Anyone using Win4Lin Pro? (V5 I think)

[puissante]

hewitt_tech wrote:
> Because we have certain applications that will only run under Windows, I 
> was thinking about picking up a copy of Win4Lin Pro. Is anyone using it 
> and if so, what are your impressions?
>  
> -Alex
>  

I am using Win4Lin pro, and it's *slow*, to put it bluntly. Don't even 
think of trying to play games with it.

I use it basically to test sites on the crappernet explorer, or to run 
Dreamweaver. Also, there is no support for USB devices (other than the 
mouse and keyboard), which just kills me.

If you need USB, you may be better off with VMWare, which at least 
supports one port, or so I'm told.

I don't know why it's so slow on my system, but the slowness seems tied 
to the graphics rendering. It should be OK for anything not too graphics 
intensive.

The slow graphics rendering may be a configuration issue on my part. 
Dunno. Don't think so. No time to bother tracking it down.

I believe Win4Lin Pro has a fully functional demo mode which allows you 
to play with it for 2 weeks or so before you buy it.

A nice thing about W4L is being able to keep a backup copy of its "hard 
drive" -- just a big 2 or 4G file on the Linux side. Get hit with a 
virus or something screws up your system? No problem! Just copy the hard 
drive backup file over the live one.

I've installed Windows 2000 Pro on it, and it is supposed to work with 
XP too. You *will need* the Windows install CDs.

Set up is a bit tricky, but comes with instructions. Just follow them 
and all should be well.

Oh, it allows you seamless access to your Linux file system in your 
login account which is where you'll want to keep everything, since it is 
limited on the HD space on the virtual drive.

Well, that about wraps it up. Feel free to ask me any other questions 
you may have. Since I have Windows installed on my new laptop as a dual 
boot system, I find myself using Win4Lin less -- basically if I forget 
to bring my laptop upstairs from the garage (out of my car, of course).

-Fred