Virtual PC 5 for Mac with Windows 98

"Virtual PC is not recommended as a gaming solution for the Mac. Virtual PC does not provide the resources many PC games require to run, such as hardware accelerated 3D video."

If you're considering it for this reason, don't waste your money like I did.


Nice product, but if you're using OS X wait for Virtual PC 6   December 20, 2002
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Connectix Virtual PC is a good product at base, but release 5 for OS X is a "new" and weak version. I've used prior versions of VPC successfully under Mac OS 9 to run some of my old PC software and to access proprietary corporate web sites that are written for Windows only. The software installed very easily, it automatically picked up my Mac internet connection (via Airport and cable modem), and it ran the Windows software really well. A bonus is that when Windows crashes (as it always does, eventually), my Mac doesn't have to be rebooted -- I just relaunch Windows within VPC. That's better than running Windows on my old Dell machine.

However, the version 5.0 release on OS X is basically a new product, and it's EXTREMELY slow. Wait for 6.0 and see if the speed issue has been addressed. Connectix has announced version 6.0, but as of this date (Dec 20, 2002), it hasn't appeared on Amazon.


Rating me or a software   June 2, 2002
 3 out of 9 found this review helpful

Mr. Joachim Klehe,
acting +30 years in hard- and software business, doesn't mean anything, when you need customer support after installing a programm which runs in tousands of macs.
I do not feel competent to judge a software rigidly, because I have no time and not sufficient practice with this programm, but if the Mac Authority MACWORLD gives it ***** it can't be so bad. But registering software, I can even give you some hints. - Hans Jürgen Ruppert


Not Ready Yet!   February 23, 2002
 19 out of 24 found this review helpful

I recently migrated to a fully loaded PowerBook w/maximum memory and the biggest disk available. The few Windows applications I needed to run could (I thought) be handled by the Virtual PC for Mac software. I've been in the technology business for 30+ years and know my way around both hardware and software. While the installation went well, and even after applying the required software update v5.01 from the Connectix web site, the software basically doesn't perform as advertised. Problems encountered: 1) The registration process failed so I was unable to establish a support account at the Connectix web site (no support account, can't alert Connectix of problems!); 2) The Windows Start menu never appeared (again, no support account, can't get help!); 3) the Virtual PC window arbitrarily changed size during the course of operation leaving the application useless; 4) My Apple USB mouse cursor disappeared intermittently during the short time I had a virtual pc running; and finally 5) the notorious Windows Blue Screen of Death actually appeared in my virtual pc window.

Thank goodness I was running OS X and my entire machine didn't get hosed. I will pursue a refund...for this "not ready for prime time" software application. A very disappointing experience. The software gets 1-star for intention and zero-stars for execution.