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Why no classic?

M

Malus

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 19, 2005
299
0
Hi everyone, I've just noticed that the new intel macs won't run classic os9 anymore...thats not cool. Is there any software out there (like parallels and vmware) that will emulate os9? I have the install disk but no computer to run it on :(

I tried using sheep shaver, but it seems too confusing for me to do anything....

Thanks.
 
I don't think there are any apps out that emulate classic. Pretty much no one was using it by the time intel macs came out, and apple didn't want to take the time to convert it to "universal"
 
Sheepshaver works on my Intel Mac, but since I don't have any pre-OS X software to run on it (I just did it for the hell of it), I can't actually do anything with it. I did get the OS 9 version of iCab running on it though.

It'll run reeeaaaallllllyyyyyy sssssllllloooooowwwww with the default RAM settings, but speeds up noticeably when you increase the RAM assigned to it.
 
gkarris said:
Emulation and virtualization is your friend....

(I don't think we can talk about it anymore...)
Click to expand...
How does that help someone wanting to run OS 9 apps? We could just have said "move on, OS 9" is dead, but that doesn't help anyone either.
 
We might as well. All the OS 9 apps have now been updated for OS X or there are far better alternative apps available.

However, if you do want to do Classic on a Mac, Sheepshaver is the way to go. I ran it on my MacBook Pro and it seemed relatively speedy. Don't use it though...
 
plinden said:
How does that help someone wanting to run OS 9 apps? We could just have said "move on, OS 9" is dead, but that doesn't help anyone either.
Click to expand...

No.. there are emulation techniques. There was a reply several replies above explaining how to get versions of MacOS older than OS X running on Intel Macs. But the OP has to do some legwork. If he/she just denounces all the solutions as too complicated to understand, that's not my issue, is it?

Try Basilisk... or else explain where you got stuck with Sheepsaver.

In terms of why Classic isn't on Intel Macs, a big part of the basic reason, from what I understand, is that it runs at too basic a level (i.e. has relatively close access to PPC hardware) for Rosetta to run it. It wasn't reasonable for Apple to invest lots and lots of effort to create a non-Rosetta way to run such old versions of the OS on Intel processors....
 
Malus said:
Hi everyone, I've just noticed that the new intel macs won't run classic os9 anymore...thats not cool. Is there any software out there (like parallels and vmware) that will emulate os9? I have the install disk but no computer to run it on :(

I tried using sheep shaver, but it seems too confusing for me to do anything....

Thanks.
Click to expand...

A used G3 iMac can easily be had for less than $50...seems like a good investment if you're wanting to use/explore OS 9.
 
mkrishnan said:
No.. there are emulation techniques. There was a reply several replies above explaining how to get versions of MacOS older than OS X running on Intel Macs. But the OP has to do some legwork. If he/she just denounces all the solutions as too complicated to understand, that's not my issue, is it?

Try Basilisk... or else explain where you got stuck with Sheepsaver.

In terms of why Classic isn't on Intel Macs, a big part of the basic reason, from what I understand, is that it runs at too basic a level (i.e. has relatively close access to PPC hardware) for Rosetta to run it. It wasn't reasonable for Apple to invest lots and lots of effort to create a non-Rosetta way to run such old versions of the OS on Intel processors....
Click to expand...


I'm stuck at getting the ROM image. I found it in the OS9 install disk. It was called MAC OS ROM, I believe. It was 2.5 mb. when I put it into sheep shaver, it said that the rom was invalid. Oh well, maybe I will take the person above me advice and just buy an older imac for 50 bucks or so.


Thanks for everyones help!!
 
Malus said:
I'm stuck at getting the ROM image. I found it in the OS9 install disk. It was called MAC OS ROM, I believe. It was 2.5 mb. when I put it into sheep shaver, it said that the rom was invalid. Oh well, maybe I will take the person above me advice and just buy an older imac for 50 bucks or so.


Thanks for everyones help!!
Click to expand...

Ahhh... this page has a list of which NW ROMs from install discs work:

http://gwenole.beauchesne.info/en/projects/sheepshaver/help/faq#which_rom_to_use_for_my_system

That isn't one of them.

You can... ahem... *wink* get around that issue (about which I personally wouldn't feel too too bad), or yeah, I guess, get an older iMac.
 
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