huti1975 wrote:
First of all, english is not my mother tongue, so I am sorry, if I don't say things correctly.
It is a little bit annoying to see the argument on this issue. There are newbies on Macs like me, to whom a brand new Mac Mini is the first Mac of their life. I wanted to replace my PC with a Mac, because I searched for a user-friendly solution, to put some music and videos on it, play some classic games, wich told me, that they are not only Windows-, but also Mac-compatible (in fact, they are PPC). After I saw Snow Leopard, Macs became an option to me. And in early 2012 i bought a Mac Mini with Lion. Sad to see, that Front Row and Rosetta were removed, what left my Mac Mini a nearly useless only-Internet-performing machine to me.
I cannot downgrade to SL, because it wasn't the origin OS nor have I a MBP for target mode to replace Lion with SL. Front Row from a Retail-SL-Disc won't work proper (I tried this... and after I tried some other Mediacenter solutions, my opinion still is, that there is no other program that is as easy to handle much as Front Row is, especially with the Remote Control), and PPC support is gone forever.
For an OS, that has the reputation here in Germany, that there is less available software on the market for OSX than for other comparing OS, I am really confused about the fact, that a simple solution like Rosetta is able to cause so much frustration.
Don't get me wrong, I do understand the IBM-Apple-Lisence Situation to the point, that IBM wouldn't support Apple with PPC Code even if Apple wanted to make it. But I don't get it, why there shouldn't be other possibilities to make older Software for Macs working with Macs. I thought Apple is that smart? Must be gone in a lawsuit -.-
Do not worry about your English: your message and frustration comes through LOUD and CLEAR!
I, like you, purchased the mid-2011 Mac Mini, knowing it was Lion, but without knowing that Lion eliminated Rosetta. Necessity being the true Mother of Invention, and needing Quicken Deluxe 2002 (among other programs) to continue to work on a day to day basis, I started my process of researching an answer.
Some on this forum offered various solutions:
• The so-called Dual-Boot solution: either partition the internal hard disk, or add an external one, and install Snow Leopard, so as to be able to boot into one OS and then just as you need the other, twiddle your thumbs as you wait for the Mac to boot to the other OS. Then: repeat the process over and over and over as your needs require as the day transpires.
• Regress back to Snow Leopard: this solution ignores the reason that most of the Mac users upgraded to Lion in the first place: iCloud! And of course, for those who own the most modern hardware, such a solution is NOT possible.
• Upgrade all of your software and/or replace it with so-called "compatible" alternatives. It worked for them! Of course, these interlopers ignore the fact that there are those of us who continue to use legacy hardware with software that will never be upgraded, and/or legacy software with data files that will not convert correctly within these so-called "alternatives." So in other words, they have no reason to use or need Rosetta within Lion, but still think they have something valuable to say to those of us who do.
I found ALL of these alternatives useless, self-centered or both! I searched the internet and found the seeds of the solution that works for me and many others:
Installing Snow Leopard (with Rosetta) installed in Parallels 7 in Lion; a solution that offers a very small minority of Lion users who need this solution, a solution that works most of the time. It is not perfect, but most of the time, IT WORKS!
I just ignore the naysayers; their comments have no value to any of us. On the contrary, I continue to enjoy the compliments of those for whom I continue to help. One satisfied virtualization user is worth a thousand naysayer words!
A solution that continues to work with Parallels 7 Build 7.0.15098 (Revision 770637 June 13, 2012).
As to Front Row: I recommend that you purchase the AppleTV: I own one of each of the three generations of the device. I travel with one, enjoy one with my home entertainment system and use the third when I visit friends' homes. With the addition of the FireCore update, I can easily access my video library on multiple external hard drives. In addition, owning one free's your Mac from your home entertainment system for its other uses.