This sucks.

by sam on 01/14/2006

I don’t know whether this is a Microsoft problem or an Apple problem, but this sucks. You all know how I got my new G5 this summer to replace the utterly, completely, totally dead and buried G4. Well, on that G4 I happened to have Microsoft Virtual PC. I don’t often have a need for Windows, but since my office runs on it, Virtual PC can sometimes be a useful add on when I need to spend a lot of time networked into my job. With the renovating and moving and spending most of the fall in Europe, I never got around to reinstalling VPC on my new machine…until tonight.

But…then there’s this…

Virtual PC for Mac Is Not Compatible with the Apple Power Mac G5 Processor

SYMPTOMS
When you try to run Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac Version 6.1 on an Apple Power Mac G5 you will receive an error message that informs you that Virtual PC does not support the CPU in your Macintosh computer.

CAUSE
Virtual PC for Mac Version 6.1 and earlier use a feature that is present in the PowerPC G3 and the PowerPC G4 named "pseudo little-endian mode". Virtual PC for Mac uses pseudo little-endian mode for increased performance when it emulates a Pentium processor. Virtual PC for Mac 6.1 must use pseudo little-endian mode to function.

The new Power Mac G5 processor does not support pseudo little-endian mode. Therefore, the current versions of the Virtual PC for Mac program do not run on the Power Mac G5.

MORE INFORMATION The following versions of Virtual PC for Mac do not run on an Apple Power Mac G5 computer:

  • Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac Version 6.1
  • Connectix Virtual PC for Mac Version 6.0.x
  • Connectix Virtual PC for Mac Version 5.0.x
  • Connectix Virtual PC for Mac Version 4.x.x

    • Because the Macintosh G5 processor does not support pseudo little-endian mode, Microsoft is rewriting and carefully testing portions of Virtual PC for Mac. Microsoft expects to deliver G5 compatibility in the next full version of Virtual PC for Mac. Microsoft will announce the timing of that release later. For more information about Virtual PC for Mac 6.1 system requirements, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/mac/howtobuy.aspx?pid=sysreq#vpc

So this sucks. It’s one thing to upgrade an operating system and discover that certain software isn’t forward-compatible. but it’s the same damn OS. Now I have to go out and spend money on software that I already own.

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