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Microsoft: No VirtualPC for Leopard

by , 2:10 PM EST, December 12th, 2007

For those who still need to run Virtual PC on their PowerPC-based Macs, Microsoft has made it official. There will be no support for VirtualPC in Leopard for PowerPC Macs. The latest (and last) version of Virtual PC for Tiger is 7.0.3.

Recently, there were discussions on the Apple Support Forum about Microsoft's support for VirtualPC under Leopard on the older PowerPC-based Macs. TMO asked Microsoft about it.

A spokesperson for Microsoft told TMO on Wednesday: We "wanted to let you know that we will not support VPC running on PPC Macs with Leopard. The Mac BU has moved on to focus on native Mac software, especially Office 2008."

VPC 7.0.3 is the last version which runs under Tiger. Of course, for Intel Macs, there are much better solutions for running Windows, either with Boot Camp or virtualization. However, for those with older PPC Macs who need to continue running VPC, upgrading to Leopard is not an option on a single boot system.

The chart below summarizes the four possible options.


Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
Close Name:jbruni Posts: 73 Joined: 14 Jul 2006
Subject: Wither connectix?

MSFT probably is incompetent to rework Virtual PC. My guess is that all the Connectix people jumped ship. They were probably holding the door for the Bungie people.

Close Name:Sir Harry Flashman Posts: 581 Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Subject: Maybe not

Quote
jbruni wrote:
MSFT probably is incompetent to rework Virtual PC. My guess is that all the Connectix people jumped ship. They were probably holding the door for the Bungie people.


They may not see it worth the effort when there are other options

View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: Two things
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: VPC on Intel
View Name:Guest
Subject: VPC with Leopard work perfectly
Close Name:Terrin Posts: 350 Joined: 29 Jan 2006
Subject:

I disagree with that sentiment. Microsoft didn't buy Virtual PC for Virtual PC for the Mac. Instead, it was interested in Connetix's other Virtual products and the Mac Version was just part of the deal. I think Microsoft made some improvements to Virtual PC and would have continued to do so if Apple stayed on the Power PC platform.

However, with Apple's switch over to Intel, there simply is no reason for Microsoft to continue the product. Doing so would require an entire rewrite of the application because it would no longer be an emulator but a virtualization program. Moreover, there is no reason to do so when there are other viable alternatives. I for one am happy Microsoft isn't interested in that market.


Quote
Guest wrote:
"VirtualPC was dead the day Apple switched to Intel."

Let me correct that for you.

"VirtualPC started dying the day Microsoft bought it."

Like so many other products that MS perceived as a threat. Buy it up & kill it.

Close Name:DaiMac Posts: 952 Joined: 29 Jun 2001
Subject:

Quote
Terrin wrote:
I disagree with that sentiment. Microsoft didn't buy Virtual PC for Virtual PC for the Mac. Instead, it was interested in Connetix's other Virtual products and the Mac Version was just part of the deal.


Yeah, I assume they're still developing VPC or related technologies for Windows, right? I can see it being very useful, especially for their Backwards Compatibility needs in Windows, which are always huge.

View Name:Guest
Subject: Microsoft definitely couldn't make it work
View Name:Guest
Subject: Free Alternative
View Name:Guest
Subject: FALSE Headline
View Name:Guest
Subject: Happy Microsoft isn't interested?
Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 2837 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject: Re: FALSE Headline

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
So yeah, you're headline is false. The IS VPC for Leopard, just only on Intel platforms. I know it is great for the whole, oooh MSFT is bad, yada yada complex some authors have here. But it's just plain bad journalism if it is an attempt a journalism, otherwise it's just propaganda.


What are you talking about? VPC (a specific product, VirtualPC) has not been ported (nor will it be) to the Intel Macs running any version of the Mac OS.

Are there ways to run Windows apps on an Intel Mac? Sure there are, but none of those options use VPC.

The headline is not false at all.

View Name:Guest
Subject: Confirmed: runs OK for me
View Name:Guest
Subject: Virtual PC for PowerMac G4 Dual
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: VPC7.03 on Dual G5
View Name:Guest
Subject: Today: The difference between not supported and not at all
View Name:Guest
Subject: Windows Update not working however
Close Name:Intruder -   TMO Mac Specialist Posts: 2837 Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Subject:

Have you tried installing software using the Superdrive? I've seen reports that this is an area where people have had issues.

Glad it is working for everybody. Hope it stays that way.

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