Customer Reviews

Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac 6.1 [Old Version]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you've been using previous versions of Virtual PC and upgraded to Panther to find that they weren't working, you will, unfortunately, need to upgrade to Virtual PC 6.
This is not an entirely bad thing. VPC6 has generally been more stable in my experience, and has added some great features. First and foremost, dock integration. VPC6 allows you to use a Start Menu in your dock, which can speed up the process of using the software -- just click, go to the program you want like you would in Windows, and then VPC will launch and start the program.
Also, it allows you to have currently running programs in your VPC session show up in the dock. You can retain these icons in the dock, or use them to force quit an app (although this doesn't work 100% of the time in my experience). Finally, running apps are now shown in the window that pops up when you do a command-option-escape. You can force quit them there if they hang, but again, I've had spotty results.
If you work in an environment such as web design, where you must see your site on all kinds of OS + browser combos, this is absolutely great. It beats having a PC around. However, for extremely processor-intensive tasks, you will need a PC. This is just an emulation, and when you get beyond casual use, you will find that it's underpowered for huge tasks. But for opening strange PC-specific files, tweaking the odd access database, or checking websites (especially if your bank refuses to work with Mac browsers), Virtual PC is great.
It will also easily grab your old VPC5 discs and import them into 6.

I use VirtualPC 6.1 on my iBook, which has a G3 processor. It works well, though it's a little pokey. That's not unexpected, though. Watch out if you have one of Apple's new G5 computers -- the G5 processor eliminated the "little-endian mode" that VirtualPC relies on. Thus, this product won't work at all for G5 users. Microsoft claims to be working on a new version of the software to address this, but has no published schedule for this right now.

First let me tell you my operating system:
iMac G4 800 Mhz with 512 Mb Ram

In Short:
Pros:
1- It is cool to have a windows operating system on your mac, and run windows applications on it.
2- multi operating systems
3- more stable than an actual PC

CONS:
1- EXTREEEEEEMLY Slow.
2- LIMITATIONS: most application will run tooo slow to even consider using them.

Description:
1- EXTREEEEEEMLY Slow. and I do not mean it is tolarable. nope, it is taking me 3 hours and still going, just to install my HP all in one 6100.
2- LIMITATIONS: you realy cannot run many applications, and I do not mean at the same time. Yes it is probably true that you can run almost any application that runs on a PC on the virtual PC, but not in a way that is usefull. I was able to install ALMOST every application that I can thin k of (sometimes they take ALOT of time to install), but when it is time to run them, they are sooooo slow, that I just give up.
let me give you a sense of how slow: to start explorer, it might take 1- 2 MINUTES, same for Word, anything that is not microsoft takes much longer it seems. Trying to run a trading software such as Harris Direct Marketspeed or Fidelity's active trader is not possible. These two applications would take around 15 minutes (versus < 1 minute in a pc with the same operating system and with a Pentium II ~ 400 MHz processor) that is if they even work at all. Opening "my computer" takes 10- 60 seconds depending if there is any other application working.

IN SUMMERY:
this is a great concept, but I DO NOT recommend this application AT ALL ......... UNLESS you have a 1.25 G3 mac with > 1GB RAM, THEN you COULD TRY IT AND TELL US, I think then it might be tolarable. Possibly with the next version supporting the G5 it will run at an exceptable level (this one does not run on a G5).

and PLEASE REMEMBER, if you DO NOT have WINDOWS 98, or above DO NOT PURCHASE THIS SOFTWARE, but purchase the one with operating system you want, since that will be much cheaper unless you want that OS for your PC.

Virtual PC is not supported by the G5's. If you want to run dual operating systems, do not buy this product or the G5!

this product runs windows better than VirtualBox or anything else.

except when i try to open certain ISO files, it won't let me open them.

Be prepared to spend a lot of time getting this going. To begin with, the product I received was not the product advertised as far as packaging was concerned. No Windows O/S was included, so I had to scrounge around and find a copy of XP, and install twice before I could get one to work. I had to learn to ignore various error messages until all updates were installed and then finally (many hours later) it all worked. But hey, I knew going in that it would take some doing to get XP to run on a PPC G4, and didn't have to spend much in the $$ category. It remains a but surreal to see an XP desktop on top of Tiger 10.4.9.

VPC installed just fine, but it was absolutely impossible to install either Windows 98 or 2000 even though system met all requirements.