“Intel-based Mac OS X users now have yet another virtualization solution to choose from now that Innotek has announced a Mac version of its VirtualBox virtualization software. This time though, the product is based on open-source code and is the first professional virtualization product being made available free of charge to the Apple Macintosh platform,” David Marshall reports for InfoWorld.
Marshall reports, “OS X is the third major platform that VirtualBox supports as it was previously available to both Windows and Linux users. The product supports a wide variety of x86 compatible guest operating system such as: various versions of Windows from NT to Vista, DOS, OpenBSD and Linux. Features include USB support, snapshots and command-line scripting.”
“The OS X version is currently available in its first public beta version and is based on VirtualBox’s new version 1.4 codebase. The product is expected to be completed in the 2nd quarter of 2007,” Marshall reports.
Full article here.
More info and download links: http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/VirtualBox
nothing like this for us PPC guys, huh ?
I mean besides that crappy VPC !
PPC doesn’t run Windows natively. You need an Intel architecture.
<*sigh*> Just as well, tho … not interested in running ‘Doze anyhoo…
But I hear there are others who do..
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(cant imagine why !)
What company thought it would a good idea to name themselves Innotek? hasn’t anyone seen Office Space?
I knew that, coolfactor … just thought there was some
super-coder out there who could find a way to get around
those restrictions ..
But, alas … methinks not…
PPC is going the way of OS 9, it seems … maybe next year at MacWorld … we’ll see a Dual G5 Cheeze-grater appear on an elevated coffin from beneath the stage … like we did with the OS 9 box !!
Supporting Windows is a critical ingredient in building the Mac platform right now. It’s lowered the (mental) barrier for a lot of people, but once we hit 50,000,000 (twice what we have now), I think the dependence on Intel will be lessened. I just hope Apple sticks to its guns of building of universal platform that doesn’t support just one architecture. Let’s keep our options open for the brightest future!
MW: keep, go figure
Hey, I like OS 9. I use it at work to drive an Epson 9600. Fast, compact code, virus-free ( who’s gonna be writing malware for OS 9 anymore?), and Epson’s software for OS X leaves a lot to be desired. Epson blames it on having to work throuugh CUPS.
I’m sorry, but PPC sucks and I always thought so even when that’s all you could get in a Mac. They’re old, they’re slow, and they run hot as hell and always did. The best thing Apple has done in the last 10 years (along with creating the iPod) was the switch to Intel.
i can’t wait for innotrode’s VM software, it’ll be way better than innotek’s…
Has anyone tried this out yet? How does it compare to Parallels?
neomonkey : – I had a lot of problems with Epson writing crappy software for OS 9 as well as for OS X. Other manufacturers manage to write excellent drivers for OS X, but Epson doesn’t. Instead, they try to shift the blame.
I stopped buying Epson several years ago. The alternatives that I’ve bought ( HP, Canon etc ) have been much better and they still keep working when the OS is upgraded.
“..I’m sorry, but PPC sucks…”
@ Truth
Why are you sorry ? … For you, the reasons you cite, make the PPC not an option… and thats ok ..
However, while most of the PPC still in the wild are in use … they are being used in a very productive manner … they dont suck !
Key word here is “tolerence” ..
”Key word here is “tolerence” ..”
No, if I don’t like it then it sucks! If I say it sucks then it does!
I agree with AlanAudio about Epson. I have several orphaned Epson printers that either don’t have current drivers, or you just can’t find the ink cartridges – either way they have become doorstops. The sad part is they all still worked perfectly the last time I could use them. Stick with Canon or HP for printers. Besides good print quality, the Canon ink cartidges were always less expensive to replace, and didn’t require throwing away all that good ink just because one color ran out.
PPC’s generate far less heat than Intel CPU’s.
mangosquash wrote: “What company thought it would a good idea to name themselves Innotek?”
Um, let’s see… Innotek maybe?
So, what would happen if I ran OS X in an Intel Mac through Rosetta that’s running Virtual PC so it would run Vista running a virtualized XP running Pear?
The world would be mine . . . mine, I tell you . . . mine!
Rainy Day,
If your statement, “PPC’s generate far less heat than Intel CPU’s” were true, we would’ve seen G5 laptops.
Of course, if you’re speaking of G4 and earlier processors, you may be correct.
Until one of us is game enough and has free time to try this enw software out, we really don’t have anything to discuss (I am still running a G5 Pmac adn PBook, so I can’t contribute)…sound of swinging door…
Let’s see. In what reality does it make sense to compare several-year-old technology (at least) with current technology?
Magic Word: Serious. As in, let’s be serious, people.
> I agree with AlanAudio about Epson. I have several orphaned Epson printers…
Getting a bit off topic, but had to mention that I didn’t like Espon’s Mac support either. My old Stylus Photo 750 never had a reliable Mac OS X driver from Epson. It’s old enough to have PC serial, Mac serial, and USB ports, so Epson did not give it much support effort. It sat in my closet for a while, but when I decided to try using it again, I noticed there was a Espon Stylus Photo 750 “Gimp-print” (open source) driver preloaded with my Mac OS X Tiger installation on my G5 Power Mac. It works better than the last version from Epson.
And then I discovered I could buy non-Epson inkjet cartridges for really cheap (5-pack for about $16 shipped) online. I think they are so cheap because (unlike HP and Canon) these old Espon printer do not use a “throw away” printhead on the cartridge; the cartridge is just plastic container with ink. So my old “bad” Epson printer has turned into an economical way for me to print. And it still prints very well after all this time… I’ll keep using it.
So, like, nobody at MacDailyNews has even tried out Innotek’s virtulization platform… sad state affairs when the only comments available on this article are complaints about OS9 Epson printers, and the heat given off by G5 (or G4) CPUs vs. Intel… A sad state of affairs, indeed…
Personally, I use a Macbook at work (2GHz, 2GB RAM, OS 10.4.9) with Parallels and WinXP SP2. The only reason I use Parallels is that I needed to run a couple of work related apps and I did not want two machines on my desktop. Parallels works extremely well. Windows performance is superior to my 2.5 year old Windows laptop that I just got rid of, and Mac OS screams. The Coherence mode is extremely cool, allowing the normal Win apps to just run as though they are in Mac OS, without the pain of switching between Mac and Win desktops. It has only been about six weeks since I made the switch at work, but I have experience no reason to head back.
I have not tried Innotek’s solution or VMWare for that matter. Anyone out there have experience with these platforms?
mangosquash said:
“What company thought it would a good idea to name themselves Innotek? Hasn’t anyone seen Office Space?”
Man, you made my day. I’m gonna go watch that movie right now.
That had to be comment of the day, and here’s hoping the new “Innotek” does go up in flames…. lol.
Thanks!
Prevent carpel-tunnel and just say “Epson stinks”
I personally use VMWare and like the product a great deal (Unfortunately, I have not used Parallels). The reason I chose to go with VMWare is due to really good experience with their product on Linux and Winodws. I am using their Workstation 6.0 beta on my Dell (Windows Vista) to run both XP and Ubuntu (as there are programs in each I use quite a bit). I was able to literally copy and paste the Virtual Machines to the Mac and then start them up without any problem. All of my software and data went with no issues about activation, etc. The only job necessary was to re-install the VMWare tools package (which I believe Parallels has something similar).
Performance on my MacBook Pro is excellent. For most programs (Video and GPU intensive tasks excepted) being just as fast as natively running the tasks. This even includes Photoshop CS2. In fact, the Photoshop in XP runs faster than the same program through Rosetta on the Pro.