OpenOSX updates WinTel 2.1.2
updated 09:25 am EST, Wed March 15, 2006
WinTel 2.12 updated
OpenOSX today updated its "WinTel" product. The free WinTel 2.1.2 update can now install Microsoft Windows XP in about a tenth of the time previously required, according to company claims. WinTel is an easy-to-use stand-alone application for configuring and utilizing the underlying open source "Qemu" and "Bochs" software--both of which allow users to run x86/Pentium-based operating systems on Macintosh computers running Mac OS X. WinTel is a complete stand-alone application that allows allows host operating systems (and applications) such as Microsoft Windows to run in a protected, virtual environment in a window on Mac OS X. It is available for $30 (CD delivery), while upgrades from previous versions are $20 (CD)--with a $5 discount for electronic delivery.
"With the availability of the Intel based Macintoshes, instructions may be dynamically translated, drastically enhancing performance." OpenOSX claims that WinTel 2.1.2 is capable of booting Windows XP in about 35 seconds on the Intel 2.0 GHz-Duo iMac with the stock 512-MB of RAM installed. WinTel contains three sets of binaries optimized for PowerPC G4, G5 and Intel processors.
Version 2.1.2 resolves a potential issue with WinTel's "Image CD-ROM" feature (which images CD-ROMs to an ISO-9660 disk image usable by WinTel), and brings hand-compiled, aggressively optimized Bochs binaries that can be used to install Windows XP in about 10 percent of the time previously required. WinTel includes two underlying "virtual machines" or "emulators": one is "Qemu" which is utilizes some dynamic translation for maximum performance and a slower, more compatible "Bochs," which it says is required at this time to install Windows XP on Intel Macs.
OpenOSX WinTel includes 10 ready-to-use disk images of open source x86-based operating systems including: FreeBSD, Red Hat Linux, FreeDOS and more. The product also features a stand-alone application featuring a drag-install backed with limited installation support and tutorials. OpenOSX says that WinTel 2.1.0 has been successfully tested running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP.
Does this work?
03/15, 09:37am reply
I tried downloading the free Qemu but figured an easy install configuration might be worth $25 if it really works along with peripheral support?
Thanks...
bobolicious
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2002
Um, no
03/15, 10:15am reply
Go and download the latest test version of Q from:
http://www.kberg.ch/q/
It's a free and open source cocoa front end to qemu. There is very little (if any) benefit to buying anything from OpenOSX. They just take open source projects, add in a bunch of buzzwords to the description, and sell them.
knoxer
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2002
Except...
03/15, 10:24am reply
One obvious thing: it is impossible to install Windows XP with Q.
As stated on the main Q page.
OpenOSX
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2006
wintel
03/15, 10:58am reply
I tried installing windows 98 on 2.1.1, and I was really optimistic. There are a lot of steps, and their tutorial mentions buttons to click that don't exist. However, I managed to work through it, but after the 98 install, it hangs on restart. And I have yet to actually boot into a working windows OS.
I am hoping and waiting for dual boot.
swatson
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Joined: Nov 2000
any users out there?
03/15, 11:20am reply
I'm curious to know if anyone has tried this. Let us know the details!
benhur
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2001
re: Except...
03/15, 03:50pm reply
Your response seems to be misguided as the message in question (to follow) seems to be only in regards to the Universal Binaries. So unless you are using an intel mac, Q should work fine with 98 and XP. I do not know from experience, but thought I should comment on this and the message on Q's website.
Quote: ( From http://www.kberg.ch/q/ )
Universal Binaries It seams the Universal Binaries are pretty stable for the most *nix and BSD OSes. Win2k is reported to work ok, too. The main Problem is with WinXP and Win98 at the moment: - Win98 will not correctly reboot after the initial install. (see Forum for workaround) - WinXP will terminate with a catalog not found error during installation.
We have added a lot of polish to Q.app, to make the switching experience from VPC or QemuX as comfortable as possible.
WyvernSpirit
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2001
On a G5 xp runs...
03/15, 05:30pm reply
...on my 2.1 ghz iMac but it seems far slower than a $150 266mhz pc laptop that I once set up - I may continue to experiment however I will just keep a pc for now...
bobolicious
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2002
waste of money
03/16, 09:53am reply
Don't waste your time or money on this. It simply does not work. I was hoping that the new patch would allow me to install XP. 5 hours later I'm still waiting for the installation to finish (showing 33 minutes to go for the last 3 hours—it is installing, just achingly slowly). This 'product' has a terrible reputation on other message boards and is not worth bothering with.
treetoad
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2006
jury still out
03/17, 05:17pm reply
Initial XP install under QEMU (with Dynamic Translation) was relatively fast, but crashed with the catalog bug listed above. Workaround is 'supposedly' to install without dynamic translation, which runs MacBochs and is HORRIBLY slower than QEMU. I am about 24 hours into the XP install, but am holding out hope. (it's running in the background..'4 minutes left' at about an hour per 'minute'.) IF it completes, I'll reboot the image under QEMU and see for real. Will post when I find out. (Ps. I'm trying a 2003 Server Install, so it might not work anyway.)
FWIW...WinTel IS just a pretty front-end to open source tools. I bought it just to make it easier but probably didn't need to. YMMV.
airbish
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2006
2.1.3 Much better install
03/28, 09:09pm reply
I never did get XP or 2K3 running with the non-QEMU install under 2.1.2.
I did get an email from OpenOSX today with the link to the image for the 2.1.3.
XP installed perfectly and actually runs pretty well. (At least a fair amount better than it did on my 1.5Ghz G4 PB with VPC.)
Still a little slow but all I need it for is for one web-based web-content management application I use that will only run under window IE. For that it runs just fine and the update email from openosx was welcome.
airbish
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Joined: Mar 2006