Macintosh, Meet Poker: Compatibility Issues With Online Poker

by inga posted Apr 12th 2007 at 22:00PM

http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://www.pokeraffiliateworld.com/affiliate-resources/compatibility-issues-with-online-poker&t=Macintosh, Meet Poker: Compatibility Issues With Online Poker

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Online poker is undoubtedly one of the most popular games on the Internet. Its availability online ensures that the high-stakes game has undergone a revival amongst the youth of today, as well as the older generations. Online poker has become an industry that makes millions of dollars a year. Individuals can also choose to play for free on one of the many poker websites, thus making at available to anyone who has an Internet connection. Well, almost anyone…

Mac poker players have often found themselves excluded from the poker revolution because of a series of compatibility problems. It appeared that the software required in order to play on online poker were completely incompatible to those poker players owning a Mac. There are several reasons for this.

First, and perhaps most importantly, most poker sites could only be used after downloading a .exe file. As .exe files were designed exclusively for Microsoft Windows users, a Mac would immediately reject the download because it cannot read the content, much less put it into use on the system. Second, the Mac operating system is less able to handle complex loads than a Windows operating system. As a result, it cannot support the complex graphics that Windows can. As most poker rooms are not Java based, this would also cause problems, even if a .exe file could be downloaded and installed on the Mac. Having said that, more simple Java and Flash sites that do not require a download can be used in conjunction with a Mac. Unfortunately, there are very few of this type of Mac poker site around.

Online poker websites have traditionally been aimed at Microsoft Windows users because they make up the majority of the poker-playing audience, and thus Mac users have been seriously neglected in the past. It has only been in the past year or so that some of the most popular online poker sites have created either a native Macintosh online poker client or one that does not need a download in order to serve its purpose, Pacific Poker, Full Tilt Poker and Party Poker are just three of the online rooms to take advantage of the Mac need and create clients to accommodate that.

Pacific Poker is a Java based poker room that does not require you to download software in order to play, giving you peace of mind that no spyware will find its way onto your computer as a result! It is one of the most trusted poker rooms purely because it has been in operation since 1996. The gaming itself is fantastic, but it has a unique feature that sets it apart from the rest – quick play! This enables all users to play because there are very few compatibility issues to consider and overcome before you enter. However, it does not accept US users.

FullTilt Poker is the only online poker room that allows US Mac users to play. It introduced its Mac alternative in May 2006 and was, at that point, the only poker server to offer native software that had to be downloaded before you could play. This was a huge plus for Mac players because they could experience the gaming community in much the same way that Windows users could. However, the download has caused problems. It will not work unless you have Mac OS v.10.3.9 or higher. Unfortunately, this is the price some will pay so others can fully experience online poker!