Similar to the wait we had for Mac OS X compatible apps, we can now start the official "list" of apps that have gone "Universal" (apps that work natively on PowerPC and intel based Macs).

I can remember when Apple shipped Mac OS X 10.0. I had it installed on my PowerBook, but I primarily booted up in OS 9.2.2 still. Why? Because I was waiting for certain apps to become Mac OS X native. Also 10.0 lacked certain crucial system components too. This time it's a little different. Instead of waiting for apps to become native on an OS I already have, I'm waiting to buy my next notebook until more Apps become Universal.

So what's the tip? It's a basic one! Start a list... When I was waiting for OS X apps, I created a spreadsheet listing all the apps I ran on a regular basis. In the next columns I had check marks or dates as to whether or not the app was Native, ran in classic, not compatible at all or timeframe that it was coming.

Guess what? It's time to start that "Universal" Spreadsheet. You can do it in Excel, Word or Pages as a table.

Column 1 - Application name
Column 2 - Universal
Column 3 - Runs in Rosetta (PowerPC emulation on an intel Mac)
Column 4 - Not compatible at all on intel Macs
Column 5 - anticipated Universal release date

List your mission critical apps first! These will be your show stoppers.

How do you know if an app has been updated or not?
Apple is keeping a list with over 700 apps to date.
Also check versiontracker.com. They're keeping a list too.

You may already have some Universal apps. To check them out, select the app in question's icon, and choose Get Info from the File Menu. If it's a Universal app it will say so next to Kind.

When your mission critical apps are Universal, it's time to buy! Don't forget about the little things such as drivers for specific hardware you depend upon. Although Rosetta works pretty darn good, it's not compatible with everything. I almost took for granted that I depend on the Cisco VPN client ALL DAY LONG to connect to my corporate headquarters. It just went Universal and I'm not buying a MacBook Pro now anyway, but I would have forgotten all about it without making a list! MacFixIt.com is keeping a pretty good list too along with troubleshooting.

Lastly Rosetta may be OK for you even if your favorite app isn't Universal yet. I say this because if you're upgrading from an old G4 or G3, an intel Mac with a really fast processor may run your favorite app in Rosetta as fast or faster than your current Mac anyway. I'm anxiously waiting for the benchmarks to come in on the MacBook Pro, because I have a sneaking suspicion that this will be the case since the PowerBooks never went to G5's.