Forget Virtual PC, think inside the "Bochs"

coscos
Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
I got the following e-mail from oscast (one of the handful of e-mail newsletters I subscribe to) which had a radio broadcast regarding the Acquisition of Virtual PC. The broadcast suggests that people seek out alternatives to Virtual PC. Oscast recommends Bochs and Open OS X's WinTel software. Check it out, its definately an interesting read (er, ...listen)



<i><b>Mac users, forget Virtual PC, think inside the "Bochs"

<a href="http://www.oscast.com/stories/storyReader$138"; target="_blank">http://www.oscast.com/stories/storyReader$138</A>;



"Oscast's Eric Peterson speaks out about how he believes that Microsoft's acquisition of Connectix is not an attempt to move into the server consolidation space as Microsoft would have us believe, but instead, a subtle attempt to send negative vibes to Apple after it released products that compete with its Internet Explorer and Powerpoint software.



Eric seeks out alternatives to the now-tainted Virtual PC software and finds a worthy alternative in OpenOSX's WinTel software, which utilizes software from the open source Bochs project. He concludes the brodcast by conducting a question and answer session with OpenOSX president and WinTel software creator Jeshua Lacock."&lt;/i&gt;

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    Doesn't Bochs just support emulation of win95??
  • Reply 2 of 11
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Can that journalist also provide a magic wand to make bochs jump a few years ahead and become at least as fast and usable as Virtual PC is right now?
  • Reply 3 of 11
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    No, but that's what Apple is for.
  • Reply 4 of 11
    It doesnt surprise me that MS went after connectix. MS is pushing hard in the server market right now. OS Partitioning is common in HIGH end systems. It makes sense on big iron and is the opposite of clustering.



    How does MS add such functionality to their products? Just buy someone who has the technology already? Why not, they have billions in cash and captive audience for customers. Literally MS could buy their way into any industry in America. MS could build cars! Of course at first they would just provide windows for cars, but eventually they would make a model or two. Soon, windows for cars is ubiquitous BUT it only works really well with MS cars, others crash all the time. Soon, there is a sport utility, then a mini, then tractor-trailor. Its all over when the first government contract is signed for 20,000 MS army vehicles.



    Scary, but possible... replace the car industry with any other industry and read the story again. Begins to sound familiar, like MS has done to many sectors of the software world.



    Embrace, Extend, Engulf



    [ 02-26-2003: Message edited by: I-bent-my-wookie ]</p>
  • Reply 5 of 11
    mcqmcq Posts: 1,543member
    No way this will happen methinks. If you've ever tried Bochs, it's sickeningly slow. I tried installing win 98 on it once, and it sorta worked... but if you don't mind waiting 4-5 minutes for the start bar to open.
  • Reply 6 of 11
    overhopeoverhope Posts: 1,123member
    I can crash a regular car all on my own, I'd far rather not have a M$ car that can crash all on its own...
  • Reply 7 of 11
    I downloaded the BOCHS dmg for OS X and fired it up. It comes with some linux distro, but it asked for a log in and I was stumped. My OS X log in didn't work. Any ideas? And is there somewhere I can get a windows dmg to run with it? Or do I have to buy my own? Thanks.
  • Reply 8 of 11
    [quote]Originally posted by VanDeWaals:

    <strong>I downloaded the BOCHS dmg for OS X and fired it up. It comes with some linux distro, but it asked for a log in and I was stumped. My OS X log in didn't work. Any ideas? And is there somewhere I can get a windows dmg to run with it? Or do I have to buy my own? Thanks.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    You need to be GOD ( a.k.a. root ) and he/she don't need no stink'n password.



    For what little I use it for, I like Bochs. My current employer only has a Windoz and LINUX version of its proprietary ISP dialer. So gladly I don't have to stay in Bochs. I can't port it because they won't giveup the source, so Bochs is the next cheapest way.



    [ 02-27-2003: Message edited by: MrBillData ]</p>
  • Reply 9 of 11
    defiantdefiant Posts: 4,876member
    if you need to be root to launch it, the software is **** **** **** software. period.



    how is a consumer gonna now what 'root' is ?



    They'll probably change that for a future release, because right now, 08/15 won't install it.
  • Reply 10 of 11
    Bochs is a waste of time.



    PC's are $199. Apple best be working on other issues in OSX rather than "sleeping with the enemy"



    Hell if you want PC Support buy a PC. Sorry to threadcrap but sometimes taking the path of least resistance is just common sense.
  • Reply 11 of 11
    Bochs is pretty slow. About 1/5th to 1/10th of VPC.



    I used it once in linux on my old powerbook 292 G3, booted up (another) x86 linux in it. It took like 5-10 minutes just for the init scripts to run, and then I could log in. VPC, OTOH, was pretty good. Probably emulated like a 90 mhz Pentium or so.



    BTW, as pointed out, login: root w. no password will get you into linux/bochs.
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