Re: DOS on non-x86 systems?
On Wed, 11 Sep 2002, Michael D. Crawford wrote:
> What options are available for running DOS on a system that does not
> have an x86 processor, like a PowerPC Macintosh?
[snipped]
> I've never used bochs so maybe it would suit me, I don't know.
I've used Bochs for something similar, and have been happy with it. I
had to run an ancient IBM mainframe emulator for school, and Bochs
worked flawlessly.
As for performance, it really depends on the speed of the Mac. For DOS,
you should have no complaints if it's a G3 or faster, but performance
should be acceptable on any PPC capable of running Linux.
Another option if you'll also be running Mac OS on the PPC is Connectix
Virtual PC. It's more expensive ($150-$200 with PC-DOS), but it seems
the performance is better. (Can't give a direct comparison, I used VPC
for work on a different machine.) On OS 9, it can essentially take over
the CPU, and that helps speed-wise.
Really, I don't think you'll have any problems with Bochs. Be careful
which DOS you run -- FreeDOS had some problems with the (circa 1982) IBM
360 emulator, and I had to run MS-DOS instead.
- Aaron
--
Aaron Hall : Mac OS X: Macintosh on top, Unix underneath.
ahall@vitaphone.net : The perfect software love-in.
Macintosh/UNIX Geek, Network Flack, and...eh, whatever.
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