How Big is Rosetta?

G

georgelien

Registered
Or should I ask how small can Rosetta be?


First, I read Ina Fried's Apple to trademark Rosetta Intel bridge article at CNET News.com (UK):

"Apple has applied for a trademark for Rosetta, the translation technology that will act as a bridge as Apple moves to Intel chips next year."


Then I came across Karen Gomm's breaking news Apple's Intel launch ahead of schedule? at ZDNet (UK):

"Apple may launch lower-end Intel-based Macs earlier than its original June 2006 target, with the possibility of an Intel-based Mac mini at Macworld."


So I asked myself: Can Rosetta really fit into a Mac mini?

If so, then how big is it?
 
Rosetta is software emulation that will be installed with the system. It's not a piece of hardware you'll have to install.
 
bobw said:
Rosetta is software emulation that will be installed with the system. It's not a piece of hardware you'll have to install.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's like the Classic emulation software built into OS X, only it simulates a PowerPC environment.

Thank you for pointing that out.

I don't understand why my brain keep rejecting this concept, since my cousin already mentioned this to me before.

I need to go to have my brain checked out.


Thanks again!
^_^
 
It's not exactly emulation but it's still a program that runs automatically and it's part of the Intel version of OS X. What it does it take the binary code in an existing OS X application and translate it ONCE into x86 code which then runs. Now it's not really clear from Apple's documentation whether the system actually saves all the translated code even after the application is quit.

But it is clear that when the application is running, any code that has been translated once, is cached and doesn't have to be translated subsequent times.

The code is also optimized when it's translated so it should help with it being faster than any emulator.
 
So I asked myself: Can Rosetta really fit into a Mac mini?
If so, then how big is it?
Click to expand...

- Rosetta is software, not hardware.
- Rosetta is only of any use at all on Intel-based Macs.
- Rosetta's components will be integrated into the operating system and its operation will be almost completely transparent to the end user.
- I'd expect that Rosetta probably adds no more than a hundred mb to the operating system's footprint.
- Since it will only be used on Macs that haven't been released yet, theres no point worrying about whether it will be small enough to fit on older Macs.
 
I can't decide whether I should laugh or cry, move the thread to the Café or delete or close it... CAN something important still come out of this thread for "Apple News & Rumours"?
 
fryke said:
I can't decide whether I should laugh or cry, move the thread to the Café or delete or close it... CAN something important still come out of this thread for "Apple News & Rumours"?
Click to expand...

Dear fryke,

Unless you think there's a chance that Rosetta would need some sort of hardware to operate, you may close (and delete) this thread as you see fit.
 
Heh, it does have a hardware requirement: an x86 processor, in which case they're around six centimetres square, with a whopping great big heat sink on top :).

There isn't anything else required, though, as the OSx86 project has shown.
 
I don't understand what you all are smokin' round here. Rosetta is a big frikkin rock! I seriously doubt that one person could lift it, so it will be totally useless for Powerbook users. I think it would work for the PowerMac but I would not set it on a desk. If you have a good strong floor you should be golden. In practice I think it will be like my old Sun 670 MP -- that puppy was so heavy we had to take it apart to lift it into the dumpster in pieces at the end.
 

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