Re: Mac user who needs Windows from time to time

Steve Hyman(steveh[at]practech.com)
Thu, 2 Jul 1998 16:42:57 -0400

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>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Premal J. Shah [mailto:PSHAH@srv1.bmu.mrc.ac.uk]
> Sent: Thursday, July 02, 1998 6:05 AM
> Subject: Re: Mac user who needs Windows from time to time
>
> I have a friend who uses Macs 80% of the time, Windows 20% of the
time.
> Currently she has a 6100 with an Intel daughter-board processor of
some
> description inside it. She can switch from OS to OS from the keyboard.
> The machine is starting to get a little long in the tooth, and is only
> configured with Win 3.1 - she'd like Win95/98. I can install more RAM
> (in order to get enough for Win9x) on the Intel processor card, but
> that's not really going to solve the speed problems. Can anyone
suggest
> an appropriate platform, or hardware configuration, that I might
suggest
> to her that'll cover all her needs? Many thanks.
> * John
>
> I wonder if this is useful:
> Here's the VPC tip (culled from various places on the Net):
>
> If you need to REALLY run Windows 95 at it's fastest on your Mac, do
> this with VPC:
> On another partition create a bare bones System (sorry, without
another
> partition, this will not work), remove EVERY extension except the
> Appearance extension, and every control panel except the Appearance
> contr
> ol
> panel. Then move the VPC preference file into the new System's
> preferenc
> e
> folder. Also move the VirtualPC app itself into the System folder.
> Remo
> ve
> the Finder from the System, throw it in the trash and delete it. Use
> ResEdit to change the VPC app's 'creator' code to MACS and 'type' to
> FNDR.
> Then rename VirtualPC* to Finder. Then reboot holding down
> "Shift-Option-Command-Delete", this will force your Mac to boot from a
> System other than your startup disk. !!DO NOT CHANGE THE STARTUP DISK
> IN THE STARTUP DISK CONTROL PANEL!! If you do, it will be murder
trying
> to get it to boot back to MacOS.
> Now what you have is Windows 95 booting instead of MacOS, and the
> performance increase is more than double! Alas, you will not be able
to
> use the MacOS while you are running VPC like this, but you WILL still
be
> able to share ANY Mac folder!, but if you NEED to use Win95, this is
the
> best way to do it!
> Now to get back to the MacOS, just quite VPC as normal, saving it
where
> y
> ou
> left off, and then once it has saved the data to the disc, you just
> force-restart "Control-Command-PowerKey", and your Mac will safely
boot
> back to MacOS.
> BTW, all networking is STILL available from the PC using it this way,
> it'
> s
> great!
> On my 8500/180 I am getting speeds that my PC loving friend says are
> fast
> er
> than his 200MMX, so believe me, it kicks ass! If you want to play
games
>
> on
> VPC, this is the way to do it.
>
> To sum it up: create a small System folder with only the folowing
> extensi ons:
> Appearance Extension
> Text Encoding Convertor (if 8.1)
>
> Remove the Finder and put in a copy of VPC.
> Open VPC with ResEdit and "Get Info" on the file. Change the file type
> an
> d
> creator codes from: APPL/VtPC to FNDR/MACS.
>
> The computer will now load VPC thinking it's the Finder. This speeds
> thin
> gs
> up quite a bit.
>
> Prem Shah,
> MRC BMU,
> Royal Edinburgh Hospital,
> Morningside Park,
> Edinburgh, EH10 5HF
> pshah@srv1.bmu.mrc.ac.uk
> Tel 0131- 537 6675

I tried this on my 300 Mhz G3 with 96 MB allocated to Virtual PC, and
observed no noticeable speed difference.
Also folder sharing was not available, and when I rebooted using
"Control-Command-PowerKey" it did not boot back to the correct system.
I had to reboot from the CD, trash the VPC/Finder and minimal system,
and then it booted back normally.
I find even on my system, while impressive, the speed of Win95 under
Virtual PC is more like a 486 or slow Pentium. Still a bargain however
for the price.
Also I have not been able to get my Palm Pilot synchronization to work
under Virtual PC, even though I set it up as they recommend in the
manual.
Also Autocad LT 97 will not read from nor write to a shared folder
without crashing VPC.
Anyone else run into this?

--
Kurt F. Hanke, P.E.
Griffon Aeromarine, Inc.
5821 S. 152 St. Ste A202
Seattle, WA 98188-2487
TELEFAX (206) 248-3597
E-mail:  kfh@seanet.com



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