The Future of Bible Analyzer on MacOS

[Tim]

My first Mac computer was a used G4 Power Mac that had a PowerPC chip running the old OS X Jaguar (10.2) operating system. I got it around 2005 to try and make a Mac edition of Bible Analyzer. After a lot of trial and error getting used to the "Mac way," I released the first Bible Analyzer Mac edition.

This was before the iPhone, iPad, and any "App Store." At that time Mac was just another computer company that worked basically the same as the others. However, in 2007 Apple begin to change. They introduced the iPhone, the first smart phone, and along with it the Apple store. The iPhone was a revolutionary product and people bought them by the millions, but there was a catch that most people simply ignored. Even though the phone was a little pocket computer, one could only install apps on it from Apple's own store. No "outside" apps could be installed and Apple insisted this was to keep people "safe" and "protect" them from malware. When the iPad came out this restriction continued as it did later with the Apple Watch. Apple has successfully conditioned its users to accept these restrictions in the name of "security."

The exception to this was MacOS. Early on users could install any DMG or even ZIP app they wanted without any problem. After the Mac Store came out, though, Apple started adding warnings to users trying to install any app that did not come from their store. Every year or so Apple would make installing these non-store apps like Bible Analyzer harder and harder to where it is at the point now that users have to jump through so many hoops with Gatekeeper that they just give up. I get emails from Mac users all the time stating they can't install Bible Analyzer and Apple is making them afraid to try with all the warnings they are confronted with.

The "handwriting is on the wall" so to speak. Apple is on a path to limit all Mac systems to only be able to use store apps.

Furthermore, unlike Windows and Linux OSs, Apple does not value making its OS backwards compatible with earlier platforms. When they went from PowerPC to Intel chips, they provided "Rosetta" as a translator so users could still run PowerPC apps for a while, then they completely abandoned them. They have done the same with the transition from Intel chips to Silicon/ARM chips. Now they have "Rosetta2," but it will be discontinued with MacOS 28 sometime in 2027.

I have received emails and notices from some of you wanting to know if Bible Analyzer will have a true Silicon edition in time for the cut off, and unfortunately, the answer is no. Over the years I have had to buy four Mac systems to try and keep up with the changes so we could continue to develop Bible Analyzer. The last one I bought was a nice Intel iMac with a retina screen that I have developed the latest Bible Analyzer Mac editions on. However, to develop for Silicon I must have a Silicon Mac and I'm simply not going to buy one. Apple products are good quality, but they are expensive, and I cannot justify the expense, especially since Apple continuously tries to scare Bible Analyzer users away with their constant "non-store app" warnings. Also, to keep all the users who still use Intel Macs happy, I would have to develop two Mac editions on two different systems, one Intel and one Silicon. I am too old for all this.

So, Mac Bible Analyzer users, I'm sorry. Unless there is some way to still run Intel apps after MacOS 28, Bible Analyzer installation will end with MacOS 27. There may be emulators that will do it. I don't know, but that is the state of things right now.