Virtual PC is Garbage!

leemoreau · leemoreau #1 (**permalink**)

11-04-2004, 10:12 AM

K, I just got my 12" PowerBook 1.33ghz and I have 768mb ram. I have Virtual PC 7 and installed Windows XP pro and it sucks! The mouse is so jerky and it takes like 5-10 minutes to boot up. You can't even use it its so slow. I was at least expecting something to run as well as vmware does on the pc when it emulates Windows, seeing as how it's coming from Microsoft. Am I doing something completely wrong because this is a brand new computer and it runs so bad. I feel like I'm trying to run it on a G3 or something. It's so slow on my computer that I can't even picture it being fast on a G5!

Aptmunich · Aptmunich #2 (**permalink**)

11-04-2004, 11:20 AM

Agreed. It's a load of crap. I tried VPC 6 which ran horribly as well...

It really is a last ditch solution, you could try a lower windows version (that's less demanding) like Windows 98, but I doubt it would be much better.

A company has supposedly created a emulator that runs tons better and can emulate almost anything, but it will probably be a while before anything is released.

The demo they showed was a powerbook running Quake 3 (linux version) and that supposedly ran well. But since linux is also unix based, maybe that's not so suprising!

leemoreau · leemoreau #3 (**permalink**)

11-04-2004, 12:23 PM

Okay I take it back, I'm actually running XP on the PowerBook as I write this from it. You need to install the additional tools which I figured since that's how vmware works. It's not BLAZING fast, it feels almost like I'm using a remote desktop connection over the internet running a real PC but it works either way. It works well enough to actually use. So much better!

Osiris22x · Osiris22x #4 (**permalink**)

11-04-2004, 12:52 PM

I use Windows 2000 under VP6, and it runs just fine. XP however, chokes on it. Something to consider...

WilliS · WilliS #5 (**permalink**)

11-04-2004, 02:19 PM

i have virtual pc 7 on my dual 2.0 ghz g5 and it runs like crap.

when i go to see the "specs" of the computer in winxp, it says im running a pentium II speed computer.

is there an update or something i need to do to make it run like a P4 or something? because currently it blows...

Macman · Macman #6 (**permalink**)

11-04-2004, 03:12 PM

I tried vpc 6 and windows xp once, windows is crap to begin with, so Id say find a mac compatible app for your needs, there are apps to do anything you can do on windows, and its often much better than windows, plus it has that aqua look to it. but yea, I now warn everyone with a mac to stay away from vpc at all cost.:mac:

WilliS · WilliS #7 (**permalink**)

11-04-2004, 04:14 PM

the only reason i wanted it was to play some pc only games without needing to haul my outdated pc out to college with my outrageously ugly 22" monitor

MUMacUser · MUMacUser #8 (**permalink**)

11-04-2004, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leemoreau

Okay I take it back, I'm actually running XP on the PowerBook as I write this from it. You need to install the additional tools which I figured since that's how vmware works. It's not BLAZING fast, it feels almost like I'm using a remote desktop connection over the internet running a real PC but it works either way. It works well enough to actually use. So much better!

Ok so wait.. I need some advice here. I have a 15" PowerBook G4 with 1024mb RAM... and I was in your same boat. I was blown away at how choppy it was.

Can you please specify a little more on how you got it to run decently? I even went as far to donate 512 RAM to it while it is run, AND I allocated 15 gigs of hard drive to it, and it still ran like poop. Tell me how you got it to function, please!! I miss my Windows games!
-Kevin

leemoreau · leemoreau #9 (**permalink**)

11-04-2004, 10:07 PM

When it's running, click the PC menu and theres an option called Install addons and updates, or something like that. XP needs to be up and running. When you click that it's like you've inserted a virtual CD. Follow the installer and reboot. It installs special video, mouse, keyboard, printer etc drivers makes it much better. I figured there would be something like that, vmware for PC has that. When you first install vmware it sucks untill you install vmtools. I wanted virtual Pc because my web cam doesn't work in mac for one thing, and I need access and visio and microsoft one note. Also my mp3 player doesn't work in osx either so...

MUMacUser · MUMacUser #10 (**permalink**)

11-05-2004, 01:36 AM

So it runs decently then? How much hard drive space / RAM do you have allocated to it?

leemoreau · leemoreau #11 (**permalink**)

11-05-2004, 08:30 AM

Yeah it runs fine. Hard drive space I'm not sure, I'm pretty sure it just auto allocates like vmware. Meaning it shows windows its a big drive but the file on your mac just grows as you install stuff to it and shrinks as you delete things so that it doesn't take a lot of space. For ram I have 768mb in my PowerBook and I put 256 to it. I remember with vmware more ram wasn't always better because when you use 256 the mac always has 256 to give to windows. But if you try like 512 the mac prob won't be able to give up 512 to it if it only has 768 so it has to use virtual memory and such and I actually find it runs slower with 512 than 256. Like I said it's not the best but it works well enough if you needed to like do a few things in windows that you can't on the mac. It's not bad on my powerbook, on a G5 I'd imagine now it would be really good.

m1k · m1k #12 (**permalink**)

11-05-2004, 08:48 AM

I'm just thinking... I have an app called CPU speed accelerator, it allocates CPU power to the foremost application. Wouldn't this have a dramatic effect on VPC, because more of the CPU would be concentrating on VPC? Just a thought. Try downloading it (just google it).

Hope it helps,
m1k

MUMacUser · MUMacUser #13 (**permalink**)

11-05-2004, 10:44 AM

leemoreau- try downloading that app and let me know if it makes a difference...
M1k- does that app help on the Mac its self such as running Safari and other programs?
-Kevin

m1k · m1k #14 (**permalink**)

11-05-2004, 11:59 AM

Well, with games like Battlefield 1942 it does make quite a difference, I always have it running while playing a game. I've never tried it with apps like Safari though, but I guess it'd improve their speed as well.

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/13308

Give it a try, it's quite good.
-m1k

leemoreau · leemoreau #15 (**permalink**)

11-05-2004, 12:46 PM

Hey guys, I just tried it. I don't really notice any difference, if there is one it's very slight. Is there a way to actually test the difference though or just go by how it feels? Either way if it did make a difference it's still not that great. I ran XP with and without it, both times it detected my CPU as a 686 processor with 294mhz.

Osiris22x #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Feb 25, 2004 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 475 Mac Specs: 15" MacBook Pro, 13" MacBook Black, 15" iMac G4, 24" iMac (soon!)	11-04-2004, 12:52 PM I use Windows 2000 under VP6, and it runs just fine. XP however, chokes on it. Something to consider... Roger Michaels Apple Certified Consultant
	QUOTE Thanks

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Mac OS X and Virtual Desktop Functionality?	Murlyn	OS X - Operating System	0	11-04-2003 02:38 PM
Virtual PC 4!!!! I'm pulling my hair out!!!	shirlyeman	Apple Desktops	0	10-28-2003 11:38 AM

Virtual PC is Garbage!

Internet Services

Web Development

Digital Marketing

Consumer Tech

leemoreau #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Aug 28, 2004 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 216 Mac Specs: PowerBook G4 12", and iBook G4 12"	11-04-2004, 10:12 AM K, I just got my 12" PowerBook 1.33ghz and I have 768mb ram. I have Virtual PC 7 and installed Windows XP pro and it sucks! The mouse is so jerky and it takes like 5-10 minutes to boot up. You can't even use it its so slow. I was at least expecting something to run as well as vmware does on the pc when it emulates Windows, seeing as how it's coming from Microsoft. Am I doing something completely wrong because this is a brand new computer and it runs so bad. I feel like I'm trying to run it on a G3 or something. It's so slow on my computer that I can't even picture it being fast on a G5!
	QUOTE Thanks

Aptmunich #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 09, 2004 Location: Munich Posts: 9,075 Mac Specs: Aluminium Macbook 2.4 Ghz 4GB RAM, SSD 24" Samsung Display, iPhone 4, iPad 2	11-04-2004, 11:20 AM Agreed. It's a load of crap. I tried VPC 6 which ran horribly as well... It really is a last ditch solution, you could try a lower windows version (that's less demanding) like Windows 98, but I doubt it would be much better. A company has supposedly created a emulator that runs tons better and can emulate almost anything, but it will probably be a while before anything is released. The demo they showed was a powerbook running Quake 3 (linux version) and that supposedly ran well. But since linux is also unix based, maybe that's not so suprising!
	QUOTE Thanks

WilliS #5 (permalink)
Guest Posts: n/a	11-04-2004, 02:19 PM i have virtual pc 7 on my dual 2.0 ghz g5 and it runs like crap. when i go to see the "specs" of the computer in winxp, it says im running a pentium II speed computer. is there an update or something i need to do to make it run like a P4 or something? because currently it blows...
	QUOTE Thanks

Macman #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 30, 2004 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,374 Mac Specs: PowerMac G4 Cube 450mhz 832mb	11-04-2004, 03:12 PM I tried vpc 6 and windows xp once, windows is crap to begin with, so Id say find a mac compatible app for your needs, there are apps to do anything you can do on windows, and its often much better than windows, plus it has that aqua look to it. but yea, I now warn everyone with a mac to stay away from vpc at all cost.:mac:
	QUOTE Thanks

WilliS #7 (permalink)
Guest Posts: n/a	11-04-2004, 04:14 PM the only reason i wanted it was to play some pc only games without needing to haul my outdated pc out to college with my outrageously ugly 22" monitor
	QUOTE Thanks

leemoreau #9 (permalink)
Member Since: Aug 28, 2004 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 216 Mac Specs: PowerBook G4 12", and iBook G4 12"	11-04-2004, 10:07 PM When it's running, click the PC menu and theres an option called Install addons and updates, or something like that. XP needs to be up and running. When you click that it's like you've inserted a virtual CD. Follow the installer and reboot. It installs special video, mouse, keyboard, printer etc drivers makes it much better. I figured there would be something like that, vmware for PC has that. When you first install vmware it sucks untill you install vmtools. I wanted virtual Pc because my web cam doesn't work in mac for one thing, and I need access and visio and microsoft one note. Also my mp3 player doesn't work in osx either so...
	QUOTE Thanks

MUMacUser #10 (permalink)
Member Since: Aug 31, 2004 Posts: 95	11-05-2004, 01:36 AM So it runs decently then? How much hard drive space / RAM do you have allocated to it?
	QUOTE Thanks

leemoreau #11 (permalink)
Member Since: Aug 28, 2004 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 216 Mac Specs: PowerBook G4 12", and iBook G4 12"	11-05-2004, 08:30 AM Yeah it runs fine. Hard drive space I'm not sure, I'm pretty sure it just auto allocates like vmware. Meaning it shows windows its a big drive but the file on your mac just grows as you install stuff to it and shrinks as you delete things so that it doesn't take a lot of space. For ram I have 768mb in my PowerBook and I put 256 to it. I remember with vmware more ram wasn't always better because when you use 256 the mac always has 256 to give to windows. But if you try like 512 the mac prob won't be able to give up 512 to it if it only has 768 so it has to use virtual memory and such and I actually find it runs slower with 512 than 256. Like I said it's not the best but it works well enough if you needed to like do a few things in windows that you can't on the mac. It's not bad on my powerbook, on a G5 I'd imagine now it would be really good.
	QUOTE Thanks

m1k #12 (permalink)
Guest Posts: n/a	11-05-2004, 08:48 AM I'm just thinking... I have an app called CPU speed accelerator, it allocates CPU power to the foremost application. Wouldn't this have a dramatic effect on VPC, because more of the CPU would be concentrating on VPC? Just a thought. Try downloading it (just google it). Hope it helps, m1k
	QUOTE Thanks

MUMacUser #13 (permalink)
Member Since: Aug 31, 2004 Posts: 95	11-05-2004, 10:44 AM leemoreau- try downloading that app and let me know if it makes a difference... M1k- does that app help on the Mac its self such as running Safari and other programs? -Kevin
	QUOTE Thanks

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

m1k #14 (permalink)
Guest Posts: n/a	11-05-2004, 11:59 AM Well, with games like Battlefield 1942 it does make quite a difference, I always have it running while playing a game. I've never tried it with apps like Safari though, but I guess it'd improve their speed as well. http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/13308 Give it a try, it's quite good. -m1k
	QUOTE Thanks

leemoreau #15 (permalink)
Member Since: Aug 28, 2004 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 216 Mac Specs: PowerBook G4 12", and iBook G4 12"	11-05-2004, 12:46 PM Hey guys, I just tried it. I don't really notice any difference, if there is one it's very slight. Is there a way to actually test the difference though or just go by how it feels? Either way if it did make a difference it's still not that great. I ran XP with and without it, both times it detected my CPU as a 686 processor with 294mhz.
	QUOTE Thanks