Seeking how to compare machine specs

[After Hours]

Hello,

As I look to a windows solution for my mostly Mac business and personal needs, I find I have trouble decoding the machine requirements for software.

Case in point: my kid wants to run some game that requires a Pentium III 450 MHz or better, 300 Mb HD space, 128 Mb RAM, 16 bit color @ 800x600, 24x CDRom and -- this is the part I can't quite get: a DirectX 9 or higher video card with 32 Mb 3D capability with a DirectX-compaitble sound card. OK -- so I'm guessing that the software is expecting a video card with dedicated RAM and DirectX 9 needs to be installed. Since the Mac Mini uses shared RAM for CPU and GPU needs, are there any assumptions I can make about this package supporting the game? Or, does it come down to simply having to purchase and test Parallels with individual software needs (and hope for the best)?

I would hope (for the best) that Parallels may want to post another kind of webpage that might outline software that has successfully been installed and used, spec'ing out the following:

version of Parallels, version of Win OS, Mac Model/RAM/OS/HD, software title/version used, notes on installation/usage.

Seems that would be a handy selling point to post this stuff based on user entries with a YMMV exclaimer.

I'd also like to know if anyone is successfully using dedicated Wintel packages such as UPS shipping software (worldship 8) in a Parallels environment. Or, hey, why not a BootCamp environment, too.

I hate the idea of having to trial/error software, rather than having some guidance by looking at the (horrid) spec listings on a title package and knowing what Parallels meets.

Thoughts?

 

[namery]

To take your case of running the game: Firstly, the game will be expecting a video card yes - (shared RAM or otherwise), and parallels does not support this, as it does not support Direct X (yet? maybe) . So it is not the mac mini's lack of dedicated video ram that will stop this game running, it is parallels lack of Direct x video card support. I attempted to install a game in parallels (as an experiment) an old game as it happens (required a lower spec than yours), and it simply would not install because it could not see any hardware accelerated video card. My advice to you, if you want to run any game on your mac is either:
1) Find a Mac version of the game - not always possible. OR
2) install windows on Bootcamp. This gives Windows Full access to the video card of your mac mini, allowing Direct X support, and if the game's min spec is as you say it is, it will run fine.

Even with your 'mini the lack of dedicated video RAM shouldn't be a problem unless you are attempting to run very modern games. I have a MacBook with the same video chip as your 'mini and it runs games in OSX and Windows (bootcamp) fine, even those that say they want a dedicated video card.

I agree with you on the other point, Parallels should publish a list of software and hardware that is known to be working, perhaps with links to more details such as if there are any issues with running something in parallels (like "it works, but feature XYZ is disabled", or "it works but you need to get XYZ driver from here"). This would be most helpful.