We are considering dropping support for Windows XP some time in the future. Microsoft themselves have now dropped support for XP, and there are a number of new features in later Windows versions that would improve ReefMaster, but that would mean that ReefMaster would no longer work on XP systems.

Please take a moment to contribute to this poll to help give us an idea of who is using what, and if you are still using XP - why, and do you plan to upgrade any time soon?

Wrote Windows 7 because that's what I code on but I'm sure at least one of my home computers is running Windows XP. Out of curiosity, what API functionality from later Windows are you thinking of using that isn't supported on XP?

There's a couple of particular ones, one to do with creating bitmaps on background threads (for the sonar viewer) - we could do this much more efficiently but for a quirk in XP. Also an issue with memory mapped files that didn't get fixed until .NET 4.5, and XP tops out at 4.0. I'm pretty sure there'd be some other stuff in .NET 4.5 that we could use as well.

Perhaps even more importantly, the work involved in testing RM on multiple platforms is not insignificant, so if we could dump XP (and Vista - does anyone use that?) that would help.

The biggest hindrances to moving to a later version of Windows I can think of are:
- hardware that can't support the newer versions (which most people wouldn't be able to run Reefmaster well, anyway)
- apathy towards moving to a newer version (which most people just need a reason to upgrade for)
- that registry problem starting with Windows Vista where most application writers were breaking some rules and application writers had to switch how they did registry entries (where most of the applications should be updated by now)

In some country regions, older versions of Windows would be much more common than where I live where my home OS choice is kept good company by people that only own a computer to check their email.

I voted W8,
but also, there might be some users having XP on old Notebooks on the Boot for Live mapping.

Also i will handle this (if possible in the Future) with an old Notebook .. i dont want o install a new OS or use a newer Notebook on the Boot.

So Maybe an extra RM Version, running on XP,
only with the needed Features for Live mapping .. possible ?

I use W7 on my laptop.
I was using a Macbook Pro with WM-ware windows 7 emulation.
Are there any thoughts of releasing a OSX version of Reefmaster?

Although it is a good manor to support older OS as long as possible, at some point, you simply have to drop the old stuff in order to maintain a healthy project. No one can afford to have full backwards compatibility in the long term, not even Microsoft apparently. Neither is it fair to the customers who strive to be at the very forefront in utilizing the software.

So I would say – Go for it!
If you can put that extra effort in developing new exciting features instead of testing and debugging on XP and Vista, then I doubt anyone would oppose.

Cheers
//Mats

I use W7 32 on a laptop, W7 64 on the desktop, and XP on a Panasonic Toughbook on the survey boat on which I record all my data in the wild. XP simply because Panasonic haven't bothered their arses to write W7 drivers for the model Toughbook I have. I wouldnt be creating any charts on the toughbook, but would certainly want to display a database of tracks, a background chart, and to record tracks.

T

Any response on this from Reefmaster on OSX?

I'm sure Matt can speak for himself but I've "ported" a number of applications from a Windows .net environment to OSX for clients and in every case it means starting from scratch. I always sigh a little when Apple users just casually chuck out the "why can't it work on my Mac" line - I know this isn't quite the case here bit it does happen a lot. For a .net developer (most Windows software uses the .net framework these days) it means learning a whole new set of development tools, most likely a new language, a massive time investment and then the hassle of maintaining 2 totally separate sets of code. It makes far more commercial sense for all but the biggest software companies to rely on Mac users who want to run their software using a Windows emulator. I'm hoping that comes across as some sort of explanation and not a rant :) That's my point of view anyway, I'm sure every developer has their own opinion on it.

Often times the reason you can't port isn't even in your own code - it's in the libraries you use from other people. Some libraries will also prevent you from developing for 64 bit Windows.

Thanks for the responses guys - and I have to say the distribution of OS use is pretty much exactly as I thought it would be (especially zero Vista users!).

Paul is right - the amount of work involved in porting ReefMaster to OSX would be huge, especially since RM is so UI heavy. It would be almost a complete rewrite, and it wouldn't be viable.

Greg's point is also a good one - we rely on certain Windows libraries, the equivalents of which might be hard or impossible to find for OSX. Not least, the IMC is required to generate the final maps that most users want and,although I can't speak for Greg, I doubt that there will be an OSX version of that any time soon.

We'll keep supporting XP as long as it is not too onerous to do so. If it gets to the point where the majority of our users (non XP) are missing out on potential improvements because of our support for XP, then that will be the time to make the move. We're not quite there yet though.

Matt