The number of useful desktop applications for Linux is growing every day, but there are many would-be users who still have one or more “must have” Windows applications. For those users, running Windows under Linux is a suitable alternative to having to maintain two systems, or a dual-boot system with Linux and Windows. One of the options for running Windows under Linux is Win4Lin, Inc.’s Win4Lin Pro, which was released earlier this year.
Review: Win4Lin Pro
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
Perhaps a better alternative would be VMware player?
http://www.hackaday.com/entry/1234000153064739/
It works perfectly for me…I used Syllable OS as a nice base image to work from:
http://www.fprintf.net/atheos/atheosvm.html
Have fun!
Nope, a better alternative is Parallels.. http://www.parallels.com
it is currently in beta testing and handles 2000 and XP without a problem
like qemu (win4lin pro use qemu), this product don’t run with linux distribution who use gcc 4
I am a long-time Win4lin user. The 9X version of the product (Win95/Win98 only) quite simply rocked. Unfortunately, as a windows developer, I eventually needed to emulate Win2K or XP in order to do .NET development. VMWare is too pricy for me, so I was excited when Win4lin announced its Pro edition that supported NT-based windows. I was a beta tester, and was absolutely stunned. The product was awful. Even with KQemu acceleration, XP runs like Win95 on a 4MB 386DX. It is useless. Also, the images keep getting corrupted, so you have to constantly backup and restore them. The integration with the Linux filesystem (My Documents, etc) is a source of major problems. Frequently windows will complain that your profile does not exist. All-in-all, even though I own this product, I had to stop using it. I am currently beta testing Parallels, which is orders of magnitude faster and has simple configuration tools. I cannot recommend Win4lin Pro at this time (version 2.0, no less!), but perhaps it will rally in the near future and approach the usability of its cousin, Win4lin 9X.
I have been using win4lin 9x for several years now and the only thing I can say is that it does totally rock. Win98 or ME run as fast or faster on Win4lin as it did on is own.
Unfortunately Win4Lin pro just doesn’t cut it. I am hoping that the money I spent on Pro will eventually pay for itself when they get it right. Qemu should be activated by default and it would help if pro had a gui install like 9x. The only reason I didn’t try to get a refund was because I want to support companies that are trying to develop software for Linux and I’m not against supporting this effort with my money.
penguin7009
I am an avid Win4Lin fan.
I couldn’t however test drive Win4Lin Pro, because my specific Windows XP Service Pack was not compatible.
But I’ve read many bad experiences.
I feel for the win4Lin team but somehow I knew that was going to happen.
The vague impression I have (and I am too late to back these statements with Google) – is that Win4Lin Original and its Merge Technology was something developed way over a decade – code which was bought from IBM. The impression I got is that this technology was developed to create a compatibility layer between Windows and OS/X in the days of yore.
So we have a technology tested and tried over and over again.
There is no way – a small team can recreate something was solid as that – but QEmu gave them hope, and they gambled.
For NT systems – you need a completely different approach (whatever that is).
Again I feel for them because Win4Lin Pro feels pretty much an embarassment. They don’t have the same sweet pride with Win4Lin Pro as they had with Win4Lin Classic (that rock the pants over any Wine / Vmware).
I am also a Vmware and CrossOver User.
I rarely ever use those,
but I couldn’t survive my work had it not been for Win4Lin.
(Corel Draw 11, Photoshop 7, Flash MX)