# PC to Mac switch. How good is Virtual PC? Also, how good is Garageband for musicians? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 27, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-mac-switch-how-good-is-virtual-pc-also-how-good-is-garageband-for-musicians/281775 "2004-12-27T15:33:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-mac-switch-how-good-is-virtual-pc-also-how-good-is-garageband-for-musicians/281775/21 "2004-12-30T21:22:55Z")
I was VPC mainly for file transfers from the PC network to the Mac and vice versa, and even that was buggy. Now that the new G5 can connect to PC networks like glue, I don’t need it anymore. I’d recommend getting a music program written for Mac. Don’t know what to recommend, but I’m sure you can find some shareware programs from [download.com](http://download.com) and register the ones you like. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-mac-switch-how-good-is-virtual-pc-also-how-good-is-garageband-for-musicians/281775/22 "2004-12-30T23:52:31Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I can’t wait to try out Garageband with my guitars. It looks like I just buy a $20 plug and my guitar will go right to the back of the iMac. As a decidedly non-professional musician, I love messing around with my guitar and Garageband. One thing I will say, though: it doesn’t quite work with just the $20 plug. You _really_ need a pre-amp to get any kind of workable volume out of the guitar. Other than that, it works fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_On_My_Sleeve)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-mac-switch-how-good-is-virtual-pc-also-how-good-is-garageband-for-musicians/281775/23 "2004-12-31T00:07:54Z")
I used VPC 6 with a G4 (1GHz, 512 MB RAM), and it was slow as snot, even just using Microsoft Office Apps (Windows 2000, Office 2000). Maybe the upgraded specs make it faster. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-mac-switch-how-good-is-virtual-pc-also-how-good-is-garageband-for-musicians/281775/24 "2004-12-31T01:22:19Z")
I think **AHunter** probably has it right about using the lowest, less power-hungry Windows OS with VPC. I recently got VPC 3 with Windows 98. It only runs in Mac OS 9, but my Mac has OS 9 so I’m all set. I use it to do web site cross-platform checks, etc. It’s really quite acceptable. I gave it the maximum amount of RAM that VPC would allow (128 megs) and so far it’s fine. Haven’t installed many programs on it though—mostly just using it for site checks. But it’s snappy enough. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-mac-switch-how-good-is-virtual-pc-also-how-good-is-garageband-for-musicians/281775/25 "2004-12-31T01:56:26Z")
I can’t even comprehend buying a G5 to use Garageband; there’s free software that will do 10 times what that does for PC. You buy a G5 to use something like Logic Audio 6 or MOTU Digital Performer - professional digital audio recording, editing, and mixing programs. Garageband is basically a piece of toy software meant for throwing some loops together and making novelty songs. Sure, it’ll run great on a G5 - but so will Freecell or Solitaire, both of which are probably more CPU intensive. Running Garageband on a G5 is like driving - not just a ferrari, but using a fucking _space shuttle_ to go from your house to the corner store and back. ---
**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:** [December 31, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-mac-switch-how-good-is-virtual-pc-also-how-good-is-garageband-for-musicians/281775/26 "2004-12-31T02:11:45Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > I think **AHunter** probably has it right about using the lowest, less power-hungry Windows OS with VPC. > > I recently got VPC 3 with Windows 98. It only runs in Mac OS 9, but my Mac has OS 9 so I’m all set. I use it to do web site cross-platform checks, etc. It’s really quite acceptable. I gave it the maximum amount of RAM that VPC would allow (128 megs) and so far it’s fine. Haven’t installed many programs on it though—mostly just using it for site checks. But it’s snappy enough. VPC 3 under MacOS 9 is considerably faster than any version of VPC running under MacOS X. Sometimes preemptive multitasking is exactly what you _don’t_ want! The MacOS 9 environment allows VPC to hog the lion’s share of CPU cycles, and compared to VPC 6 on the same computer, VPC 3 flies. You can run Windows XP or Windows 2000 under VPC 3, incidentally, but even there, running under MacOS 9, pushing those later PC OS’s around isn’t much fun. But NT positively flies under VPC 3 if you’ve got the RAM for it. VPC 7 is optimized for the G5 (and is also the only version of VPC that will run on a G5) and they say it feels faster than VPC 6 on a G4. (I haven’t had the opportunity to confirm that). ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-mac-switch-how-good-is-virtual-pc-also-how-good-is-garageband-for-musicians/281775/27 "2004-12-31T07:34:17Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Network navigation isn’t as good. The lack of cut & paste for files is a complete pain in the arse. Hmmm? Is this something specific to network navigation? Because I can cut-and-paste files on my local hard disks using Finder all the time. (Cut files, navigate to new directory, paste files) > [@jjimm](#): > > I haven’t found an FTP client as good as any Windows one. Dunno what your needs are, but I’m a big fan of [Transmit.](http://www.panic.com/transmit/) ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-mac-switch-how-good-is-virtual-pc-also-how-good-is-garageband-for-musicians/281775/28 "2004-12-31T07:36:09Z")
> [@Freejooky](#): > > I can’t even comprehend buying a G5 to use Garageband; there’s free software that will do 10 times what that does for PC. Please name it. I’ve asked this before. I’d like to know the name of free software that is as easy and fun to use (subjective, I know, but give it your best shot), _and_ bundles in 2,000 good quality loops. Oh wait—you said 10 times more. So,\*\* 20,000 loops\*\*, please. And make sure they’re all free and of good quality. And this PC-only app should have 10 times the features than Garageband does. Because seriously, if such software exists for the PC, _I want it_. I have a very nice PC and I’d have no problem using it to tinker around with music, if such a fantastic app existed. > [@](#): > > Garageband is basically a piece of toy software meant for throwing some loops together and making novelty songs. I have no idea if this is true or not. I am one of those who is not really serious about creating music (am not an aspiring musician) and I love those loops. But judging from the word I hear from Garageband communities, it’s a little more than a toy, but less than a pro-level app. However, for the price many semi-pro or asiring musicians are having a great time with it. But sure, it has limitations. Even I can see that, with my modest musical background. But it’s so fun! And easy! And until you name me this PC-only app that offers 10x what Garageband does for free, it’s the only one of its kind (as far as ease and enjoyability) on the market. > [@](#): > > Running Garageband on a G5 is like driving - not just a ferrari, but using a fucking _space shuttle_ to go from your house to the corner store and back. If you’ve got the money to get it, why not? I run Garageband on an older G4, and while I wish it were faster, I really have fun with it. While I think that few people would afford to switch to a G5 _just_ for Garageband, it really wouldn’t shock me (in fact, I can almost guarantee you it’s happened, based on what I’ve read on GB boards) to learn that people have picked up used G4s _just_ to play around with Garageband. Many people are really quite enthusiastic about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-to-mac-switch-how-good-is-virtual-pc-also-how-good-is-garageband-for-musicians/281775.md?page=1)