Windows 8

[aotino]

Happy New Years everyone. What does anyone know about Windows 8? To be more specific, will Harpoon 3 be able to play well on this new platform. Will be needing to get a new computer this year, and I want to know ahead of time what the challenges will be. Thanks, Alan Caso

[Herman Hum]

I only use WinXP Home, but I asked around on other fora for Win8 users. I only found one person who said that he used Win8, but he is away for at least a week or two from that particular computer. I asked if he could help you out with a quick test with Win8 and ANW when he got back. Hopefully, he will relay the results of that test.

Otherwise, I will keep my ears open to new users. It just seems that Win8 is not yet commonly used by Harpoon players.

[Herman Hum]

Just got confirmation that H3, ANW, and HUE all run with Win8. It was just a superficial test (turn on and run a bit), but it seems sufficient to show that the games do not CTD immediately after start. The only important thing to remember is to install all the games under Administrator-level authority or else there will be problems.

[aotino]

Well that's good news. I too have Windows XP, which I love and am sorry to see lapse in the sands of computer time; but next year, it will no longer be supported by Microsoft. Just preparing for the future. I very much appreciate the research you've done here. I assume by Administrator-level you mean a legally purchased and authorized version of the game...

Just got confirmation that H3, ANW, and HUE all run with Win8. It was just a superficial test (turn on and run a bit), but it seems sufficient to show that the games do not CTD immediately after start. The only important thing to remember is to install all the games under Administrator-level authority or else there will be problems.

[Herman Hum]

I assume by Administrator-level you mean a legally purchased and authorized version of the game.

No. I always presume that everyone is using a legally purchased and authorized version of the game.

Administrator-level installation means that the user should have that highest level of authority assigned for that computer. Some user accounts are only assigned basic (low-level) access so that they can run simple applications on a computer. They generally have limited access and ability to download/install new programs. Admin-level access means that the user has the power to install games and programs that are available for every user on the computer.

[aotino]

If you're the purchaser and only registered user of your computer, wouldn't that qualify you as having Administrator level? Or, is it something you need to have specifically setup on your computer? Sorry for asking what might seem as idiodically simple questions, but I never even considered this as a qualification in my relationship with my computer,and I am a little concerned that I should have been aware of this detail. I would imagine that I already am the administrator of my computer, but maybe not.

I assume by Administrator-level you mean a legally purchased and authorized version of the game.

No. I always presume that everyone is using a legally purchased and authorized version of the game.

Administrator-level installation means that the user should have that highest level of authority assigned for that computer. Some user accounts are only assigned basic (low-level) access so that they can run simple applications on a computer. They generally have limited access and ability to download/install new programs. Admin-level access means that the user has the power to install games and programs that are available for every user on the computer.

[Herman Hum]

If you're the purchaser and only registered user of your computer, wouldn't that qualify you as having Administrator level? Or, is it something you need to have specifically setup on your computer?

Ownership of the game has nothing to do with how your personal computer is arranged and what level of access authority each user is assigned. For example, some computers are set up that grant some users Guest Access. This usually allows Guests to use the computer, but prevents Guests from installing software onto the computer.

I would imagine that I already am the administrator of my computer, but maybe not.

If your account is the only one on that computer, you probably have administrator-level authority. However, without the ability to examine the account access settings, it is not possible to confirm. Usually, the person/account that installs software onto a computer is the one with administrator authority.

[aotino]

Hmmm, I probably have that authority then. I've installed lots of programs on this computer - the only one to do so - including the Harpoon game that I am currently using. However, I'll do some snooping around and double-check. Thanks for the info.

If you're the purchaser and only registered user of your computer, wouldn't that qualify you as having Administrator level? Or, is it something you need to have specifically setup on your computer?

Ownership of the game has nothing to do with how your personal computer is arranged and what level of access authority each user is assigned. For example, some computers are set up that grant some users Guest Access. This usually allows Guests to use the computer, but prevents Guests from installing software onto the computer.

I would imagine that I already am the administrator of my computer, but maybe not.

If your account is the only one on that computer, you probably have administrator-level authority. However, without the ability to examine the account access settings, it is not possible to confirm. Usually, the person/account that installs software onto a computer is the one with administrator authority.

[aotino]

Hi Herman,

Well some time has elapsed since the start of this thread, and I'm sure more data is in on the capability of Windows 8 supporting Harpoon. So, I would like to know if you've had an update or a sense from our fellow colleagues of the Harpoon game whether Windows 8 is a stable platform for Harpoon. I am about ready to get a new computer as my old war horse with its Windows XP is about to expire physically - having a lot of problems with it running lately so the hand writing's on the wall.

The big qurestion is:

Do I go PC with Windows 8?
OR:
Does Harpoon work on a Mac? - which actually would be more beneficial in my regular business, but not a necessity.

Your thoughts and expertise would be greatly appreciated.

Best,
Alan Caso

[Herman Hum]

Just finished playing ANW MP against an opponent who had a Win8 -64bit computer. No problems.

I will try to find someone with a Mac computer and ask if it works satisfactorily, but no guarantees. From what was previously reported, Harpoon works fine on Mac via an emulator.

[aotino]

Just finished playing ANW MP against an opponent who had a Win8 -64bit computer. No problems.

Cool!

I will try to find someone with a Mac computer and ask if it works satisfactorily, but no guarantees. From what was previously reported, Harpoon works fine on Mac via an emulator.

Let me know. Much appreciated!

[Vincenzo Beretta]

Hi Aotino!

You can run Harpoon (and the vast majority of Windows' programs) on a Mac with an OSX system, but only using a Windows emulator - that is, a program that allows you to install Windows on your Mac and use your Mac like it were a normal Windows PC.

The one I use on my MacBook Pro laptop to run Windows 7 Professional is WMware Fusion 6 (http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/). It never gave me problems and it runs everything I run on my desktop PC.

There is another emulator called "Parallels" which is getting good reviews, but it gave me some headaches with War in the Pacific AE and Distant World graphics. Luckily I was still in my trial period, so I ditched it.

Be aware of three "Caveats":

- You must buy the emulator (about $60 for Fusion)
- You must have a valid copy of Windows to use specifically on your Mac: installing a copy already in use on another computer is illegal.
- The program runs OSX and Windows *at the same time*: you can literally switch from Mac to Windows in real time. However each OS will "appropriate" about half of the memory. If you have a 8GB RAM Mac you will basically run two virtual machines with 4GB each. There are workarounds in the option panels, but I only managed to crash the systems

Finally, you can use Apple's own "Boot Camp" (https://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/) - but I was discouraged from using it. It is complicated and painful to install. There is a reason as why you find so many third party products.

And that's it. Hope that the above helped!

Vincenzo

[aotino]

Hi Vincenzo,
I'm sorry this is a little late but thank you for responding to my query. You answer was very helpful and instructive. Now I have to decide whether I'll go on to a new Mac, or a new PC.
All the best,
Alan