Virtual PC Question

nebulous

I'm considering buying virtual PC so I can have a few more options avaliable on my mac. Don't get me wrong - I love Panther, but there are some programs that I would like to be able to run, specifically in the games department.

So, my question is: If I get Virtual PC, and run Age of Mythology (the windows version) on it, will I be able to play the game in multiplayer version with my friends? I know that I won't be able to play it with them just on my Mac, so will the extra program of Virtual PC allow me to do this?

Thanks for any replies!

skipjack

I'm not running games, but running science/engineering applications with VPC on an iBook (G3, 800) is slow. However, I have a classmate who says running the same application on a PowerBook (G4, 1 GHz) is as fast as a typical Windows machine. (Keep in mind that the Windows machines in the student labs are a couple of years old.)



I was in an Apple store hoping to compare speeds today. No machines had VPC, but the salesperson said that VPC on a G3 is known to be slow.

pb

Quote:

Originally posted by Nebulous

So, my question is: If I get Virtual PC, and run Age of Mythology (the windows version) on it, will I be able to play the game in multiplayer version with my friends?

I don't know the system requirements for this game, but I can tell you something hoping it will help you. On a 866 MHz G4, VPC 6 appears as a PC running on a 533 MHz Pentium. This would be pretty good if the graphics staff were offloaded to the graphics chip/card. And this is possible since the Windows graphics layer can be completely and very well handled by today's graphics hardware. However, this was the case in previous VPC versions (I don't remember when Connectix removed hardware graphics support). Today, the G4 has to handle the processor instructions of this 533 MHz Pentium AND whatever drawing instructions the system (emulated Windows) asks for (in a real PC, this is executed in the graphics card).



So, if you run a console application, you can get all the 533 MHz processor power the emulator offers you. But if you start opening windows or generally running applications that ask for drawing operations, then the emulated system will feel definetely slower than a 533 MHz Pentium with the same version of Windows. Difficult to tell how much slower.

pb

Quote:

Originally posted by Nebulous

I'm considering buying virtual PC so I can have a few more options avaliable on my mac. Don't get me wrong - I love Panther, but there are some programs that I would like to be able to run, specifically in the games department.

We don't get wrong someone who needs to run some Windows programs. Everyone someday is in such a need. There is nothing wrong with that. And VPC is very handy in that for Mac users.



Now, to complete my previous post, for the reasons I stated, VPC is NOT recommended for running games or video intensive applications. Perhaps something very light, but nothing more. If and when MS, the new owner of VPC, delivers the rumored hardware accelerated graphics in VPC, then this discussion could be completely different.

nebulous

So the games won't run smoothly? Rats. Oh well. \

Thanks for your responses, everyone!

As a continuation of my question, though, will I be able to connect to windows computers in such a way that would allow me to play AoM with them, or use the dos messaging system? Basically I'm worried about whether our computers would be able to hook up to each other.

Thanks!

pb

Quote:

Originally posted by Nebulous

Basically I'm worried about whether our computers would be able to hook up to each other.

Thanks!

This depends on the definition of "hook up". What do you want exactly to do? I am saying in advance, there are not normally problems to connect a virtual PC running on a Mac and a real PC using e.g. a local network. I think only that VPC does not connect wirelessly.



EDIT: perhaps I am wrong. I just noticed that VPC can access internet through the shared wireless connection, so wireless connection with other computers may be possible.

nebulous

Quote:

Originally posted by PB

This depends on the definition of "hook up". What do you want exactly to do?

Basically I would need for my computer to be compatible with windows computers for games such as Counter Strike, Age of Mythology, etc. I know that it would be laggy, but I'm willing to give it a try, provided that it will work at all. I know that for AoM you can only play the multiplayer with other Mac users if you have a mac, and other PC users if you have a PC. Could I break this rule and play vs. a PC if I used Virtual PC?

Thanks!

mr. me

Quote:

Originally posted by Nebulous

Basically I would need for my computer to be compatible with windows computers for games such as Counter Strike, Age of Mythology, etc. I know that it would be laggy, but I'm willing to give it a try, provided that it will work at all. I know that for AoM you can only play the multiplayer with other Mac users if you have a mac, and other PC users if you have a PC. Could I break this rule and play vs. a PC if I used Virtual PC?

Thanks!

Exactly how many times do you have to be told that VPC does not make for a particular pleasant experience while playing games? Exactly how many times do you have to be told that that is not its purpose?

ghost_user_name

Take the speed of your CPU. Divide it by, oh, three or four. Now, imagine you are running a Pentium II w/ MMX processor at that speed WITHOUT a graphics card or onboard chip, thus providing no 2D/3D acceleration.



That's how your game will play under Virtual PC.



As has been said hundreds of times across the Internet, Virtual PC is not meant for Windows gamers. If you want so badly to play Windows-only games, get yourself a cheap Windows PC instead of Virtual PC.

nebulous

Ok ok - I get the picture!



I guess I'll keep my eyes out for the cheapest PC that I can possibly afford. Hello, summer job!

Thanks for the info, everyone!