Virtual PC on Powerbook g4--Real Life Results??
I'm considering purchasing a powerbook and was wondering if anyone has experience running the new virtual pc on one.
Unfortunately, I have to run some PC CRAP for my office, and I'd like to put it on the powerbook if possible. The software I need to run is essentially a database program, not very graphics intensive, not very complicated equasions etc..,
Any idea how fast, or how SLOW rather, such programs would run on a Powerbook 667 with osX and virtual pc 5? For example, how well does Microsoft Word for Windows work on a powerbook running virtual pc? Impossibly slow? Adequate?
Thanks guys and gals...
Unfortunately, I have to run some PC CRAP for my office, and I'd like to put it on the powerbook if possible. The software I need to run is essentially a database program, not very graphics intensive, not very complicated equasions etc..,
Any idea how fast, or how SLOW rather, such programs would run on a Powerbook 667 with osX and virtual pc 5? For example, how well does Microsoft Word for Windows work on a powerbook running virtual pc? Impossibly slow? Adequate?
Thanks guys and gals...
Comments
All I can say is that it's a bit, umm, pokey. I use it mostly for Netware administration (If only ConsoleOne ran on OS X, it's java for god's sake, it should just work!!! - enough with the rant). It seems kind of wierd, but Win2k
is significantly faster than Win98/ME...something about it being 32-bit and not having to translate or something
- I don't know, I read it somewhere.
Anyway, I hear the 667/800's are MUCH faster than the 500's, so you might have better luck.
Don't get me wrong, It works, just slower than I do (for what I do with it).
[ 07-30-2002: Message edited by: pyr3 ]</p>
<strong>I'm considering purchasing a powerbook and was wondering if anyone has experience running the new virtual pc on one.
Any idea how fast, or how SLOW rather, such programs would run on a Powerbook 667 with osX and virtual pc 5? For example, how well does Microsoft Word for Windows work on a powerbook running virtual pc? Impossibly slow? Adequate?
Thanks guys and gals...
</strong><hr></blockquote>
VPC 5.0.4 (the *latest* version) runs quite acceptably on a new 667 (DVI) w/512MB. Computationally it is equivalent to about a 300mHz Pentium II; however, graphics draws are somewhat slower. If possible I would recommend Windows 2000 or NT 4 as the OS of choice.
It even plays games OK... Age of Empires II runs fine in Windows 2000 under Virtual PC. :-P
If I install a windows driver for, say, a USB periph that is PC only, will it work?
<strong>Since I *may* be gtting a 'book' I'd like to know what the I/O functionality of VPC is like. Does it work with USB/firewire/ethernet/802.11/56K/ and bluetooth ???
If I install a windows driver for, say, a USB periph that is PC only, will it work?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes it should Matsu. When I used to have my USB external HD I used it under VPC often. VPC supports all that stuff just like it's a stand alone wintel machine.
What's more important with virtual pc, Megahertz of processor or Megabytes of ram. For example, what would be better, the 667 mhz powerbook at 512mb ram, or the 800 mhz powerbook at 256mb ram? <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
<strong>Thanks for the replies. I think I diverted the thread slightly by my "microsoft office" comments. I really need to use a windows database program called "Abacus" which we use at work, and was just looking for an idea of what speed to expect.
What's more important with virtual pc, Megahertz of processor or Megabytes of ram. For example, what would be better, the 667 mhz powerbook at 512mb ram, or the 800 mhz powerbook at 256mb ram? <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>
My comment about RDC is still valid. You can run any windows program through RDC. Although games and movies don't do too well since you don't get a decent fps over the protcol though. But your database program should work fine. ( this is assuming that you can have two boxes at work , the TiBook and a Wintel desktop )
<strong>With those being your choices, I'd go with the 667 with the 512. Not that much difference there with the processor power but 2x the RAM is significant. VPC is a ram fiend. I run VPC 5 / Win2k on a Ti400 with 384 megs of RAM and it's kind of syrupy, but then what do you expect?</strong><hr></blockquote>
I had to run Microsoft Access for my Univerity assignment in database design, and it ran pretty well om my Ti rev b 667 with 512 MB of RAM. I run win98 (simply because I havent got 2k, and dont want to buy it), so if you have 2k it should apparently run faster.
The only thing that is really sluggish in VPC 5 is windows itself. Opening folders, dragging files, creating shortcuts and all that are S L O W! Other than that its pretty useful. I have a friend with a Dell P2 notebook, and its pretty comparable in speed (other than graphical work - VPC isnt for games )
I run windows in 1024x768 fullscreen, giving it all the RAM i can (300+ megs), which helps on performance.
<strong>
My comment about RDC is still valid. You can run any windows program through RDC. Although games and movies don't do too well since you don't get a decent fps over the protcol though. But your database program should work fine. ( this is assuming that you can have two boxes at work , the TiBook and a Wintel desktop )</strong><hr></blockquote>
But am I correct in assuming that this solution will not help if I want to take the laptop out of the office and still run the database program?
<strong>
But am I correct in assuming that this solution will not help if I want to take the laptop out of the office and still run the database program?</strong><hr></blockquote>
As long as you have a network connection to the computer that is running XP. If you need to use the database program where you can't have a network connection or high-speed internet connection then my suggestion isn't useful.
<strong>I'm considering purchasing a powerbook and was wondering if anyone has experience running the new virtual pc on one.
Unfortunately, I have to run some PC CRAP for my office, and I'd like to put it on the powerbook if possible. The software I need to run is essentially a database program, not very graphics intensive, not very complicated equasions etc..,
Any idea how fast, or how SLOW rather, such programs would run on a Powerbook 667 with osX and virtual pc 5? For example, how well does Microsoft Word for Windows work on a powerbook running virtual pc? Impossibly slow? Adequate?
Thanks guys and gals...
</strong><hr></blockquote>
VPC 5 in OS9 is slow. VPC 5 in OS X is intolerably slow, even on my PBook 800 with 512 MB ram. The only OS, in my experience, that runs even remotely well in VPC is Windows 95.