One step closer to Windows gaming on a Mac...

Bubba, I expect a full writeup by Monday.... 😈

I'm leaning more and more towards buying a MacBook for my new Laptop. The only thing holding me back is the ability to run windows only applications and games natively on the Mac. This could be the next step.

http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/...-directx-9-more

http://www.vmware.com/landing_pages/fusion2_beta.html

You can't just install Windows on it? I thought you could nowadays.

Ok... here is my input on this... and remember I do like Mac OS.

The problem with VMware for Mac Gaming is that you have the overhead of the VM and the host OS, on top of the overhead of the game. In the past it used a generic video card, that was a no go.

With boot camp or parallels you would boot into a real XP and that would use your actual vid card and wouldn't carry the overhead of an extra OS.

The other problem with Mac hardware is they have adopted a weird thing in the past few years where they skimp on parts. So you might get a quad core 3.0Ghz, 4Gb of ram and a 40gb 5200rpm HDD. So the Proc is huge and so is the ram, but the drive is slow (this is just an example). Typically by the time the machine has all good hardware it's 2-3 times more expensive than a PC.

That said, I have always been a fan of the Apple Laptops, jsut the hardware is expensive and doesn't always make sense.

I tell ya, I've been doing a ton of work with VMWare Servers and Workstations lately and I am really starting to like them. Even with the Overhead, I've been really impressed.

Doc, sure, you can do that, but what if you want to run a single Windows app, while still in OSX? What then? You have to reboot, do your thing, then reboot again. Seems like a big PITA. I believe the new Fusion is going to allow you to run single applications in seamless windows as if they were running native. That alone would be worth it.

Someday, I will own a Macbook, just not sure when.....

I have always liked VMware, they do a good job. We ran it back in 2000 and it was great then. Still even if the overhead of the VM and the Host OS are small, think of how much we are all pushing our rigs typically to run a game... i.e. BF2.

Atomm wrote:I tell ya, I've been doing a ton of work with VMWare Servers and Workstations lately and I am really starting to like them. Even with the Overhead, I've been really impressed.

Doc, sure, you can do that, but what if you want to run a single Windows app, while still in OSX? What then? You have to reboot, do your thing, then reboot again. Seems like a big PITA. I believe the new Fusion is going to allow you to run single applications in seamless windows as if they were running native. That alone would be worth it.

Someday, I will own a Macbook, just not sure when.....

I misunderstood: I thought you coveted their hardware. I didn't know you were switching OS'es as well. As they say, "Good luck with that." 😉

Hehehe.... I'm a Unix Fanboy. I didn't pay any attention to Mac until they switched to running a derivative of Unix called BSD. For me, it's all about the command line.... :-)

Atomm wrote:Hehehe.... I'm a Unix Fanboy. I didn't pay any attention to Mac until they switched to running a derivative of Unix called BSD. For me, it's all about the command line.... :-)

Sweet zombie Jesus, do you still take a horse and carriage to work too? Get with the times son! Hell, I surfed the 'net before browsers, but I'm NOT GOING TO KEEP DOING IT!!!!!!!!!! 😛

DocJon wrote:Sweet zombie Jesus, do you still take a horse and carriage to work too? Get with the times son! Hell, I surfed the 'net before browsers, but I'm NOT GOING TO KEEP DOING IT!!!!!!!!!! 😛

Actually, I just realized it may be time to try out Linux myself. I'm going to have a couple of spare slow machines here to play with.

Is there an A-Z guide to Linux? Of course there is 🙂

LOL!

Doc, you do realize I live in a world of CLI? (Command Line Interface)

Hell, you think this forum was set up and installed with some pretty GUI pictures? You think I configure Cisco equipment with a pretty little GUI interface? Ok, well, they are trying to push that, but I won't be swayed! They'll pry the little blinky cursor from my cold dead fingers!!!!!

Yea, I'm giving you crap..... I just figured out about 8 years ago that my background of C64 Command Line and DOS was more to my liking that trying to remember a bunch of pictures. I appreciate the pretty pictures, but when it comes down to it, I like being able to drop down to a command line and actually gets some work done. 😛

Lexx, I'll look for something. I would start with Ubuntu. It's by far the most newbie friendly, but keep in mind that Desktop Linux isn't as stripped down as the server models. I wouldn't run the latest full blown Desktop Linux on a PIII unless I was willing to figure out what I didn't need to run.

Atomm wrote:LOL!

Doc, you do realize I live in a world of CLI? (Command Line Interface)

Hell, you think this forum was set up and installed with some pretty GUI pictures? You think I configure Cisco equipment with a pretty little GUI interface? Ok, well, they are trying to push that, but I won't be swayed! They'll pry the little blinky cursor from my cold dead fingers!!!!!

Yea, I'm giving you crap..... I just figured out about 8 years ago that my background of C64 Command Line and DOS was more to my liking that trying to remember a bunch of pictures. I appreciate the pretty pictures, but when it comes down to it, I like being able to drop down to a command line and actually gets some work done. 😛

Truth be told, I quit programming after I gave up my Amiga for the PC. I've had Visual BASIC, but I never quite got the hang of clicking on a bunch of stuff. Don't think I ever got beyond "Hello World" in VB.

On the C-64, I wrote a bunch of stuff. With the Amiga, I wrote a customizable database: Up to 30 fields, placed anywhere on the screen, numeric, alphanumeric, or alphabetic input, none of which was hardcoded - the user named, placed, and gave input size & attributes to each field. I used bits to keep track of what records were active or deleted, because memory was at such a premium that bytes were too wasteful.

On the PC - nada.

Trivia: AmigaBASIC was the forerunner of Visual BASIC. Much more structured than the old Commodore PET/VIC-20/C-64 BASIC. Also, it was the last shipped product that included code written by Bill Gates himself.

Lexx, what are you doing with pics of my Baconuts?

DocJon wrote:Lexx, what are you doing with pics of my Baconuts?

That pic was posted on yahoo.com most emailed pics. I thought I'd toss ya a bacon bit to override that taste of mac and cheese 🙂

Oh, I love your sig. How true, how true...

I use both a MacBook Pro and VMWare on the Pro.

So far the programs I run with VMware run really smooth. My laptop does get grumpy though if I switch to one of the Mac programs while its running. I think another Gig of Ram would clear that up.

I would not game using VMware though. I do notice slow downs. I primarily run Engineering applications on it, and they aren't as fast as on a Windows box. If your going to game with a mac definitely use boot camp. That way the laptop gets ALL of the laptops resources.

As for "learning" or switch to a new OS. It's seamless. They are all the same nowadays that it's just a few quirks you have to get used to. I've made the switch and wished I never had to use another Windows box again. But thats not realistic. Oh well.

Atomm wrote:LOL!

Doc, you do realize I live in a world of CLI? (Command Line Interface)

Hell, you think this forum was set up and installed with some pretty GUI pictures? You think I configure Cisco equipment with a pretty little GUI interface? Ok, well, they are trying to push that, but I won't be swayed! They'll pry the little blinky cursor from my cold dead fingers!!!!!

<A soft tune hums in the background>
Think of all the pretty little traffic graphs and application filtered pie charts you're missing out on!
<Music picks up a bit>
I will also bet you there's no way you can configure that new ASA you got completely by CLI!!
<Guitar Solo>
Take that...Mr. Cold Dead Blinky Cursor Finger Lickin Good Dude...

Atomm wrote:I tell ya, I've been doing a ton of work with VMWare Servers and Workstations lately and I am really starting to like them. Even with the Overhead, I've been really impressed.

Doc, sure, you can do that, but what if you want to run a single Windows app, while still in OSX? What then? You have to reboot, do your thing, then reboot again. Seems like a big PITA. I believe the new Fusion is going to allow you to run single applications in seamless windows as if they were running native. That alone would be worth it.

Someday, I will own a Macbook, just not sure when.....

Dude, how did i miss this tread...Atomm, you also missed out that not only do we finally have our single building but I migrated half our server room over to a 4 server ESX cluster.

🤘

Raze, Thats Sweet! I actually manage the linux side of our 4 Server ESX cluster and the SA manages all the hosts running on it and the virtual center. I just upgraded it to VMWare 3.5 a few weeks ago. We've hit a few bumps, but I'm working with VMWare support to get the kinks ironed out.

I would like to say that VMWare has ranked up there with Cisco as far as support goes. They have both been top notch.

Skorch! Man, good to see you. I forgot you were on a Mac now. Have you played any games on the "Winder's" load?

FYI, Talking to VMware yesterday, the next version of VMWare Workstation is in Beta. It includes Unity, the software that is on VMWare Fusion for Mac that allows you to run a windows program in a window as if it was a native program. The support guy was using it to run IE on his Linux work computer. I'm seriously getting closer and closer to running linux on my main system.

Judge, you better believe I will build my ASA in CLI. I don't need no stinking GUI.....! 😛 Seriously, it's a visual thing. I just prefer to do it all in word and copy and paste the final into the device. I just did that with the 4506 I installed last weekend. We are now running 100% on 2 4506's! Woohoo!

Sweet...I've got a 4507R to install next week...just funding for one though. I will get another as soon as I can! Of course those are all CLI setups...but I'm telling you the ASA is a whole other aminal!! I'm installing a Barracuda Web Filter as we speak...nice unit...I recommend it!
🤘

(Luigi)
I think it's trying to communicate with us. . .
(/Luigi)

?Donde Es Banyo?

Atomm wrote:Skorch! Man, good to see you. I forgot you were on a Mac now. Have you played any games on the "Winder's" load?

I haven't done any gaming on the Window's load. I haven't done any gaming at all on the computer in the last month. I think I may have finally kicked the WoW crack.

I've mostly been playing Zelda and Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 for the Wii lately.

You too huh? Did you get Mario Kart yet? We could hook up for some online action! :-)

Atomm wrote:You too huh? Did you get Mario Kart yet? We could hook up for some online action! :-)

Nah, remember I'm still a poor college student. Dropping 50 on a game is still a stretch for me, and a hard sell to the wife. It looks like a great game, I'm hoping I can pick it up.

Dropping $50 on a game, yet you got the WII? I can't buy into it.... 😛

I'm using a borrowed copy of Zelda. It's fairly cool, but I'm not sure how good I am going to be at it.

I got the Wii for Christmas or I wouldn't have that either.

As for Zelda, I was a little nervous at first, but you'll get the hang of it. The controls take a little bit to get used to, but it doesn't take long.

Realistically the next game I'm going to get is the Metroid game, or possibly Mario Galaxy. I'm borrowing Smash Brothers Brawl right now, and that is an addicting game. It's easy to play online, and fun to play with against friends when they come over. Especially when drinking is involved.

Atomm wrote:You too huh? Did you get Mario Kart yet? We could hook up for some online action! :-)

Mario Kart Wii is now a staple in the Cold Household.

Lets Play.