Which new laptop for running XP

[d000hg]

What are you going to do in 5 years when it still only runs on XP?

[Netraider]

Please don't suggest alternatives to XP like eg Linux WINE, nothing will do for me but a native XP x32 box for this particular application

As others have stated VmWare is not a WINE type environment, and I am sure that I have not suggested an alternative to XP. You are getting a full version of XP running on up to date hardware. As the XP machine is virtual it can be easily backed up to external devices etc. You can even get software that will convert your old physical machine to a virtual machine.

VmWare is very mature and can cope with just about any strange requirements that the application may have. If the application throws up that it can't run on a virtual machine there is some tinkering that can make the virtual machine look like a physical machine

HTH

[DimPrawn]

I suspect the application uses some kind of software protection dongle that doesn't work in a VM type environment as it uses low level drivers to access the encryption hadware in the dongle. Many older high end CAD systems used such things so they could charge the earth without fear of copying.

[Boo]

Wine isn't anything close to VMware, which would be a physical machine as far as your app would see it.

IT DOESN'T WORK. I did say in my post what I am looking for and what I am not looking for ?

Boo

[Boo]

Also, as others have stated, VMWare + XP is indistinguishable from native XP

That is not the case. MOST programs cannot tell if they are being virtualised but mine can.

As I say I don't want to be sidetracked : the requirement here is for a new PC that is known (by somebody who's actually tried it) to run XP ok.

Sorry if my concentration makes me seem grumpy but I do know what I need.

Thanks,

Boo

[Boo]

What are you going to do in 5 years when it still only runs on XP?

Run it on XP ?

But I'll worry about that in 5 years time, I have to get there before that becomes an issue.

Boo

[stek]

IT DOESN'T WORK. I did say in my post what I am looking for and what I am not looking for ?

Boo

You said you didn't want Wine which is an compatibility layer not an emulator, unlike Vmware which is a hypervisor capable of emulating a PC including the BIOS.

Totally different animals.

Seeing as you don't seem to have a clue about this why not tell us what this super clever 'app' is and why a pukka hypervisor can still be fooled by it?

Dongle? FlexLM? If it's nothing like that it'll run in Vmware/Parallels etc..

And it's XP x86 (as against x64) you want - there's no such thing as XP x32 but I knew what you meant.

[Boo]

As others have stated VmWare is not a WINE type environment, and I am sure that I have not suggested an alternative to XP.

You have exactly suggested an alternative to "a native XP x32 box" and as I said in my OP that is no good.

Just to remind the forum : I need a new laptop that is known to run XP. I don't need to know about VirtualBox, VmWare or any of that other stuff that I already know does not work.

Thanks for your kind attention.

Boo

[stek]

If it's a dongle you can pass the hardware it's plugged into directly to the VM - sorted.

If it's FlexLM or some sort of nodelock you can edit the VM xml's to pass hardware codes etc to fool any of that nonsense.

We IBM/AIX types do it all the time with the HMC's - the HMC code will only work on certain IBM frigged x-series kit, but VMware/vbox etc can all bypass that with a bit xml editing and I'm sure IBM lock stuff down better than most - sorted.

Try it - it'll cost you nowt.

[doodab]

As I say I don't want to be sidetracked : the requirement here is for a new PC that is known (by somebody who's actually tried it) to run XP ok.

But you are being sidetracked, because unless you actually give a reason why virtualisation doesn't work (e.g. dongle, specific hardware support, specific app known not to work) people are likely to argue with you.

Is it important that every piece of hardware works or are you content to have a working OS + display and input devices? That would increase your options somewhat.

I ran XP on my i7-2600 / Asus mobo for a while because there were no Win 7 drivers available for a particular piece of hardware I own. I'd expect any laptop based on similar hardware to work to a degree but you might lose stuff like USB3.0, audio, network etc, which is harder to work around in a laptop.