Virtual PC is Garbage!

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!

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!

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!

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

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...

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:

the only reason i wanted it was to play some pc only games without needing to haul my outdated pc out to college with my outrageously ugly 22" monitor

leemoreau said:

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!

Click to expand...

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

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...

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

leemoreau- I didn't see that option in the Virtual PC menu. Are you sure you don't use CD 2 for the install of the add-ons?
Where exactly do you install the files from?

I just downloaded it from limewire to try, I didn't want to spend the money on it if it runs like crap. I think it's a beta actually. But when the virtual machine is running I click PC from the menu at the top of the screen where like File and stuff is, and theres an option there called Install addons or upgrades. Maybe the full version is different? Either way I'm sure it's an option you have somewhere, because it really needs it to run. All it does is act like a virtual CD for XP and then XP auto loadsit as if you just put the CD in... I'm sure it's there somewhere?

It isn't in the Vitrual PC list at all.... and then all CD#2 is, is a bunch of files and dll's... There is no autorun program on CD 2. I wonder how I get the add-ons in there?...
Anyone else know?

I don't know you guys are running VPC. It's not like you can *run* PC games, it's sole purpose is easy...

Allow Mac users access to PC only files.

K here is a screen shot of where it is. It's not in the virtrual PC list its in the menu. You have to have windows xp running then click where I have in the screen shot.

View attachment Picture 2.pdf