I'm guessing some folks are unnecessarily installing the 64-bit version of Snow Leopard instead of the 32-bit version?

The OS is a universal binary -- both 32 bits and 64 bits. If your machine supports 64 bits (all but the earliest intel Macs) then that is what you get. System prefs will quit and re-launch into 32 bit mode if you try to run a 32 bit System Prefs panel, but the saver engine won't do that for us. Since the saver is a plugin, effectively, we have to match the architecture of the host application.

Marine Aquarium 3.0 on my 1GHz PowerPC PowerBook with a 17" display and 64MB of video graphics gets right at 40 frames per second in a debug build with all of the options on, but it doesn't support shaders, so you don't get the light play effect.

"all the options" means 30 fish, the starfish and scene panning.

This is probably a silly question , but since I don't have a Mac , I'm curious . Jim , is it just your PowerBook that doesn't support shaders , or Macs in general ? Oh , and is it still OpenGL 2.0 ?

Hi Nikki,
There are no silly questions, just silly question askers. :)

This particular very old PowerBook doesn't have a video card which supports shaders. Some of the Intel integrated video chips also don't support shaders, such as the first generation MacBooks. My MacBookPro 17" does a very nice job with shaders at full screen (1920x1200).

New here, my first post. This is a wonderful program just waiting for a version I can run with Snow Leopard. Any way of knowing when this will be available. I miss seeing my fish every evening. Thanks to everyone involved in this fantastic program. Keep up the great work.

Jerryla,

Before the end of the month (September, 2009) seems like a good bet.

I got an email from Nova Software that they have MA3 now, but no upgrade pricing, been a MA user since the first version 2. When will MA3 be listed on the SereneScreen website for sale?

Hi SShogrin,
I don't know when MA 3 will be listed for sale on the SereneScreen website. It should be "any day now." Updating the website takes time. It really should be any day now.

September is almost over-hope that bet is still safe!

MA 3
 

Thanks for the update, Jim. I too am anxiously awaiting the upgrade of MA 2.6 to 3.0. Will there be an upgrade price available through the SereneScreen site?

What is the relationship of Nova Development to SereneScreen?

Cheers,
Duke

Nova Development is the hard-copy publisher. They make and distribute the CDs. Unlike our previous publisher (Encore), Nova also has an electronic-delivery component.

Duke,
It is my expectation that SereneScreen will do updates for Mac customers just like it does for Windows customers.
Jim

it's on nova
 

it's available to buy on nova's site. No upgrades there.

ken

I think Jim O'Connor would be surprised if Nova were selling something that he hadn't finished writing yet.

Hi kenmeier,

You are right about Nova not having update keys for sale. Nova is not SereneScreen. I expect upgrade keys to be available shortly on SereneScreen. I'm sorry for the delay. I hope you find it worth the wait.

Thanks for the info, Jim. Since upgrading to Snow Leopard (and thus losing my MA2.6 screensaver), I'm relegated to watching one of the {default} spinning circles - kinda reminds me of The Twilight Zone, circa 1960's. So keep up the great work! Really looking forward to MA3.0


Duke

Thanks, Duke. I'm just as anxious to get MA 3 Mac on SereneScreen.com as I hope you are to get it. :)

Jim - I have a passing question I just thought of (reading the other Jim's comments about his iPhone)... as the iPhone runs a cut-down OSX does that mean your version will be easily ported to the iPhone?
:-)
John