Microsoft to release Virtual PC 7 with G5 compatibility soon

“Microsoft this week will release Virtual PC 7 to manufacturing, after several months of delays, according to MacNN sources. The release of the Windows emulation software for Mac comes after the Mac BU decided to wait for the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2, which was made available earlier this month. Microsoft will also release Office 2004 Professional Edition to manufacturing, the premium version of the company’s Office 2004 bundled with Virtual PC 7. Both the full version of Virtual PC 7 and Office 2004 Professional are expected to be available in retail stores by October… Sources tell MacNN that Microsoft’s Virtual PC 7 will bring better for support for (USB) peripherals, speed improvements, G5 compatibility, dual-processor support, and better native support for graphic cards,” MacNN reports.

Full article here.

35 Comments

  1. To be used only as last nail in the coffin: “Oh but I really need this one sw title and they do not make an OS X version”.

    “What?!” – you scream – “and for just ONE title you put up with all the crap that comes with staying on Windows. Naahh, for that loner get VirtualPC. On the G5 it will perform better than that old PC of yours”

  2. OH FRIGGING GREAT

    Now I’ll have to run Windoze software on my beloved G5.

    I can just see the flood of viruses, trojans and spyware complaints coming into my support service.

    “Help my G5 is screwed up!”

    “Are you running Norton Utilites”

    “No”

    “Your running Virtual PC then”

    “Yes how did you know?”

  3. Glad to see it’s finally coming and I hope it’s a big enough improvement to be worth the long wait. However, other than a handful of legacy apps I rarely ever use, I have no need for Windows anymore. I’ve been able to replace everything I need on a daily basis with superior (except for Quicken) native OS X versions now. I’ll wait and see the reviews on it once it’s out in the wild before deciding if I’ll ever spring for it or not.

  4. ABQ Peter:

    Virtual PC is, ostensibly, just as “good” as Microsoft�s Windows XP, albeit slower owing to emulation. I cannot imagine how Microsoft could produce a virtual version of XP that is actually “better” or more secure than the real thing.

    The only virtual PC I would consider would be one that is Unix-based, produced by Apple, and is cosmetically similar to Windows XP. I think the probability of this occurring is a relatively small. Besides, the thought of XP on my Mac would be like eating from the refuse bin behind Taramind instead of dining inside.

  5. I have to say that I am looking forward to this release to hopefully run win98 a little faster and maybe a dumbed down XP. There are some graphic utilities that are only available on windows and also testing my sites I created on both platforms is easier this way then actually going and buying a PC. BTW – don’t think for a split second I will be paying for this software.

  6. Ok…but look. I work in the corporate world and fought to the bone to get Macs used in our department. Having VPC to work on our G5s truly makes the “G5” a corporate ballbuster!!..They build all these complicated intranets which are only Windows compatible…. which will not work unless they see a Windows 2000 “corporate” imaged and configured browser pointing at them.

    I only wish Apple created some Safari “firewall” so that Safari could “camoulflage” itself to these intranets to trick them into thinking it’s IE and to be able to authenticate to them.

    So..this is really good news for us who have fought to keep our Macs in the IBM/Microshit world AND get the best access in the corporate world.

  7. I’ll wait for it to appear on a file sharing network, like I do with all my Microsoft software. I stealing from criminals, and pay the good guys like Apple Adobe and Macromedia, etc.

  8. Kimbakat: what you ask is there. Safari can camouflage itself and pretend to be something else. Works like a charm and site who touts to be working only with IE get fooled like the idiots who maintain them.

    Just do this, in exact order:

    1) Quit Safari

    2) Launch Terminal.app, on that…

    3) write – without quotes, case important –
    ‘defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeDebugMenu 1’

    4) Launch Safari, a new menu Debug is now available

    5) select Debug–>User Agent –> the browser you like

    Voil�, Safari is no more Safari but something else to the site you visit.

  9. True Mac devotees would never desecrate their MacintoshHD with such contemptible rubbish, nor entertain the thought. This is only for switchers and the impure, not the high clergy.

    Redeem your sins! Trash Virtual PC and all Microsoft products!

  10. I know I’m gonna be flamed but, I like VPC and will install it on my G5 this week.
    It’s good for running the software you can’t get for Mac, and I hear that this version uses hardware on the Graphics card to utilize direct X , so even some older games that didn’t get to Mac will be useable

  11. >Hellstudios wrote: (just look up)

    Uhhh… true Mac Devotees?

    Of all things to be devoted to… a box that plugs into a wall.

    You can call that sort of thing all sorts of things. And people call Windows users idiots.

    A Mac Devotee… Yikes.

  12. >Hellstudios wrote: (just look up)

    Uhhh… true Mac Devotees?

    Of all things to be devoted to… a box that plugs into a wall.

    You can call that sort of thing all sorts of things. And people call Windows users idiots.

    A Mac Devotee… Yikes.

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