PokerTracker 4 for Mac OS X Available from Today - Exclusive Interview
We can exclusively reveal that PokerTracker 4 for Mac OS X users will be available from today. We chat with PokerTracker team member Steven McLoughlin to discover what Mac users can expect.
"Many big name pros have been alpha testing PT4 for OS X"
| About PokerTracker 4 |
 PokerTracker 4 is one of the leading poker software tools on the market for analysis of your game.
You can try PT4 Mac OS or Windows for free for 30 days. Convinced? |
PokerStrategy.com: Congratulations on the launch of PT4 for the Mac.
PokerTracker: Thanks. We've actually had a Mac version for over four years, PokerTracker 3 for Mac. It is the number one tracking software solution for Mac.
It was the very first step for us to achieve our real vision which was PokerTracker 4.
We have been selling PT3 to help people to prepare for PT4 when it automatically converts when it's released, even though we stopped selling PT3 for Windows.
PokerStrategy.com: Why did it take so much longer to release the Mac version?
Poker Tracker: Our developers design software by preparing for cross platform compatibility from the very beginning.
You could say that we have been working on the Mac version of PT4 for more than 3 years if you include all of the initial code which was already released in the Windows version, this is because we develop PT4 to be platform agnostic initially, and then we add the controls to work with each specific operating system.
Once the Windows version of PT4 was complete, we were then able to replace the Windows controls with the necessary Mac components while the “guts” of the application remain the same between our two operating system versions.
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| Mac screenshot (Click to enlarge) |
This allows us to develop for both Windows and Mac at the same time once both versions are released, and it allows us to focus on getting out fixes and updates faster. The controls are anything that is unique to the operating system, such as the way a drop down selection looks, or anytime the application interacts with the operating system such as during hand history import.
We started adding the Mac specific controls in October. For some people it may seem like we've been working on the Mac forever, but really it's only been five months. Basically from the moment we started on the Mac version the functionality was already working, but we just needed time to add the OS specific changes over a three month period, and then we worked to solve lots of tiny little bugs for two months.
We finished development in December, that is when we started alpha testing with over 40 of the biggest names in online poker. Our alpha testers can discuss their involvement if they choose to, but we don't want to infringe on their privacy.
As each tester found a bug, they'd report back, and we'd solve the problem immediately; that is why we did not have to perform a public beta this time, all of the known bugs have been fixed thanks to our alpha testers!
Download PokerTracker for Mac OS
"The only major difference is how fast games are supported"
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| PT4 for Mac |
PokerStrategy.com: Is the Mac version different in any way to the Windows version?
PokerTracker: Virtually everything is the same across both platforms, but there are a few things you can do on Windows which you can't do with Mac.
The biggest difference is that the HUD cannot be displayed at Fast Table games such as Zoom, Rush, or Fast Fold on Mac. We are proud to announce that Ongame’s new STROBE Fast Tables will be supported with our HUD.
We hope that someday other poker rooms will work with us to enable HUD support for this very popular game format.
The Windows operating system is incredibly flexible for developers, the operating system allows one application to control another application. But the Mac OS has different policies, it is one of the reasons why it is rock solid when defending against viruses, OS X has policies in place that prohibit one application controlling another.
Traditionally PokerTracker imports the hand after it is complete and then immediately parses out the information we need for the next hand played, this us allows us to determine the stakes and players at each seat to place HUD over the table.
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| Mac screenshot (click to enlarge) |
When playing Fast Table poker games like Zoom, it's different, we don't know who the players are because they change after each hand. To place a HUD on top of a Fast Poker table we to get this information from the poker room, or we have to find ways to work within Windows to get that info but unfortunately this is prohibitive in the Mac’s operating system.
We have been lobbying all the Fast poker manufacturers to provide us some sort of data feed so we know which player is sitting at the table for Mac users. So far only Ongame has been kind enough to provide us with this functionality, that is why Ongame is the only poker room right from the start that can have a Fast Table HUD on the Mac.
However, there is support for every version of Fast Table poker game on the Windows version, and hands will still import if you play at Zoom, Rush, or Fast Fold tables even though we cannot display the HUD at this time.
All the major networks have a Mac version of their poker clients, we will continue to assess more whenever a new network launches a Mac client.
"You don't need a new license for the Mac version of PT4"
PokerStrategy.com: Do you need a separate license for the Mac version than the Windows version?
PokerTracker: It doesn't matter which license you use. Each license purchased by our users allows you to use it on two computers that you personally own, regardless of the operating system. If you have Mac desktop and a Windows laptop for example, you can install it on both operating systems.
The only real decision you would do that is if you play Fast Table poker games like Zoom. Then it is probably best to stick with the Windows version.
If you are a Mac user you can accomplish this by using Bootcamp, Parallels, VMware, or any other type of virtual machine, if you want to still use the Windows version to allow you to play at a Fast Table that we cannot support on the Mac version. If you need help, please visit our support forums where we can teach you how to create a virtual machine or a Boot Camp partition to run Windows and OS X at the same time.
In the event a user chooses to use a virtual machine, we advise them to put the PostgreSQL server in OS X for the best performance. Basically the virtual machine is just a file, and PostgreSQL is a database server, where you access files upon files. It's best to put the database server on the native operating system for maximum performance.
In any other instance, it's best to use the Mac version if you are a Mac user like me, I love it!
PokerStrategy.com: Thanks Steven, good luck with the new Mac version.
You can get a free 30-day trial as well as a special offer when you purchase PokerTracker 4 through PokerStrategy.com. You can also learn more when you visit our exclusive PokerTracker forum.
Download PokerTracker for Mac OS
