Poll: Do you think Microsoft's involvement will make Virtual PC better or worse?

[MacRumors]

Vote: Poll: Do you think Microsoft's involvement will make Virtual PC better or worse? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=227&ref=forums.macrumors.com)

[Royal Pineapple]

if they continue to develop it it will get better, i dont think it can get worse :D
but im not too sure they will continue it, i think they may just drop it or let it stand where it is with no more updates

[Nermal]

I think having access to the Windows code is going to be advantageous. I already mentioned this in the Office & VPC thread, but I'll say it again so you don't have to search for it:

I'm half expecting Virtual PC (not 6.1 but maybe 7.0) to be bundled with Windows XP, but not regular XP but a special version that's been compiled for PowerPC. I'm just guessing here, but would it be fair to assume that a lot of the OS just needs a recompile? I understand that some parts won't simply recompile across, but the emulation in VPC should be able to take care of this. So basically we'd end up with a "semi-native" version of XP, with emulation for the bits that don't run natively. Many Windows apps call various APIs in Windows, and provided these APIs are compiled for PPC we should get a great speed increase across the entire PC (OS and apps). This is all just a wild guess though :D

[nagasing]

I voted worse:D Microsoft barely ever makes something better. Look at Windows!

[kosibar]

Originally posted by nagasing
I voted worse:D Microsoft barely ever makes something better. Look at Windows!

I agree. The only Microsoft product I've found to be good is their hardware, and I'm told that they don't even make it. :)

Microsoft tends to apply their "throw it together and get it out the door" business model on all of their projects, leading to software that has a large set of features and bugs, odd performance problems, and unnecessary annoyances. It makes sense that they would want to develop it and keep Mac people buying Microsoft products, but it's hard to believe that this will be the exception to their quality standards (or lack thereof).

[wdlove]

I didn't know that Microsoft made any hardware, thought they are a software only.

I think that they will make it better, because of increased cooperation between the companies. Why would they want to loose a chance to make money?

[KentuckyApple]

It will be worse, and by that I mean they will cease development of it. There will be no more VPC in a few years time.

[eric_n_dfw]

Originally posted by wdlove
I didn't know that Microsoft made any hardware, thought they are a software only.

I think that they will make it better, because of increased cooperation between the companies. Why would they want to loose a chance to make money? Agreed.

As for their hardware: keyboards, mice, joysticks, the XBox, modems. (Can't say if they are rebranded or not though.)

[idevin]

I have to say, it might get better. I say this because since Microsoft makes Windows, they **should** be able to squeeze some more performance out of the emulation process. :):):)

However, I do not think highly of their macintosh software (especially the non-standard GUI), so while the emulation may be better, the overall product might suck.:mad::mad:

[Doctor Q]

I think this is good news. Microsoft can keep VPC totally compatible and up to date, and I think they will.

Starting August 12, Microsoft Office Professional will consist of Word, Excel, PowerPoint Entourage and Virtual PC 6.1. ($500 US, $330 upgrade US). The educational versions probably won't have VPC, however. Making VPC part of office shows they are committed to it.

[-hh]

Originally posted by KentuckyApple
It will be worse, and by that I mean they will cease development of it. There will be no more VPC in a few years time.


There's that too. Microsoft has a history of making pretty good software when there's true competition..but really lousy software whenever they're the only game in town (monopoly).


As long as SoftWindows isn't (or can't) competing, under Microsoft, VPC is doomed to become vile, expensive dogfood.


And the bundling of Office with VPC is really a sign that Microsoft will indeed abandon Office X, and they've figured out how to do that without losing profits: a bundle consisting of WinOffice+VPC allows them to technically claim "Office support for the Mac platform" while simultaneously also squeeze more profits from Mac Users because it won't be cheap.

IMO, if you need to buy a copy of Office, its often cheaper to go take a graduate course and buy it with your now-qualified Student discount than it is to pay full freight.



-hh

[MattG]

I'm waiting for my DP G5.

I'm hoping that this computer is fast enough to the point where it can run Connectix VPC at a tolerable speed. If I can do simple stuff like run MS Office and a handful of other programs at decent speed, I won't bother upgrading.

[Steamboatwillie]

Microsoft does not improve anything, they just copy stuff or make silly operating systems with weird interdependencies. Virtual PC with a "Registry" anyone?

For those lucky enough not to be exposed to Windows, the Registry is a P.O.S. database that all kinds of settings for the OS and installed software is stored in. Imagine your whole Unix etc directory is one single database that corrupts easily... Yowch! :mad:

[Steamboatwillie]

Originally posted by MattG
I'm waiting for my DP G5.

I'm hoping that this computer is fast enough to the point where it can run Connectix VPC at a tolerable speed. If I can do simple stuff like run MS Office and a handful of other programs at decent speed, I won't bother upgrading.

My dual 1.25 G4 runs Virtual PC (Win2k & WinXP) very nice. :D I've even opened Photoshop (to print to a Windows network printer) and it was very useable. I'm actually surprised at how well it does run. I used to use Win4Lin on my Linux PC and the performance was not nearly as good.

[hvfsl]

Originally posted by Steamboatwillie
My dual 1.25 G4 runs Virtual PC (Win2k & WinXP) very nice. :D I've even opened Photoshop (to print to a Windows network printer) and it was very useable. I'm actually surprised at how well it does run. I used to use Win4Lin on my Linux PC and the performance was not nearly as good.

Use GimpPrint to print to windows printers, it can be got from http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/unix_open_source/gimpprint.html

[hvfsl]

Originally posted by Steamboatwillie
Microsoft does not improve anything, they just copy stuff or make silly operating systems with weird interdependencies. Virtual PC with a "Registry" anyone?

For those lucky enough not to be exposed to Windows, the Registry is a P.O.S. database that all kinds of settings for the OS and installed software is stored in. Imagine your whole Unix etc directory is one single database that corrupts easily... Yowch! :mad:

WinXP is a big improvement overy ME, they do actually seem to try with Office and Windows, but only because of Apple, if Apple had died off a few years ago we would all be using a very bad version of ME.

[Sayhey]

My worry is that Microsoft may decide VPC is the sum total of their Mac programming. Why put out any new native mac programs, if windows programs can be run through VPC? Of course, they will run slower and have a second rate windows interface. It gives very little reason for someone to buy a mac if all programs have to run through VPC. As a stop gap measure, VPC was fine. In the hands of Microsoft it could be terrible.

[wdlove]

Originally posted by Doctor Q
I think this is good news. Microsoft can keep VPC totally compatible and up to date, and I think they will.

Starting August 12, Microsoft Office Professional will consist of Word, Excel, PowerPoint Entourage and Virtual PC 6.1. ($500 US, $330 upgrade US). The educational versions probably won't have VPC, however. Making VPC part of office shows they are committed to it.

I wonder why the educational version won't contain VPC? That you for that great news Doctor Q, I will be anxiously awaiting the upgrade! Will this upgrade be for Mac OS 9.1 also?

[Doctor Q]

I found some details at http://www.microsoft-watch.com (http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,,1192679,00.asp).

[Makosuke]

I see an interesting contrast of possibilities, particularly given the above-referenced MSWatch article--in summary, it sounds like MS will be emphasizing the PC compatibleness of the new Office/VPC suite. They might make VPC better to subvert Mac users, or might make it and Office suck more to force conversion.

I assume the MS logic is to feed people the "You're stuck on a Mac, but if you buy Office, at least you can open documents and get to apps you really need." line. This could, of course, lead into their attempt to obsolete the Mac--get people happy enough with emulated Windows and (currently) native Office, and eventually they'll just jump ship.

But wouldn't it be amusing if it turned out backfiring on them? "Hey, why buy a PC when this one Office package will take care of any compatibility for me!"

At first, MS would be happy enough, since they'd still be selling Office and Windows, which is all they're really selling with a PC anyway, but I expect if that really did work to expand the Mac market people would eventually start to just give up on Office and VPC once they realize the advantages of native apps and an Apple/other company Office suite.

Might as well try our best to make it backfire--use the "ultra-compatible" Office/VPC to convince people that it's all they'll need to make their new Mac handle any PC-ness necessary.

[scem0]

MS can't program worth **** on Windows/x86 I don't see much of a future on OS x/PPC.

I think it has no where to go but up, but I don't think it will go anywhere at alll.

So I said worse even though I don't think it really can get much worse. :(

scem0

[jbomber]

VPC is dead as a doornail. M$ will pretend to support it for a bit and then scrap the project entirely.

[wdlove]

Originally posted by jbomber
VPC is dead as a doornail. M$ will pretend to support it for a bit and then scrap the project entirely.

The link provided by Doctor Q , would indicate that Microsoft plans to continue to support VPC. If they planned to scrape VPC they would have never purchased the software!

[Steamboatwillie]

Originally posted by hvfsl
WinXP is a big improvement overy ME, they do actually seem to try with Office and Windows, but only because of Apple, if Apple had died off a few years ago we would all be using a very bad version of ME.

If Apple whips up an Office product that is superior, like iTunes, they could nip that in the bud too. I'd love to see Word & Excel go away in favor of something much better. Too bad the M$ infiltration project has infected most corporate desktops. :mad: