Why Windows 7's virtualised XP mode is a flop
Windows 7 XP Mode may seem like a good idea, but we think it's quite disappointing. Here's why.
Local but remote
Unfortunately, Windows Virtual PC 7's reliance on this very same RDP engine ultimately undermines the XP Mode user experience. RDP is optimised for remote computing.
As such, Windows Virtual PC 7 lacks the host-to-VM integration features, including drag-and-drop support, that make VMware, Parallels, and even its immediate predecessor, Virtual PC 2007, so easy to work with. RDP is also a bit sluggish when rendering virtualised applications.
There's a great deal of shearing and other on-screen artifacts as you move, resize, and interact with Windows XP applications running in seamless mode, and none of the new Windows 7 Aero effects (snap, shake, thumbnail previews) work with these applications.
All of this is fine if you're dealing with a remote Terminal Services session. However, it quickly becomes distracting when you're trying to switch between a mixture of native Windows 7 and virtualised Window XP applications.
Then there is the issue of application performance. Microsoft has made a point of emphasising the new, multithreaded architecture of Windows Virtual PC 7 and how it improves VM throughput.
However, my preliminary tests (Virtual PC 7 is still beta) using OfficeBench show that applications run a full 30 percent slower under Virtual Windows XP than they do under Windows XP installed natively on the same hardware. All of which means that, if you were hoping to upgrade to Windows 7 and use Windows XP mode to run your legacy applications at full speed and with complete fidelity, you're in for a disappointment.
In fact, Windows XP mode is more evolutionary than revolutionary. It takes a pair of previously unrelated Microsoft technologies (Virtual PC, RDP) and stitches them together to make a quasi-workable compatibility box for those rare programs that don't execute reliably under Windows 7's native runtime. In my opinion, Microsoft would have done better by enhancing and extending its application virtualisation platform, App-V.
Overall, the XP mode end-user experience is uneven, with plenty of opportunities for novices to get confused as they navigate between physical and virtual applications and resources. Add to this the support requirements of maintaining two completely disparate OS images per system, and XP mode may be more trouble than it's worth.
Still, there's something alluring about getting a free, licensed copy of Windows XP on which to run your troublesome legacy apps. Kudos to Microsoft for at least trying to address the legacy compatibility issue.
See all laptop reviews
See also: Windows 7 vs Windows XP on netbooks
Comments
Adis said: OfficeBench show that applications run a full 30 percent slower under Virtual Windows XP than they do under Windows XP installed natively on the same hardwareGranted 30 is not great but you are running an OS on top of the OS so no matter what it wont be 100 and to a layman reader this can be misleading
PC Advisor said: That be a good spot that be Changed now
David Clark said: Was the writer of the article born in Cornwall First line Microsoft recently announced that it be providing a virtualisedI can just see a cornish man sucking a straw and saying That it be
Skidz said: Page 3 loads fine with XP
Geoff said: It does not work on my old machine even though I can run windows7 says does not support virtulisation technology Doesany body know of a way round this
Slim said: Peters probably running XP
LaurieP said: Apparently it doesnt work for Peter 3 times
Simon said: Peter Page 3 works fine for me
Peter Pipe said: Hi I cant access Page 3 of this article Have tried several times without success
Peter Pipe said: Hi I cant access Page 3 of this article Have tried several times without success
Peter Pipe said: Hi I cant access Page 3 of this article Have tried several times without success
Dave said: Windows 7 XP Mode if your CPU does not supportVirtualization Technology it will not work
Roy said: The personal finance package Quicken 2004 not supported anymore in the UK unfortunately doesnt work with Windows Vista BUT it does work with Windows XP mode running Windows 7 Release Candidate thank goodness Cheers