As promised here is my report on replacing my XP computer.
When my IBM Thinkpad running XP died, I considered getting either a new Win 7 computer or a Mac of some type and installing a virtual machine running either XP or Win2K.
My needs are fairly simple: The ability to use XY4 with save/gets I programmed years ago, the great wildcard search-and-replace feature, ease of import of Xy's Ascii files into Word and to access and move those files easily to various types of drives and Dropbox.
I also wanted to be able to use more than 2 windows in XY (not possible in DosBox on Mac), and to have a decent size window or fullscreen in XY4. Except for XY4, all my work is done under Mac OS. I no longer use any Windows programs, so I resisted getting a Win 7 machine solely to install XY4 with all the
attendant headaches of setup.
After much thought, I decided to buy a Mac Mini, rather than a Macbook Air. The price was right, and the Mac Mini has great connectivity: HDMI, 4 USB3, Thunderbolt, Firewire, Ethernet, audio in & out ports. I had an Avant Stellar keyboard with left function keys (which it seems is now irreplaceable). I purchased a 24" NEC monitor and a Mac bluetooth track pad.
Before going to the trouble of installing Parallels, I started using Boxer, a free DOS emulation program made for gamers. XY4 works so well with this set up, that I've delayed the transition to Parallels. I simply copied my old Thinkpad XY4 folders onto a flash drive, and copied that onto the Mac Mini.
Unlike DoxBox, Boxer allows use of multiple XY4 windows. I've used up to 4 simultaneously, and had no trouble moving text between them. The Boxer window is easily resizeable. It can be stretched to any size on screen, or it can
run full screen. I haven't fiddled with fonts (if that's even possible), but I can stretch the window so that the type is easily readable. I often work with a pdf or Word document open side-by-side with the DOS screen.
I've had to make some adjustments in settings so that I can use the ALT, CTRL, and function keys in XY4 without interference from either the Mac system or Boxer (just a matter of a few check marks under Settings in the Mac).
Mac OS 10.9 allows me to reassign the ALT, CTRL, Command, and CAPS lock keys, so that I can work exactly the way I have for over a decade without reprogramming directly through the keyboard.
I am able to copy and save text in Word or on the web, and import it into XY files with Command-C and Command-V.
I can set up several drives at a time in Boxer, so that I can simultaneously save on the virtual C: drive, and a second drive D, in Dropbox. This gives me access to my files across my
several computers (even my phone). Files are easily convertible in Word for Mac, opening file as MS-DOS text file. So I'm pretty happy.
If I needed extensive DOS capability, U2 functions, or printing directly from XY, Boxer might not be a good solution. I'm not sure if extra tweaking would make some of these more complex functions available to more adept users.
I haven't printed from XY in years. I open Xy files in Word and print from there. I have access to the XY4 files in Boxer from my Mac system, so no need to go back and forth from one operating system to another--one of the problems that initially kept me from using Parallels in the past. No need for antivirus / antimalware software, since I'm not working in Windows.
I haven't tried U2 in this set up. When I do, I'll report.
Lisa Kleinholz