Probably a dumb question, but will we be able to use PC apps on the Intel Macs?

[johnbro23]

I'm sure it's been talked about before, but I'm not sure how to search for the topic.

So will we have to use Virtual PC? Will Virtual PC work at native speed? Will you be able to boot in Windows? The latter of the questions, I'm assuming, is a no.

Sorry for the ignorant questions, but I don't know much about the implications of the switch to Intel.

 

[grapes911]

Yes it has been talked about before. Many times before.

So will we have to use Virtual PC?
Window programs will not run in OS X.

Will Virtual PC work at native speed?
No. But it may be faster because it won't have to emulate an entire system, just an OS.

Will you be able to boot in Windows?
Only if you purchase and install windows on another Partition.

 

[johnbro23]

Yes it has been talked about before. Many times before.

So will we have to use Virtual PC?
Window programs will not run in OS X.

Will Virtual PC work at native speed?
No. But it may be faster because it won't have to emulate an entire system, just an OS.

Will you be able to boot in Windows?
Only if you purchase and install windows on another Partition.

Wow, thats surprising. So if you just buy Windows for like $400 (I think thats what it is) you can boot into Windows or Mac? That would be unbeleivably convenient.

Do you think Virtual PC would still be terrible for playing PC games? You said it will be faster, but I can't imagine it would be fast enough to play most games.

 

[CanadaRAM]

And booting Windows may or may not require a third party hack to circumvent whatever locking mechanism Apple may or may not use, and may or may not require hacked device drivers because Apple won't be providing any Windows specific hardware drivers for whatever custom or off the shelf hardware that they may or may not be adding to the motherboard that they may or may not be producing themselves.

Bottom line: Wait and see. Nobody knows yet. It is fruitless to keep speculating...

 

[grapes911]

Wow, thats surprising. So if you just buy Windows for like $400 (I think thats what it is) you can boot into Windows or Mac? That would be unbeleivably convenient.

Do you think Virtual PC would still be terrible for playing PC games? You said it will be faster, but I can't imagine it would be fast enough to play most games.

If you purchase VPC, you probably already have a Windows license. No reason to shell out another $400. (unless they don't give you a version that doesn't install with out VPC, I don't know. I purchased VPC without XP because I already had it.)

While VPC is slow, that is not the reason you can't play games. The reason is that it has no DirectX support. So unless MS changes that, it won't work.

 

[Sun Baked]

While VPC is slow, that is not the reason you can't play games. The reason is that it has no DirectX support. So unless MS changes that, it won't work.

That "may" change, because the switch to x86 will bring the GPU and CPU into endian parity -- making DirectX easier to support.

However, knowing MS -- they will make sure that VPC for MacTel is great for Office, and lacks DirectX support so games still suck on the Mac.

---

Of course Apple isn't much better, they usually guard the internals of their hardware quite closely -- so some of the low-level specifics of the hardware needed for MicroSoft to actually write drivers for Windows for MacTels probably won't be given to them.

It'll probably be up to the hackers to figure things out and hack together some drivers to get Windows up and running on a Mac.

If Apple designs some of their own chips, it'll get even harder ... expect Apple to use off-the-shelf parts on the Rev. A machines and incorporate some Apple-designed chips on Rev. B or C, breaking all the MacTel hacks.

---

Apple won't stop Windows from being run, but they likely won't do anything to enable it either.

 

[MacDawg]

More information than you will ever need...

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[grapes911]

More information than you will ever need...

Woof, Woof - Dawg

Gotta Love the Dawg