but at the moment it is considered illegal. Macintosh computers have a small range and lack variety, and they cost several times more than conventional personal computers, so the number of Macintosh users is relatively small compared to the total number of computer users worldwide.

3.3 Operating system Mac OS X

Mac OS X is a completely new version of the Mac OS operating system based on free software called Darwin. Darwin includes an XNU kernel built using Mach technology and standard BSD services. The main advantage of this technology is that its foundation is based on the well-known UNIX system, which provides new Mac OS increased stability, versatility, speed, security and reliability.

All modifications of the Mac OS X operating system are named after different types of animals from the cat family. From version 10.0 to version 10.6, operating systems are named: Cheetah (translated as Cheetah), Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard, and the most recent version of Snow Leopard (translated as Snow Leopard). Each version has its own improvements and improvements, but all of them have common innovations that make Mac OS X completely different from Mac OS 9, which led to the fact that applications written for previous versions of Mac OS will not work on Mac OS X. Initially, the work of applications written under Mac OS 9 was carried out through virtual emulation, but over time this was completely abandoned.

The undeniable advantage of the visualization of the graphical shell of Mac OS X is new interface user, which is called Aqua. The Aqua GUI creates the illusion of an aquatic environment, with a sense of transparency, depth and movement. It remains virtually unchanged in all modifications of Mac OS X, but all this time it has not lost its relevance and freshness of the solution. Aqua was created not only for beauty, but also for the comfort and convenience of users. One of the innovations is the ability to stack active application windows into separate sections, which, if desired, can be hidden from view, preventing them from needlessly filling up useful desktop space.

The new version of Mac OS X includes features such as memory protection, which prevents the entire system from freezing when one of the applications fails, as well as preemptive multitasking and symmetric multiprocessing. Mac OS X implements dynamic memory allocation, which allows you to allocate and deallocate memory directly while programs are running. This eliminates "out of memory" messages and does not require you to adjust the amount of available memory for each application.

Another confirmation that Mac OS is developed primarily for the convenience of the user is the automatic integration into the network. Using this function allows you to connect to the Internet by any available connection method without advanced settings by the user. New power-saving technology allows the computer to wake up from sleep almost instantly.

Mac OS X has implemented the possibility of multi-user access to data, differentiated access rights, increased the degree of protection of user information, system administration has become even simpler, and the interface for managing fonts and font sets has become more convenient and flexible, in addition, Mac OS X now directly supports font formats such as: True Type, Type1 and Open Type. Mac OS X now has built-in support for Epson, Hewlett-Packard, and Cannon printers.

2D visualization and printing of documents in Mac OS X is organized using Quartz technology, which uses the already standard PDF graphic format, which provides extended support for fonts and other graphical features of the system. To work with audio data and video data in Mac OS X, the patented Quick Time technology is used, which is now integrated into the system, and 3D graphics and games are implemented using Open GL technology.

Mac OS X is significantly different from previous versions of Mac OS. The basis of the system was the POSIX-compatible Darwin operating system, which is free software. Its core is XNU (a recursive acronym for "Xnuis Not Unix"), which uses the Mach kernel and standard BSD services. All Unix features are available through the console.

On top of this foundation, Apple has developed many proprietary components such as the Cocoa and Carbon APIs, Quartz.

Mac OS X includes many features that make it more stable than previous version--Mac OS 9.

Mac OS X uses preemptive multitasking and memory protection to allow multiple processes to run that cannot interrupt or corrupt each other. The architecture of Mac OS X was influenced by OpenSTEP, which was intended to be a portable operating system. For example, NeXTSTEP was ported from the original NeXT computer's 68k platform, before NeXT STEP was bought by Apple. So Open STEP was ported to the Power PC as part of the Rhapsody project.

The most notable change was the Aqua GUI. The use of rounded corners, translucent elements and light stripes also influenced the appearance of the hardware of the first iMacs. Some users did not like it, they considered it unprofessional. Others were pleased and considered it a step forward. After the release of the first version of Mac OS X, other developers also began to use the Aqua design. To prevent the use of its design on other platforms, Apple used the services of lawyers.

Mac OS X includes the Xcode software development environment, which allows you to develop programs in several languages, including C, C++, Objective-C, Ruby, and Java. It supports compilation into so-called "universal programs" (Universal Binary) which can run on multiple platforms (x86, Power PC), just like "fatbinaries" used to run a single application on 68k and Power PC platforms.

The basics of Mac OS X are:

The open source subsystem is Darwin (the Mach kernel, the BSD utility suite).

Core Foundation programming environment (Carbon API, Cocoa API and Java API).

Aqua graphics environment (QuickTime, Quartz Extreme and OpenGL).

Core Image, Core Audio and Core Data technologies.

3.5 Evolution of Mac OS X

The Apple Mac OS X operating system is currently available in two versions: a version for workstations and laptops, as well as a version for a server, which is necessary for organizing work local network enterprises. Since the release of Mac OS X 10.0, six more modifications have been released, each bearing the name of a feline animal.

Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah (Cheetah): was the first updated version of the Mac OS operating system. It appeared in March 2001 and was based on the UNIX operating system and FreeBSD services. The new technology has improved the functionality, reliability and security of the new operating system. But version 10.0 of Cheetah was unstable and lacked a number of features found in the latest versions of Mac OS X, so Apple released a free update.

Mac OS X 10.1 Puma: A free update developed by Apple that upgraded Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah to version 10.1 (Puma), fixing a number of bugs that existed in the first version and improving stability. It has such functions as: personification, high quality graphics, quick access to system parameters, spectrum expansion networking opportunities and peripheral devices, playback and DVD burning disks.

Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar: More than 150 different changes and additions have been made to the new version of the Mac OS X operating system, the main one being support for hardware acceleration user interface using Quartz Extreme technology, as a result of which all image processing is carried out by the processor of the video card. This version introduced the Quick Time 6 multimedia center, the iChat Internet instant messaging program, a unified address book, and the Inkwell handwriting system. Mail programs have been improved to include spam filtering, Finder search for files, and Sherlock 3 internet search.

Mac OS X 10.3 Panther: Released on October 24, 2003, it introduced FileVault data encryption technology. Subsequent system updates brought a number of changes such as: fixed some security issues, increased reliability in working with remote files in mixed networks, improved file sharing system and support wireless networks, updated drivers for video cards, catalog system and support for Open GL. Changes and improvements have been made to the Safari browser, mail client, address book, Stickies and Quick Time, as well as improved support for third-party software.

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger: Released in April 2005, it includes over 200 changes and additions to make your computer run faster and more stable. The main novelties of this version of Mac OS X are the unique Spotlight quick information search function and the interface for Dashboard widgets, an Automator application designed to automate a series of constantly repetitive actions, which made it possible to perform routine work with a single click.

Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Released on October 26, 2007, it includes over 300 enhancements and additions. The changes primarily affected the core of the operating system, the DTrace dynamic tracing framework is now integrated into it, and there is also the Cocoa Bridges environment for developing applications in Ruby and Python programming languages, Scripting Bridge allows you to automate Mac applications through programs in Objective-C, Ruby and Python. Rails, Mongrel and Capistrano were also included in the system. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is now recognized as a complete UNIX system. An important event was the appearance in this version of the BootCamp program, with which you can now install Windows on Macintosh computers as a second working operating system. The new version of Mac OS X has been completely updated Finder and others useful applications, added features such as Stacks, Quick Look, Spaces and program time machine for creating backups systems and data.

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: Released in June 2008, it includes a number of major changes. Now it works only on Intel processors, uses 64-bit technologies in its work, works equally with 64-bit and 32-bit applications, takes almost half the disk space, installs, loads and works faster. All standard Mac apps OS X (Finder, Mail, Safari, iCal and iChat, etc.) were converted to 64-bit code in the new version, which significantly improved their performance and made them more resistant to hacker attacks. GrandCentralDispatch allows you to take full advantage of multi-core systems and increase computer performance. Added interface scaling. SnowLeopard OS uses Bonjour technology for file sharing, stacks for working with windows of programs, and it also updated the Expose function, which has become even more convenient and accessible. Increased backup speed, iChat can now use the AIM relay server to transfer data to prevent connection failures.

3.6 Pros and cons of Mac OS

The main reason for the small percentage of people who have chosen Apple computers for work is, first of all, the price, and secondly, the closeness of Mac OS. The company's management policy is aimed at ensuring that the Mac OS operating system can only be installed on computers of their own production, so those who decide to enjoy all the benefits of Mac OS are simply obliged to buy a Macintosh.

Discussing the merits and demerits of the Mac OS system is essential along with a discussion of the pros and cons of the Macintosh itself. But each advantage and each disadvantage in this case is absolutely conditional, since here it is necessary to take into account which side to look at this or that problem. The price is the main disadvantage of computers from Apple, since they are inaccessible to the general population, and do not pull on the budget version at all.

The range of Macintosh computers offered in stores is rather poor, each direction is represented by only two or three copies. Moreover, all computers are produced only in ready-made form, and for those who are used to assembling their own computer, this option will not work at all. But on the other hand, when you come to the store, you do not have to think for a long time which Macintosh is worth choosing, while the quality of each of them will be at the highest level.

Yes, Macintosh is expensive, but for this money you get a beautiful, high-quality computer with its own special personality and a modern operating system, designed with all the latest technologies and scientific achievements. At the same time, Mac OS was created specifically for Macintosh computers, which allows you to use the capabilities of iron by 100 percent, and not overpay for new items that you don’t know when and with what you can evaluate.

In addition, Mac OS comes with a set of really useful programs that allow you to organize the entire workflow of a modern person. Add to this free service at any Apple branded store, and another question arises, how much this computer is expensive, and is it worth the money.

Another unpleasant problem is the closeness of Mac OS, which primarily affects the lack of software for it from third-party developers. There are still some important software products, written for the Macintosh, and gamers won’t be able to roam, since games are developed primarily for Windows, and then for Mac OS, and you won’t find some toys at all.

But time does not stand still, and organizations appear that develop software products for Mac OS, and well-known software developers are interested in making their product work on Macintosh computers. But most importantly, Apple in the latest version of Mac OS included the Boot Camp application, which makes it easy to install an operating system on Macintosh computers. Windows system and use any software on them.

The debate about what is better can be continued indefinitely, but if you ask those who have decided and bought a Macintosh computer if they agree to change it for another, most likely you will get a negative answer. Macintosh people love their computers. This can be explained by the fact that Apple's management creates its products primarily for people. Their main strategy is beauty and convenience. In addition, all their developments keep pace with the times, and even a little ahead of it. When buying a Macintosh computer with Mac OS, you can be sure that it will not become obsolete in six months, but will be relevant for a long time to come.

4. Software

To ensure a smooth transition from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X, Carbon was created. An application written with Carbon can run on any of these operating systems. On the other hand, Mac OS X inherits a lot from OpenSTEP, which is not backward compatible with other versions of Mac OS. At the moment, Apple recommends an API called Cocoa, and there the OpenSTEP legacy is quite noticeable -- many class names start with "NS" (NSObject, NSArray), which is short for NeXTSTEP.

Mac OS X also supports Java. This means that applications written in Java using Swing look the same as applications using Cocoa. Traditionally, Cocoa applications are developed in Objective C, an alternative to Java. However, on July 25, 2007, Apple stated that further extensions to Cocoa would not be ported to Java. As part of Mac OS X, starting with version 10.5 Leopard, a Ruby interpreter with Cocoa support is shipped.

Unlike its predecessors, Mac OS X is a complete UNIX-03 certified operating system. This means that most programs written for BSD, Linux, and other UNIX-like systems, will compile and run on Mac OS X with little or no additional code changes. Package managers such as Fink or Mac Ports (formerly Darwin Ports) have been developed for easy installation of such programs. They are like apt on Debian or ports on FreeBSD.

Starting with version 10.3, Mac OS X also includes X11.app by default, a customized version of the X server. This allows applications designed for X11 to run on Mac OS X -- using gtk, Qt for X11 (Qt4 supports Mac OS X in both X11 mode and normal Aqua mode), and so on. X11.app uses Quartz for display. However, X11.app has a number of problems, such as the lack of Aqua-style in the design of applications and incomplete support for Unicode.

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Moscow State University of Culture and Arts

Subject "Computer systems"

Macintosh hardware platform

Completed:

Student group 114

day department

Golubin Sergey Alexandrovich

Moscow city.

2003

Introduction 3

Part 1. The history of the development of the Macintosh and its features 4

1.1. The emergence of Apple - the creator of the Macintosh 4

1.2. Quality indicators 8

1.3. Development prospects and use 12

Part 2. Hardware and software platform Macintosh 15

2.1. general characteristics model range 15

2.2. Operating system features 30

Conclusion 35

List of sources used 36

Introduction

The purpose of the course work is to study the Macintosh hardware and software, its formation, its advantages and real possibilities of application in the conditions of informatization.

The objectives of the course work are:

1. study the history of the platform;

2. give a generalized description of the development of the Macintosh and its lineup;

3. analyze the features of this platform;

4. identify possible uses for the Macintosh.

The following sources were used to write the course work:

• Internet resources, in particular the site www.mymac.ru, which is entirely devoted to the history and various aspects of the further development of the Macintosh;
• Printed documents - textbooks and study guides, a guide for Macintosh users. The book “10 Minutes with Macintosh” was a great help in writing the work. It is the first book in Russian that discusses the Macintosh platform, the basic principles of working with peripheral devices and their management programs. A detailed description of the Operating System (OS) is given in the work “Hardware and software platforms information systems» (Obninsk, 2001)

My interest in this topic is due to a change in Apple's policy. R.U.I., representing the interests of Apple in the Russian market, announced the start of a large-scale marketing campaign. If earlier Apple's interests were focused on narrow market segments (such as publishing and printing), today Apple is reaching out to the mass consumer, including individuals. Already more than 50 official distributors in Russia are engaged in the supply of Macs. A certain work experience has also been accumulated, and now Macs are not the subject of abstract conversations. Specialists-consultants will select the desired configuration of technical means, help you choose software, provide supply, installation and training of employees. This way the user will not be abandoned in any of the stages. Having signed a contract for highly reliable equipment, he will also receive a service of the appropriate level. This became possible thanks to the constant work of the company to improve the quality level of Macintosh hardware and software.

Part 1. The history of the Macintosh and its lineup.

1.1. The emergence of Apple - the creator of the Macintosh.

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak became friends in high school. They were more interested in electronics and "vision of the world" than in studies. The vision of the world was nothing more than a rosy dream: how this world would change when millions of computing devices entered the everyday life of ordinary people, took over the management of routine operations and made simple human existence more interesting, exciting and creative.

Four years before the introduction of the Apple computer, Steve Wozniak was a college student living in a dorm at the University of California. One day, he came across an article from the October 1971 issue of Esquire magazine. The article was called "Secrets of the Blue Box". It told of an underground network of "telephone geeks," the forerunners of computer hackers that emerged a decade later. These blue boxes could outsmart the accounting machines of the Bell Telephone Company and made it possible to make free calls to any city in the world. This article interested Wozniak, he called his friend Steve Jobs. Jobs was four years younger than Wozniak, a sophomore in high school, and living on the outskirts of San Jose. The young men had been friends for many years, they were connected by a common interest in electronics.

So the two Steves decided to start making blue boxes. For the next four months they worked hard and finally assembled a signal generator according to the schemes from the Popular Electronics magazine. But to achieve the stability of the generator in order to mislead the equipment of telephone exchanges, it turned out to be not an easy task. Therefore, Wozniak designed a small digital device which ran on a nine-volt battery. The two Steves, using their generator, started playing phone games.

But, as if predetermining the future partnership, Jobs decided to stop these technical entertainments, he set out to make money on the invention of a friend. Parts for the blue box cost $40, and it took Wozniak no more than one hour to assemble the circuit. Jobs proposed this plan: he pays for the parts, Wozniak does the installation, and they share the profits equally. Wozniak agreed. And soon the two friends were selling their ingenious boxes, carrying them around the rooms of the men's hostel. Then the boxes began to sell in Southern California thanks to a friend who undertook to be their representative in the Beverly Hills region. Friends sold more than two hundred of these boxes at a price of $150 each. A year later, the telephone company improved their switching system, and the blue boxes were useless.

Jobs managed to get a job at Atari (for $5 an hour) to create the first video game, Pongo. Jobs intended to do all the work himself, but then realized that he could not cope, so he turned to Wozniak for help. Atari paid a bonus every time the designer was able to reduce the number of chips in the game, as this reduced the cost of production. Wozniak, on the other hand, was a great specialist in saving components while improving quality. Jobs agreed to give a friend half of the bonus, which he said was $700. “Steve would never have been able to cope with such a difficult task,” Wozniak later said. “I worked on the game, thinking that Jobs would sell it to Atari for $ 700, and I would get my 350. Only a few years later I found out that Jobs actually got $7,000 instead of $700." In addition, Jobs did not tell anyone about Wozniak's involvement in this work. After receiving the money, Jobs left for an Oregon farm.

Meanwhile, Wozniak, who had been living with his parents after being expelled from Berkeley, got a job at Hewlett-Packard and began developing a calculator. But in reality, he was interested in computers. He began attending the Hobbyist Computer Club in Menlo Park. Twice a month about thirty engineers, programmers and technicians gathered in the club. They discussed the problems of designing small-sized computers. It was 1975, and computers were then bulky, the size of a room. They cost a lot of money. Computers were programmed using perforated cards laid out in a certain sequence. Only large universities, wealthy corporations and government agencies could buy such machines. The task of the Computer Club was to wrest the monopoly on computers from the hands of the financial oligarchy and make these smart machines available to the common people. But the prospect of an early and sharp reduction in the cost of microprocessors, reducing their size, reducing complexity and increasing power was clearly visible. By that time, the developers had already transferred all the functional power of the computer to the silicon chip. Members of the club began to exchange circuit solutions, offer ideas to each other, began to trade in electronic parts. In January 1975, the Popular Electronics magazine announced the release of the Altair-8800, the first computer kit for amateur electronics engineers. A set of parts cost $375. But even for computer aces "Altair" was the subject of deep disappointment. The kit was sold without software, without an operating system, so the buyer himself had to program the machine. All assembly and soldering also had to be done by the user, he was also asked to connect additional memory chips, a teletypewriter or a TV monitor himself. And only after that the computer became more or less functional. In fact, the cost rose to $3,000.

Wozniak could not afford to buy Altair. He did not want to create his own set of parts, so he began to design his own microcomputer from the components he obtained from Jobs. However, when Wozniak offered the rights to manufacture a computer to his bosses at Hewlett-Packard, they politely listened to him and refused, saying that Hewlett-Packard was not interested in such products. But Jobs was interested. He began to persuade Wozniak to sell computer circuit boards to club members and other amateur electronics engineers. Jobs suggested starting his own computer company. While working for Atari, he met and became friends with the firm's senior developer, Ron Wayne. Jobs invited Wayne to the "company" and offered him 10%. All this was very frivolous, but Wayne accepted the invitation. Jobs picked up the name to be in the telephone directory before Atari, Jobs decided to call the company Apple Computer. Wozniak, on the other hand, preferred more technical names, more serious ones, similar to the slang of electronic engineers "Executek" or "Matrix Electronics" (Executek, Matrix Electronics). In addition, he was afraid that the Beatles might make claims - after all, their record company was called Apple Corps. But in the end, he gave in and agreed that Apple was the best name for his joint venture with Jobs. This is the name they reported to the newspaper, and

Today we have a topic with a challenge: the use of exchange programs technical analysis on computers running Mac OS X. I think many users are interested in the possibility of such an alliance: in the last year or two, there has been an active trend towards switching to Apple computers not only for beginners (as it always was), but also for advanced users, tired of the endless need to constantly tweak, adjust and improve something in their native "Windows". Add here a unique style, prestige and - perhaps the main impulse! - the absence of any viruses on the Mac, and you will understand the allure of the alternative.

One of the most popular myths about Mac OS X in the Windows world is, "They don't have the software." Of course, the fiction is ridiculous: software for the "Mac" today is written no less than for Windows, in almost all categories - from office applications to any multimedia. For all but one - software for the technical analysis of securities! Here things on the "Mac" are calm.

Trading software for Mac

I do not want to be unfounded: look at what a typical native "stock exchange software" written for Mac OS X looks like ( see chart 1). I didn't use quotation marks by accident. From the monstrously clumsy interface of TraderStar (this is the name of this squalor), you can immediately guess that it was written by programmers raised on Windows bread. The Mac adopted a unified interface, sustained in moderate tones (usually gray color), with a single structure of windows (the figure shows how a dozen diverse visual spaces are glued together). In short, horror.

The functionality matches the design: we have a simple intermediary between a web service like finance.yahoo.com and Standalone App, an independent application. In other words, everything the same as in TraderStar can be observed in a wonderful way directly from a web browser. Even more, because there is no indicator analysis, especially visual, in TraderStar (but there is, albeit in its infancy, on finance.yahoo.com).

The pinnacle of technical analysis software for Mac OS X is ProTA Gold. Old-timers-"technicians" remember and will not let you lie: something like this ( see chart 2) looked like MetaStock in the early 1990s (versions 2-3-4).

One can not even dream about the existence of neural network simulators or, for example, Elliot wave counters and drawing tools for Gann Studies under Mac OS X: there are none in nature. It seems that there are simply no traders working under Mac OS X in the world. The impression is, of course, erroneous: there are traders, but there really are no software developers. There is no need to be surprised: almost from the very first days, all exchanges traditionally focused first on DOS, and then on Windows. Macs remained the diocese of audiovisual professionals, book publishers, and creatives.

Therefore, for Mac traders, there are two options left: to keep a Windows computer in the house or to run native “fort” software under Mac OS X on virtual machine. For a more or less stationary user, the option with a second Windows computer is quite rational, while mobile warriors prefer the services of a virtual machine.

Your obedient servant will use both options. Although I spend nine months a year in various exotic places - from India to Moldova, I still carry it everywhere besides the main working laptop Macbook Pro 17" and 13" Sony VAIO VGN-Z11VRN with installed Windows 7 Maximum 64-bit, because in addition to various online banking terminals that use a terrible nightmare called ActiveX, I have to work with a handful of proprietary programs written on my order by programmers ten years ago. None of these programs for some reason want to function correctly in virtual machines on Mac OS X.

By the way, this is a very important circumstance: the program runs on a virtual machine, visually even performs the functions assigned to it (for example, it generates license and registration codes for my vCollege courses), but these codes turn out to be invalid, so I have to generate them again already in native environment - on VAIO under Windows 7.

This unusual behavior of a number of Windows programs, in fact, prompted me to research, which I present to the readers today. I wanted to check which of the popular securities technical analysis programs work in a virtual machine under Mac OS X not formally, but in full functionality. It suddenly turns out that some MetaStock seems to be installed correctly, but then it starts to fail during the execution of certain tasks (for example, when testing an indicator system with variables, performing graphical analysis, or launching an expert module). We will check all this now.

Virtual machines

First, a few words about virtual machines. For Mac OS X, there are several of them: first of all, it is a trendsetter in the corporate sector VMWare Fusion (www.vmware.com/products/fusion), then two free alternatives to VirtualBox (www.virtualbox.org) and Q (www.kju -app.org), and, finally, the development of Russian programmers - Parallels (www.parallels.com).

It is not my task to prove the advantages of a particular virtual machine. Let me just say that I tested all of the above, for some time I chose between VMWare Fusion and Parallels, in the end I settled on Parallels, which seemed to me more nimble and reliable. Nevertheless, she also failed to avoid the bottlenecks that plague all virtual machines without exception, namely: resource intensity, "memory greed" and other misfortunes. Suffice it to say that, together with the developers, for more than six months I struggled with a memory leak that occurred on a computer with a large number of simultaneously running programs (my case!). As a result, a set of clever tricks and tricks was born that allow you to radically optimize and speed up the operation of a virtual machine.

Let's start with the Quotes Plus database. There is nothing outstanding about it, I just have been using it since 1996 and recommend it to all my students (studying Quotes Plus is part of the vCollege - Internettrading.net program). It has three modules: ordinary shares (Equities), futures (Commodities) and mutual funds (Mutual Funds). The database requires daily updates and tracks almost all US market securities. It has a minimum number of technical analysis indicators, it has a fairly developed script language, fine visualization settings. The main purpose of Quotes Plus in the indicator analysis algorithm is to carry out the primary screening of securities according to rough signs, for example: volume explosions, gaps up and down relative to last price closing, any trigger associated with the intersection of indicators of given lines and digital values, etc. It is obvious that fine tuning (in-depth analysis) is performed at the next stage - in something like MetaStock.

Installing Quotes Plus on a virtual machine with standard Windows version XP passes without the slightest difficulty ( see graph 3). The display of all elements of the main window of the Display Charts utility (Quotes Plus adheres to a "batch" philosophy, in which each task - scanning the database, playing a chart, exporting to MetaStock, etc. - is performed by an independent mini-utility) is flawless ( cm.schedule4 ). Scanning the database using the specified triggers (filters) is going well - a filter has been launched on the chart to detect an explosion in trading volume ( cm.schedule5 ). Porting to MetaStock also does not raise any complaints, the daily database update via the Internet also proceeds transparently ( cm.schedule6 ).

Summary: The Quotes Plus database runs flawlessly in a Windows XP virtual machine on MAC OS X. We move on.

Test MetaStock - pass

Install MetaStock 11 EOD (End Of Day) ( cm. schedule7 ). Bollinger band and Gann fan are superimposed on the chart - as you can see, both indicators and graphical analysis work in the virtual machine in the same way as in native Windows environment. Now let's look at the operation of the trading systems testing module. Let's run something tedious, for example, Tushar Chande's inertial oscillator - useless, however, just like all other indicators ( cm.schedule8 ).

System testing was lightning fast thanks to the quad-core iCore7. The main thing is that there are no failures in mathematics in the virtual machine - the only thing to be wary of when porting technical analysis programs to someone else's operating system. So far everything is going like clockwork. Finally, checking the work expert systems (cm.schedule9 ).

The master of chaos, Bill Williams, habitually introduces us into a false calmness: the Alligator is completely green! Please note: absolutely all modules are reproduced in the virtual machine: the multimedia block with the talking head of the "prophet" Bill works, and all graphic labels and lines are applied to the chart.

Summary: The latest version of MetaStock is fully compatible with Windows 7 running under a Parallels virtual machine on Mac OS X.

Test AmiBroker - pass

The next candidate to test is AmiBroker, my favorite terminal for tracking intraday quotes. Of course, there are a lot of platforms with similar functionality, but only AmiBroker has an extremely popular price of $279, which is a little more than a monthly subscription to a professional feeder (data provider). And most importantly, it is supported by a feeder from Quotes Plus (the so-called qpFeed Real Time), which, in turn, is four times cheaper than the eSignal feeder.

Install the program and watch cm.schedule10 ). Everything went like clockwork. Porting data from MetaStock, a real-time feeder from Quotes Plus - there are no differences in functionality from the "window" OS. Automatic updating of EOD quotes through the built-in AmiQuote service also proceeds without any questions.

Well, AmiBroker joins the previous testers with a verdict confirming full functionality in a Mac OS X virtual machine. Testing continues.

Test NeuroForecaster and Timing Solution - pass

The next valuable tool - NeuroForecaster - popular program neural network analysis from the Do-It-Yourself category. We study NeuroForecaster at vCollege, despite the complexity and inhuman interface, for one reason: the program is absolutely transparent in terms of functionality. You yourself select the data at the input nodes, determine the type of neural network, the number of intermediate nodes, the output data, and also control the entire process of network training. In order to comprehend the neural network in its most key moments, it is difficult to come up with something better than NeuroForecaster.

Another thing is that in practice I have always tended (and recommended to students) to use more user-friendly solutions - say, Timing Solutions, which, in my opinion, also has significantly more advanced functionality compared to the outdated NeuroForecaster in many respects. In any case, we will now check how both programs work on a virtual machine under Mac OS X.

Install NeuroForecaster ( cm.schedule11 ). Installation, loading of input data, selection of the type of neural model and neural network file, training, testing, forcasting - all procedures of the conventional algorithm are exactly the same as in the native one. Windows environment. As you can see, there were no surprises with NeuroForecaster in the virtual space of Mac OS X.

The work of Timing Solution proceeds without the slightest failure ( cm.schedule12 ). To be honest, it was this program that I was most afraid of when preparing for testing. The fact is that the latest incarnation of the most complex and advanced development in the field of computerization of exchange technical analysis - the Timing Solution Terra Incognita version - implements the most complex algorithms that use all available computing resources of a computer. In addition to traditional (for Timing Solution Advanced) neural networks based on spectral analysis and astrocycle analysis, the Terra Incognita version introduces a completely new trigger module Trading Strategy Constructor. This is an analogue of a mechanical model that analyzes tens of thousands of traditional systems (from inverted Moving Averages to quantum systems) and issues ready-made buy / sell signals. Be that as it may, testing has shown that absolutely all modules of the Timing Solution Terra Incognita package work absolutely flawlessly in a virtual machine under Mac OS X.

Test QUIK - pass

Towards the end, we will test the popular domestic QUIK terminal in the virtual space of Parallels. I did not install it, but simply copied it from a Windows computer. The QUIK code is solid, so there were no surprises in the work - under the virtual machine, the terminal for trading on Russian sites rustled with its usual concentrated grip: it displayed quotes for all sheets, updated the lists of orders and transactions on MICEX in real time, etc.

Verdict: QUIK, like all other tested exchange programs, turned out to be fully functional on a Parallels virtual machine running Mac OS X. In other words, Mac traders can sleep peacefully: there is absolutely no discomfort from switching to a new OS in a professional (or hobby) they will not feel it - everything will be familiar and everyday, just like on a Windows computer.

Parallels Settings

In conclusion, a few promised words about fine tuning Parallels, which will provide maximum performance and memory optimization on your Mac. I set out detailed instructions in one of the issues of Dovecote Online, to which I refer readers (www.computerra.ru/sgolub/579400). Here I will limit myself to the only, however, the most important tweak, which at first glance seems paradoxical.

During the preconfiguration of the virtual machine, we allocate a certain amount of dynamic memory for the needs of the guest operating system. By default, Parallels offers 1 GB for Windows XP (on a computer with 4 GB of RAM installed). With this configuration, both the native operating system (Mac OS X) and the guest operating system (Windows XP) switch to the gait of a turtle after 10–15 minutes, and after another 10–15 minutes they simply begin to crawl, turning the pleasure of work into flour. At this moment, a natural desire arises to change the settings in the direction of increasing the memory allocated for the guest OS to 2 GB (it doesn’t make any more sense, because this is the maximum figure for Windows XP, it simply does not understand more memory).

Therein lies the mistake! For a full and at the same time as fast as possible guest Windows in a virtual machine, 512 MB of memory is enough for the eyes! Yes, yes, you heard right. I will say more: for any tasks not related to resource-intensive calculations, 312 MB is enough, but for exchange technical analysis programs, I would recommend taking it with a margin - exactly 512 MB. In the process of testing all the programs that I introduced readers to today, there has never been a situation where memory resources in Windows XP were used by more than 75%. Even at the moment of maximum computational load on the processor and coprocessor. These are the paradoxical miracles that are happening with these "Parallels"!