Hi,
Asking about Windows installations on VPC...
> I'd use either Win 98 SE or Win 2000 Pro. Those are the most stable
> of the Win 9x and Win NT lines respectively. Definitely stay away
> from Win ME as it is the worst of the Win 9x line.
As a longtime VPC user, I'd suggest:
1. Windows ME is a nightmare. Stay away from it. Win2KPro or WinXP
are much better, but they aren't exactly lightweight systems, and unless
you _need_ them, I think they're overkill for things like running
Office,
etc. Most Windows apps will run on any WinXX system, so why not
use the smallest, fastest thing available?
2. If the software you need works on it, and you can legally obtain a
copy, Win95 OSR2 is substantially faster than Win98, and additionally
is missing some major display management bugs found in Win98. (Which
is why at least until recently commercial customers could order a Dell
PC
shipped with Win95, and why some consultants, including me, won't
support or warrant their products on Win98.) On the other hand, I have
demo'ed some serious stuff (e.g. SQL-Server-based ASP solutions, browser
interfaces, and front-end clients) to some pretty big companies using
nothing
more than my Pismo G3/500, VPC, and Win95 OSR2. I can tell you
that Win95 running SQL Server, IE, and ASP works just fine. YMMV.
3. If you really need something in Win98 (USB support, for instance) check
out a product called 98Lite which can remove the behemoth active desktop
from Win98 and replace it with the smaller, faster desktop from Win95.
4. When installing WinXX, don't install options that you don't need in your
virtual PC. If you're going to use your Mac for browsing, don't install
the browser. If you're not going to share files using Windows Networking
don't install it. Be as selective as possible and just install what you
need
to support your target applications.
Like I said, I've been using VPC (and SoftWindows and SoftPC before
that) to do lots of things with great success. The key is to install as
little
as possible to avoid the software bloat that has come with later releases
of damned near everything, and keep the system light, lean, and fast.
Hope this helps...
-greg
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