Microsoft Releases Virtual PC 7
After a series of delays, Microsoft Corp. has started to ship a version of Virtual PC that is compatible with Apple Computer Inc.'s G5-based systems.
Source: eWeekVirtual PC 7 is a complete emulation of standard PC hardware, and is capable of running any application compatible with the Pentium processor, allowing users to run a full version of Windows and Windows applications in a virtual machine on their Macs. The previous version of the product—Virtual PC 6.1—was incompatible with G5-based Macs. According to Microsoft, the product took advantage of a feature of G3 and G4 processors, known as "pseudo little-endian mode," which was not present in G5 chips. Because of this, much of the product had to be rewritten from the ground up for G5 compatibility. Microsoft officials said the product addresses one of the chief complaints about previous versions of Virtual PC—its speed. Scott Erickson, group product manager at Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit, said the product clocks in at between 10 percent and 30 percent faster than its predecessors. "Applications overall are quicker to respond, helping users maximize their time," he said.
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