How do you run apps for PowerPC G3 processors on a PowerBook G4?

I looked at the site and there are two versions for PPC Macs. One is for universal install and one for PPC. I would use the PPC version as it doesn't have an installer but is simply dragged to your applications folder.

You drag the Darwine folder in the picture to the applications folder. Then double click on the Darwine folder to open it. Inside the only thing that can be activated is the Winehelper .app which you open by double clicking.

I found this on the Wine WIKI.

http://wiki.winehq.org/MacOSX#head-4512daf5d3c971ad7caca22cf4d2cc0e0d65fc5e

PowerPC Mac

In 2002, the OpenDarwin people created the Darwine project to integrate the processor-emulator QEMU with a Mac OS-compatible version of Wine in order to run Win32 EXEs on PowerPC. The group succeeded in porting Wine from ELF to Mach-0. Integration of the x86 emulator was not worth the trouble of byteswapping (big endian <-> little endian), which was too much work.

• Qemu-Darwin-user allows Mac OS X/Intel Applications to run on Mac OS X/PowerPC. It's conceptually similar to doing the opposite of Rosetta and was therefore referred to as "Attesor".
• Older Macs using PowerPC processors are incompatible with code compiled for x86 (Intel and AMD) processors, unless the code is run under CPU emulation. Wine Is Not a (CPU) Emulator, nor does it include one.

There is a Windows emulator for PPC Macs called Virtual PC which can be found on eBay. Sadly it wouldn't support the minimal requirements for GTA San Andreas or Half-Life 2 specificaly due to inadequate graphics support. Even if you got it to install it may not be able to start the game or be playable. The only PPC Mac that could be considered for PC games would be a G5 tower. Sorry for the news but PC games only run satisfactorily on an Intel Mac with a Boot Camp / Windows installation.

GTA San Andreas minimal- Video Card: 256MB NVidia 7900 / 256MB ATI X1900

Half Life 2 minimal- DirectX 7-class graphics cards- Nvidia GeForce 256, 2, 2MX and 4MX cards and the ATI Radeon 7xxx series.

The G5 might allow installation but would run very slowly. The G5 I refer to is the PowerMac G5 which had dual processors, lots of RAM, and a separate upgradable graphics card.

You can't use Boot Camp as it requires an Intel processor. You can try to use Virtual PC which is an emulator and will be very slow. It is frequently for sale on eBay and Amazon both with a Windows system install and without for people who have their own Windows Install disk. I doubt it will work with Vista as it was only made up to Windows XP due to the Mac going to the Intel Processor and rendering Virtual PC software obsolete.

Go to this Amazon link and scroll down to the customer reviews and read them.

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Virtual-Windows-Professional-Version/dp/B0002NT8 3U

Arzatago wrote:

I was also referring the PowerMac G5. If I installed Windows Vista using Boot Camp alongside Mac 10.5.8, would Half- Life run on it?

Half Life 2 appears to be a game software written prior to the introduction of OS X, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gearbox_Software

If that is true, and they wrote a Mac version, your best bet is to obtain a copy of Mac OS X Tiger (PPC)* that will work on your Mac and install it, perhaps on a new partition on your PowerMac, so that you can "dual-boot" into whichever flavor of OS X is best for that sessions use.

OS X Tiger (PPC) can then have the Classic Environment installed into it (Mac OS 9) and then run Classic apps within that environment.

* Call Apple at 800-MY-APPLE and give them your model and serial numbers of your PowerMac G5 and see if they will give you a "replacement" disc for OS X Tiger for about $17.

From personal experience, running VirtualPC on a G5 Mac is a maddening experience at best! 😠

Consider investing in a used or refurbished, Intel Mac Mini for use with Windows, if that is your only option to run Windows on a Mac.

Consider investing in a used or refurbished, Intel Mac Mini for use with Windows, if that is your only option to run Windows on a Mac.

Best advice, I completely agree.

Half life 2 needs an Intel cpu for both Windows and Mac OSX.

Mac System Requirements

Minimum: OS X version Leopard 10.5.8, Snow Leopard 10.6.3, 1GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8 or higher, ATI X1600 or higher, or Intel HD 3000 or higher Mouse, Keyboard, Internet Connection