Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac.misc:7141 comp.sys.mac.hardware:7635
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!cunixf.cc.columbia.edu!cunixd.cc.columbia.edu!kyt
From: kyt@cunixd.cc.columbia.edu (Kok Yong Tan)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Soft PC vs. PC boards?
Keywords: soft pc, pc boards, question
Message-ID: <1991Jan3.224414.22015@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
Date: 3 Jan 91 22:44:14 GMT
References: <1990Dec31.204024.3358@oracle.com>
Sender: news@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (The Daily News)
Organization: Columbia University
Lines: 48

In article <1990Dec31.204024.3358@oracle.com> etileniu@oracle.COM (Eric Tilenius) writes:
>I have a Mac IIcx and am looking to emulate one of those inferior IBM type
>machines with all the extra power I have kicking around.
>
>Q: Which is better (I leave the word open for interpretation) - Soft PC with
>   the EGA/AT option or one of those PC cards?

I have the Mac286 card by Orange Micro.  It is relatively speedy and works
NEARLY like an 80286 with a CGA card.  However, you can't view CGA graphics
directly, only CGA text.  There is some stupid glitch in Orange Micro's
emulation that prevents this.  However, you can view color CGA graphics in the
monochrome mode.  The advantage with Soft PC with the EGA/At option, I'm told,
is that it actually emulates everything, color graphics and all.  The only
problem is that it's as slow as the hills.  You need a IIfx to get any decent
speed out of it.

>
>Q: Is there a card that will give me 386 power in my Mac?  286?
>

Yes, Orange Micro now markets a Mac386 card as well as a Mac286 card.  The
Mac386 card is supposed to have two slots on it:  one full-size slot and one
half-size slot which will fit any PC-compatible boards.  Or so the blurb goes.
Considering the failure of the so-called "full CGA emulation" on the Mac286
board, I'd check it out thoroughly before buying, if I were you.

>Q: Has anyone tried running Microsoft Windows on a Mac either with the hardware
>   boards or with Soft PC?  Is it workable?
>

I haven't tried this yet.

All in all, the Mac286 is reasonably quick (at 8 MHz) and seems to run such
applications as Paradox V3.5 and Turbo C++ V1.01 without any problems (as far
as I can tell).  It comes with Orange Micro's "port" of version 3.3 of MS DOS
(which seems pretty complete, but then, I'm no nit-picker, so I didn't test
everything thoroughly).  And, if you're not buying the Mac286 card to use any
PC-compatible programs which use the graphics screen, you should be fine.




===============================================================================
Kok-Yong Tan can be reached at:      | "Oscularis fundamentum!"
InterNet: kyt@cunixd.cc.columbia.edu |	     	       - Annoyed Latin scholar
CompuServe: 75046,256                | I speak for myself and disclaim all ties
America Online: lallang              | with regard to this message.
===============================================================================