Virtual PC 7 and CIV III

[MacBaldrick]

With the release of Virtual PC 7 for the Mac has any (presumably well off ) Mac owner been able to check if it runs PC versions of CIV (3, PTW or Conquests) or does the display emulation capabilities still fall short ?

 

[subbss]

I have been told many times (although I have never tried it) that Virtual PC does not run well for games.

 

[AlanH]

Hiya MacBaldrick! You've been quiet for a while, or have you just been hiding somewhere else?

I think a cheap PC is a more cost effective way to run PC software than an expensive emulator. You might even be able to run it headless, though I don't know whether VNC or Remote Desktop would render game graphics well, or at all.

 

[iamliberal]

I've been wondering about Vitual PC 7 too. I have to buy it to run a software program for my insulin pump and glucose meter (diabetes), and I'm just hoping it will let me run Conquests too! Playing vanilla civ on my new mac just doesn't satisfy me after playing Conquests for several months. But in tiny San Francisco apartments, who has room for 2 computers?
-Brian

iamliberal@yahoo.com

 

[MacBaldrick]

"You might even be able to run it headless" ? Not sure what you mean there Alan - using the Mac as the display via an ethernet link or similar ?

Yes I've been very quiet over the Summer - had a go at a few mac compatible GOTMs but as usual didn't find time to complete them hence no submissions.

I suppose a cheap 2nd hand mini-tower would suffice - must check e-bay. Shame I can't use my iMac screen with it or use a second screen with the iMac. For work I have a laptop PC + 20" LCD in dual mode (just like mac's always have) which is great (apart from the OS & apps which still give problems) but the former is locked down tight (rightly for security). I thought of using an external HD with a personal Windows copy so as to not touch the built-in HD but that isn't possible in the Windows world as far as I can tell unlike Macs.

I will have to get the DYP downloads configured and working.

 

[AlanH]

"You might even be able to run it headless" ? Not sure what you mean there Alan - using the Mac as the display via an ethernet link or similar ?

Yes. M$ has a Remote Desktop freebie that will display a PC screen in a window, or full screen, on your Mac desktop. You can copy/paste between he Mac and PC and everything. VNC is another free utility that does a similar trick. So you can just sit the PC in a cupboard on an ethernet link to the Mac and use your Mac's screen, mouse and keyboard to drive it. As I said, I don't know how responsive either option would be for games. I've used VNC to access an old Pentium 100 and it's pretty feeble, but that PC should have gone to the tip long ago.

I suppose a cheap 2nd hand mini-tower would suffice - must check e-bay. Shame I can't use my iMac screen with it or use a second screen with the iMac.

Well, you can do the former using Remote Desktop as long as you have Windoze 2K or XP. I don't know whether iMacs allow you to connect a second screen.

 

[iamliberal]

I'm anxious to hear when anyone tries playing PC Civ Conqeusts on Mac using Virtual PC 7??...