What's the last QUIET Mac that can run OS 9 natively?

[motulist]

What's the last quiet Mac you can run OS 9 on natively?

I have some old OS 9 audio programs that I want to run and my main computer's cpu is already maxing with the audio programs I have it running now, so running them in classic under OS X wont work. So I'm looking for the most powerful Mac that can run OS 9 natively and is relatively quiet, do you know which one that is?

 

[Jaffa Cake]

I believe they were the final revision of the G4 Power Macs, released in the middle of 2003.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Pretty sure that's one of the dual G4 1.25 MDDs; we have one in the office which came with both OS9 and OS 10 CDs. Also affectionately known as 'wind-tunnels' which may make their use for audio apps problematic.

The dual 1.42 does not boot in OS9.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Just to add – I'm reasonably sure that as a general rule of thumb if a Mac has FireWire 800 ports, it isn't OS 9 bootable.

 

[motulist]

... Also affectionately known as 'wind-tunnels' which may make their use for audio apps problematic.

You're right, I'm so used to my powerbook being completely silent that I forgot how loud a desktop can be! So let me alter my question, what's the last Mac that can run OS 9 natively and is very quiet?

 

[Blue Velvet]

There's not one G4 tower I've personally used that I can say is very quiet; from a friend's 466 to the QuickSilver 733s up to the duals. Maybe one of the laptops might be a better bet or positioning a tower where it can't be heard, running long cables to operate it.

Even the fan kit I put into my dual 1.4 made the problem just bearable rather than teeth-grating. It's still not very quiet... as I type I'm listening to music on the headphones rather than over speakers.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

So let me alter my question, what's the last Mac that can run OS 9 natively and is very quiet?

I suppose that your best bet might be to look at a Quicksilver Power Mac – we have one at work and it's reasonably quiet, certainly compared to the MDD Power Mac I work on.

This article should clue you up on your OS 9 options.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

What's the last quiet Mac you can run OS 9 on natively?

I have some old OS 9 audio programs that I want to run and my main computer's cpu is already maxing with the audio programs I have it running now, so running them in classic under OS X wont work. So I'm looking for the most powerful Mac that can run OS 9 natively and is relatively quiet, do you know which one that is?

The Cube, no fans anyone remember this machine if only Apple would bring it back they dont have anything thats even close today. There isnt any Powermac that can be called quiet as far as i have ever heard.

 

[iMeowbot]

You might also look into an AcoustiLock cabinet or something similar. Or, build your own if you're into that kind of thing.

 

[Leareth]

ibook g4 < its quiet , its a mac, it boots in os 9

the g4 powermacs were very loud with fans on, though nothing like the rev a iMac g5's

 

[SkyBell]

The Cube, no fans anyone remember this machine if only Apple would bring it back they dont have anything thats even close today. There isnt any Powermac that can be called quiet as far as i have ever heard.

Yes.. we HAVE overlooked that. Although I can't quite remember why the cube was a failure right now, there is probably a reason why no one has mentiond it yet.

 

[motulist]

Yes.. we HAVE overlooked that. Although I can't quite remember why the cube was a failure right now, there is probably a reason why no one has mentiond it yet.

It was way overpriced for what it was. As I recall, it had a functionality level that would've been around an iMac of it's year, but they priced it around the same as an iMac too. Other than the price vs. functionality ratio, everyone loved the cube, but it had no market niche to fill. Power users needed to buy the tower, people concerned with looks or lower price bought the iMac because it had the same functionality as the cube, looked great also, but came with a monitor at the same price. Rather than create a Mac to fill in the low cost niche like the Mac Mini, they tried to wedge another product between the tower and the iMac, but instead wound up satisfying no one.

Apple, learned from the cube. Years later after the sting of the cube's failure had worn off for Apple and the consumer's memories got old enough not to make comparisons, Apple came out with the Mac Mini, which is what the cube should've been all along.