Google Earth app. on the MacBook Neo

Aminthule wrote:

The message said that the app. is not compatible with the device, which surprised me as I have it running on my Mac which uses the same OS albeit a slightly earlier version.

If you used Google to find the App Store description for Google Earth, that is correct. You will get a message that says "Not compatible with this device. See full list of compatible devices." The compatible devices are iPhones & iPads.

That means that Google does not distribute a Mac application called Google Earth through Apple's App Store. My Mac is Apple-Silicon-based, so the fact that I got a "Not compatible" message indicates that Google isn't allowing users of Apple-Silicon-based Macs to download and run either of the mobile apps.

\If you want to access Google Earth from a Mac, you must use the Web version, or download the Google Earth Pro application directly from Google's site.

This is what Google's AI says if you Google for "is google earth pro compatible with apple silicon macs":

"Yes, Google Earth Pro is compatible with Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4 chips), but it does not have native support. It runs through Apple's Rosetta 2 emulation layer, which allows Intel-based applications to function on ARM-based Macs. While not optimized, many users report it works well, though it may occasionally crash or feel slower on certain systems. 

Key Details for Apple Silicon Users:

• • Installation: Upon opening, the Mac may prompt you to install Rosetta 2 if it is not already installed.
  • Performance: The app uses Intel code, meaning it doesn't take full advantage of Apple Silicon's efficiency, but it remains functional.
  • Troubleshooting: If you experience crashes, restarting or re-installing via the official Google Earth download page usually resolves issues.
  • Status: There is currently no official timeline for a native Apple Silicon release, but the Intel version is stable on macOS Ventura and newer."

I have not installed the application on my Mac to see whether the Google AI answer is correct.

The Neo uses an A18 Pro chip, which is a different architecture to the M series "Apple Silicon" chips.

So while the version of Mac OS running on your Neo it might have the same number as your Mac, it will actually be a different version compiled specifically for A series chips. E.g. MacBook Neo can't currently run Mac OS 26.4 (Tahoe) which runs on other M series chips, and likely won't run Mac OS 27.

But Mac OS for Neo (whatever major version number) will receive updates to keep it secure and functionally equivalent (from a user perspective) for the foreseeable future.

Google Earth Pro is compiled for Intel–based Macs and depends on Rosetta to run on the version of Mac OS for M series chips. It would seem that the version for A series chips doesn't include Rosetta, so Intel–based Mac OS software won't run on it.

ozRob wrote:

E.g. MacBook Neo can't currently run Mac OS 26.4 (Tahoe) which runs on other M series chips, and likely won't run Mac OS 27.

Huh? MacBook Neo runs the same version of MacOS that all other Macs run, including the M series.

And where do you get that the Neo "likely won't run MacOS 27"?

It's best not to spread false or unfounded information.

Simply put, you must use the web version on your MacBook.

Google Earth – Versions

Google Earth appears to be available in several versions: a Web version, mobile versions, and a "Google Earth Pro" desktop application. This Google Earth Community post describes some of the differences between them.

The System Requirements for Google Earth Pro include Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) or later. That might suggest that the application is so old that it won't work on modern versions of macOS,

Google Earth Help – Install & uninstall Google Earth Pro

Re: “The Neo uses an A18 Pro chip, which is a different architecture to the M series "Apple Silicon" chips.”

Re: “E.g. MacBook Neo can't currently run Mac OS 26.4 (Tahoe) which runs on other M series chips, and likely won't run Mac OS 27.”

What is your source for these assertions? They sound like misinformation to me.

Apple created M-series chips by scaling up A-series designs, and now uses M-series chips in iPad Airs and Pros. Apple Silicon Macs can run iPhone and iPad apps if the developers allow it. That suggests that M-series chips and recent A-series chips have the same or very similar instruction set architectures.

dialabrain wrote:

Just a note, macOS 27 will no longer support Intel/Rosetta software.

About the Rosetta translation environment | Apple Developer Documentation

"Important

macOS Tahoe will be the last release for Intel-based Mac computers. Those systems will continue to receive security updates for 3 years.

Rosetta was designed to make the transition to Apple silicon easier, and we plan to make it available for the next two major macOS releases – through macOS 27 – as a general-purpose tool for Intel apps to help developers complete the migration of their apps. Beyond this timeframe, we will keep a subset of Rosetta functionality aimed at supporting older unmaintained gaming titles, that rely on Intel-based frameworks."

It is macOS 28 where Rosetta 2 will be going away.

Aminthule wrote:

Why can't i load the Google Earth app. on my MacBook Neo?

What happens when you try?

Any error message?

Just a note, macOS 27 will no longer support Intel/Rosetta software.

Servant of Cats wrote:

It is macOS 28 where Rosetta 2 will be going away.

Yep, typo.