virtualization for mac mini

[excalibur313]

I heard that some of the mac minis can't do virtualization like macbooks or ibooks can. Is this just for the ones with a single processor or will the 1.66 duo indeed not virtualize either when runnning a windows emulator in os x? I ask because I'm curious what kind of specs a macbook would need to have in order to virtualize.

 

[Fleetwood Mac]

That depends on what your trying to emulate.

The new (intel) Mac Minis can not emulate intel (what windows runs on) because they already are intel. Apple has switched the processor type. The old Power PC minis can do it just fine (because the emulaters were created to emulate intel for PPC). That might be why your confused.

Also, macbooks don't "exist" yet. You might be talking about MacBook Pros, which can't emulate (again because they are intel). Or maybe your talking about PowerBooks (which are PPC and can emulate windows.)

If the computer you interested in has PPC processor it can emulate windows using virtual pc or some other program.

If it is an intel, you can install windows natively. Just install bootcamp, available from apple for free, and go.

Hope that clears things up a bit.

 

[kgarner]

That depends on what your trying to emulate.

The new (intel) Mac Minis can not emulate intel (what windows runs on) because they already are intel. Apple has switched the processor type. The old Power PC minis can do it just fine (because the emulaters were created to emulate intel for PPC). That might be why your confused.

Also, macbooks don't "exist" yet. You might be talking about MacBook Pros, which can't emulate (again because they are intel). Or maybe your talking about PowerBooks (which are PPC and can emulate windows.)

If the computer you interested in has PPC processor it can emulate windows using virtual pc or some other program.

If it is an intel, you can install windows natively. Just install bootcamp, available from apple for free, and go.

Hope that clears things up a bit.

The OP did not mention annything about emulation. They were asking about virtualization which a feature of the new Dual Core Intel chips that Apple is using that allows them to run Windows in a virtual machine (via Parallels) at near native speeds (minus GPU acceleration).

To the OP. I am not positive on the Dual Core mini, but I know that the Single Core mini does not have that enabled. The reports that I have seen are conflicting on the Dual Core mini and I haven't bothered to check it out myself yet. You might check the Windows on Mac subforum here at MacRumors to see if an answer is there.

 

[plinden]

Check the forums at http://www.parallels.com. This has been discussed extensively there.

From what I remember, there's no reason to believe that virtualization has been disabled deliberately by Apple on the Intel Mac Minis. Some people have been able to enable it on machines where it was disabled, but I can't remember exactly how and don't have time to look it up.