Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

rlane · Jul 20, 2004, 10:30 AM

What's the deal with using OS9 software on a brand new OSX Mac? Can it be done or must I get all my apps in OSX?

gorickey · Jul 20, 2004, 11:12 AM

You won't be able to boot your machine into OS 9; however, you will be able to open up most OS 9 applications just fine through running "Classic" (another name for OS 9) within OS X...

I would, however, try to get as many of your apps to run natively with their OS X version if possible.

Make sense?

Synotic · Jul 20, 2004, 11:36 AM

Originally posted by gorickey:
I would, however, try to get as many of your apps to run natively with their OS X version if possible.

Furthering this, what apps are you looking to run exactly? Perhaps we can offer better alternatives.

rlane · Jul 20, 2004, 04:36 PM

the group switched over to XP Pro - which is not so pro. I have just about every app (Adobe), Quark, FTP....but all in OS9. I will naturally switch over to Native OSX in time - but can't afford everything on my own right now. I'm going back to Mac - but on my own dime.

CharlesS · Jul 20, 2004, 06:32 PM

Originally posted by rlane:
the group switched over to XP Pro - which is not so pro. I have just about every app (Adobe), Quark, FTP....but all in OS9. I will naturally switch over to Native OSX in time - but can't afford everything on my own right now. I'm going back to Mac - but on my own dime.

Your apps will work in Classic, but it will be less than ideal. You will want to eventually migrate your software library to OS X native.

Ron Goodman · Jul 20, 2004, 06:57 PM

The only apps which won't work under Classic are those which try to directly access the hardware, such as disk repair programs.

Chuckit · Jul 20, 2004, 09:05 PM

Originally posted by rlane:
the group switched over to XP Pro - which is not so pro. I have just about every app (Adobe), Quark, FTP....but all in OS9.

Those will work. I still use the Classic versions of Photoshop, Illustrator and Quark. The only one that gives me any trouble is Quark, which has minor redraw problems, but those are easily fixed with F7.
As for FTP, though, there are freely available FTP clients for OS X.

rlane · Jul 21, 2004, 12:58 AM

Excellent. Thanks for the support. I can now order a new Mac and migrate to native software through the year.

Big Mac · Jul 21, 2004, 06:24 AM

Originally posted by rlane:
Excellent. Thanks for the support. I can now order a new Mac and migrate to native software through the year.

You do know that you can still buy a dual boot (OS 9 boot capable) QuickSilver G4 tower from the Apple Store, "while supplies last," right? One other thing you should be aware of is, if you don't buy the G4, new Macs no longer come with the OS 9 system folder installed by default. Instead, it must be installed from the Hardware Test CD, or a functioning OS 9 system folder may be copied from another source.

CharlesS · Jul 21, 2004, 06:28 AM

Originally posted by Big Mac:
You do know that you can still buy a dual boot (OS 9 boot capable) QuickSilver G4 tower from the Apple Store, "while supplies last," right?

This is true, but you will get a machine which is inferior to many of the newer OS X-only Macs you could get instead.

One other thing you should be aware of is, if you don't buy the G4, new Macs no longer come with the OS 9 system folder installed by default. Instead, it must be installed from the Hardware Test CD, or a functioning OS 9 system folder may be copied from another source.

I thought we established that this wasn't the case unless you got a refurb, the last time this discussion came up.

JKT · Jul 21, 2004, 09:05 AM

Originally posted by Big Mac:
You do know that you can still buy a dual boot (OS 9 boot capable) QuickSilver G4 tower from the Apple Store, "while supplies last," right? One other thing you should be aware of is, if you don't buy the G4, new Macs no longer come with the OS 9 system folder installed by default. Instead, it must be installed from the Hardware Test CD, or a functioning OS 9 system folder may be copied from another source.

Mine did (have Classic installed). What they don't come with is a separate installation disk for OS 9, but there is a separate installer for it on the OS X installation DVDs/CDs.

Big Mac · 12:37 PM

Originally posted by CharlesS:
This is true, but you will get a machine which is inferior to many of the newer OS X-only Macs you could get instead.

Agreed, but the OP is mainly concerned about running non-native software, thus my suggestion.

I thought we established that this wasn't the case unless you got a refurb, the last time this discussion came up. [/B]

My new CTO G5 DP 2 did not come with Classic pre-installed, which was in-line with my understanding that most if not all new Macs don't have it pre-installed.

mpbritt · Jul 21, 2004, 03:49 PM

Originally posted by Big Mac:
One other thing you should be aware of is, if you don't buy the G4, new Macs no longer come with the OS 9 system folder installed by default. Instead, it must be installed from the Hardware Test CD, or a functioning OS 9 system folder may be copied from another source.

This is simply false. My brand new PowerBook G4, 15" 1.5Ghz, came with an OS 9 system folder and Mac OS 9 Applications folder pre-installed. I bought this PB over the counter at the San Francisco Apple Store. As far as I know all new Macintosh computers come with OS 9 (AKA "Classic") pre-installed.

Powerbook · Jul 21, 2004, 04:17 PM

Originally posted by Ron Goodman:
The only apps which won't work under Classic are those which try to directly access the hardware, such as disk repair programs.

... and VPC!

PB.