microsoft buys connectix virtual PC

[jimbo_mac]

Looks like virtual PC is now owned by M$

We're glad to see Virtual PC go into such good hands."

Now that statement had me rolling on the floor.

[story.news.yahoo.com...]

[hakre]

it's really a pitty, jimbo_mac. i hear m$ needs the tec for their server distribution stuff.

[Wired2Mac]

There goes Windows on Mac :)

I have been waiting for this for a long time, I knew at some point Microsoft would own VPC. What else do you expect from a company like Microsoft who is trying to find another niche to grab onto.... that is another topic all together ha!

[rose4mark]

Ya, what a bummer. Can't even get SoftWindows out of FWB as an alternative anymore, either.
It was bad enough working with Darth Vader, now I gotta buy from him, too?

[Macguru]

I hope Apple will move swiftly throught this open door.

Step one : Give a call to Open-Source and return the favor.

Some emulator is already out there for free. It functions as a Windows emulator on Unix machines...

Step two : Port Mac OSX to x86 architecture.

Hey! I could soon build my own Franken-Macs from the PC organ bank!

A good chess game move that would be.

[mivox]

I don't see them going to x86 any time soon, but if they really gave open source some encouragement VirtualPC wouldn't be any more necessary than MSOffice is with Open Office available... somebody would jump in with an OSX emulator just for the satisfaction of heading MS off at the pass.

[jamesa]

Scary news. The MBU will do us right and might even lead to more improvements, but it's unnerving that M$ controls the purse strings on that. They are more interested in virtual machines for Windows, obviously. The Mac emulation is an added plus for them.

[Macguru]

Right on mivox, M$ now have a clamp on two vital arteries to the Mac platform survival. M$ office and now VPC. If I was Apple, I would try to bypass this situation ASAP.

Both of them software alternatives are readily available, open-source, now.

Please Apple do it now!

[littleman]

Darwin is already ported to x86 architecture from what I understand.

There is also a port on the way of wine for Darwin:
[darwine.sourceforge.net...]

I have to ask though, why do you need MS products, or MS emulation at all? There are literally tens of thousands of open source programs that can do everything a computer user needs.

What Mac users really need are more access to programs already available for Linux.

Who really needs MS office anyhow?

[mivox]

Anyone who does business with MSOffice users needs something to handle the neverending tide of MS files they'll be getting... other than opening MS files from the other people I work with, I don't use MS products at all.

[littleman]

What Mac users need is MS office format compatibility, not Ms-Office.

OpenOffice does a great job with MS documents. Koffice, Abiword, and Gnumeric are also MS format compatible.

I tend to use Gnumeric and Abiword myself because they are relatively light and nimble.

[mivox]

What Mac users need is MS office format compatibility, not Ms-Office.

I agree... for Office files alone. But outside that, how do I test my page designs on Windows browsers without being able to run Windows? I actually have a Windows machine handy to use at work, but if I ever make the leap to self-employment, I'm either going to need good emulation software, or a Winbox of my own. I'd rather go the emulation route... so I'm hoping for an open source alternative to VirtualPC at this point.

[jamesa]

I have to ask though, why do you need MS products, or MS emulation at all?

Four reasons:
1. testing for web development
2. the Google toolbar
3. when you absolutely have to use the windows version - like if someone sends you and Access database file, visio file, or certain industry-specific software that's not cross platform that you may need to run for some reason.
4. It's cool, and it impresses PC users. :)

[EliteWeb]

Ouch will they now kill VPC for the Mac or extend a version to install MS Windows with the Mac hardware or something crazy like that.

[jamesa]

and if your a laptop user, you wouldn't carry an extra PC that you'll use just once in a while.

With OS X, Classic, Freex86, and VPC there's almost nothing you can't run. That's pretty cool.

[rblumberg]

A few months ago, when Connectix came out with the latest upgrade to VPC, I decided not to upgrade. In fact, when I had to re-build my drive a month or so before that, I didn't even re-install VPC, simply because I never used it any more. Yes, it's handy for testing web pages, but a better solution, imho, is to lay your hands on a used Windows box - in our town, they can be had at any used computer store for $200 or less with Win98 (or even XP, if you get?lucky?); the processor may be slow, the memory may be puny, and there may not be much of a hard drive, but it'll run Windows browsers just fine. With samba, you can even mount the winbox's hard disk on your desktop over an ethernet connection.

And if you find (as I did) that you're never using even that, then you can wipe the drive and install Linux, which runs quite acceptably fast, even on a 233MHz Pentium, can be stuffed in a closet somewhere and controlled via XWindows from your Mac, and will even run Wine if you're dead set on using an emulator.

Richard

[jimbo_mac]

for $30 you could get Wintel [openosx.com...]
You will still need a M$ licensed OS as well.

more here:
[bochs.sourceforge.net...]