PPC/68K x86 emulators eg. VPC/SoftWindows/RealPC and WinXP?

Byrd

Byrd

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Staff member
68LC040
Hi,

an "out loud" thought:

What are the chances of getting Windows XP (specifically, a stripped-down version like TinyXP) to install and run using an early x86 emulator on a 68K Mac or PPC? Such examples include Virtual PC, SoftWindows and RealPC.

Has anyone tried?

JB

 
I actually tried installing Windows XP on VPC on my PowerBook 1400 once, just for a laugh. I don't know about versions 2 or 3, but I remember with version 1 I was unable to get it to work since version 1 is unable to boot off a CD, and there's no other way to install XP but boot off a CD.

SoftWindows is right out, if I recall its merely just a Windows emulator, not actually a PC emulator. I once read an article in Australian MacWorld where they mentioned that they'd tried upgrading one of the first versions of SoftWindows with the real Windows 95 upgrade, and it just didn't work well at all...I'd hate to imagine what XP would be like.

RealPC...never used it, but if it can boot off a CD, its probably your best bet.

As for 68k emulators, apart from actual hardware, the only software emulator I remember being released for 68k Macs was SoftPC, which emulated a 286....definitely not going to work. ;)

 
What are the chances of getting Windows XP (specifically, a stripped-down version like TinyXP) to install and run using an early x86 emulator on a 68K Mac or PPC? Such examples include Virtual PC, SoftWindows and RealPC.
Click to expand...
SoftWindows for m68k only emulates an 80286 so that it can run Windows 3.1. In order to run Windows XP, you'd need at least an i386 instruction set capable emulator.

 
I actually tried installing Windows XP on VPC on my PowerBook 1400 once, just for a laugh. I don't know about versions 2 or 3, but I remember with version 1 I was unable to get it to work since version 1 is unable to boot off a CD, and there's no other way to install XP but boot off a CD.
Click to expand...
Actually, hiding on the Microsoft's website are executables to create a six-disk boot set. (Of course, you need to be running Windows to run the executable to make the floppy set...)

 
There was a version of Bochs floating around ages ago that was compiled for 68K Macintoshes. Unfortunately the 68K version isn't on the Boch's sourceforge site (oldest they have is a PPC version for OS 9), and "simple" Googling fails to come up with a working download link.

If you were to find it, well... by 1999 Bochs emulated a Pentium-ish PC, and 1999 is about where it seems the 68K version fell off the map. The Mac port trailed the "real" version somewhat so whether Pentium emulation ever made it in is an open question. (XP refuses to install on anything less.) MacBochs also couldn't emulate a CD-ROM drive, so installing XP would be an exercise for the reader. You *might* be able to generate a disk image using a Linux/Windows version of Bochs of similar vintage, which had fuller hardware support, and boot it on MacBochs but I don't know enough about it to state whether that would be absolutely true.

I'd hazard a guess that a Mac Quadra with Bochs would probably equal a 80386 at around 1Mhz. Judging from this silliness, I'd say you'd need about four hours to boot Windows XP to the desktop on such a thing.

 
Interesting stuff ... I'm currently on a quest trying to download as much 68K/PPC software as I can, and ideally would like to see Windows 3.1 running on a "fast" 68K (likely my 840AV), and TinyXP on my TAM (G3 400Mhz). A version of SoftWindows exists "out there" that includes Windows 3.1 preinstalled, while VPC would be a better bet for more compatibility to try XP.

JB

 
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