CrossOver 8.0

CrossOver is an application that provides you a Windows API with the purpose of running Windows applications without installing the operating system itself.

This is based on the WINE API, which is an open source Windows emulator. This was developed for UNIX like operating systems, including Mac OS X in this family.

Unlike WINE, this product provides you a graphical user interface. The original API works only in command line mode. The working mode is based on the bottles, small emulators that include a partial implementation of the Windows API.

The bottles can use several types of Windows emulation, such as Windows 98, 2000, and XP. Installing a program into a bottle is done the same way you install a program in a native Windows installation, by using the installation programs.

Running standalone Windows software is possible because CrossOver registers the .exe extension. The .exe programs are launched using the bottle's 'Control Panel' by using the 'Task Manager', which is the same task manager that you find in a normal Windows installation.

The 'Control Panel' of every bottle gives you some tools such as reboot, which simulates a system reboot, and 'winecfg' which is used to fine-tune your bottle. The 'winecfg' tool gives you more control over the settings, including the support for audio, graphics, desktop integration, and what libraries it should use.

In the 'Applications' tab, you can set which Windows emulator can be used by the programs from that list. The list of the versions is quite good, from the version 2.0 to the 2003 (NT 5.2).

There is a list of supported applications within every bottle. The programs from that list should run without any trouble. In order to uninstall unsupported software there is a dedicated button. The unsupported applications might work depending on the program.

Pluses: it provides you a partial Windows API in order to run Windows applications, it is safer than using Windows itself because it's software in a 'sand box', the bottles are easy to add and remove.

Drawbacks / flaws: the use of resources is high. Using CrossOver might slow down your other running applications and the operating system itself. The Windows API implementation isn't complete, so running every Windows application isn't possible.

In conclusion: this is a cheaper and safer way to use Windows based programs. Even though it uses many resources, it uses less than using couple of operating systems in parallel such as Mac OS X and Windows.

version reviewed: 6.1