The world of Intel-based PC emulation is being changed at a breathtaking pace, as Connectix and FWB battle for the title of fastest, most compatible PC emulator.
 | the Virtual PC 6.1 home page. |
Microsoft has released Virtual PC 6.1, and version 6.0 is no longer hosted on Connectix's web site. Virtual PC is one of the few PC emulators to run natively on Mac OS X, although its performance tends to be somewhat better when running on OS 9. Virtual PC can also run many older PC games, although it is limited by its lack of support for Direct3D.
 | a rather dated review of Version 1.0 of Virtual PC. |
| the RealPC information page, from FWB, the former developers of RealPC. |
RealPC is a discontinued PC emulator released by FWB Software, and originally designed by Insignia. RealPC attempted to deliver a full-featured emulator that provided good results in Windows 95 and in DOS games. This product was competing directly against Connectix's Virtual PC.
| the emulation.net review of RealPC. |
| the Blue Label home page. |
Blue Label is an inexpensive PC emulator for the Macintosh. Although it seems to be two to three times slower than Virtual PC or RealPC, the price is only $19.95. If you need really basic PC emulation and don't care about the speed, Blue Label could be right for you.
Currently, Blue Label runs under classic Mac OS, but a Mac OS X version is under development.
 | the version 1.8 update for Blue Label. |
| MacBochs 2.0.2, Carbonized for Mac OS X. |
| MacBochs 2.0, for Mac OS 9. |
| the source code for Bochs 2.1, which can be compiled for OS X. |
MacBochs is an open-source PC emulator. It can run natively on Mac OS X, and is capable of booting Linux and Windows 95. It is very hard to use, though, requiring lots of configuration and setup to get anything accomplished at all. Also, performance is very low compared to the commercially designed emulators.
| the home page of MacBochs. |
| the MacBochs Frequently Asked Questions. |
| an OS X binary of DOSBox, courtesy of the folks at Mac-Emu.net. |
| dOSboX Launcher (CVS), a compilation of the latest DOSBox CVS source complete with a front end. This version will run games that require Protected Mode. |
DOSBox emulates a 286- or 386-class PC with DOS, a VGA card, and a SoundBlaster. It is intended for running old DOS games on modern hardware. Currently, performance is not stellar, but it can handle many games.
| the DOSBox 0.60 source code (compiles on OS X). |
| the DOSBox Home Page. |
| PCx 1.1b5. |
PCx is another freeware PC emulator for the Macintosh. It has only basic VGA video support and no sound capabilities. However, it should be enough to do simple tasks.
 | to Joseph Fenton, who developed PCx. |
| the (very dated) emulation.net comparison of Virtual PC 2.0 and RealPC 1.0.3. |
