I love my MacBook (2008, aluminum, Intel processor with the low-end nVidia chipset). I don't like running Windows. I don't want a Windows Bootcamp partition, because I found I never used it. (I really only used it for Oblivion, and even then stopped eventually because I enjoyed it more on the XBox, and hated the reboot-into-Windows process.)
I'm using WINE to run Fallout and Fallout 2, with great success. I also have the Steam client, which I've used to get Portal and a second copy of Civ IV (+ addons, mostly so I didn't need the DVD with me).
What I want to know is, can I buy a Windows game from the Steam client for the Mac, and then run it via WINE? If so, do I need to take any special precautions? (For instance, my current winecfg emulates a 640×480 desktop to enable Fallout and Fallout 2.)
Best Answer
Unfortunately, I don't believe Steam for OS X will let you even download a Windows app you buy through Steam. I suppose you could drag and drop the game files, and then restore the game from the copied files, but I'm not sure whether that works between platforms.
And because Steam usually tries to launch all Steam games itself (at least on Windows), I don't think it would be possible to force a game to run under Wine unless Steam itself consents. You may be able to run non-DRMed games directly by double-clicking the executable, but I am unsure about this.