Inaugural Summer PowerPC Challenge! July 1-8, 2017

[eyoungren]

Well, one problem I have with that is the speed. XP is SO SLOW on VPC7, I tried using it for downgrading my iPhone 2G once but gave up because of the speed. 2 minutes just to get IE open, let alone download Firefox.

My favorite use for VPC7 is running Windows 98. I've used quite a few Windows versions, and I think 98 is one of the best ever.

The trick here is a couple of things.

First off, most people make the mistake of maxing the RAM for the VM. It's crazy, but the way the app functions, doing that actually slows the app down. There is a sweet spot and it's around 384MB of ram.

Second, XP contributes to this because most people do not turn off the eye candy (just like they don't in Leopard). In the system properties in the performance section if you select the option for "Best Performance" then it shuts off all the whizbang menus and effects.

It won't make XP super fast, but it will get rid of two minute start up times.

 

[Dronecatcher]

XP is SO SLOW on VPC7

Hunt down an iso for Micro XP (it has all extras/effects/visuals stripped out) and disable any running services you don't need (printing, event logs etc) - it makes a real difference.

 

[Gamer9430]

I'm not sure if it will install in Virtual PC 7, but Windows POSREADY2009 is an up-to-date version of Windows XP that's been mostly stripped down in order to run efficiently on Point-of-Sales systems, which are typically low-spec'd since they aren't being used for anything intense. Might be worth looking into and seeing if it can be used with VPC7

 

[Lastic]

Indeed MicroXP or XPlite or the one Garreth mentioned in the previous Challenge , XP FLP run decent, they will never be ultra-fast when running on a G4 with 1.25Gb RAM or less and the Pentium emulated CPU of VPC.

 

[jrra]

I'm absolutely going to participate in the challenge! I'm already using an iBook G4 as my daily driver. I have a "real" laptop, but I just love the keyboard on the iBook.

 

[AL1630]

Cool, I also think the iBook G4's keyboard is one of the best laptop keyboards ever!

 

[eyoungren]

Cool, I also think the iBook G4's keyboard is one of the best laptop keyboards ever!

No…no. That's the keyboard on the 17" Aluminum PowerBook.

 

[Slix]

No…no. That's the keyboard on the 17" Aluminum PowerBook.

You sure it's not the PowerBook G3 Pismo?

Ok, maybe that's nostalgia speaking, since I haven't used one in about 10 years now, but the iBook G3s are similar.

 

[AmazingHenry]

Cool, I also think the iBook G4's keyboard is one of the best laptop keyboards ever!

No…no. That's the keyboard on the 17" Aluminum PowerBook.

You sure it's not the PowerBook G3 Pismo?

Nah, it's the iBook G3 Clamshell or Snow.

 

[16bitTechy]

If you have the RAM for it, VirtualPC7+XP is still era-appropriate and will run newer software on PPC hardware.

Wouldn't work for me - can't run XP for work. We deal with extremely sensitive documents, need high-security environments. No-longer-security-updated XP doesn't qualify. (I'm not even sure the latest version of our VPN software will run on XP.)

 

[bobesch]

Nah, it's the iBook G3 Clamshell or Snow.

Yeah, the Clamshell's keyboard feels the best (complete silence, when typing - only the gentle clicking of the keyboard; no fans; and with an mSATA no morsing harddrive).
The Snow's Clamshell smells the worst.
And the Powerbook G4 comes somewhere in between

 

[bobesch]

I'm not sure if it will install in Virtual PC 7, but Windows POSREADY2009 is an up-to-date version of Windows XP that's been mostly stripped down in order to run efficiently on Point-of-Sales systems, which are typically low-spec'd since they aren't being used for anything intense. Might be worth looking into and seeing if it can be used with VPC7

What about that POSREADY2009. Difficult to get hands on it ...

 

[MagicBoy]

You're all wrong. It's the TiBook.

 

[bobesch]

Hunt down an iso for Micro XP (it has all extras/effects/visuals stripped out) and disable any running services you don't need (printing, event logs etc) - it makes a real difference.

Thanks!!! Micro XP has only the footprint of Win98 and runs really snappy with VirtualPC7.
After installing LancomVPNAdvClient the VPN-connection built up instantly.
The only problem left: there's no RDP-Client included, and a couldn't find any download option for RDP-Client 7.0 for XP (KB969084) since the link the download-site of MS is going to nowhere.
The RDP-Client 6.1 (for SP2) refuses to install, since Micro XP already sports SP3.
Does anyone here has a clue?
[doublepost=1493454686][/doublepost]Hu, just read the comments of micro XP:

"Reviewer: Juanjo2017 - favorite - March 25, 2017
Subject: Malware
This **** has a trojan in the file items.exe
The trojan in ,win32/Malat
It is used to control your PC"

???

 

[Dronecatcher]

You're all wrong. It's the TiBook.

You're all wrong.....

[doublepost=1493455915][/doublepost]

Hu, just read the comments of micro XP:

"Reviewer: Juanjo2017 - favorite - March 25, 2017
Subject: Malware
This **** has a trojan in the file items.exe
The trojan in ,win32/Malat
It is used to control your PC"

???

I'm guessing there's many remixes of Micro XP and some will have malware - I've never had a problem yet but I've never done anything security sensitive with it.

 

[bobesch]

Hunt down an iso for Micro XP (it has all extras/effects/visuals stripped out) and disable any running services you don't need (printing, event logs etc) - it makes a real difference.

Finally got MicroXP to work for my purpose with LancomAdvVPNClint and RDP-Client 7.0 (for SP3). Works really snappy and responsive!
Found the RDP-Client 7 for WinXP-SP3 here: http://www-pc.uni-regensburg.de/systemsw/tools/systools.htm.

Here's an overview (tested on 12" Powerbook-G4 1.5GHz, 1.25GB RAM, mSATA):

WinFLP (Fundamentals)
---------------------------------
SP2
RDP-Client: 6.x (works up to WinServer2008)
Footprint: 1,44 GB
VPC7:time from wake-up to established VPN connection to WinServer2008 = 65sec

MicroXP
---------------------------------
SP3
RDP-Client: 7.0 (works with WinServer2008SP2)
Footprint: 460MB
VPC7:time from wake-up to established VPN connection to WinServer2008 = 35sec

 

[bobesch]

Crazy idea to try Firefox on an copy of that VPC7-MicroXP-VM in order to see, what will happen with Netflix and Silverlight.
Nothing!
The speed of FF is like romote-accessing a computer which is in close orbit of a black hole.
Compared to that my response in putting the whole VM-copy into the trash was lightning fast
So that was my last thought and effort about Netflix on PPC G4 books.
Gonna go for +2dpt reading specs for close distance that make my iPhone a big big movie-theater. That's the way how technic works

(and wait for eyeTV250 and the Lightning2HDMI-adapter to start another iPhone-stream to PPC-challenge...)

 

[eyoungren]

Crazy idea to try Firefox on an copy of that VPC7-MicroXP-VM in order to see, what will happen with Netflix and Silverlight.
Nothing!
The speed of FF is like romote-accessing a computer which is in close orbit of a black hole.
Compared to that my response in putting the whole VM-copy into the trash was lightning fast
So that was my last thought and effort about Netflix on PPC G4 books.
Gonna go for +2dpt reading specs for close distance that make my iPhone a big big movie-theater. That's the way how technic works

(and wait for eyeTV250 and the Lightning2HDMI-adapter to start another iPhone-stream to PPC-challenge...)

LOL!

It's not much faster on a G5 Quad with 12GB of ram either.

 

[bobesch]

LOL!
It's not much faster on a G5 Quad with 12GB of ram either.

Oh, many thanks for letting me know - before I think twice an let the G5 beast off the chain only to experience another disappointment ...

 

[bobesch]

My new gadgets ...
After Erik @eyoungren inspired me to get a PCMCIA-USB2 adapter for the 15" and 17" G4-Powerbook I also went for an SD-Card-adapter solution to backup data and move files between the Powerbooks.
With iFiles I can also access files on the card wirelessly.
The card fits nice into the Powerbooks. Unfortunately writing-speed is really slow (about 4,5GB/h).
Here some picture... (they were taken with iFiles/iPhone and directly saved on the connected Powerbook's desktop. - The same way it's possible to exchange files between any Cloud and the Powerbook )

 

[Dronecatcher]

Here some picture...

What app is displaying the photos? I like the decoration free windows.

 

[bobesch]

What app is displaying the photos? I like the decoration free windows.

Oh, no App for viewing this way - I just crammed all pictures via drag&drop into a blank Pages-file, made Pages go into full-screen-view and took a screenshot with self-timer (it has been a matter of a second to complete the full-screen for the screenshot...)

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Game consoles are allowed, especially era correct ones

Especially appropriate to use consoles that have a PowerPC in them! :-D

 

[AmazingHenry]

@Gamer9430 could we have Spring and Fall challenges as well? April and October.

 

[Gamer9430]

@Gamer9430 could we have Spring and Fall challenges as well? April and October.

if enough people back it, I will host it. However, at this point in time if we were to move to a seasonal challenge instead of one every 6 months, I'd likely only participate in the Winter and Summer challenges... That is subject to change however if i change my mind once those months draw nearer if we so choose to do them.