Virtual PC on the cheap...

N

Numbers1820

IXOYS
I just ran a search using "emulat*" for the last six months on this site and didn't come up with anything new that was terribly relevant, so here goes:

As a grad student with no money, I'm always looking for free or nearly-free stuff. For the first time ever, I'm also running into some programs that are Windows-only that I really want. No, nothing graphics-intensive, just text files that relate to more academic specialty.

I balk at the $200-$250 retail price for Virtual PC.

I wonder if any of the versions 3 & 4 of VPC that I see on eBay are worth bidding for. How fast can I expect them to run (again, given my non-graphics requirements)? Any significant differences between the Windows flavors (95, 98, 2000, Me, NT, XP/Pro/Home) that I should be aware of? (Like, I've heard that 95 won't work with USB. Does that mean it won't run on my USB G4/iBook?)

So, VPC 3/4/5 users, here's your chance to speak out! How satisfied are you with your product? What advice would you have for me? (Buy, don't buy, only pay "yay" much, wait for a newer version, buy/download something else, etc.)

If your reply has anything to do with UNIX emulators available for the Mac to run Windows, or if you want me to toodle around with Terminal, please see the nearly identical post under the Darwin/UNIX forum.

Thanks in advance!:p
 
why do you need to emulate windows to open a few academic text files? There should be some software that supports whatever format it is natively under os X...

As for virual pc I can't give you any real suggestions as if all you are doing is text files you don't need it, you need to be more specific as to what you will be doing.
 
I have an older version of Virtual PC that comes with Windows 98 preinstalled. I am running on a Blue & White G3 @ 500MHz with 768MB RAM. This is plenty fast enough for me and it gives me really decent PC compatability. In fact, Office 97 starts up faster in Virtual PC than M$ Office 2001 in Mac OS 9 and Office X in OS X. VPC is fast enough to play Quake 1; it isn't lightening fast, but it is "playable". If you MUST HAVE PC compatability, I would strongly recommend purchasing Virtual PC, it will definitely be worth the price. The version I have WILL NOT run in Classic inside of Mac OS X. I have to boot up in Mac OS 9 for my older version of VPC to work. Not a bad deal, but for the once or twice a year now that I ABSOLUTELY have to use VPC, I can't complain. One thing that was really cool with VPC in Mac OS 9, was that I could make a RAM disk in Mac OS 9, and start up VPC, and then make the RAM disk a shared disk inside VPC. I could access the documents I was working on from either OS environment.
 
By the phrase "Win 95 won't support USB on VPC" they mean that you won't get your USB devices to work under the Win95 environment ... just like running 95 on a PC.

Older versions of VPC will run under older versions of Mac OS. You might get them to run in the classic environment, though. Note that the disc images from older versions can be imported into newer versions (handy if you had a lot of stuff in your old VPC 4 install).

If you are looking for an open-source freeware alternative for PC emulation, one option is Bochs which is available as an installer package on Apple's Mac OS X website and includes a pre-installed flavour of linux. It can, apparently, install Windows 95, 98 and Me with a little mucking around.

Honestly, though, there should be no reason why you should need to run VPC to open a text file format. What format are these files exactly?
 
Allow me to save you a lot of headaches: VirtualPC 5 (fully updated) is your ONLY sane option for running Windows on OS X!

Prior versions either don't run on OS X or they run like crap.

Bochs is even worse |-p

Personally I boot a PC which runs PCMacLAN (AppleTalk software for Windows) and WinVNC. Kicks the crap out of any emulator and can run CD burning apps.
 
PS: You can buy the DOS version and install any version of Windows on top. I HIGHLY suggest Win2K since 32bit clean OSs/apps run better in VPC5
 
You could just buy a semi-old PC for really cheap and use that, it'll run at the same speed as anything you put in VirtualPC unless you got a blazing fast Mac system. Check out your local thrift store, they probably got some old hunk-o-junk that'd work just fine for opening text-files. Though I bet you could just natively open them on your Mac anyways.
 
VPC rocks. It's no speed demon, but hey, we all know that emulating HW in SW is bound to make for some slowness.

VPC is incredibly inexpensive. Anyone remember softwindows? What's costing you money is the Windows license. And if you don't want to buy one of those that's entirely up to you. With DOS it's $130 or the upgrade is $80. You might want to look into it further, but I think the upgrade is a full VPC just with no OS. I got DOS and installed my other bulk licensed OSes at no cost to me, with no problems. At least no more problems than you normally have with these OSes.

Apparently you can now get VPC on os/2 ... in case you wanted to stay in the frying pan while jumping into the fire ... in a slow emulated kind of way. :)
 
i bought a PII 500 mhz pc on ebay for $140. just search for the processor you want and the city you're in to save you on shipping. i bought a 17" monitor for $50 on ebay, too. now i'm all hooked up. it runs about the same as VPC on my DP 867.

just some advice ^_^.
 
Originally posted by r4bid
why do you need to emulate windows to open a few academic text files? There should be some software that supports whatever format it is natively under os X...
Click to expand...

Sorry for the few days' delay in responding. It's what happens to full-time students. :rolleyes:

The texts I'm looking for are part of the Libronix Digital Library System. Here's the URL for the system itself (but not the texts I want):
http://www.logos.com/products/ldls/

So, no, these just aren't any text files, but apparently text files with a Windows-centric browser on top. Proprietary b.s.! but there's no way I can get around it unless I follow your (plural) suggestions of just getting VPC or a PC box.

One other thing I've come across: Does anybody out there have any experience with the Blue Label PC Emulator? Here's the URL for that:
http://www.lismoresoft.com/

Also, the posts I've been reading re: VPC have been very negative about running VPC on Jaguar (which I have), something like a 30-70% slowdown for most users compared to OS 9 or earlier versions of OS X. Any new ideas out there? It's a good thing that I don't need to get my hands on those Libronix texts I have in mind any time soon....;)
 
VPC 5 is the only option for OSX. For earlier versions of VPC you must boot directly into Classic. Win95 is faster than 98, which is faster than Win2k, and so on - just like you'd find on Intel of comparable speed. The earlier post is correct in that Win95/VPC doesn't support USB. (even though 95 'B' claimed USB support, it wasn't fully implemented. in fact, most USB devices require Win98 or higher even on Intel h/w. So VPC is consistent in that regard.)

personally I find little speed difference now with 5.0.4 on Jag or 9.2.2. I mostly run Quicken/Windoze which is a real hog, and it's passable. (gigabit 450DP, 512 MB RAM) I don't see the "30-70% slowdown."

Look for refurb PCs from a local shop. I heard an ad on the radio recently that someone was offering complete refurb systems for 200 bucks. thought I was hearing things the first time. Though I'm sure they're pretty 'bare bones' the ad did claim "internet ready" and I recall they have modems, so that would fit the bill.

good luck!
 
I have VPC 5.04 running Windows 2000 with Jaguar works great. I have a 933Mhz Mac with 1024MB ram.

At work I have a G4 450Mhz with 640~MB ram and VPC there is a lot slower but useable. Had to use Win9x instead of 2000 to increase performance.

There is an open-source option. It's not as complete as VPC and only been tested on Win9x and NT but it's only 30 bucks! (not including windoze OS) I have heard a few good things about it.

http://openosx.com/wintel/


Hope it helps.
Oh and last I heard BlueLabel is only runs in classic.
 
Originally posted by boi
i bought a PII 500 mhz pc on ebay for $140. just search for the processor you want and the city you're in to save you on shipping. i bought a 17" monitor for $50 on ebay, too. now i'm all hooked up. it runs about the same as VPC on my DP 867.

just some advice ^_^.
Click to expand...

That's the route I'm gonna take. Pentium II's and III's are going relatively cheap on eBay now a days. I only need one to play Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 and Sim City 4, but at least I know I can get a PC really cheap to run them. I wouldn't dare try to play even RCT on VPC. Which is why VPC is meant to only be used for apps that don't need a fast processor.
 
If you are thinking of buying VPC for gaming. Don't.

Get a semi-old pc, kvm and a really good video card.

I got an AMD Tbird 1000Mhz, with a GF3Mx (Cheap) and 256 ram. Popped in a old 10 gigger I had, then i got a kvm for 30 bucks to toggle my monitor between mac / pc. All for under 300 bucks.

I play all those games the Mac wish it had. UT2k3, etc...
 
Originally posted by AppMan
I have VPC 5.04 running Windows 2000 with Jaguar works great. I have a 933Mhz Mac with 1024MB ram.

At work I have a G4 450Mhz with 640~MB ram and VPC there is a lot slower but useable. Had to use Win9x instead of 2000 to increase performance.

There is an open-source option. It's not as complete as VPC and only been tested on Win9x and NT but it's only 30 bucks! (not including windoze OS) I have heard a few good things about it.

http://openosx.com/wintel/


Hope it helps.
Oh and last I heard BlueLabel is only runs in classic.
Click to expand...

This is the same as Bochs, and it sucks. Don't bother! It's CRAPOLA!

Also, don't buy anything from that company. All their claims are lies, trying to sell you what is otherwise free software. If they ran a pharmacy they would sell your mother placebos as cancer curing pills.

Use fink instead. It's a better package manager and is maintained better. You'll save money and grey hairs.
 
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