# free software that shows what a cool pc/mac can do these days **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 27, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905 "2006-11-27T04:19:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/1 "2006-11-27T04:19:52Z")
OK, I have in my hands (well, next to my desk), these: A Mac Pro Dual Dual Core 2 (Kentfield?) 3ghz tower, 4gb RAM, GEForce 7300 yadayada A Dell 690 Dual Dual Core 2 (Xeon 5160) 3ghz tower, 4gb RAM, x1950 ATI yadayada In days of yore, we’d run ray tracers that ran for days, or mandlebrot sets, or fractel landscapes or whatever, that really showed if you have a faster machine, because insanely intensive stuff ran faster on your new box. What can I download free, now, that really beats the crap out of a really good workstation, and is very cool? ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/2 "2006-11-27T18:32:30Z")
Uhh, [Google Earth](http://earth.google.com)? Don’t actually need all the power you’ve got, but it’s pretty cool and it’s free. Umm, [SETI @ Home](http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/)? That’s all I got. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/3 "2006-11-27T19:18:07Z")
A quick Google search turned up this software (free 30 day trial) that looks to do the job. I’m not geeky enough to say how comprehensive it is though. Post your results just for kicks so I can compare it to my little ole homebuild. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/4 "2006-11-27T19:21:01Z")
Ooops. Forget the URL: [PassMark PerformanceTest - PC benchmark software](http://www.passmark.com/products/pt.htm) ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/5 "2006-11-27T19:21:36Z")
[QUOTE=Omniscient] A quick Google search turned up this software (free 30 day trial) that looks to do the job. I’m not geeky enough to say how comprehensive it is though. Post your results just for kicks so I can compare it to my little ole homebuild. [/QUOTE] Are you gonna share the name of this software with us or are you just an application tease? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/6 "2006-11-27T19:23:13Z")
DAMN! Got me by _THIS_ much! ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/7 "2006-11-27T19:37:45Z")
Heisman! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/8 "2006-11-27T20:12:32Z")
[QUOTE=squeegee] What can I download free, now, that really beats the crap out of a really good workstation, and is very cool? [/QUOTE] Battlefield 2? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/9 "2006-11-27T20:18:57Z")
Download the free verson of [Google Sketchup](http://www.sketchup.com/). Use with widescreen monitor and drawing tablet. See cool factor increase 10fold. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/10 "2006-11-27T20:32:02Z")
Emulation loops. Download build install and configure PearPC from source code. It’s a PowerPC emulator. Install MacOS X 10.4.x within the PearPC environment. In that environment, install Basilisk II, a 68K emulator for running older Macintosh operating systems, and install MacOS 8.1 there. Under 8.1, install and configure SoftPC with Windows for Performa, a 68K-native emulation environment for running Windows programs. Now install Photoshop 3.0 and open 500 MB TIFF files and rotate them under Windows. That ought to make your CPUs whimper. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/11 "2006-11-27T21:07:58Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] Emulation loops. Download build install and configure PearPC from source code. It’s a PowerPC emulator. Install MacOS X 10.4.x within the PearPC environment. In that environment, install Basilisk II, a 68K emulator for running older Macintosh operating systems, and install MacOS 8.1 there. Under 8.1, install and configure SoftPC with Windows for Performa, a 68K-native emulation environment for running Windows programs. Now install Photoshop 3.0 and open 500 MB TIFF files and rotate them under Windows. That ought to make your CPUs whimper. [/QUOTE] Better yet: install RoboHelp on the Windows emulation. That will bring your system to its knees no problem. 😃 Or, you could keep going with the emulations: Install VMWare on the Windows emulation. Install Linux on one of the VMWare virtual machines (VMs) (this isn’t technically an ‘emulation’, but what the hey). Install [UAE](http://uae.coresystems.de/) on the Linux machine. Install AmigaDOS on UAE’s Amiga emulation. Install [VICE](http://www.viceteam.org/) on the AmigaDOS system, and run the Commodore 64 emulator. Play [Flight Simulator](http://cgi.ebay.com/FLIGHT-SIMULATOR-II-FOR-C64-COMMODORE-64-ACROJET-IFR_W0QQitemZ320051954248QQihZ011QQcategoryZ74945QQcmdZViewItem) on the C64. Meanwhile, on another VM on the Windows emulation, install Windows XP and then [EightyOne](http://www.chuntey.com/eightyone/). You can now emulate a Sinclair ZX81 at near-original speed. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/12 "2006-11-27T21:46:48Z")
[QUOTE=Omniscient] Post your results just for kicks so I can compare it to my little ole homebuild. [/QUOTE] 1396.3 ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/13 "2006-11-28T00:43:29Z")
BTW, after some searching, I just tried [Terragen](http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/), figuring the free version would provide some CPU-stress. And I must say, I don’t get it – the site shows lovely landscapes, but the downloadable version generates landscapes that look like… well, they look unremarkable. Bad, even. Really bad. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/14 "2006-11-28T01:00:08Z")
[QUOTE=squeegee] 1396.3 [/QUOTE] Same for both? My puny little 275.9 trembles in your shadow. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/15 "2006-11-28T01:10:40Z")
[QUOTE=Omniscient] Same for both? My puny little 275.9 trembles in your shadow. [/QUOTE] Hmm, I didn’t think to run it on the Mac, I assumed it was XP only. I’ll try that and repost the results. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/16 "2006-11-28T01:14:15Z")
[QUOTE=squeegee] Hmm, I didn’t think to run it on the Mac, I assumed it was XP only. I’ll try that and repost the results. [/QUOTE] Nevermind, for some reason my booze and TV addled brain thought it saw a Mac version available for download. On review I guess not. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/17 "2006-11-28T01:16:27Z")
Hey, that passmark stuff is only for Windows! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/18 "2006-11-28T01:17:51Z")
Whoops, missed your reply. Booze on! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/19 "2006-11-28T23:13:14Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] Or, you could keep going with the emulations: Install VMWare on the Windows emulation. Install Linux on one of the VMWare virtual machines (VMs) (this isn’t technically an ‘emulation’, but what the hey). Install [UAE](http://uae.coresystems.de/) on the Linux machine. Install AmigaDOS on UAE’s Amiga emulation. Install [VICE](http://www.viceteam.org/) on the AmigaDOS system, and run the Commodore 64 emulator. Play [Flight Simulator](http://cgi.ebay.com/FLIGHT-SIMULATOR-II-FOR-C64-COMMODORE-64-ACROJET-IFR_W0QQitemZ320051954248QQihZ011QQcategoryZ74945QQcmdZViewItem) on the C64. Meanwhile, on another VM on the Windows emulation, install Windows XP and then [EightyOne](http://www.chuntey.com/eightyone/). You can now emulate a Sinclair ZX81 at near-original speed. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Been there (more or less) done that (kind of thing). [Here’s](http://home.earthlink.net/~ahunter/Upload_Download/Apple2_inSystem6_inSy%236A79D.jpg) an Apple ][ emulator) running ProDOS under System 6 running in vMac under System 7.5.3 in Basilisk II under Windows NT under VirtualPC on a ‘WallStreet’ PowerBook with a G4 upgrade card. I really wanted to run Entry-Level SoftPC under vMac and then run an MSDOS-based Apple II emulator in that, but the 68K-compatible version of vMac won’t run SoftPC, and the version that will is PowerPC only so I can’t run it under Basilisk II. I _do_ have UAE (the Mac version) and I have diskimages of the AmigaOS installation sw but I never got it to install properly ☹ So that one got left out also. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2006, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-software-that-shows-what-a-cool-pc-mac-can-do-these-days/381905/20 "2006-11-29T00:30:55Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] Been there (more or less) done that (kind of thing). [Here’s](http://home.earthlink.net/~ahunter/Upload_Download/Apple2_inSystem6_inSy%236A79D.jpg) an Apple ][ emulator) running ProDOS under System 6 running in vMac under System 7.5.3 in Basilisk II under Windows NT under VirtualPC on a ‘WallStreet’ PowerBook with a G4 upgrade card. [/QUOTE] Sweet. Can’t you get Flight Simulator for the Apple ][? 🙂