You knew when MS bought VPC something bad was going to happen. MS is in no rush to get VPC to the Mac market, why make it easier for switchers, and you can bet the product will have a hefty Mac tax.

So G5s still have no way to run PC programs, but hey if you want to run PC programs get a PC.

I wonder if the new version will be worth the cost or should I get a cheap PC. Desk space is a concern, but I could get a laptop and tuck into a shelf until needed.

I have the current version of VPC (with XP), but rarely use it. On occasion I have to open a Windows CD containing copy that a client did not create to be Mac compatible, but most stuff comes in via email. Also one client has their domain hosted on a Plesk server and I until recently I could not access the admin page using a Mac, though VPC could, works fine under Safari now.

I hope they bring Office into the 21st Century, it still seems so 1990ish compared to where it should be.

Whatever, you all have a nice evening

What's annoying is that this delay means no G5 compatibility for x more months. Part of the reason I haven't bought a G5 is that I can't run vpc on it. Of all the things that could benefit from a fast new computer, vpc is at the top of the list.

To my mind there are only two reasons to use Virtual PC, and I use it. One is if you are a portable user and you hate to give up your PowerBook/iBook. Without Virtual PC you need to carry two laptops, and that's not cheap either. Or if you need to test multiple PC system configurations, since it's easy to create multiple PC documents that you can easily wall off from the others, and if you screw one up you can go to a backup.

If you don't fall in these two categories, I think Virtual PC is expensive and slow in the long run. I do like the multi-platform convenience it gives me on the road with my PowerBook, but when I'm at home, my cheap-a** PC is a lot faster and less painful when I must use it.

The original Virtual PC was made by just two guys. Jorg was one of them. He left around version 2.0 to work for Web TV (a Microsoft company). If the Mac BU has any sense, they would have tracked him down to get back on board. The other guy Chad left Connectix before or soon after version 6. They should hunt him down too.

i cannot remember the last time that they ever had an on time shipment that had HALF of the promised power. the VPC delay is no suprise, probably be just in time to bundle with your new 3 GHz G5.

or hopefully for me, a G5 iMac.

TRO

which reminds me, why cant everyone agree on an actual standard, in stead of a de facto standard because of monopolistic business practices

Just got a loaded 15" PB last week and have put VPC on it. Comparing the performance of VPC on both a 667 and 1.5 blows my mind. I can now use the one proprietary Windows app without being too embarrassed. VPC on a 1.5 is not that far away from the 1.7 Dell dog I have on the desktop.

I'm waiting for VPC 7 before getting a replacement for the Dull. Then it's a full Office package for a new PM.

I am, however, be more than happy to wait until it and the XP SP2 are BOTH ready. I'm having to reinstall Win XP on the Dull and it is agony - tomorrow starts the joy of downloading all the patches and updates. Waiting will save every VPC user hours (days?) in reinstalls if XP SP2 is used. I'm also happy to wait if MS can add the capture of the PC Card slot on the PB's.

To my way of thinking, VPC is slowly becoming Quark.

I'm a late adopter to X (I didn't move from 9 unit Jag shipped), but it was still several months later that Quark finally shipped for X. By the time it did, there wasn't any budget to buy that application. But, honestly, it was too late. My entire workflow had moved to InDesign.

The G5 arrived at work two weeks ago. I was already down to one app that ran under VPC (at 1 time there were three that I needed VPC for). Since VPC won't even run on the G5, I've had to find another route (which I have).

That now means I couldn't even justify the upgrade price for VPC if it were to ship today.

The longer it takes, the more solutions others will find. Yeah, it's nice on my laptop for viewing how a site I develop looks on IE for XP, but I'd hardly call it a critical app, or even an nice tool to have.

Take it; leave it. I'm pretty much over it.

I've got VPC 6.1 but it won't run on my dual G5. I hope VPC 7 is sold alone also and MS does not force us to buy it bundled with XP. I'm happy with Win 2000 since I already have it. If VPC 7 is only sold in a bundle, it would be too expensive for me to justify since I only use it infrequently and only when forced to. It's a real resource hog and slows everything else down.

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RealityCheck wrote:
But hey if you want to run PC programs get a PC.

That is, of course, if you actually want to run PC programs.

If they are delaying VPC 7 till the "second half of 2004" then they are are just as likely to decide to wait for Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) in order to ensure compatibility with that.

This will mean a possible release date towards the END of 2004.

So don't get your hopes for a release in August/September.

In my business, we use 1 windows computer to run any program that can't be used with our macs. It's a simple and cost effective way to get everything out of the windows enviroment that we need. And with the typical
windows sytem going for about $600, it isn't worth the time and money taking my macs out of their duties to run a windows emulation.

I see a use for VPC in situations where a PC is not available (or welcomed). For these users, VPC is their only option.

Booganosefunk

It will cost only a little bit more, but a bottom end Windows box will smoke VPC running on the fastest Mac. Get a KVM switch and you can use the same monitor and keyboard with either computer.

For those of who sadly jumped ship while Quark reorganized good luck! Quark is a far superior application than Indesign - it is a production application that saves time and money. If your whole operation was to move away from one application while not propperly gathering the facts, then what was ailing you was not Quark... To change your workflow so drastically will no doubt hurt your bottom line... When 7 ships in January, or even when imge editing tools for Quark become available this June, you will be sorry you ever thought Adobe had an edge for digital document production... hope you have money to burn!!

what was this other method that you found to run pc apps on the G5? I've tried openosx's wintel, but I can't get it to run smoothly at all... very very very very slow...

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RealityCheck wrote:
You knew when MS bought VPC something bad was going to happen. MS is in no rush to get VPC to the Mac market, why make it easier for switchers, and you can bet the product will have a hefty Mac tax.

So G5s still have no way to run PC programs, but hey if you want to run PC programs get a PC.

For once, I actually agree with about 90% of what RC has said. The Mac tax is debatable, but other then that, it's pretty much dead on. I always thought MS buying VPC was a sketchy situation in terms of future development. And, I do own a PC (two actually) for running PC apps. I just can't make any money with them. For that I need a mac.