Strengths: Provides Windows capabilities on PowerPC Macs
Weakness: Incredibly slow
VirtualPC, which has been rendered obsolete by Apple's switch to Intel processors, is a safety net for anyone who loves Macs but has to survive in a world of Windows-only applications. Even though Firefox is now a true multi-platform browser, some organizations still insist on building even web-based applications that run only in Internet Explorer, a browser that's no longer developed for the Mac. So, being confronted by both of those situations, it was mandatory to have Windows access and, while VirtualPC does a decent job of running Windows on a PowerPC machine, the experience feels like Windows 98 -- the speed is so incredibly compromised that, while waiting for operations to complete, a user could go to lunch with friends and still have time to spare.
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The first major update to Virtual PC since Microsoft bought the emulation program from Connectix brings some user-friendly enhancements and compatibility with G5-based Macs. But it doesn’t eliminate the complaint that has dogged Virtual PC from the start—slow performance.
Microsoft Virtual PC v.7.0 with Windows XP...
Strengths: Provides Windows capabilities on PowerPC Macs
Weakness: Incredibly slow
VirtualPC, which has been rendered obsolete by Apple's switch to Intel processors, is a safety net for anyone who loves Macs but has to survive in a world of Windows-only applications. Even though Firefox is now a true multi-platform browser, some organizations still insist on building even web-based applications that run only in Internet Explorer, a browser that's no longer developed for the Mac. So, being confronted by both of those situations, it was mandatory to have Windows access and, while VirtualPC does a decent job of running Windows on a PowerPC machine, the experience feels like Windows 98 -- the speed is so incredibly compromised that, while waiting for operations to complete, a user could go to lunch with friends and still have time to spare.
50% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?