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Do you own Virtual PC?

M

Mr. Monsieur

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 21, 2004
320
1
If so, could I ask you a favor? I'm trying to find out if a certain PC-only program runs on Virtual PC and the company that sells it doesn't seem to know (!) The program is called the Market Research Wizard and you can download a free trial version of it here:

http://www.worldwidebrands.com/mrw/free_trial.asp

I would be *very* grateful! Thanks!
 
VPC runs Windows. If it runs on Windows then it runs on VPC. Having said that, VPC has 3D video support and is incredibly slow so even if it runs, if it involves anything graphic or CPU intensive then VPC will struggle with it.
 
It runs fine. Like mad jew said, VPC will run anything that runs under Windows, unless it requires 3D support.

P.S. Running VPC always reminds me of how much I dislike Windows. *Every* time I start VPC up, Windows starts bugging me to update something, which of course takes FOREVER. First I had to update Java, then when I started that Market Research program, it said it needed an update to run, even though I downloaded it not 5 minutes earlier...
 

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when i first got my powerbook i was so overwhelmed initially by the panther os that i thought there was nothing better or easier to use than that of what was familiar to me, windows. when i found out that vpc would run any windows program, i literally rushed to the apple store to buy it.

as i approached the counter in the store, i told the guy that i wanted to buy vpc. he was like what? why? now, in my head im thinking, dude, why are you questioning me, youre going to be making a sale, just shut it. but i listened to his reasonings and he talked me out of it. now, i realize the thread isnt about whether or not one likes vpc or not, but i wanted to share this beautiful story with you because i want you to know, there are programs that apple runs for marketing reseach that blows windows away and will hopefully blow away your impressions of the program you are hoping to use on vpc.
 
What VPC is and isn't for...

When I switched back to the Mac in 2003, I was hoping Microsoft's acquisition of VPC would portend good things. After all, even though it is running on a Mac, you have to buy a Windows license, and that's their big cash cow.

The primary applications I used a PC for were Visio, Project, and some WAN/LAN administration tools. In VPC 7, I could get away with using Project or Visio for a quick job, then returning to OS X. However, it's not meant for using those apps for a long time (for example, designing a network architecture from scratch or making lots of changes to a project plan). My partner, for example, uses it to do Webinars when the hosting provider doesn't support the Mac.

Part of the problem is VPC only allows 512 Mb of RAM and 4 Mb of VRAM, which is ridiculous.

I finally decided I would have to carry 2 laptops around. If you can work EXCLUSIVELY on the Mac, and need occasional PC access, VPC would probably work. I wouldn't run it on anything less than a fast G4 or above with 1-1.5 Gb of RAM. If you quit the most memory and CPU intensive Mac applications while running it, you can get acceptable performance — IF you don't plan to spend a lot of time in Windows.
 
I have VPC 7 and XP Home. I only use it to test websites I build. Nothing else. Don't see the point of it otherwise.
 
i have both mac and pc on my network so i'm never in need of virtual pc. anyway, i'd rather emulate mac on my pc than the other way around hehe
 
casually drifting away from the topic, but has anyone tried that GuestPC app that MR advertises? i was thinking of giving that a bash rather than VPC
 
VPC can help you fill a niche when necessary, but is not a very good solution if you need to do true PC work. If you need to run Windows, you are better off with a Windows machine. If you have a specific need that is not graphic intensive, you can get by. I use it to run a VPN to connect with work on occasion when necessary, but otherwise, it never sees the light of day.

Woof, Woof – Dawg
pawprint.gif
 
Sic said:
casually drifting away from the topic, but has anyone tried that GuestPC app that MR advertises? i was thinking of giving that a bash rather than VPC
Click to expand...
Of the available emulators, VPC is best. Having been around since 1996, it has stood the test of time. VPC was a hit when Connectix released it. It managed to displace Insignia Solution's SoftWindows, an entrenched competitor. Guest PC, OTOH, has a somewhat more checkered history. It started life a Lismore's Blue Label and sold for $25, IIRC. It's performance was much less than VPC. The emulator was introduced within the same timeframe as MacOS X. However, Lismore has only recently upgraded Blue Label to MacOS X-compatibility and changed the name to Guest PC.

Performance issues aside, I am aware of no dealbreaker problems with Guest PC. If you are strapped for funds and have an existing license for Windows, then GPC is a credible option.

[RANT]Emulators like Guest PC and Virtual PC target [Mac] users who need Mac-compatibility and compatibility with one or more Intel-compatible operating systems within a single box. The $illy-@$$ suggestion to get a cheap PC does nothing to satisfy users with this need.[/RANT]
 
ironically, the only thing i need it for is IE :( what's the installation size for VPC anyway? i might have to look into it properly
 
Sic said:
ironically, the only thing i need it for is IE :( what's the installation size for VPC anyway? i might have to look into it properly
Click to expand...

There is IE for Mac, but I'm assuming it isn't new enough to do whatever you're doing with it? (I've also found that most IE only websites that won't open in Safari, will actually open in either Firefox or Camino.)

The actual VPC app is only about 35MB, however with Windoze XP installed it's about 1.4GB.
 
yeah it's terrible. when i switched to mac i thought that IE would actually be up to date...how foolish of me! :p

i should have somewhere a copy of my old XP install disc that i stripped down, it's only 300Mb :D (i'm not sure if talking about modifying that disc is allowed. apologies if it isnt)
 
Sic said:
yeah it's terrible. when i switched to mac i thought that IE would actually be up to date...how foolish of me! :p

i should have somewhere a copy of my old XP install disc that i stripped down, it's only 300Mb :D (i'm not sure if talking about modifying that disc is allowed. apologies if it isnt)
Click to expand...

VPC doesn't have much overhead in terms of disk space. The application itself is about 40 MB. Disk images are the same size as the space the OS takes up basically. I have Damn Small Linux installed on one of my VPC disk images, and that image file is only around 50 MB or so. My Windows 2000 install with a fair amount of software installed is around 2 GB.
 
Back to the original question...

ADK:
Mr. Monsieur, I hope you're aware you're spending a lot of money on VPC just to get sucked into a pyramid scheme...
Click to expand...

ADK, why do you consider it a pyramid scheme?

Thank you, all, for your responses...I guess I should have mentioned that when I asked the company selling the software if it runs on VPC I was told that they had heard from people who had tried it that it doesn't run very well...now, this may refer to an old version of VPC, I don't know...hence my question...is anyone out there willing to try it out for me? Please? Please?
 
Mr. Monsieur said:
ADK:

ADK, why do you consider it a pyramid scheme?

Thank you, all, for your responses...I guess I should have mentioned that when I asked the company selling the software if it runs on VPC I was told that they had heard from people who had tried it that it doesn't run very well...now, this may refer to an old version of VPC, I don't know...hence my question...is anyone out there willing to try it out for me? Please? Please?
Click to expand...

I already ran it and posted a screenshot earlier in this thread. It runs fine. VPC is slow, but it's not as slow as many people here would lead you to believe. It's fast enough to run simple software, and I definitely consider that market research program simple. As long as you don't plan to use that software constantly, I'd say you'll do OK with VPC. I would recommend getting VPC with Windows 2000 rather than XP as 2000 runs quite a bit faster. 98 or 95 might be faster still, and I'm pretty sure that software will work in 95 and 98.
 
Its interesting to see how many people payed 130 bucks + OS cost for a program that is so increadibly slow, compared to having an actual PC :rolleyes: but i guess we all must have had the impression that it would run at an adequate speed. Its more worthwhile to buy a low end PC for about 300 bucks monitor and all IMHO.
 
dooze said:
i have both mac and pc on my network so i'm never in need of virtual pc. anyway, i'd rather emulate mac on my pc than the other way around hehe
Click to expand...

Hear hear!

One of the first things I did with this ugly Dell was skin it to at least give me the appearance of OS X.
 
ColdFlame87 said:
Its interesting to see how many people payed 130 bucks + OS cost for a program that is so increadibly slow, compared to having an actual PC :rolleyes: but i guess we all must have had the impression that it would run at an adequate speed. Its more worthwhile to buy a low end PC for about 300 bucks monitor and all IMHO.
Click to expand...

I paid $61 for Office 2004 Pro which included Virtual PC 7 through my university. I already had a Windows 2000 disk from an old PC that I don't even have anymore. I would not pay $249 for VPC, especially considering that I have a cheap PC sitting on my desk behind my PowerBook. I use the PC and Virtual PC about equally. It's almost as much of a hassle to boot up the real PC and RDC into it as it is to fire up VPC when I'm just checking a website for compatibility. Besides, I'm often using my 'Book at school, and don't have access to my PC at home. VPC is nice to have.
 
mduser63 said:
I paid $61 for Office 2004 Pro which included Virtual PC 7 through my university. I already had a Windows 2000 disk from an old PC that I don't even have anymore. I would not pay $249 for VPC, especially considering that I have a cheap PC sitting on my desk behind my PowerBook. I use the PC and Virtual PC about equally. It's almost as much of a hassle to boot up the real PC and RDC into it as it is to fire up VPC when I'm just checking a website for compatibility. Besides, I'm often using my 'Book at school, and don't have access to my PC at home. VPC is nice to have.
Click to expand...

I do agree with you that its nice to have for those emergencies that dont require intence CPU usage and the fact that you got it for 61 dollars makes it all the greater, but for those who have to pay the full price for it, you have to admit why not spend another 150-200 and get a PC to have around for such a thing. :)
 
Thanks!

Mduser63: *Thanks* a bunch! I don't know how I overlooked the screenshot (there were others who posted who assured me that it would run, though, it seems, they had not actually tried it!) I'm really grateful!
 
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