Virtual PC Is Now Free!

[Das Capitolin]

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx

Virtual PC Is Now Free!
Whether Microsoft virtualization technology is an important component of your existing infrastructure or you're just a Virtual PC enthusiast, you can now download Virtual PC 2004 Service Pack 1 absolutely free. Microsoft is also offering the free download of Virtual PC 2007, with support for Windows Vista in 2007.

[Kougar]

Looks like Parallel's recent success was the final nail in the coffin for MS's Virtual PC...

Parallels Workstation is a much better alternative to Virtual PC! Price will be hiked from $50 to $80 on the 15th, but they still ofer a free 15 day trial... Arstechnica's review on Parallels on a Mac: http://arstechnica.com/reviews/apps/parallels.ars (http://arstechnica.com/reviews/apps/parallels.ars)

[XJnine]

Downloading it. Not sure if I'll ever use it but free MS software is free MS software.

[vfrex]

I would imagine that this is a reaction more to VMware becoming free.

[Kougar]

I would imagine that this is a reaction more to VMware becoming free.

Ah, you're right... I thought VMware was just Virtual PC under a different name. :roll: Parallel's is still better though :mrgreen:

Interestingly, Microsoft also made its own Virtual PC 2004 application available for free this week as well. While Virtual PC 2004 and VMware Server are definitely two very different applications, it's clear that competition is there and the end user benefits. Users who wish to try out virtualization will find that VMware Server will offer more advanced features than is available in Virtual PC 2004.

Article on VMware and DL links for it are at http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3293 (http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3293)

[Das Capitolin]

Ah, you're right... I thought VMware was just Virtual PC under a different name. :roll: Parallel's is still better though :mrgreen:



Article on VMware and DL links for it are at http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3293 (http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3293)

Thank you for the VMware download link. I had no idea that it was also free. Since everything is going free, wouldn't it make more sense for PW to drop their price, not raise it?

[Kougar]

Thank you for the VMware download link. I had no idea that it was also free. Since everything is going free, wouldn't it make more sense for PW to drop their price, not raise it?

It might make sense.... But they are raising their price because Apple has officially endorsed them for Mac users to use and given them some prime real estate on their website, showing Mac users they can use it as an alternative to Boot Camp and outlining what it can do. If someone was willing to pay more for a Mac I don't think a $30 price bump would bother them, assuming most even realize the price wasn't always $80 to begin with...

Unless you plan on doing gaming or AutoCAD work, or anything that uses 3d hardware acceleration, Parallel's software seems pretty much unmatched as it doesn't give you a huge performance hit other software based virtualization has been stuck with to date.

[Das Capitolin]

It might make sense.... But they are raising their price because Apple has officially endorsed them for Mac users to use and given them some prime real estate on their website, showing Mac users they can use it as an alternative to Boot Camp and outlining what it can do. If someone was willing to pay more for a Mac I don't think a $30 price bump would bother them, assuming most even realize the price wasn't always $80 to begin with...

Sadly, you never hear the Mac hugging fanboy touting the huge price tag on Macs and their associated software. Seems Apple's licensing plot is as thick as MS when it comes to profit.

Unless you plan on doing gaming or AutoCAD work, or anything that uses 3d hardware acceleration, Parallel's software seems pretty much unmatched as it doesn't give you a huge performance hit other software based virtualization has been stuck with to date.

For the record, AutoCad does not call upon the 3D engine unless you have installed Land Desktop 3D 2007 or similar 3D suite software.

[werty316]

Sounds interesting but chances are I won't try it out as I have no real use for it.

[Kougar]

For the record, AutoCad (no longer called AutoCad, but rather specific application names like Softdesk Land Desktop 2007 or Softdesk Raster Design 2007) does not call upon the 3D engine unless you have installed Land Desktop 3D 2007 or similar.

Hmm, well that is interesting. In the Arstechnica review they made specific mention of AutoCAD having poor rendering due to the lack of 3d accelertion with Parallels. :confused:

I'd have given Parallels Workstation a try since it is the MS XP version, except that they are still working out the new BIOS calls Vista makes so there is no support for Vista yet with Parallels... Maybe I'll mess with Ubuntu instead or something... :wink:

[s_gibson]

Das Capitolin I don't know where you are getting you information. It is still AutoCAD!

I installed 5 copies of AutoCAD LT 2006 at work yesterday. Autodesk is pimping AutoCad 2007 and selling AutoCAD 2007 and LT on their website, but their was no toolkit to use the addon package we use with 2007 LT.

http://estore.autodesk.com/dr/v2/ec_Main.Entry17C?SID=19515&SP=10023&CID=0&PID=810763&PN=1&V1=810763&CUR=840&DSP=&PGRP=0&ABCODE=&CACHE_ID=115874

http://estore.autodesk.com/dr/v2/ec_MAIN.Entry10?V1=810770&PN=1&SP=10023&xid=19515&CID=0&CUR=840&DSP=&PGRP=0&ABCODE=&CACHE_ID=0

Land Desktop 2007 is based on AutoCad 2007 and Raster Design 2007 requires AutoCAD.

[Das Capitolin]

Das Capitolin I don't know where you are getting you information. It is still AutoCAD!

I installed 5 copies of AutoCAD LT 2006 at work yesterday. Autodesk is pimping AutoCad 2007 and selling AutoCAD 2007 and LT on their website, but their was no toolkit to use the addon package we use with 2007 LT.

http://estore.autodesk.com/dr/v2/ec_Main.Entry17C?SID=19515&SP=10023&CID=0&PID=810763&PN=1&V1=810763&CUR=840&DSP=&PGRP=0&ABCODE=&CACHE_ID=115874

http://estore.autodesk.com/dr/v2/ec_MAIN.Entry10?V1=810770&PN=1&SP=10023&xid=19515&CID=0&CUR=840&DSP=&PGRP=0&ABCODE=&CACHE_ID=0

Land Desktop 2007 is based on AutoCad 2007 and Raster Design 2007 requires AutoCAD.

For all of the design shops I manage (over 200 seats total), none of them use AutoCAD 2007. When I asked them about the naming difference, one PE said this: "AutoCAD is still used by general contractors to view and make small changes, but nobody uses it to design anymore. They use the AutoDesk products."

When I looked at the e-shop for AutoDesk, I did see AutoCAD 2007 there. Call it irony, but the nine different engineering firms I manage all DO NOT use AutoCAD, but used every other product listed there (all AutoDesk).

Sorry for the confusion. BTW, here are the requirements for "AutoCAD 2007":

Minimum System Requirements

Operating system: Microsoft® Windows 2000 SP4 (or later), Windows XP Professional SP2 (or later), Windows XP Home Edition SP2 (or later), Windows XP for Tablet PC Edition SP2 (or later)
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP 1 (or later)
Processor: Intel® Pentium® 4 1.4 GHz processor (minimum)
RAM: 1 GB (minimum)
Free disk space: 900 MB free hard disk space and 250 MB swap space: 1.5 GB for full install
Video: 1024x768 with True Color
Pointing Device: MS-Mouse compliant, Trackball or other device
Installation Media: CD
Recommended System Requirements:

Operating system: Windows XP Professional SP2 (or later)
Processor: Intel® Pentium® 4 3.4 GHz
RAM: 2 GB RAM

Raster Design 2007 requires AutoCAD.

No it doesn't. You can install it stand alone, or with anyother 2007 product. Here is an excerpt from the site: Autodesk Raster Design 2007 works only with AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD 2007–based products.

[GIBSON]

No it doesn't. You can install it stand alone, or with anyother 2007 product. Here is an excerpt from the site: Autodesk Raster Design 2007 works only with AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD 2007–based products.
ER, reading that excerpt one would say it does require AutoCAD :confused:

[s_gibson]

AutoCAD based means what to you? It certainly does not mean AutoCAD is no longer made and not longer exist.

I will say the field I work (which is not as a general contractor BTW) is much more specialized than most saturated engineering trades and the other AutoDesk software will do and NOTHING except AutoCAD for us. Even then we make very limited use of CAD and use a 3rd party program with it to make it more functional.

The statement "but nobody uses it to design anymore. They use the AutoDesk products." is quite hilarious. AutoCAD NEVER designed anything so that should not be any recent revelation to your PE buddy. It was the person using CAD that did the designed. CAD is only a tool for drafting. If that were the case then the meade notebook or graph paper I use at work is responsible for designing also. It is a drafting program and it draws what you tell it to draw. The second part, "They use the AutoDesk products" is even more ridiculous. There is some much more out there to help the engineering field so to assume ONLY AutoDesk products are being used to design is crazy.

Perhaps in your line of work, CAD does not exist and AutoDESK make something that will assist you in design, but in my job it is pretty specialized and the software we use cost about 3 times that of anything found on AutoDesk page. The only thing AutoDesk makes that benefits us is AutoCAD (nothing else) and as stated with that we do purchase 3rd party lisp programs. I do know of several people I contract to do work that still use AutoCAD alone, and even a few the draw on the board.

If AutoDesk ever did come up with a program that would do any type of structural steel design work, then perhaps I to would not care if CAD existed at AutoDesk, but until then we at my office and those contracted by us will use RAMSteel, SDS/2, Tekla, AutoSD, AutoCad. Of those 2 only RAM and SDS do any type of engineering or design, the other like AutoCAD requires the user to be responsible for design and aids in the modeling and drafting it.

There are numerous field that use CAD exclusively and they are not only these GC's you speak of. To say that would be taking too narrow a few of all the different type of engineering, design and drafting field out there. Even when I was working with electronics and instrumentation we did our schematics with AutoCAD and design in pSpice. The furniture industry is one I can think of in the area I live in that used CAD, and shops that use CNC equipment often use AutoCAD.

[Das Capitolin]

sgibson, what I said about the shops I manage is not intended to imply that nobody else in the industry uses it. I personally have only seen it (and only then in LT version) on GC office systems. But I started to mention all of this because the 3D requirments are not there, as it is not a 3D application. They make a whole other line of 3D products, with 3D in their title. The original assertion that AutoCAD was a heavy 3D application was the point I was trying to clarify.

ER, reading that excerpt one would say it does require AutoCAD :confused:

No, it can be used as stand alone. I know this because I have installed it on so many computers now; and none of those systems have AutoCAD 2007 on them.