Comments on: Windows 7 XP Mode Explained- It’s Beta Software

By: Joel Slade

Joel Slade — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:08:06 +0000

I would like to expand on my post from yesterday. I was posting from my BlackBerry at the Airport…

The first thing to recognize is that XP Mode has two components… VirtualPC and “XP Mode”

Virtual PC is the environment that the virtual machine runs in. It is software that was the first really well done virtual environment for “windows” that ran on the Mac. It was the best of the “emulators” for MacOS 9. Connectix sold this software to Microsoft. There were versions for both the PC and the Mac.

VirtualPC is the “computer” that will run the OS and software.

The real question is if “Windows Virtual PC” that is installed with Windows 7 will run different OS virtual machines, or only the “XP Mode” that is now in Beta.

I have Virtual Machines for MSDOS, Windows 2000, XP, and Windows 7! They all run within VirtualPC 2007 as a guest OS. My Host is a Dell with Vista and Dell mini9 Netbook running XP.

The other component of the Windows 7, XP Beta, is “XP Mode”. It is a specific Virtual Machine with a specific modification of Windows XP.

Reading the linked PCMag review, all of the annoyances mentioned are due to the Virtual Machine’s OS, not Windows 7 or Windows VirtualPC.

We need to know if Windows 7/Windows VirtualPC will run other guest OS’s like my already working W2k, MSDOS, and XP virtual machines.

In addition, there is a converter application that will take a VirtualPC Virtual Machine and allow VMWare or VMWare Fusion to run it.

By: kevin white

kevin white — Fri, 08 May 2009 11:32:59 +0000

I’ve been thinking about xp mode a bit, and it seems a little odd. The immediate comparison is OS X Classic, but Classic and OS X were completely different operating systems with no native compatibility. XP is just an ‘older’ version of Windows. I’m trying to imagine running an important business app in XP Mode’s sluggish (by nature?) slow-to-start VM, and wondering why it would be better than just keeping an XP-vintage slower computer around to run it on.

Also, Joel Slade has a good point. Why are there different levels of Vista, and Windows 7? That seems so confusing. It was confusing with XP Home and Professional, more confusing with Vista…

By: Joel Slade

Joel Slade — Fri, 08 May 2009 01:14:21 +0000

The problems listed have to dow with “xp mode”. A better solution is to us VPC 2007 but create a new installation with your own copy of xp.

I use windows 2000 and MSDOS vitual machines that work very well.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:03:46 +0000

Just to point out that the RC available is the Windows 7 Ultimate version.
I can see a lot of prospective buyers becoming very comfortable with Ultimate, then being disappointed with the prospect of a high purchase price or having to settle for a less potent version.

By: James Kendrick

James Kendrick — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:00:39 +0000

Click the “problem install” link in the post above.

By: kevin white

kevin white — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:51:34 +0000

The first time I installed XP Mode, I couldn’t run the initial setup; I got all kinds of permission errors and Win7 didn’t let me change the permissions on the VM folder myself. I had to remove and re-install it.

This reminds me of OS X Classic, in that it’s something I appreciated having and never will personally use.

However, Win7 is great so far. I’m amazed.

By: Ivan Samuels

Ivan Samuels — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:08:18 +0000

Have you had any time to load Windows 7 on the Viliv S5? i am really interested to see how easy that can be done. also, does this increase the usability of this exciting new device.