Is USMLE World Mac compatible?

[Suprahelical]

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Just wondering before I make the plunge?

 

[PuGanDoo]

On the USMLE World website the systems requirements states that it is not Mac compatible/not supported on the Mac platform. Disappointing...

I don't know of anyone who has actually used it with a mac, i.e. if it would function, but just isn't supported. You'd have to call the service number to enquire.

-P.

 

[Jack P]

Hey there...we luckily have a mac and pc in the house and the site is not lying about mac incompatability. A PC is necessary to run USMLE World.

 

[rampi]

UW supports both Mac and Windows for STEP1 Qbank . Here is the system-req (copied text from uw website). I have used it once in library with Mac.

Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, or XP, Mac OS X 10.4 or higher
Java Runtime Engine Version 1.5 or higher (from Sun Microsystems or Apple) (Available at http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp)
128 MB RAM minimum (256MB preferred)

 

[mesoderm]

UW supports both Mac and Windows for STEP1 Qbank . Here is the system-req (copied text from uw website). I have used it once in library with Mac.

Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, or XP, Mac OS X 10.4 or higher Java Runtime Engine Version 1.5 or higher (from Sun Microsystems or Apple) (Available at http://java.com/en/download/index.jsp)
128 MB RAM minimum (256MB preferred)

I was not able to get UW w/my Mac either, only w/PC. Guess it's an OS issue, cause I am running Mac OSX 10.3x on my Powerbook.

 

[likewoh]

the usmle world site says: "Mac OS X 10.3 or higher"

my computer is 10.3.9, but i keep getting this error message: The application has requested a version of the Java 2 platform (JRE) that is currently not locally installed. Java Web Start was unable to automatically download and install the requested version. The JRE version must be installed manually.


help? i tried dl'ing java 2,but it's telling me 10.4 or higher

:-\

 

[guitarguy09]

I don't have UW yet, so I can't check that this works. But maybe try and have OSX 10.4.x and the newer Java (http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/macosx_updates/j2se50release4intel.html)

Hopefully this works, because I'll be getting it soon too and I've got OS 10.4.9. Let me know if this works. Best of luck.

Edit: I just realized the above Java version is for Intel macs only (of course that's not me). I think this might be for the rest of us... http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/macosx_updates/javaformacosx104release5.html

 

[MeowMix]

it works fine for me on my 3 yo powerbook G4 with OS 10.4

 

[SkylineMD]

works on my ibook G4 fine... and the advantage is that at least I can switch to other screens if im in the program. on my pc, i havent quite figured out a way to do so

 

[likewoh]

thanks for the replies. it works now 🙂 i contacted tech support, and they were very prompt and helpful.

 

[guitarguy09]

thanks for the replies. it works now 🙂 i contacted tech support, and they were very prompt and helpful.

Was it just the way you had your internet prefs set? For example, did you have cookies off or something?

 

[azdoc09]

It's a little tricky because while UW says it will work with OSX 10.3, Java 1.5 requires OSX 10.4. The key isssue with UW is the java so you must use OSX 10.4. You can upgrade to 10.4 for $69 with your education discount at apple.com

 

[likewoh]

actually you don't need to run OS X 10.4 to run Java 1.5. well anyway, i didn't upgrade my computer, and it's running fine.

the problem i had was that I was running firefox, and for some reason when I ran the program, it automatically ran the program that needed Java 2. However, when I used safari, it gave me options, depending on the OS X version I was using. So that problem was solved. I then ran into another problem signing in, but that was due to proxies that my computer has set up to connect to the internet at school. so tech support walked me through that, and it's all good now.

 

[likewoh]

since we're on the whats-compatible-with-macs topic, i'd thought i'd add...it doesn't seem that the NBME released items are mac compatible at all 🙁