Lismore Software Systems on Tuesday announced the release of Guest PC v1.9.3, an updated version of their PC emulation software for PowerPC-based Macs. The free update is available for download from Lismore’s Web site; the full version costs $69.99 for a “Family License.”
GuestPC enables PowerPC-based Macs — G3s, G4s and G5s, as well as systems with upgrade cards — to run Windows using emulation. Intel-based Macs are capable of running Windows natively using Apple’s Boot Camp software or as a virtual machine using Parallels Desktop, but other Macs still need emulation in order to run Windows.
New in this version is support for the MMX instruction set. MMX, or Multi Media Extensions, provide additional instructions for Pentium-based CPUs that offers enhanced support and performance for multimedia content. The new support for MMX provides better compatibility and performance increases, according to the developer. Lismore estimates performance has been improved up to 15 percent with this new release.
What’s more, Floating Point Unit (FPU) emulation bugs have been squashed and the Nokia PC Suite is now supported. Support for Mac OS X printers has been enhanced too.
Lismore said it’s trekking onward to an Intel-compatible release, for what it’s worth. The developers said that a Universal Binary is in development, though it has not scheduled a release date.
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