For example, SoftWindows 98 takes advantage of the Mac’s built-in TCP/IP networking, so you don’t need to configure a separate IP address for Windows. And their performance is remarkably similar: our overall benchmark scores show a difference of just 5 percent between the two.īut running the emulators with applications that make heavier use of networks points up some compatibility differences. Virtual PC and SoftWindows 98 are philosophically identical: they re-create a PC�including its CPU (an MMX-equipped Pentium)�in software and then run Windows and Windows software in this simulated environment.
That said, both emulators are fast enough and compatible enough for quick forays into the Windows world. On a Power Macintosh G3/300, Connectix’s Virtual PC 2.1.1 and Insignia Solutions’ SoftWindows 98 5.0.4 delivered less than one-fifth the performance of our baseline system, a 300MHz Intel Celeron-based PC. Unfortunately, our lab testing made one thing abundantly clear: if you need to run resource-intensive Windows software, emulators aren’t for you (see ”
But depending on the application, you may be able to use a software emulator running on your Mac rather than having to use an actual PC. Like it or not, because much of the software that’s available for the PC lacks a Mac counterpart, you occasionally need to turn to Windows applications to get your work done.
