Mac OS 9
Encyclopedia
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS
before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's
Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as iTools and improved Open Transport
networking.
While Mac OS 9 lacks protected memory and full pre-emptive multitasking, lasting improvements include the introduction of an automated Software Update engine and support for multiple users
.
Apple discontinued development of Mac OS 9 in 2002, transitioning all future development to Mac OS X
. Since that time, no updates have been released. The final updates to Mac OS 9 addressed compatibility issues with OS X while running in the Classic Environment
and compatibility with Carbon applications. At the 2002 World Wide Developers Conference, Steve Jobs began his keynote address by staging a mock funeral for OS 9. However, there are still users of Mac OS 9 today. Specifically retro-gamers, people using old software that was discontinued before the introduction of OS X or users of old hardware incompatible with Mac OS X. (680X0 and PowerPC Macs made before the introduction of the G3 prosessor.)
-like metallic
appearance. Mac OS 9 also featured integrated support for Apple’s suite of Internet services known as iTools (later re-branded as .Mac, then MobileMe
, which is now known as iCloud
) and included improved TCP/IP functionality with Open Transport
2.5.
Other features new to Mac OS 9 include:
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS
before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's
Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as iTools and improved Open Transport
networking.
While Mac OS 9 lacks protected memory and full pre-emptive multitasking, lasting improvements include the introduction of an automated Software Update engine and support for multiple users
.
Apple discontinued development of Mac OS 9 in 2002, transitioning all future development to Mac OS X
. Since that time, no updates have been released. The final updates to Mac OS 9 addressed compatibility issues with OS X while running in the Classic Environment
and compatibility with Carbon applications. At the 2002 World Wide Developers Conference, Steve Jobs began his keynote address by staging a mock funeral for OS 9. However, there are still users of Mac OS 9 today. Specifically retro-gamers, people using old software that was discontinued before the introduction of OS X or users of old hardware incompatible with Mac OS X. (680X0 and PowerPC Macs made before the introduction of the G3 prosessor.)
-like metallic
appearance. Mac OS 9 also featured integrated support for Apple’s suite of Internet services known as iTools (later re-branded as .Mac, then MobileMe
, which is now known as iCloud
) and included improved TCP/IP functionality with Open Transport
2.5.
Other features new to Mac OS 9 include:
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS
before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's
Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as iTools and improved Open Transport
networking.
While Mac OS 9 lacks protected memory and full pre-emptive multitasking, lasting improvements include the introduction of an automated Software Update engine and support for multiple users
.
Apple discontinued development of Mac OS 9 in 2002, transitioning all future development to Mac OS X
. Since that time, no updates have been released. The final updates to Mac OS 9 addressed compatibility issues with OS X while running in the Classic Environment
and compatibility with Carbon applications. At the 2002 World Wide Developers Conference, Steve Jobs began his keynote address by staging a mock funeral for OS 9. However, there are still users of Mac OS 9 today. Specifically retro-gamers, people using old software that was discontinued before the introduction of OS X or users of old hardware incompatible with Mac OS X. (680X0 and PowerPC Macs made before the introduction of the G3 prosessor.)
-like metallic
appearance. Mac OS 9 also featured integrated support for Apple’s suite of Internet services known as iTools (later re-branded as .Mac, then MobileMe
, which is now known as iCloud
) and included improved TCP/IP functionality with Open Transport
2.5.
Other features new to Mac OS 9 include:
versions of Mac OS X
prior to 10.5 include a compatibility layer called Classic
, enabling users to run applications and hardware requiring Mac OS 9 from within Mac OS X. This is achieved through running Mac OS 9 without access to Finder inside Mac OS X. This requires Mac OS 9 to be installed on the computer, even if computers that can run the Classic environment are not nessecarily able to boot into Mac OS 9. Most Mac OS 9 applications run well in Classic, although some applications demonstrate screen redraw problems. In addition, scanner drivers and many other utilities no longer work, and in the Classic environment there is no access to Finder or the control panel. For changing settings you must boot into Mac OS 9 and use the control panels from within the OS.
In May 2002, at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference
in San Jose, California
, Steve Jobs
, accompanied by a coffin
, held a mock funeral
to announce that Apple had stopped development of Mac OS 9. Mac OS 9.2.2, introduced in December 2001, was the final version of Mac OS 9 and the end of the classic Mac OS.
In June 2005, Jobs announced that the Macintosh platform would be transitioning to Intel x86 microprocessors. Developer documentation of the Rosetta
PowerPC emulation layer revealed that applications written for Mac OS 8 or 9 would not run on x86-based Macs. The Classic Environment remains in the PowerPC version of Mac OS X 10.4; however, x86 versions of OS X do not support the Classic environment.
As a workaround for Intel-based Macs, Mac OS 9 can be emulated up to version 9.0.4 by using SheepShaver
, a PowerPC emulator. It cannot emulate above 9.0.4 because SheepShaver does not emulate a memory management unit
. The PearPC
PowerPC emulator does not support Mac OS 9.
Updates to Mac OS 9 include 9.0.4, 9.1, 9.2.1, and 9.2.2. Mac OS 9.0.4 was a collection of bug fixes primarily relating to USB and FireWire support. OS 9.1 included integrated CD burning support in the Macintosh Finder
and added a new Window menu in the Finder for switching between open windows. Mac OS 9.2 increased performance noticeably and improved Classic Environment support. While Mac OS 9.2 is only officially supported on G3 Power Macs, it could still be installed on certain unsupported PowerPC models through the use of third-party software, such as OS 9 Helper. http://os9forever.com
Note 1: It may be noted that some G4 Macs
can only run at least Mac OS 9.1, and some only run at least Mac OS 9.2. This is because G4 Mac development occurred during the classic Mac OS period.
Note 2: G5 Macs
can only run at least Mac OS 9.2, and can only run its compatible versions of Mac OS 9 in Mac OS X
's Classic Environment because with their development in the Mac OS X
days, G5 Macs
were designed to only have Darwin
real-boot support.
, as development on it has ended, it is still in use by those who cannot upgrade to Mac OS X due to hardware limitations, or prefer it to Mac OS X. Mac OS 9 is also a popular choice for retrocomputing
hobbyists. Mac gamers also sometimes revert to Classic (often via emulation) in order to play some of the earlier, non-supported games, for example, Civilization II
, and the Marathon Trilogy
.
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's
Sherlock (software)
Sherlock, named after Sherlock Holmes, was a file and web search tool created by Apple Inc. for the Mac OS, introduced with Mac OS 8.5 as an extension of the Mac OS Finder's file searching capabilities. Like its predecessor, it can search for local files and file contents, which it does using the...
Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as iTools and improved Open Transport
Open Transport
Open Transport was the name given by Apple Inc. to their implementation of the Unix-originated System V STREAMS. Based on code licensed from Mentat's Portable Streams product, Open Transport was built to provide the Mac OS with a modern TCP/IP implementation, replacing MacTCP...
networking.
While Mac OS 9 lacks protected memory and full pre-emptive multitasking, lasting improvements include the introduction of an automated Software Update engine and support for multiple users
Multi-user
Multi-user is a term that defines an operating system or application software that allows concurrent access by multiple users of a computer. Time-sharing systems are multi-user systems. Most batch processing systems for mainframe computers may also be considered "multi-user", to avoid leaving the...
.
Apple discontinued development of Mac OS 9 in 2002, transitioning all future development to Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
. Since that time, no updates have been released. The final updates to Mac OS 9 addressed compatibility issues with OS X while running in the Classic Environment
Classic (Mac OS X)
Classic, or Classic Environment, was a hardware and software abstraction layer in Mac OS X that allowed applications compatible with Mac OS 9 to run on the Mac OS X operating system...
and compatibility with Carbon applications. At the 2002 World Wide Developers Conference, Steve Jobs began his keynote address by staging a mock funeral for OS 9. However, there are still users of Mac OS 9 today. Specifically retro-gamers, people using old software that was discontinued before the introduction of OS X or users of old hardware incompatible with Mac OS X. (680X0 and PowerPC Macs made before the introduction of the G3 prosessor.)
Features
Apple billed Mac OS 9 as including "50 New Features" and heavily marketed its Sherlock 2 software, which introduced a 'channels' feature for searching different online resources and introduced a QuickTimeQuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
-like metallic
Brushed metal (interface)
Brushed metal is a discontinued graphical user interface design used in Apple Computer's Mac OS X operating system for Macintosh computers. The first of Apple's applications to sport this look was the QuickTime Player released as part of QuickTime 4.0 in 1999.Apple's Human Interface Guidelines...
appearance. Mac OS 9 also featured integrated support for Apple’s suite of Internet services known as iTools (later re-branded as .Mac, then MobileMe
MobileMe
MobileMe was a subscription-based collection of online services and software offered by Apple Inc. Originally launched on January 5, 2000, as iTools, a free collection of Internet-based services for users of Mac OS 9, Apple relaunched it as .Mac on July 17, 2002, when it became a paid subscription...
, which is now known as iCloud
ICloud
iCloud is a cloud storage and cloud computing service from Apple Inc. announced on June 6, 2011 at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference . The service allows users to store data such as music files on remote computer servers for download to multiple devices such as iPhones, iPods, iPads, and...
) and included improved TCP/IP functionality with Open Transport
Open Transport
Open Transport was the name given by Apple Inc. to their implementation of the Unix-originated System V STREAMS. Based on code licensed from Mentat's Portable Streams product, Open Transport was built to provide the Mac OS with a modern TCP/IP implementation, replacing MacTCP...
2.5.
Other features new to Mac OS 9 include:
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's
Sherlock (software)
Sherlock, named after Sherlock Holmes, was a file and web search tool created by Apple Inc. for the Mac OS, introduced with Mac OS 8.5 as an extension of the Mac OS Finder's file searching capabilities. Like its predecessor, it can search for local files and file contents, which it does using the...
Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as iTools and improved Open Transport
Open Transport
Open Transport was the name given by Apple Inc. to their implementation of the Unix-originated System V STREAMS. Based on code licensed from Mentat's Portable Streams product, Open Transport was built to provide the Mac OS with a modern TCP/IP implementation, replacing MacTCP...
networking.
While Mac OS 9 lacks protected memory and full pre-emptive multitasking, lasting improvements include the introduction of an automated Software Update engine and support for multiple users
Multi-user
Multi-user is a term that defines an operating system or application software that allows concurrent access by multiple users of a computer. Time-sharing systems are multi-user systems. Most batch processing systems for mainframe computers may also be considered "multi-user", to avoid leaving the...
.
Apple discontinued development of Mac OS 9 in 2002, transitioning all future development to Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
. Since that time, no updates have been released. The final updates to Mac OS 9 addressed compatibility issues with OS X while running in the Classic Environment
Classic (Mac OS X)
Classic, or Classic Environment, was a hardware and software abstraction layer in Mac OS X that allowed applications compatible with Mac OS 9 to run on the Mac OS X operating system...
and compatibility with Carbon applications. At the 2002 World Wide Developers Conference, Steve Jobs began his keynote address by staging a mock funeral for OS 9. However, there are still users of Mac OS 9 today. Specifically retro-gamers, people using old software that was discontinued before the introduction of OS X or users of old hardware incompatible with Mac OS X. (680X0 and PowerPC Macs made before the introduction of the G3 prosessor.)
Features
Apple billed Mac OS 9 as including "50 New Features" and heavily marketed its Sherlock 2 software, which introduced a 'channels' feature for searching different online resources and introduced a QuickTimeQuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
-like metallic
Brushed metal (interface)
Brushed metal is a discontinued graphical user interface design used in Apple Computer's Mac OS X operating system for Macintosh computers. The first of Apple's applications to sport this look was the QuickTime Player released as part of QuickTime 4.0 in 1999.Apple's Human Interface Guidelines...
appearance. Mac OS 9 also featured integrated support for Apple’s suite of Internet services known as iTools (later re-branded as .Mac, then MobileMe
MobileMe
MobileMe was a subscription-based collection of online services and software offered by Apple Inc. Originally launched on January 5, 2000, as iTools, a free collection of Internet-based services for users of Mac OS 9, Apple relaunched it as .Mac on July 17, 2002, when it became a paid subscription...
, which is now known as iCloud
ICloud
iCloud is a cloud storage and cloud computing service from Apple Inc. announced on June 6, 2011 at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference . The service allows users to store data such as music files on remote computer servers for download to multiple devices such as iPhones, iPods, iPads, and...
) and included improved TCP/IP functionality with Open Transport
Open Transport
Open Transport was the name given by Apple Inc. to their implementation of the Unix-originated System V STREAMS. Based on code licensed from Mentat's Portable Streams product, Open Transport was built to provide the Mac OS with a modern TCP/IP implementation, replacing MacTCP...
2.5.
Other features new to Mac OS 9 include:
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's
Sherlock (software)
Sherlock, named after Sherlock Holmes, was a file and web search tool created by Apple Inc. for the Mac OS, introduced with Mac OS 8.5 as an extension of the Mac OS Finder's file searching capabilities. Like its predecessor, it can search for local files and file contents, which it does using the...
Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as iTools and improved Open Transport
Open Transport
Open Transport was the name given by Apple Inc. to their implementation of the Unix-originated System V STREAMS. Based on code licensed from Mentat's Portable Streams product, Open Transport was built to provide the Mac OS with a modern TCP/IP implementation, replacing MacTCP...
networking.
While Mac OS 9 lacks protected memory and full pre-emptive multitasking, lasting improvements include the introduction of an automated Software Update engine and support for multiple users
Multi-user
Multi-user is a term that defines an operating system or application software that allows concurrent access by multiple users of a computer. Time-sharing systems are multi-user systems. Most batch processing systems for mainframe computers may also be considered "multi-user", to avoid leaving the...
.
Apple discontinued development of Mac OS 9 in 2002, transitioning all future development to Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
. Since that time, no updates have been released. The final updates to Mac OS 9 addressed compatibility issues with OS X while running in the Classic Environment
Classic (Mac OS X)
Classic, or Classic Environment, was a hardware and software abstraction layer in Mac OS X that allowed applications compatible with Mac OS 9 to run on the Mac OS X operating system...
and compatibility with Carbon applications. At the 2002 World Wide Developers Conference, Steve Jobs began his keynote address by staging a mock funeral for OS 9. However, there are still users of Mac OS 9 today. Specifically retro-gamers, people using old software that was discontinued before the introduction of OS X or users of old hardware incompatible with Mac OS X. (680X0 and PowerPC Macs made before the introduction of the G3 prosessor.)
Features
Apple billed Mac OS 9 as including "50 New Features" and heavily marketed its Sherlock 2 software, which introduced a 'channels' feature for searching different online resources and introduced a QuickTimeQuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
-like metallic
Brushed metal (interface)
Brushed metal is a discontinued graphical user interface design used in Apple Computer's Mac OS X operating system for Macintosh computers. The first of Apple's applications to sport this look was the QuickTime Player released as part of QuickTime 4.0 in 1999.Apple's Human Interface Guidelines...
appearance. Mac OS 9 also featured integrated support for Apple’s suite of Internet services known as iTools (later re-branded as .Mac, then MobileMe
MobileMe
MobileMe was a subscription-based collection of online services and software offered by Apple Inc. Originally launched on January 5, 2000, as iTools, a free collection of Internet-based services for users of Mac OS 9, Apple relaunched it as .Mac on July 17, 2002, when it became a paid subscription...
, which is now known as iCloud
ICloud
iCloud is a cloud storage and cloud computing service from Apple Inc. announced on June 6, 2011 at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference . The service allows users to store data such as music files on remote computer servers for download to multiple devices such as iPhones, iPods, iPads, and...
) and included improved TCP/IP functionality with Open Transport
Open Transport
Open Transport was the name given by Apple Inc. to their implementation of the Unix-originated System V STREAMS. Based on code licensed from Mentat's Portable Streams product, Open Transport was built to provide the Mac OS with a modern TCP/IP implementation, replacing MacTCP...
2.5.
Other features new to Mac OS 9 include:
- Integrated support for multiple user accounts without using At EaseAt EaseAt Ease was an alternative to the Macintosh desktop developed by Apple Computer in the early 1990s. It provided a simple environment for new Macintosh users and young children to help them to work without supervision...
. - Support for voice login through VoicePrint passwords.
- KeychainApple KeychainKeychain is Apple Inc.'s password management system in Mac OS. It was introduced with Mac OS 8.6, and has been included in all subsequent versions of Mac OS, including Mac OS X...
, a feature allowing users to save passwords and textual data encrypted in protected keychains. - A Software Update control panel for automatic download and installation of Apple system software updates.
- A redesigned Sound control panel and support for USB audio.
- Speakable Items 2.0, also known as PlainTalkPlainTalkPlainTalk is the collective name for several speech synthesis and speech recognition technologies developed by Apple Inc.In 1990, Apple invested a lot of work and money in speech recognition technology, hiring many respected researchers in the field. The result was "PlainTalk", released with the...
, featuring improved speech synthesis and recognition along with AppleScript integration. - Improved font management through FontSync.
- Remote Access Personal Server 3.5, including support for TCP/IP clients over Point-to-Point ProtocolPoint-to-Point ProtocolIn networking, the Point-to-Point Protocol is a data link protocol commonly used in establishing a direct connection between two networking nodes...
(PPP). - An updated version of AppleScriptAppleScriptAppleScript is a scripting language created by Apple Inc. and built into Macintosh operating systems since System 7. The term "AppleScript" may refer to the scripting system itself, or to particular scripts that are written in the AppleScript language....
with support for TCP/IP. - Personal File Sharing over TCP/IP.
- USB Printer Sharing, a control panel allowing certain USB printers to be shared across a TCP/IP network.
- 128-bit file encryptionEncryptionIn cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information...
in the Finder. - Support for files larger than 2 GBGigabyteThe gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
. - UnixUnixUnix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
volume support. - CD Burning in the FinderMacintosh FinderThe Finder is the default file manager used on Mac OS and Mac OS X operating systems; it is responsible for the overall user-management of files, disks, network volumes and the launching of other applications...
(introduced in Mac OS 9.1). - Addition of a 'Window' menu to the Finder (introduced in Mac OS 9.1)
Mac OS 9 and the Classic environment
PowerPCPowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
versions of Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
prior to 10.5 include a compatibility layer called Classic
Classic (Mac OS X)
Classic, or Classic Environment, was a hardware and software abstraction layer in Mac OS X that allowed applications compatible with Mac OS 9 to run on the Mac OS X operating system...
, enabling users to run applications and hardware requiring Mac OS 9 from within Mac OS X. This is achieved through running Mac OS 9 without access to Finder inside Mac OS X. This requires Mac OS 9 to be installed on the computer, even if computers that can run the Classic environment are not nessecarily able to boot into Mac OS 9. Most Mac OS 9 applications run well in Classic, although some applications demonstrate screen redraw problems. In addition, scanner drivers and many other utilities no longer work, and in the Classic environment there is no access to Finder or the control panel. For changing settings you must boot into Mac OS 9 and use the control panels from within the OS.
In May 2002, at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference
Worldwide Developers Conference
The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, commonly abbreviated WWDC, is a conference held annually in California by Apple Inc. The conference is primarily used by Apple to showcase its new software and technologies for developers, as well as offering hands-on labs and feedback sessions...
in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
, accompanied by a coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
, held a mock funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
to announce that Apple had stopped development of Mac OS 9. Mac OS 9.2.2, introduced in December 2001, was the final version of Mac OS 9 and the end of the classic Mac OS.
In June 2005, Jobs announced that the Macintosh platform would be transitioning to Intel x86 microprocessors. Developer documentation of the Rosetta
Rosetta (software)
Rosetta was a lightweight and dynamic binary translator for Mac OS X which Apple released in 2006 when it transitioned the Macintosh from PowerPC to Intel processors. It allowed pre-existing software to run on the new systems without modification....
PowerPC emulation layer revealed that applications written for Mac OS 8 or 9 would not run on x86-based Macs. The Classic Environment remains in the PowerPC version of Mac OS X 10.4; however, x86 versions of OS X do not support the Classic environment.
As a workaround for Intel-based Macs, Mac OS 9 can be emulated up to version 9.0.4 by using SheepShaver
SheepShaver
SheepShaver is an open source PowerPC Apple Macintosh emulator originally designed for BeOS and Linux. The name is a play on ShapeShifter, a Macintosh II emulator for AmigaOS , which is in turn not to be confused with a third-party preference pane for Mac OS X with the same name...
, a PowerPC emulator. It cannot emulate above 9.0.4 because SheepShaver does not emulate a memory management unit
Memory management unit
A memory management unit , sometimes called paged memory management unit , is a computer hardware component responsible for handling accesses to memory requested by the CPU...
. The PearPC
PearPC
PearPC is an architecture-independent PowerPC platform emulator capable of running many PowerPC operating systems, including Mac OS X, Darwin and Linux. It is released under the terms of the GNU General Public License . It can be executed on Microsoft Windows, Linux, FreeBSD and other systems based...
PowerPC emulator does not support Mac OS 9.
Version history
| Version | Release Date | Changes | Codename | Computer | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | October 23, 1999 | Initial release | Sonata | N/A | 99 USD |
| 9.0.2 | February 2000 (Shipped with Macs) |
Bug fixes. | N/A | PowerBook (FireWire) | Only shipped with referred Macs |
| 9.0.3 | March 2000 (Shipped with Macs) |
Bug fixes. | N/A | iMac/iMac DV/iMac DV SE | Only shipped with referred Macs |
| 9.0.4 | April 4, 2000 (download) |
Improved USB and FireWire support. Other bug fixes. |
Minuet | iMac G3 (slot loading) | Free Update |
| 9.1 | January 9, 2001 (download) | Integrated Disc Burning within Finder. Implementation of Finder 'Window' menu. Improved stability. |
Fortissimo | iBook 14 inch panel ibook12 | Free Update |
| 9.2 | June 18, 2001 (Shipped with Macs) |
G3 processor as minimum system requirement. Improved speed and Classic Environment support. |
Moonlight | Power Mac G4 (QuickSilver) | Only shipped with referred Macs |
| 9.2.1 | August 21, 2001 (download) | Minor bug fixes. | Limelight | iBook (Late 2001), PowerBook G4 (Gigabit Ethernet) | Free Update |
| 9.2.2 | December 5, 2001 (download) | Bug fixes relating to Classic Environment. | LU1 | eMac | Free Update |
Updates to Mac OS 9 include 9.0.4, 9.1, 9.2.1, and 9.2.2. Mac OS 9.0.4 was a collection of bug fixes primarily relating to USB and FireWire support. OS 9.1 included integrated CD burning support in the Macintosh Finder
Macintosh Finder
The Finder is the default file manager used on Mac OS and Mac OS X operating systems; it is responsible for the overall user-management of files, disks, network volumes and the launching of other applications...
and added a new Window menu in the Finder for switching between open windows. Mac OS 9.2 increased performance noticeably and improved Classic Environment support. While Mac OS 9.2 is only officially supported on G3 Power Macs, it could still be installed on certain unsupported PowerPC models through the use of third-party software, such as OS 9 Helper. http://os9forever.com
Compatibility
| Macintosh Model | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.2.1 | 9.2.2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Macintosh 6100 Power Macintosh 6100 The Power Macintosh 6100 was Apple Computer's first computer to use the new PowerPC RISC type processor created by IBM and Motorola. It came in the Centris 610's "pizza box" low-profile case, and superseded the Quadra series that used Motorola's 68040 processor, Apple's previous high end... |
: Must install from CD | |||
| Power Macintosh 7100 Power Macintosh 7100 The Power Macintosh 7100 was a mid-range Apple Macintosh personal computer that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from March 1994 to January 1996. The PowerMac 7100 was faster and more expandable than the Power Macintosh 6100, and was a part of the original Power Macintosh line... |
: Must install from CD | |||
| Power Macintosh 8100 Power Macintosh 8100 The Power Macintosh 8100 is a personal computer that is a part of Apple Computer's Power Macintosh series of Macintosh computers... |
: Must install from CD | |||
| PowerBook 2300 PowerBook Duo The PowerBook Duo was a line of small subnotebooks manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from 1992 until 1997 as a more compact companion to the PowerBook line. Improving upon the PowerBook 100's portability , the Duo came in seven different models... |
||||
| PowerBook 5300 PowerBook 5300 The PowerBook 5300 series was the first generation of PowerBook laptops manufactured by Apple Computer to use the PowerPC processor. Released in August 1995, these PowerBooks were notable for being the first to feature hot-swappable expansion modules for a variety of different units such as ZIP... |
||||
| PowerBook 1400 PowerBook 1400 The PowerBook 1400 was a notebook computer designed and sold by Apple Computer from 1996 to 1998 as part of their PowerBook series of Macintosh computers. Introduced in November 1996 at a starting price of $2499, it was the first new PowerBook since the controversial PowerBook 5300... |
: Password Security unsupported | |||
| PowerBook 3400 | : Hard disk driver must not be updated | |||
| Power Macintosh 5200 | ||||
| Power Macintosh 5300 | ||||
| Power Macintosh 5500 | ||||
| Power Macintosh 4400 Power Macintosh 4400 The Power Macintosh 4400 was a mid-to-high-end Macintosh personal computer designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from 1996 until 1998... |
||||
| Power Macintosh 6200 Power Macintosh 6200 The Power Macintosh 6200 is a series of mid-range personal computers that are a part of Apple Computer's Power Macintosh and Macintosh Performa series of Macintosh computers... |
||||
| Power Macintosh 6300 | ||||
| Power Macintosh 6400 | ||||
| Power Macintosh 6500 | ||||
| Power Macintosh 7200 Power Macintosh 7200 The Power Macintosh 7200 is a personal computer that is a part of Apple Computer's Power Macintosh series of Macintosh computers. It was introduced in August 1995 as a successor to the Power Macintosh 7100, and was discontinued in favor of the Power Macintosh 7300 in February 1997... |
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| Power Macintosh 7300 Power Macintosh 7300 The Power Macintosh 7300 is a personal computer that is a part of Apple Computer's Power Macintosh series of Macintosh computers... |
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| Power Macintosh 7500 Power Macintosh 7500 The Power Macintosh 7500 was one of the first PCI capable Macs manufactured by Apple Computer. It was released alongside the Power Macintosh 7200, and the Power Macintosh 8500 in October 1995. The 7500 had a PowerPC 601 processor rated at 100 MHz that was replaceable via a daughtercard... |
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| Power Macintosh 8500 Power Macintosh 8500 The Power Macintosh 8500 was a high-end Macintosh personal computer designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from 1995 until 1997. Billed as a high-end graphics computer, the Power Macintosh 8500 was also the first Macintosh to ship with a replaceable daughtercard... |
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| Power Macintosh 7600 Power Macintosh 7600 The Power Macintosh 7600 was a PowerPC 604 based desktop computer sold by Apple in three speeds between April 1996 and November 1997. The 7600 was essentially a Power Macintosh 7500 with a different CPU card, the change in model number occurring because of the move from the 7500's PPC601 to the... |
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| Power Macintosh 8600 Power Macintosh 8600 The Power Macintosh 8600 is a personal computer that is a part of Apple Computer's Power Macintosh series of Macintosh computers. It was introduced at a processor speed of 200 MHz in February 1997 alongside the Power Macintosh 7300 and the Power Macintosh 9600. It replaced the Power Macintosh... |
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| Power Macintosh 9600 Power Macintosh 9600 The Power Macintosh 9600 is a personal computer that is a part of Apple Computer's Power Macintosh series of Macintosh computers... |
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| Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh Apple's Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh is a limited-edition personal computer that was released in 1997 in celebration of the company's 20th birthday.... |
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| PowerBook G3 PowerBook G3 The PowerBook G3 is a line of laptop Macintosh computers made by Apple Computer between 1997 and 2000. It was the first laptop to use the PowerPC G3 series of microprocessors... |
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| PowerBook G3 PowerBook G3 The PowerBook G3 is a line of laptop Macintosh computers made by Apple Computer between 1997 and 2000. It was the first laptop to use the PowerPC G3 series of microprocessors... Series |
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| PowerBook PowerBook The PowerBook was a line of Macintosh laptop computers that was designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1991 to 2006. During its lifetime, the PowerBook went through several major revisions and redesigns, often being the first to incorporate features that would later become... (FireWire) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... (Gigabit Ethernet) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... (DVI) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... (1 GHz/867 MHz) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... (12-inch) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... (17-inch) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... (12-inch DVI) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... (12-inch 1.33 GHz) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... (12-inch 1.5 GHz) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... (15-inch FW 800) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... (15-inch 1.5/1.33 GHz) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... (17-inch 1.33 GHz) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| PowerBook G4 PowerBook G4 The PowerBook G4 are a series of notebook computers that were manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple, Inc. between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line. It uses the PowerPC G4 processor, initially produced by Motorola and later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor... (17-inch 1.5 GHz) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... |
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| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... (FireWire) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... (Dual USB) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... (Late 2001) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... (14.1 LCD) |
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| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... (16 VRAM) |
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| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... (Opaque 16 VRAM) |
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| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... (32 VRAM) |
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| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... (14.1 LCD 32 VRAM) |
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| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... (Early 2003) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... G4 |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... G4 (14-inch) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| iBook IBook The iBook was a line of laptop computers sold by Apple Computer from 1999 to 2006. The line targeted the consumer and education markets, with lower specifications and prices than the PowerBook, Apple's higher-end line of laptop computers.... G4 (Early 2004) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| Power Macintosh G3 Power Macintosh G3 The Power Macintosh G3, commonly called "beige G3s" or "platinum G3s" for the color of their cases, was a series of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from November 1997 to January 1999... All-In-One |
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| Power Macintosh G3 Power Macintosh G3 The Power Macintosh G3, commonly called "beige G3s" or "platinum G3s" for the color of their cases, was a series of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from November 1997 to January 1999... |
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| Power Macintosh G3 (Blue and White) Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White) The Power Macintosh G3 series was a series of personal computers designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer Inc. as part of their Power Macintosh line... |
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| iMac G3 IMac G3 The iMac G3 was the first model of the iMac line of personal computers made by Apple Inc. , and the originator of the Legacy-free PC market category. Like the first Macs, the iMac G3 is an all-in-one personal computer, encompassing both the monitor and the system unit in a single enclosure... |
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| iMac G3 IMac G3 The iMac G3 was the first model of the iMac line of personal computers made by Apple Inc. , and the originator of the Legacy-free PC market category. Like the first Macs, the iMac G3 is an all-in-one personal computer, encompassing both the monitor and the system unit in a single enclosure... (266 MHz, 333 MHz) |
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| iMac G3 IMac G3 The iMac G3 was the first model of the iMac line of personal computers made by Apple Inc. , and the originator of the Legacy-free PC market category. Like the first Macs, the iMac G3 is an all-in-one personal computer, encompassing both the monitor and the system unit in a single enclosure... (Slot Loading) |
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| iMac G3 IMac G3 The iMac G3 was the first model of the iMac line of personal computers made by Apple Inc. , and the originator of the Legacy-free PC market category. Like the first Macs, the iMac G3 is an all-in-one personal computer, encompassing both the monitor and the system unit in a single enclosure... (Summer 2000) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| iMac G3 IMac G3 The iMac G3 was the first model of the iMac line of personal computers made by Apple Inc. , and the originator of the Legacy-free PC market category. Like the first Macs, the iMac G3 is an all-in-one personal computer, encompassing both the monitor and the system unit in a single enclosure... (Early 2001) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| iMac G3 IMac G3 The iMac G3 was the first model of the iMac line of personal computers made by Apple Inc. , and the originator of the Legacy-free PC market category. Like the first Macs, the iMac G3 is an all-in-one personal computer, encompassing both the monitor and the system unit in a single enclosure... (Summer 2001) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| iMac G4 IMac G4 The iMac G4 was a computer that was produced by Apple from the beginning of 2002 to mid 2004. It replaced the aging iMac G3. The computer had a new design compared to older Macs. It had a 15-inch LCD which was mounted on an adjustable arm above a hemisphere containing a full-size, tray-loading... |
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| iMac G4 IMac G4 The iMac G4 was a computer that was produced by Apple from the beginning of 2002 to mid 2004. It replaced the aging iMac G3. The computer had a new design compared to older Macs. It had a 15-inch LCD which was mounted on an adjustable arm above a hemisphere containing a full-size, tray-loading... (February 2003) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| iMac G4 IMac G4 The iMac G4 was a computer that was produced by Apple from the beginning of 2002 to mid 2004. It replaced the aging iMac G3. The computer had a new design compared to older Macs. It had a 15-inch LCD which was mounted on an adjustable arm above a hemisphere containing a full-size, tray-loading... (17-inch 1 GHz) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| iMac G4 IMac G4 The iMac G4 was a computer that was produced by Apple from the beginning of 2002 to mid 2004. It replaced the aging iMac G3. The computer had a new design compared to older Macs. It had a 15-inch LCD which was mounted on an adjustable arm above a hemisphere containing a full-size, tray-loading... (USB 2.0) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| eMac EMac The eMac, short for education Mac, was a Macintosh desktop computer made by Apple Inc. It was originally aimed at the education market, but was later made available as a cheaper mass market alternative to Apple's second-generation LCD display iMac.... |
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| eMac EMac The eMac, short for education Mac, was a Macintosh desktop computer made by Apple Inc. It was originally aimed at the education market, but was later made available as a cheaper mass market alternative to Apple's second-generation LCD display iMac.... (ATI Graphics CD-ROM drive) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| eMac EMac The eMac, short for education Mac, was a Macintosh desktop computer made by Apple Inc. It was originally aimed at the education market, but was later made available as a cheaper mass market alternative to Apple's second-generation LCD display iMac.... (ATI Graphics Combo drive) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| eMac EMac The eMac, short for education Mac, was a Macintosh desktop computer made by Apple Inc. It was originally aimed at the education market, but was later made available as a cheaper mass market alternative to Apple's second-generation LCD display iMac.... (ATI Graphics SuperDrive) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| Power Mac G4 Power Mac G4 The Power Mac G4 was a series of personal computers that was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple between 1999 and 2004. They used the PowerPC G4 series of microprocessors. They were heralded by Apple to be the first personal supercomputers, reaching speeds of 4 to 20 Gigaflops... (PCI Graphics) |
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| Power Mac G4 Power Mac G4 The Power Mac G4 was a series of personal computers that was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple between 1999 and 2004. They used the PowerPC G4 series of microprocessors. They were heralded by Apple to be the first personal supercomputers, reaching speeds of 4 to 20 Gigaflops... (AGP Graphics) |
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| Power Mac G4 Power Mac G4 The Power Mac G4 was a series of personal computers that was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple between 1999 and 2004. They used the PowerPC G4 series of microprocessors. They were heralded by Apple to be the first personal supercomputers, reaching speeds of 4 to 20 Gigaflops... (Gigabit Ethernet) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| Power Mac G4 Cube Power Mac G4 Cube The Power Mac G4 Cube was a small form factor Macintosh personal computer from Apple Inc. It was sold from 2000 to 2001. Its cube shape is reminiscent of the NeXTcube from NeXT, acquired by Apple in 1996. The machine was designed by Apple industrial designer Jonathan Ive... |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| Power Mac G4 Power Mac G4 The Power Mac G4 was a series of personal computers that was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple between 1999 and 2004. They used the PowerPC G4 series of microprocessors. They were heralded by Apple to be the first personal supercomputers, reaching speeds of 4 to 20 Gigaflops... (Digital Audio) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| Power Mac G4 Power Mac G4 The Power Mac G4 was a series of personal computers that was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple between 1999 and 2004. They used the PowerPC G4 series of microprocessors. They were heralded by Apple to be the first personal supercomputers, reaching speeds of 4 to 20 Gigaflops... (QuickSilver) |
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| Power Mac G4 Power Mac G4 The Power Mac G4 was a series of personal computers that was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple between 1999 and 2004. They used the PowerPC G4 series of microprocessors. They were heralded by Apple to be the first personal supercomputers, reaching speeds of 4 to 20 Gigaflops... (QuickSilver 2002) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| Power Mac G4 Power Mac G4 The Power Mac G4 was a series of personal computers that was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple between 1999 and 2004. They used the PowerPC G4 series of microprocessors. They were heralded by Apple to be the first personal supercomputers, reaching speeds of 4 to 20 Gigaflops... (Mirrored Drive Doors) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| Power Mac G4 Power Mac G4 The Power Mac G4 was a series of personal computers that was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple between 1999 and 2004. They used the PowerPC G4 series of microprocessors. They were heralded by Apple to be the first personal supercomputers, reaching speeds of 4 to 20 Gigaflops... (FW 800) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| Power Mac G4 Power Mac G4 The Power Mac G4 was a series of personal computers that was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple between 1999 and 2004. They used the PowerPC G4 series of microprocessors. They were heralded by Apple to be the first personal supercomputers, reaching speeds of 4 to 20 Gigaflops... (Mirrored Drive Doors 2003) |
: Machine-specific version only | |||
| Power Mac G5 Power Mac G5 The Power Mac G5 is Apple's marketing name for models of the Power Macintosh that contains the IBM PowerPC G5 CPU. The professional-grade computer was the most powerful in Apple's lineup when it was introduced, widely hailed as the first 64-bit PC, and was touted by Apple as the fastest personal... |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| Power Mac G5 Power Mac G5 The Power Mac G5 is Apple's marketing name for models of the Power Macintosh that contains the IBM PowerPC G5 CPU. The professional-grade computer was the most powerful in Apple's lineup when it was introduced, widely hailed as the first 64-bit PC, and was touted by Apple as the fastest personal... (June 2004) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| Power Mac G5 Power Mac G5 The Power Mac G5 is Apple's marketing name for models of the Power Macintosh that contains the IBM PowerPC G5 CPU. The professional-grade computer was the most powerful in Apple's lineup when it was introduced, widely hailed as the first 64-bit PC, and was touted by Apple as the fastest personal... (Late 2004) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| Power Mac G5 Power Mac G5 The Power Mac G5 is Apple's marketing name for models of the Power Macintosh that contains the IBM PowerPC G5 CPU. The professional-grade computer was the most powerful in Apple's lineup when it was introduced, widely hailed as the first 64-bit PC, and was touted by Apple as the fastest personal... (Early 2005) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| Power Mac G5 Power Mac G5 The Power Mac G5 is Apple's marketing name for models of the Power Macintosh that contains the IBM PowerPC G5 CPU. The professional-grade computer was the most powerful in Apple's lineup when it was introduced, widely hailed as the first 64-bit PC, and was touted by Apple as the fastest personal... (Late 2005) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
| Mac mini Mac Mini The Mac Mini is a small form factor desktop computer manufactured by Apple Inc. Like earlier mini-ITX PC designs, it is uncommonly small for a desktop computer: 7.7 inches square and 1.4 inches tall. It weighs 2.7 pounds... (G4) |
: Classic Environment only | |||
Note 1: It may be noted that some G4 Macs
Power Mac G4
The Power Mac G4 was a series of personal computers that was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple between 1999 and 2004. They used the PowerPC G4 series of microprocessors. They were heralded by Apple to be the first personal supercomputers, reaching speeds of 4 to 20 Gigaflops...
can only run at least Mac OS 9.1, and some only run at least Mac OS 9.2. This is because G4 Mac development occurred during the classic Mac OS period.
Note 2: G5 Macs
Power Mac G5
The Power Mac G5 is Apple's marketing name for models of the Power Macintosh that contains the IBM PowerPC G5 CPU. The professional-grade computer was the most powerful in Apple's lineup when it was introduced, widely hailed as the first 64-bit PC, and was touted by Apple as the fastest personal...
can only run at least Mac OS 9.2, and can only run its compatible versions of Mac OS 9 in Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
's Classic Environment because with their development in the Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
days, G5 Macs
Power Mac G5
The Power Mac G5 is Apple's marketing name for models of the Power Macintosh that contains the IBM PowerPC G5 CPU. The professional-grade computer was the most powerful in Apple's lineup when it was introduced, widely hailed as the first 64-bit PC, and was touted by Apple as the fastest personal...
were designed to only have Darwin
Darwin (operating system)
Darwin is an open source POSIX-compliant computer operating system released by Apple Inc. in 2000. It is composed of code developed by Apple, as well as code derived from NeXTSTEP, BSD, and other free software projects....
real-boot support.
Availability
Retail copies of Mac OS 9 are still available from several Internet businesses at varying prices. Mac OS 9 is no longer available from Apple. Although now classified as abandonwareAbandonware
Abandonware are discontinued products for which no product support is available, or whose copyright ownership may be unclear for various reasons...
, as development on it has ended, it is still in use by those who cannot upgrade to Mac OS X due to hardware limitations, or prefer it to Mac OS X. Mac OS 9 is also a popular choice for retrocomputing
Retrocomputing
Retrocomputing is the use of early computer hardware and software today. Retrocomputing is usually classed as a hobby and recreation rather than a practical application of technology; enthusiasts often collect rare and valuable hardware and software for sentimental reasons...
hobbyists. Mac gamers also sometimes revert to Classic (often via emulation) in order to play some of the earlier, non-supported games, for example, Civilization II
Civilization II
Sid Meier's Civilization II is a turn-based strategy computer game designed by Brian Reynolds, Douglas Caspian-Kaufman and Jeff Briggs. Although it is a sequel to Sid Meier's Civilization, neither Sid Meier nor Bruce Shelley was involved in its development.Civilization II was first released in...
, and the Marathon Trilogy
Marathon Trilogy
The Marathon Trilogy is a science fiction series of first-person shooter computer games from Bungie, originally released for the Macintosh. The name Marathon is derived from the giant interstellar colony ship that provides the setting for the first game; the ship is constructed out of what used to...
.