Author Topic: Mac and RailPro  (Read 4803 times)

MAC

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Mac and RailPro
« on: May 20, 2025, 03:23:30 PM »
Calling all RailPro Mac users,

May I encourage you all to contact Ring Engineering and ask them to either make a MAC-compatible version of RailPro Assistant or to create a web-based version (as they've told me they plan to do - eventually) that will work on PCs or Macs? 

When I approached Ring with this request, the response was dismissive: Ring are convinced there aren't enough Mac users among their customers to warrant such an undertaking.  Would you please take a moment to contact Ring and tell them they're wrong in this presumption?  We may not, in fact, be a large group, but I'm sure there are enough of us to justify - indeed, demand - providing this customer service.

Thank you for your consideration, time and, hopefully, action. 

MAC

gregeusa

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Re: Mac and RailPro
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2025, 07:58:29 PM »
The mac's have 15% of the US market in pc's....

RP is a small company, and it costs time and money to develop a second version and support it with the needed regression testing.

put a virtual machine on your mac and then load windows is the best thing to do
Lots of tips and techniques on my site: www.elmassian.com contact me greg@elmassian.com

fishindogwood

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Re: Mac and RailPro
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2025, 11:09:32 PM »
I’m in the same boat with having MacBook Pro equipment    I still am holding out on buying all the Railpro stuff I’ll be needing to do 22+ locos and all the controllers and accessories.  Not really wanting to now have to purchase and mess with Windows on a MacBook because of this.
Was holding onto hope the Mac version was soon to be offered like other things have both available.   Been contemplating how to manuver this quandary.
Jim

Modeling Norfolk and Western,
pre 1982 with a few liberties taken

mickey

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Re: Mac and RailPro
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2025, 07:53:45 AM »
I have a MacBook Pro with Parallels installed to run Windows 11 and RailPro works.  But if you have any issues, he won’t be able to help.  It does sometimes have an issue of connecting to their website (internet) so you have to try multiple times.  He has no ideas so I just live with it.  There is some configuring to get the Comm port set, but once done it works fine.  Owning a small software company, what Greg said is exactly correct.  It’s a resources for amount of potential issue.

gregeusa

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Re: Mac and RailPro
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2025, 01:03:07 PM »
Another option is to buy a cheap laptop, can be had for $200 new (just bought an Asus L210)

windows 11, brand new...

It's not the end of the world to learn enough of windows to just run a program... then you have the approved platform if you have issues.

The other alternative is get a good MAC friend to set you up with a virtual drive or parallels or a dual boot.. still if it has issues, people may blame the environment for problems.

(surely your Mac Book Pro was WAY over $200 !!! )

Greg
Lots of tips and techniques on my site: www.elmassian.com contact me greg@elmassian.com

William Brillinger

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Re: Mac and RailPro
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2025, 03:29:52 PM »
Greg is correct, a cheap windows laptop is probably the best solution.
- Bill Brillinger, RPUG Admin

Modeling the BNML in HO Scale, owner of Precision Design Co., and RailPro Dealer.


Brian W.

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Re: Mac and RailPro
« Reply #6 on: Today at 05:42:58 PM »
I'm using my Macbook with Bootcamp partitioned off for windows RailPro. Works good except sometimes I forget how to jump back and forth!
Brian