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Anonymous
May 4, 2011
Answered

FrameMaker Compatible with Mac in Future?

  • May 4, 2011
  • 3 replies
  • 7283 views

Is anyone aware if future versions of FrameMaker will ever be compatible with a Mac? I used to work on a Windows computer, and I really enjoyed using FrameMaker to create Install/User Manuals. I work on a Mac now, and I am just wondering if it will ever be available with a Mac.

Thanks!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer peter minneapolis

Bonnie Scheckner wrote:

Thank you for your response peter at knowhowpro. I know it is possible to run FrameMaker from Windows on a Mac, but specifically I was wondering if there are any plans to make future versions of FrameMaker compatible with a Mac. Your response is still quite helpful. I may have to switch to InDesign. Thank you!

You're welcome, Bonnie.

You're pointing out that I didn't REALLY answer your question, because I didn't say something like, "If there are plans, anybody who knows can't tell, as they'd be committed to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and violating the agreement would cause the person to lose all participation in any Adobe NDA thereafter."

I answered obliquely by suggesting a Google search for past discussions on the issue, as there are many reasons for why Adobe probably wouldn't even consider the task, as well as suggestions of how easy, theoretically, it would be for Adobe to tweak a few things, and magically have FrameMaker for Mac.

Except for the cost of Windows (if using the free Apple BootCamp) or the additional cost of Parallels or Fusion, and perhaps adding RAM, FrameMaker in Windows on Mac is almost a perfect reproduction of FrameMaker in Windows on a PC.

I'm writing a book on InDesign for FrameMaker users. Try the Google search I suggested for views, experiences, and opinions from those who've thought about this move, as well as those who/ve taken the step across the line. If you do make the move, post your questions and discoveries on the InDesign user forum.    

HTH

Regards,

Peter

_______________________

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

3 replies

tlmurray23
tlmurray23
Inspiring
November 6, 2014

Dropping it for the Mac has never made sense to me, for three reasons. First is that during development of many applications, much time and resources are spent deciding what the app is to do, how the UI is presented, what the file format should look like, etc.: The actual time spent sitting at the keyboard getting it done is not the typical money pit. These things are already decided; indeed, soon after 7.x for Mac was killed off, I was approached by a couple of programmers from Europe who wanted to buy the Mac code or at least the approval to go ahead, and they'd have it ready for beta in two or three months. They also guaranteed it would be useable on *nix platforms and its native file format would be compatible with Windows. However, in the end, they were rebuffed by Adobe.

Second is that at $30 a month for a subscription or $1000 to buy it, paying for said development is well within reason. If (say) three people made a whopping $50,000 each month for six months, that's $900,000 . . . or a 900 licenses, and that's paying at an exorbitant rate. A realistic pay rate would be far cheaper.

Third is that it ignores that Mac's increasing presence in the computing world and the scientific world in particular, where one sees lots of Macs and where scientists rather prefer FrameMaker (or at least they used to, before they were forced away).

Look, I like InDesign, but it has certain characteristics that don't lend itself to the type of publishing for which FrameMaker is more well-suited.

K
Kravjoy
Participant
February 4, 2014

Bonnie,

Did you make the switch to InDesign?  I am really at a loss what to do.  I am currently using Pages but it is NOT stable and has no index feature.  I miss FrameMaker but I am wedded to using a Mac.  I have used Parallels and VMFusion.  I don't want to go down that path again.  I am looking for a stable, robust application to write long technical documents for a software user guide.  Have you learned anything that may help me in my search? 

BTW... I called Adobe.  At first I was told that I could subscribe at a monthly cost to get FM for mac.  Knowing that was probabally  bad information, I asked the Adobe sales person to transfer me to someone who could explain how the monthy fee worked.  After waiting 30 minutes on hold, I was then talking to another person that I could barely understand.  He correctly stated that while they do offer FM at a subscriptoin rate, they do NOT have a Mac version.  Sad that Adobe gave up on Mac users. 

P
peter minneapolis
Participating Frequently
February 4, 2014

Please see my earlier posts on this thread.

If you had bad experiences with Fusion or Parallels on your Mac, one possibility is that it doesn't have sufficient RAM and perhaps speed/power for the task. As FrameMaker, Windows, and Fusion or Parallels have advanced, they may have outgrown your Mac's resources.

You might want to start a new thread with a subject that asks for responses for users who've had good or bad experiences with FrameMaker on Mac with a virtual machine. Those users' stories might help you evaluate how to proceed.

There are some InDesign users who use Macs with Fusion or Parallels and who use the version of InDesign for Mac OS X, and the version for Windows, and swtich between them. You might want to post a similar request for users' stories about using Fusion or Parallels with InDesign's resource requirements.

   Although InDesign has improved its long-document tools greatly, some strikes aginst moving to it include learning to use it in the specific ways to emulate your FrameMaker workflowl, the cost and resources needed to train others in your workgroup, as well as costs to convert existing FrameMaker documents.

P
peter minneapolis
Participating Frequently
May 4, 2011

Bonnie Scheckner wrote:

Is anyone aware if future versions of FrameMaker will ever be compatible with a Mac? I used to work on a Windows computer, and I really enjoyed using FrameMaker to create Install/User Manuals. I work on a Mac now, and I am just wondering if it will ever be available with a Mac.

Thanks!

You can use VMware Fusion, Parallels, or BootCamp to run Windows on Mac and run FrameMaker in Windows. Search Google for terms like "framemaker mac fusion parallels" without quotes for lots of resources. The more RAM on your Mac, the better.

Search Google for terms like "FrameMaker mac version" without quotes for lots of historical posts on the topic. There's a site or group somewhere that keeps up the hope, remote though it may be.

Some people have moved to InDesign. Search Google for terms like "FrameMaker or InDesign?" without quotes and similar terms, for historical discussions.

HTH

Regards,

Peter

_______________________

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

A
Anonymous
May 4, 2011

Thank you for your response peter at knowhowpro. I know it is possible to run FrameMaker from Windows on a Mac, but specifically I was wondering if there are any plans to make future versions of FrameMaker compatible with a Mac. Your response is still quite helpful. I may have to switch to InDesign. Thank you!

P
peter minneapolisCorrect answer
Participating Frequently
May 4, 2011

Bonnie Scheckner wrote:

Thank you for your response peter at knowhowpro. I know it is possible to run FrameMaker from Windows on a Mac, but specifically I was wondering if there are any plans to make future versions of FrameMaker compatible with a Mac. Your response is still quite helpful. I may have to switch to InDesign. Thank you!

You're welcome, Bonnie.

You're pointing out that I didn't REALLY answer your question, because I didn't say something like, "If there are plans, anybody who knows can't tell, as they'd be committed to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and violating the agreement would cause the person to lose all participation in any Adobe NDA thereafter."

I answered obliquely by suggesting a Google search for past discussions on the issue, as there are many reasons for why Adobe probably wouldn't even consider the task, as well as suggestions of how easy, theoretically, it would be for Adobe to tweak a few things, and magically have FrameMaker for Mac.

Except for the cost of Windows (if using the free Apple BootCamp) or the additional cost of Parallels or Fusion, and perhaps adding RAM, FrameMaker in Windows on Mac is almost a perfect reproduction of FrameMaker in Windows on a PC.

I'm writing a book on InDesign for FrameMaker users. Try the Google search I suggested for views, experiences, and opinions from those who've thought about this move, as well as those who/ve taken the step across the line. If you do make the move, post your questions and discoveries on the InDesign user forum.    

HTH

Regards,

Peter

_______________________

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

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