CrossOver XI (a far better WINE) announced

I don’t use it as much as I used to, but for a long time (primarily when I ran Linux as my main desktop) I relied on CrossOver heavily. In fact, several of my books were formatted (formatted, not written¹) using Word running via CrossOver on both Linux & Mac OS X.

CrossOver, for those who don’t know, is a commercial version of WINE. WINE, according to Wikipedia:

Wine is a free and open source software application that aims to allow computer programs written for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems. … Wine is a compatibility layer. It duplicates functions of a Windows computer by providing alternative implementations of the DLLs that Windows programs call, and a process to substitute for the Windows NT kernel.

Here are some of the good things about CrossOver:

• It really works. I’ve used it to run a variety of Windows software tools, & it went swimmingly.
• When it doesn’t work, Codeweavers (the people who make CrossOver) are honest. Not every Windows software package works, & Codeweavers has a great page called Truth in Advertising that, well, tells the truth about the product.
• Much faster & easier than dual-booting.
• Much cheaper than dual-booting—since it doesn’t require Windows, you don’t have to pay for Windows.
• Reasonably priced—especially given how well it works. $50 gets you 6 months of support, including updates. After that, existing users get discounts to upgrade.

So what’s special about the new CrossOver XI?

• Just one product—CrossOver—that combines all the functionality of CrossOver, CrossOver Pro, & CrossOver Games. Simplicity is good.
• Improved naming & handling of bottles, the fake versions of Windows in which your software resides.
• Improved UI all around.

This is a great update to an already-fantastic product. Good job, Codeweavers!