By James Hanback. It was not surprising to the mid-1980s computer-based role-playing adventure games such as King’s Quest, that some players might become frustrated, impatient, or just plain stuck trying to figure out the various solutions to the puzzles. Walk-throughs, which are guides for completing these games, were a clever way to make some extra revenue from the sale of a game. You could buy a printed walkthrough for many games. Some games came with red cellophane decoders, which allowed you to only reveal certain clues as you went along. This preserved some of the mystery of the game and made it easier to follow along without a guide. There were also automated 1-900 hint lines that you could call to guide you through the part of the game that was frustrating. You can now get all the walkthroughs you need online, thanks to the Internet. In 1984, the Internet was a relatively new term. The first Web browser was six years away.
We live in an increasingly “instant information” society. This post is your (free on the Internet!) guide to using Boson software in non Windows environments. This tutorial will show you how to successfully install and use Boson software on Mac OS X using VMware Fusion. VMware Fusion, a commercial desktop virtualization program that allows you to run other operating system (OSs) on virtual hardware in Mac OS X, is what we have already mentioned. You can therefore access and use Windows applications directly from your Mac. VMware Workstation is a similar software that can be used to create virtual desktop machines (VMs) which run on Windows or Linux PCs. The VM method of using Boson can increase your total cost-of-ownership (TCO). You will be responsible for the cost associated with your hardware, the cost to host OS (if not free), and the cost to virtualize software.
This walk-through will require you to gather the following items from your adventurer’s inventory in order to complete it:
An internet connection
64-bit Intel Mac, Core 2 Duo, Xeon or better processor, NVIDIA-8600M or ATI 2600 display capabilities, minimum 4 gigabytes of RAM, at least 750 megabytes of disk space (MB) for VMware Fusion, and at least 5 GB for each VM you plan to create.
Mac OS X 10.7 or later (Lion or Mac OS X 10.7.5 is recommended).
VMWare Fusion: A copy
A Microsoft Windows installation media (CD, DVD or ISO file) and a valid Windows key. VMware Fusion supports VMs of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows XP. However, official Microsoft support for Windows XP has ended in April 2014.
You can download either the Boson Exam Environment setup or the Boson NetSim Network Simulator set up program depending on which product you are installing.
A sufficient amount of time without being distracted
Your humble co-adventurer should disclose that he actually tested the process over a period of two days by installing VMware Fusion 6.0.2 on a late 2006 Mac Book Pro with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Mac OS X 10.7.5, 3 GB RAM, and VMware Fusion 6.0.2. The 32-bit version Microsoft Windows 7 Professional was used to create the VM he created. To protect your sanity, and to prevent hardware defenestration you should stick to the system requirements.
Ready? Let’s go!