Articulate for Mac? Please!!!!!

I currently am using Articulate in the Windows environment at work; however, I also use Articulate on my Mac at home through Parallels.  It works great for me.  When you refer to non-flash playing devices, I would assume you are refering to iOS devices because Flash works fine on my Mac as well.  That being said it can't be viewed on the iPad, but if you look at the Storyline thread here on e-Learning Heroes, you will see that the new software from Articulate will have a solution for your non-flash playing devices in the form of HTML5. 

Welcome to Heroes, Kurt!

Here's more information on running Articulate with Parallels. And in addition to Phil and Blake's suggestions about Storyline, if you want to run your Articulate-authored content today on non-Flash supported devices, we are aware of several third party solutions that may meet your needs.  Please be advised, these are not developed or supported by Articulate, so we encourage you to test them out to ensure they meet your needs.   

HTML5 player

iSWiFTER Browser

Rover Browser

Screenr: If your Articulate content does not include interactive elements (such as quizzes or user-initiated navigation), you can record your Articulate content as it plays, using a screencasting tool like Screenr, to capture a video of your Articulate content.  Screenr is free and screencasts can be viewed on iPads and iPhones directly from the screenr website.  There are also options to publish your Screenr screencasts to YouTube and to download MP4 versions, both of which also play on non-Flash devices.

For more ideas on mobile learning, check out this Rapid E-Learning Blog post.

Thanks for the info guys.  I am aware of using the programs in a Parallels type environment, but I am referring to using Articulate in a native MAC environment.  My company is no longer supporting Windows- as you know which needs to be used to run Parallels.  I want nothing to do with Parallels anyway.  Having Parallels takes up the precious resources on the MAC, especially when wanting to use intense programs simultaneously, and it just makes things messy on the system with buggy drivers that don't support the system well.  I've done it for four years and have had decent experiences, but it's not ideal.  Also, who wants workarounds to view content in Flash or on the development side of the program?  We need Articulate for MAC.  Many of us are being forced to abandon Windows. 

Kurt

I think the answer is there is no current version of Articulate Studio or Storyline thats supports a Mac I expect if the demand is there then this will change.  I am aware that a lot of developers in the beta test programme use a Mac.

Both Studio and Storyline work very well on parallels on a modern mac with no problems with resources, I have used this setup for over three years and never had a problem with buggy drivers, the only issue I have is the keyboard maps a little wrong

BTW It is Mac not MAC, not being pedantic but they are two different things

It seems to me that the Articulate people are choosing not to listen to the demand for Articulate for Mac, sans the need for Parallels for Windows.  Tired of hearing about the "workaround" available using Parallels.  The request is for Articulate on a Mac platform.  I too am very interested in Articulate but not wanting to spend money for Parallels, Windows software as well as the Articulate software - especially if there is a likelihood that it will be launched on a Mac platform in the next 4-6 months.  I understand the Articulate folks don't want to reveal their hand however, either say "no we don't and will not support Articulate on a Mac platform" or tell us a release date and maintain and grow their business.  Just don't keep telling us the Parallels fix and expect the Mac users to be satisfied.

I don't work for Articulate, I do know they are listening to the demand for Articulate products on Mac, but they do not talk about products before they are launched.

I know a lot of developers who use Macs, but do wonder what the size of the Market is, in the corporate world Macs only make up about 5-6% of the Market, and although you dont want to hear it parallels works great with Studio and Storyline (you only need to read the Storyline thread to realise Articulate will not talk about upcoming products).

I have just purchased a Mac Mini and installed Parallels so I can run Articulate and other software on it. Do you have to use antivirus software on the Mac because of Windows running on Parallels?

Hi Tommasso - I don't think you need to run antivirus for your Windows install in Parallels. You'll probably do most of your regular computing from your Mac side while using your Parallels for Storyline development. You could install the built-in Windows security essentials as a moderate solution.

Thanks David. Kaspersky Lab sells an antivirus for the Mac packed with the same for a PC. But I will follow your advice for the moment and see what happens.

David, another question: will I have problems with Articulate if I install the 64 bits Windows 7?

I would put antivirus software on windows whichever environment you are running it in.

Microsoft security essential includes antivirus software, which is what I use, but I run sophos on my Mac.

I run Storyline on 64bit Win 7 in VMWare on Mac. Runs great. Just make sure you have plenty of memory. Mem upgrades are relatively cheap and make a huge difference in VM performance.

Oh, and make sure you snapshot (not sure if Parallels has an equivalent) once you get your VM setup the way you want. It's nice to restore the snapshot if something goes sideways

@Tommaso - You can install 64-bit windows... Just make sure you install 32-bit Office.

Hey, folks!  I'm looking for some guidance and feedback on a couple of points:

1)  I need to replace my HP laptop as the hard drive may be starting to go.  For the first time I'm considering switching to a Mac (specifically the MacBook Pro Retina).  After reading all the various posts in this forum, I understand that I can buy Parallels, and also a license for Windows 7 64-bit, though it's a shame to have to jump through so many hoops and spend that extra money (on top of the price of a Mac, of Storyline itself, and 3 years platinum support!)  just to run Storyline on a Mac.  But if I want to continue importing from PowerPoint, can it be the Microsoft Office for Mac version of PPT, or would that have to be the Windows version as well?  I note David's proviso that Office should be 32 bit, so I'm just wondering which version(s) of PPT Storyline can import?  And is it on Articulate's agenda to be able to import from Apple's own iWork presentation tool, Keynote, I wonder?  (If not, it should be.)  Adobe's eLearning Suite 6 seems to be Mac-compatible.

2) Laptop feedback: I'm considering the Mac in part because I already have an iPhone and iPad (bought to test Storyline content for clients), and it'd be great to use iCloud to synch everything, which I can't do currently with my HP running Outlook.  I could just buy a laptop with Windows 7 to make life with Storyline easier, but am having difficulty finding a lightweight, preferably 15 inch Windows laptop/ultrabook that has a 500G flash drive and at least 8MB of RAM.  So far, the only unit I've found even close is the Dell XPS 14, and in addition to the smaller screen, it's only a few hundred dollars less than the MacBook Retina!  Has anyone run across a good killer lightweight (prefer 4.5 lbs or less) Windows laptop that I'm missing?  Most of the lightweight Windows ultrabooks max out their flash drives at 256G, and aren't configurable on the manufacturer's web sites, which seems ridiculous.  I'd very much appreciate any input from what you all are using! 

Thanks.

Hi, Andrew - 

To answer #1 - As far as I know, you need to have PPT installed on the Windows machine for it to work. 

To answer #2 - I've spent a bit of time searching the windows market as well and it's tough. There's not a lot out there that matches performance and weight for price. 

I like my Mac. I swore I wouldn't spend the same money after my first 17" macbook but ended up doing it again It's a lot of dough. On the positive side, I tend to be happier with the Mac than I was with my Windows machines over time. The feel of power comes off the Windows machine faster than the Mac, it seems.

One of the downsides to the new Retina Macs is serviceability. None of the parts are user serviceable, as in glued together in a block. This puts me off a bit as I usually like to replace my own hard drives if there's a significant speed increase.

For the price, though they seem expensive, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a machine with premium build quality and features that match point for point.

One additional bonus, the Mac software store actually has some great buys that you won't be able to find on the PC. Prices ranging from $6 (for a photosketcher app - equivalent $80 on PC) and $79 (for a motion graphics / compositor powerhouse - equivalent $700 on PC) can net you some really nice tools for Mac.

I use VMWare to virtualize Windows 7. It runs GREAT. A three-finger swipe switches from PC full screen to Mac and back. Ram is the key to running everything smoothly. As long as you've got enough memory, you probably won't be able to tell the difference between Windows running on a regular PC and Windows in a VM.

Good luck! This is a tough decision. 

Hello Andrew,

I don't see why you need a Macbook when you have an iPad to take along with you. Instead of wasting a lot of money on a Macbook I purchased a Mac Mini with 8 Gb Ram to use at home (or take it to my office - it is smaller than a laptop) plus an HPx2301 monitor. With the money I saved I purchased Parallels and Office 2011 for Mac. Then installed in Parallels the entire content of my Dell Vostro Laptop (everything, including Windows 7 professional and all the software - including Office 2010 32 bits of course). This is done with a free software called Parallels Transport. Even though I had many problems at the beginning struggling to relearn Mac's basics (I hadn't used one for 12 years!),. the VM runs just as my old PC, Articulate included). In fact, in full screen, I hardly notice it is a Mac. Of the 8 Gb ram I assigned 4 to the Windows side, and it is working OK so far. I cannot add more because that is the limit for a Mini. But If money is no problem for you, get the best Mac with as much Ram as possible.

Good luck with whatever you decide,

One other thought - along the lines of Tommaso's suggestion. I suspect you're looking for a laptop to fill a portability need, such as visiting your client's spaces.

If I could go back to the time of my Macbook 17" purchase, I would change my purchase to an iMac or Mac mini (probably the iMac, that 24" display is pretty sweet) and add a Macbook Air.

My wife bought a MBA last year. She replaced it this year with a 15" MBP so I took it off her hands. I LOVE that little machine, even though the 64Gb SSD it came with is way too small to run a VM.  Downside of this configuration is the 4GB RAM. It would run a VM but not nearly as well as 8GB.

With Dropbox synced working directories you can have the best of all worlds. A strong desktop performer and a portable that gets you through the "on the road" tasks without making your shoulder sore from the carrying strap. All for less than what you'd pay for the Retina MBP.

Thanks, Steve and Tommaso, for your excellent suggestions!  And thanks, Steve, for your thoughts on PPT versions for Storyline import.  If I have to keep MS Office in Windows to keep Storyline's PPT import happy, then that's more than half of what I do with a laptop--so a Mac may not be worth the extra expense at this junction, much as I'd like to try one.  I suppose I could put the new Adobe eLearning suite on the Mac side, where I would also do my e-mail, but it may just be making things unnecessarily complex.  If Storyline was available for Mac natively, this would be a no-brainer decision. 

Another factor I didn't mention is that I'm also out of town periodically for 5-6 weeks at a time, and on those occasions my laptop screen is my only monitor.  My hope was to find one laptop that could strike a perfect (and perhaps unattainable at this point in time) balance between size, weight, features, and cost.  I wish I could wait until the fall, when I suspect another generation of ultrabooks will come closer to bridging that gap as Windows 8 appears, but I'm not sure how much longer I can trust this hard drive on my old HP Pavilion.  I love my HP's 17" monitor; it's great for those long hotel stays.   But at almost 8 pounds, it's just too darn heavy to lug into town for meetings, etc.  Thanks; you guys have given me a lot to think about.  (A shame about all the spam showing up in these forums lately, eh?)

Are we any further forward with Storyline on a MAC please, dont' want Parralels and I am running storyline on an old PC (slow) so am keen to move to the MAC

Sheila:  So far, no news at all as to whether Articulate is even considering it.  They would have to make a Mac version work with the Mac version of PPT, as well.  All we can do is keep letting them know we want it.

Have you posted a Feature Request to let Articulate know you're on the list of people asking?  Keep in mind that posting in the Forum doesn't carry the same weight as filing a Feature Request:  http://www.articulate.com/support/contact/submit.php?form=feature

Regards,

Andrew

I will certainly purchase Storyline 2 to make interactive eLearning programs. However it will not happen unless we have a version of Storyline 2 for MacBook Air running IOS 10.8

Use Parallels? No I will not do that. 

Purchase a Windows Laptop? Not for me.

So I will keep waiting and waiting. Meanwhile I will use Skyprep - the all in one LMS solution. Maybe my programs will not be as slick - but then why is Articulate shortchanging us diehard Apple MacBook and iMac loyalists?

All my software is on OSX. I working in a design company that uses OSX only. I've a Mac Pro, MBP, iPad, and iPhone. Please Articulate. Port Articulate software to OSX natively! A huge design for e-learning market is there!

It's interesting to see that Articulate has an job posting for a Mac OSX developer, see here: http://articulate.theresumator.com/apply/uH3ctn/Mac-OS-X-Developer So, there may be hope for a native Mac version in the future!