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From: kanala@sc2a.unige.ch
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Re: SoftPC performances
Message-ID: <1990Nov20.161647.310@sc2a.unige.ch>
Date: 20 Nov 90 14:16:46 GMT
Organization: University of Geneva, Switzerland
Lines: 42


Here are performaces (Norton si index) I found on a Mac II (no PMMU), IIci
(no cache card) and Mac IIfx with the version 1.3 of vanilla SoftPC and
AT/EGA upgrade:

                           II        IIci     IIfx
            SoftPC         1.3                4.6
            SoftPC/AT      2.6        5.2     8.6

I did not yet received the 1.4 upgrade, so I don't know if its speed is
different.

SoftPC is a complete PC soft emulation in a Mac, even the typical kchkchkch
startup sound is present for nostalgic users. All ports, drives, memory, all
is completely MS-DOS -like. The only thing I feel missing is the lack of B:
floppy drive.

Personally, I would not use it for Windows applications. Windows is only a
weak caricatural approximation of the Mac interface and all the applications
that are new and exciting for a poor MS-DOS user appeared first for Mac and
now exist since a few years: Excel, PageMaker, Cricket Graph, etc. Many
applications are using identical file format on PC and Mac, so there is no
need to have both Windows and Mac versions. In that case Apple File Exchange (comes free with system software) does a good job (if your Mac has the SuperDrive - FDHD). If there are some differences in file formats between PC
and Mac versions, MacLinkPlus PC has virtually all translation modules one
could need, and works in desktop mode (Mac HD/Mac floppy), network mode,
direct cable mode, or modem mode.

The reason why I have the SoftPC is that I worked on an IBM AT a few years
ago and wanted to throw it away, so I had to convert all my data archived
on paper floppies. The only way I found was to buy SoftPC. Now it does a
good service for occassional use of old software that is not worth to
convert to Mac.

There are following alternatives to SoftPC:
Hardware solution.
Mac 86 (an XT board for SE), Mac286 (AT 8 MHz NuBus board), Mac386 (SX 12MHz
NuBus board with many extensions possible) - all from Orange Micro
Cable solution.
MacChuck (cable and software to operate a PC as a slave machine to the Mac)
by Vano Associates.
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Roman Kanala, CUEPE, University of Geneva, Switzerland, kanala@sc2a.unige.ch