A good Windows emulator

[muticere]

That's what I want. Macs are great, but sometimes you want to use a program that is Windows only (typically it's privetly made). If you guys can help, feel free!

[Counterfit]

well, your only real option is VirtualPC, formerly from Connectix, now owned and (hopefully) developed my my friend and yours, Microsha..- erm, Micro$soft

[muticere]

I would like to find a free-ware version, but, well, that may be pushing it. VirtualPC's just too expensive for me, but thank you for the response.

[Kwyjibo]

no such thing a free windows emulator as far as I know ....

[muticere]

Well, than, how 'bout a less expensive one that does the job?

[stoid]

There is an open source Windows emulator for Mac OS X, I don't remember it's name, but I do remember that it is VERY slow. Also, you'll have to purchase the Windows OS like XP or 2000 or even DOS. Good luck though. Might be cheaper and fast to just buy and old wintel box.

[LimeLite]

Originally posted by stoid
There is an open source Windows emulator for Mac OS X, I don't remember it's name, but I do remember that it is VERY slow. Also, you'll have to purchase the Windows OS like XP or 2000 or even DOS. Good luck though. Might be cheaper and fast to just buy and old wintel box.
I think what you're referring to is called Bochs. (http://bochs.sourceforge.net/)

[ChrisH3677]

There has been rumours at times that there is a port of WINE (no pun intended!). Start at www.winehq.org

[sparky76]

Try Wintel at www.openosx.com. $25 for download (although I think you need a Windows OS as well). Haven't tried it, but much cheaper than Virtual PC

[yamabushi]

I wish IBM would attach something like a JIT x86 compiler to the Power PC. Something along the lines of what Transmeta does. Performance would likely never match a pentium, but that's not the point. Apple could even have Transmeta design a chip and stick one right next to the ppc chip "listening" for x86 instructions and helping as needed. Their chips are very flexible in this regard and could even help prefetch the raw PPC instrcutions and optimize them for the specific PPC chip present before pssing them along for the PPC to execute. Add in Windows in a window for a price. This way we get good performance from windows apps and blazing performance from native apps. Place it only on Powermac motherboards where the added cost would be alright. That way software developers are still inclined to port to OSX. Now we no longer need Intel at all.

[muticere]

Thanks for all the info! I'll have to try some of these!

[bousozoku]

Originally posted by yamabushi
I wish IBM would attach something like a JIT x86 compiler to the Power PC. Something along the lines of what Transmeta does. Performance would likely never match a pentium, but that's not the point. Apple could even have Transmeta design a chip and stick one right next to the ppc chip "listening" for x86 instructions and helping as needed. Their chips are very flexible in this regard and could even help prefetch the raw PPC instrcutions and optimize them for the specific PPC chip present before pssing them along for the PPC to execute. Add in Windows in a window for a price. This way we get good performance from windows apps and blazing performance from native apps. Place it only on Powermac motherboards where the added cost would be alright. That way software developers are still inclined to port to OSX. Now we no longer need Intel at all.

That was the PPC615. It didn't work well enough to sell.

[MacbookBoy1990]

I use VirtualBox. Its Freeware but you need to get windows or Linux or whatever.

[rodman109110]

wow, old thread.

[guzzlamiamor]

I use VirtualBox. Its Freeware but you need to get windows or Linux or whatever.

Hopefully the original poster was able to find some type of solution over the course of the past 5.5 years, but thanks for the post anyway!! :p

[yellow]

No need to resurrect this thread. We've come a long way since 2003.