[thelist] Virtual PC as a Windows testing environment in a Mac World

[Chris George]

I recommend going the route of buying a separate PC to do your testing on.
While Virtual PC actually does an extremely good job of emulating 98 or 200
or whichever version you get, there are some issues with the CD-ROM (for
software installation or whatever).  The Performance is actually really
good... Example: Rogue Spear (a first person game with moderate
requirements) runs like lightning on a G4-400 with 310mb ram and VirtualPC
Win2K ed.

The reasons for a separate computer (in my case):

- The gamma is just too far different on a PeeCee to ignore it
- You don't get the true performance of things like Flash or the JavaVM or
even video when running an emulator
- You gain a higher appreciation of the lack of anything intuitive on a
Wintel box
- I really really didn't want to put anything PeeCee on my Mac... Color me a
purist, but I'd also have to at least double my HD to handle the
OS/Emulator, software, browsers, etc etc.
- I don't get edu. Discounts or anything so 500 bucks including monitor for
a relatively hassle-free Dell was an awesome bargain

I have to say though, it completely ruins the look of my office - I throw a
nice blanket over it when company comes over.

"What's under there?"

"Oh, nothing, just junk for a garage sale...*"

:-)

* This is not meant as an intentionally severe jab; just playin'.

Toodles.

Chris.

on 9/20/2001 12:47 PM, Michael Barrett at mbarrett at triad.rr.com wrote:

> Hello eVolters
> 
> I've been considering two options for testing my comps and HTML templates
> for browser happiness.
> I work primarily on a Mac at my office, university office, and my home
> office.
> 
> At my 'formal' office I have access to windows machines to test on, as I do
> at the university where I teach.
> 
> However I do the majority of my work at my home office, with nary a PC to be
> found.