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FSX on a MAC

C

codeseven

Charter Member
Anybody playing FSX on a MAC (using Bootcamp), and liking it?

I built my PC 3yrs ago. It was 'top o the line' back then but it's considered Prehistoric nowadays. I like Apple's products and I'm considering ditching the problematic PC world for good and switching to MAC. Mac's dont have the GPU/API prowess that PC's do (so far) and there is no MAC version of FSX (yet) but is gameplay just as good?
 
I've done it and it works OK but using bootcamp/parallels is a bit inconvenient. I'm also unsure if either support Vista.

The novelty of owning a Mac wears off very quickly if you're into computers but for a casual user they're great if still overpriced. Remember 1GB of RAM will cost £90 from their shop though the same product (to the product number not just any 1GB piece of RAM) will be in PC World for £15.
 
I have a friend that has it on her Mac and it plays FSX fairly good.

It would be nice if you could get FSX for Apple OS. Apple can use up to something like 36+ gigs of RAM... (yep... gigs of RAM). But it wouldnt be visible in XP which is what BootCamp uses. Thus, if you could get a powerful Apple rig and had a Apple version of FSX, you might end up with one powerful, smooth running setup.



Bill
 
We use Mac's at work.

I can tell you this, everything Mac costs twice+ more to buy vs a PC in terms of hardware. That is enough for me not to consider one for a 'gamer' which desires to be continually updated until the MB is maxed out.....we are/were looking to upgrade one at work just the last couple days....I always shake my head looking at the specs vs price tag.
 
I have a Macpro with 3 Gb RAM, Radeon X1900 video card (526 Mb), Vista 64 bit installed with bootcamp. FSX runs pretty well at about 24 fps with most settings at 75 % or more.

As to macs costing twice as much as comparable pc's, that's a grosse overstatement. However, upgrading hardware is indeed more difficult because of less options.

Paul
 
Well, perhaps an exaggeration based on my latest shopping frustration, but there is little doubt Mac's are more expensive than PC's. I've never spent more than $700 on a PC 'box'....my iBook cost more than that used (a computer I use for many of my posts here), and it cannot 'touch' my PC for speed and general performance.

Listen, I use both, appreciate both, and like both, for different things. I simply could not see running a sim like FS on a Mac. Not without paying a fortune. I looked at the MacPro's ($2,500-3,000 seems pretty easy to reach), I just cannot see spending that much money, even on a work computer....and I am in the design/architectural biz. I will say this though, I think OSX is a brilliant OS system. And Mac's are 'purty' ;) But....I have had more Mac hardware problems over the years than PC problems. Just had a logic board on one of the draftsman's iMac computers go bad in the middle of a big project today....aaaarg. A 'new' used one will be at the office by Thursday.....I hope so, I need to get invoices out.
 
I play FSX with MacBook Pro 1.5 at my physician sites as doctors prefer Macs for patient care yet they use Xeon servers. I fail to find the fascination with FSX on a MAC. You still have to use Bootcamp 2.0 and you are still using either Windows XP Pro sp3 or Vista to run it on a machine that uses exactly the same parts as you can buy for a PC and it runs FSX slower than a more inexpensive game machine. Macs are ridiculously priced and you are getting the same components. You can't use the argument that MAC OS is better for running FSX because you are still using Windows OS to run it...:isadizzy: BTW the graphics for FSX on a standard Gamer system are far superior to MAC's slow interface. The big problem is the memory interface that just kills frame rates. Save your money Bill and get a Gamer.
Ted
 
Ted,

Thanks for your input. I respect your advice.

I am still determined to get a Mac. :d You could say that vista converted me into a Apple person, lol...



Bill
 
Yes, I believe Vista was designed to mimic OSX. We all chuckled in the office when we saw the first screen shots in the office, as we had been running OSX for about a year....and the similarities in the look were quite evident.

I still run XP on my home PC's. :mixedsmi: But will probably end up moving to a 64 bit system one of these days....but being an RXP gauge fanboy, seems there are too many troubles running 64 bit and the Garmin trainer/RXP 430/530's. That is enough to make me hold on to XP.
 
I brought a Mac lap top this past summer. Best investment I have ever made. I also boot into Windows with boot camp. The Apple has not missed a beat. The Apple OS is the best I have seen with loads of features.
 
Lionheart said:
Ted,

Thanks for your input. I respect your advice.

I am still determined to get a Mac. :d You could say that vista converted me into a Apple person, lol...



Bill
Click to expand...

Well I admit that part I can understand...with Vista SP1 I have seen some improvement in Vista and I can see light at the end of the tunnel in a better network interface, but I do think the newest Apple OS is a lot less cumbersome. As for gaming in DX10 Preview I have been sorely disappointed. I hope that with SP2 coming down the pike they have taken another look at how DX10 should work with games. I think it was that first artist's rendering of DX10 and FSX that set the bar way up there...of course none of us knew at the time it was just an artist's rendering.
Happy gaming Amigo
Ted
 
Hi guys, looks like I'll be answering my own question soon enough. I posted this over on NewsHawks in response to another thread:

Hi Bill.

After hearing me complain about Windows for the past few years, Santa (my Wife) surprised me with a MacBook Pro! My first Apple computer!!

Guys, I have to agree with Bill. The workmanship, look, feel and overall quality is way beyond any PC I have ever seen!! Including the custom, 'best of everything' (at the time) PC I built myself several years ago.

She (bless her heart!) made sure it was the newest version of Apples Macbook Pro series currently available and it has all the upgrades. This thing puts my ol' custom homebuilt PC to shame! I'm blown away a 'laptop' could be such a powerful little computer. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8GHz 1066MHz frontside bus with 6MB L2 Cache, 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM, Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT with 512MB of GDDR3 memory, 320GB Hard Drive and Apples newest OS X Leopard operating system, sheesh!

She even included a 500GB Time Capsule 802.11n Wi-Fi Hard Drive and a copy of made for MAC Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare! (I gotta give the Sales person at the Apple store a big hug for suggesting to my wife that a video game would be good for learning about the new OS!) Which I promptly loaded up and watched in absolute amazement!! Cant wait to see FSX via Bootcamp on a remote widescreen monitor!!!

If anyone out there has thought about going the Apple MAC route rest assured you will not be dissapointed!


Codeseven
<!-- / message -->
 
codeseven said:
Hi guys, looks like I'll be answering my own question soon enough. I posted this over on NewsHawks in response to another thread:

Hi Bill.

After hearing me complain about Windows for the past few years, Santa (my Wife) surprised me with a MacBook Pro! My first Apple computer!!

Guys, I have to agree with Bill. The workmanship, look, feel and overall quality is way beyond any PC I have ever seen!! Including the custom, 'best of everything' (at the time) PC I built myself several years ago.

She (bless her heart!) made sure it was the newest version of Apples Macbook Pro series currently available and it has all the upgrades. This thing puts my ol' custom homebuilt PC to shame! I'm blown away a 'laptop' could be such a powerful little computer. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8GHz 1066MHz frontside bus with 6MB L2 Cache, 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM, Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT with 512MB of GDDR3 memory, 320GB Hard Drive and Apples newest OS X Leopard operating system, sheesh!

She even included a 500GB Time Capsule 802.11n Wi-Fi Hard Drive and a copy of made for MAC Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare! (I gotta give the Sales person at the Apple store a big hug for suggesting to my wife that a video game would be good for learning about the new OS!) Which I promptly loaded up and watched in absolute amazement!! Cant wait to see FSX via Bootcamp on a remote widescreen monitor!!!

If anyone out there has thought about going the Apple MAC route rest assured you will not be dissapointed!


Codeseven
<!-- / message -->
Click to expand...


Hey CodeSeven,


I too am now officially Apple.

I have the iMac 24inch Flat Screen unit with Intel Core Duo 2.8 mhz, 4 Gigs of Ram (XP only sees 3 Gigs.. arrghh), and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600XT GC with 256 megs of ram in the GC.

Runs FSX very well. I have sliders at stock settings except for Scenery Complexity and World Texture Resolutions set at max settings. Everything runs smooth except the 'Anti-Aliasing', which brings about amazing clarity, but drops frames from 20 to 7-12 FPS. (Locked at 20 FPS).

This is the first time ever that I have been able to fly with smooth frame rates in FSX and have things like water at 2.X+, with ground traffic, AI traffic, clouds, and autogen.



Also, I decided to keep FS9 and FSX in a seperate external HD. They go through a USB cable to the computer. So, even with all that, its still pretty smooth..


Apple has come a long way....



Perhaps someday, they will have a version of FS in Mac format. Then we can run it with 12 to 32 gigs of RAM! (Dont have low limits of RAM in Apple OSX). :D



Bill
 
Lionheart said:
Hey CodeSeven,


I too am now officially Apple.

I have the iMac 24inch Flat Screen unit with Intel Core Duo 2.8 mhz, 4 Gigs of Ram (XP only sees 3 Gigs.. arrghh), and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600XT GC with 256 megs of ram in the GC.

Runs FSX very well. I have sliders at stock settings except for Scenery Complexity and World Texture Resolutions set at max settings. Everything runs smooth except the 'Anti-Aliasing', which brings about amazing clarity, but drops frames from 20 to 7-12 FPS. (Locked at 20 FPS).

This is the first time ever that I have been able to fly with smooth frame rates in FSX and have things like water at 2.X+, with ground traffic, AI traffic, clouds, and autogen.



Also, I decided to keep FS9 and FSX in a seperate external HD. They go through a USB cable to the computer. So, even with all that, its still pretty smooth..


Apple has come a long way....



Perhaps someday, they will have a version of FS in Mac format. Then we can run it with 12 to 32 gigs of RAM! (Dont have low limits of RAM in Apple OSX). :D



Bill
Click to expand...


Good to know Bill, my new laptop should run FSX fine, looking forward to it!


Codeseven
 
I purchased FSX Gold, on sale, to use on my MacBook Pro.

But first a question. I have full editions of XP, XP Pro X64 and Vista 32 laying around. Using Boot Camp, which one of those would 'you' use to run FSX?

Edit: I just thought about a couple things. I have 4gigs of memory installed. XP can only recognize 3gigs, also, Dx 10 is Vista only if I recall correctly.
 
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