Windows on my iMac G5 Rev. A?

Your only real option is to use Virtual PC, which is the fastest of a number of very slow options for the G5. There are free or cheaper options, but none are all that easy to set up or, in fact, even get to run at all.

Honestly, it's only slightly more expensive to buy a cheap - even used - PC than to buy VPC, and the cheapest PC you can buy will run circles around VPC on the fastest of G5s.

Grampa Joe said:

To add windows, I guess I can't use Parallels or Bootcamp since they both appear to be made for Intel-based Macs. What else is there? I can't seem to find a solution on the forum.

Maybe Leopard will let me do that. Anybody know?

Forgot to add, all I want it for is to run Family Tree Maker genealogy software. No games or anything special.

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You could always use a Mac based program.

This one looks pretty good and it's for Mac OS X and it's universal.

http://www.onlymac.de/html/stammbaum4en.html

Grampa Joe said:

Thanks. I use Reunion (Mac based) now. I had used Family Tree Maker on my PC. It is a whole lot better. Hence, my query. Guess I'm screwed if I ever want FTM again unless Leopard will come with a Windows emulator. I suppose that'll be only for Intel Macs, too.
The answer is to buy an Intel-based Mac, but my wife would leave if I even suggest such a thing. Mini, maybe? The future holds the answer.

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Have you gotten rid of your PC? There are ways to connect to it such that you see its desktop on your Mac's screen, even if it's elsewhere, and even if it has no monitor connected to it.

Sounds like it's time for some VNC.

Grampa Joe said:

Huh? What is VNC?

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VNC is a way of remote controlling one computer from another. It's slow, but free. If the PC is running XP however, you can turn on remote desktop and use Microsoft's own Remote Desktop Client for Mac to do the same as VNC, only much quicker.

dynamicv said:

VNC is a way of remote controlling one computer from another. It's slow, but free. If the PC is running XP however, you can turn on remote desktop and use Microsoft's own Remote Desktop Client for Mac to do the same as VNC, only much quicker.

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Not the same as VNC. RDC logs out the local user, but VNC shares the same session.

Remote Desktop Client is indeed what you want if your PC is running XP Pro (it probably isn't, if it's a home system) because it involves the least amount of hassle.

Otherwise:

You'll need a VNC (virtual network client) server for the PC, and a VNC client for the Mac.

Download Chicken of the VNC and put it in your Applications folder on your Mac. This lets you control other the PC (or anything running a VNC server).

On your PC, I've had success with RealVNC. Download it here, and full instructions are here.

Once you have RealVNC running on the PC, you should be able to connect to it via Chicken of the VNC on your Mac. The screen refreshes won't be phenomenally fast, but it's all free and should work fine.

hopejr said:

Not the same as VNC. RDC logs out the local user, but VNC shares the same session.

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Only if you log onto the PC with a different user account to the one already logged on. Otherwise XP will lock the PC's actual screen and redirect the logged-in session to the RDC client.

dynamicv said:

Only if you log onto the PC with a different user account to the one already logged on. Otherwise XP will lock the PC's actual screen and redirect the logged-in session to the RDC client.

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That's what I meant. I was basically saying that VNC allows you to share the screen, RDC doesn't (whether it logs you out/returns you to welcome screen/locks the workstation).