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Ω · Feb 18, 2013, 02:40 AM

To take over the world of course!

Spheric Harlot · Feb 18, 2013, 04:56 AM

^ Perfect opener for the new page.

Originally Posted by shifuimam

Are you f*cking kidding me?

[...]

Per my original request - your opinion has been stated. Please leave this discussion to people who legitimately interested in it.

As per the post you quoted, but didn't read: no I am not kidding, and my opinion may be changing.

Also, you've been a more than sporadic visitor for the past five years. I have no idea what your involvement with classic macs looks like. How could I?

Thanks for clarifying.

Spheric Harlot · Feb 18, 2013, 04:58 AM

Originally Posted by besson3c

I'm just noticing your softened tone, and wondering how this came about. You were a little ornery and confrontational prior.

Amazing what a good night's sleep will do to you, no?

shifuimam · Feb 18, 2013, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

Can I ask you guys without any mockery intended what interests you about trying to put old Macs to use?

I can sort of understand the interest in doing this with Linux, since if you can find a Linux variant that supports your hardware you can do some genuinely useful things with the PC, but is the same true for old Mac gear? I guess I can kind of see this with OS X 10.3 - 10.5 or so, maybe 10.2 as well, but OS 9?

I don't know if I can really explain it beyond the fact that it's just a fun hobby. I like seeing what OS 9 can do, and since I never really used Macs when OS 9 was current, using it now is pretty interesting - especially compared to Windows of that era.

I like Apple hardware from the very late 90s and early 2000s. I think some of the stuff they made during the G3 and G4 era have pretty awesome designs. The clamshell iBook, iMac G4, and PowerBook G3 are some of my favorite designs, so it's fun to work with them.

On the super vintage side (like 68k hardware), it's just fun to refurbish machines and get them up and running and see how they interact with modern hardware and whatnot.

I dunno how else to describe it...I guess it's akin to people who like working on vintage cars or old AV equipment. Or something.

P · Feb 18, 2013, 12:36 PM

At some point I think I'd like to play with an OS 9 machine again, to feel if it still feels "snappy" compared to my much-faster Core i7 iMac, but I can't see any real use for it, and I don't have space to just have it stand around.

andi*pandi · Feb 18, 2013, 07:07 PM

I have a slew of kids games that only work on os9. There is a perfectly functioning LCIII in a closet I've been meaning to dig out and hook into our network so we can play Myst. For that matter a bondi imac that probably could be fixed with some effort.

I don't think we should confuse folks between Classic (os9) and classic (cool old stuff). If we had a Classic subforum, I think it should be for those machines that could still run OS9 and below. There is overlap with some machines, but those questions could be answered in OSX or hardware.

Spheric Harlot · Feb 18, 2013, 07:21 PM

Myst is available for the iPad.

gooser · Feb 18, 2013, 09:05 PM

i'm with shifuimam on this one. i have a g3 imac in my office set up to run on os 9. i use it for appleworks, a couple of accounting programs, itunes, looking at a few pictures (slideshows), and a few games. it is not hooked up to the internet and i turn it on maybe twice a week. it's the only computer i have that's hooked up to a printer. in my living room i have a g4 imac that's wired into my stereo that has a large itunes collection with data stored on an external drive. i run osx on that one and use it to store music, copy cd's, convert records over to cd's, store and edit all of my photos, sync my old ipod photo, a few games and some very light internet browsing. i turn it on almost daily. next up? a more modern computer to set next to my g3 upstairs to get a modern internet experience that should be used for internet only. in my signiature it shows a clamshell but i sold that off last fall as i was no longer using it and i really couldn't find a use for it anymore. there are other computers that intrigue me ( a cube comes to mind) but i also don't have any use for it and even though i live in an eight room house there's only so much room in it. it comes down to style. around this time apple was making some very interesting looking computers, they are very cheap these days and specialty software for them is extremely cheap. but it's not just computers. i have an old house filled with antique furniture and i own two cars. a 74 mgb and a 70 vw. i'm also in to vintage electronics. everything i do with my g3 upstairs i could also do with osx but os 9 runs quicker on it and i like to dabble in the past from time to time. on the apple forum recently someone just bought a g3 mac running os 8 just so he could occasionally run one game that he liked. later this year i will also get a couple of backup computers that i will set up to my liking and set in the closet just in case i ever need them. my motto? a newer computer for internet and older ones for everything else.

Ω · Feb 19, 2013, 02:42 AM

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot

Myst is available for the iPad.

But what about Warlords II? I'm a righteous bad ass mofo in that game. Even more than here!

Ω · Feb 19, 2013, 02:48 AM

I also have quite a lot of old macs, but all are OSX compatible (with some booting into TruBlu) so to me a classic OS9 forum is not really relevant to my needs.

I wont lie, I am just being selfish and I am thinking it would be nice to have a single forum where I can bug people for my issues.

Me me me me.

P · 09:03 AM

Anyone wanting to play classic Mac games, check out GOG.com (previously known as Good Old Games). Their idea is to license old games and make sure they work on modern operating systems. They recently begun supporting Mac OS X for some games, and while it's not too many yet, they keep adding Mac versions. It's only the PC games skinned with Wineskin, but they work quite well. DRM-free, download as many times as you like, get both Mac and PC versions...what's not to like? Includes a bunch that never got a Mac release back in the old days as well.

Another option if you have the PC version of the game is the excellent free Boxer - a DOS emulator for Mac. Also note that if the games are old enough that they're on Classic, just about any emulator will work fast enough on just about any recent Mac - or you can just use Wineskin to make a skin yourself.

Almost forgot: There's also http://scummvm.org/, which works by taking the data files of old games and emulating the engine on modern OSes. The list of supported games is getting quite long now.

shifuimam · Feb 19, 2013, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by andi*pandi

I have a slew of kids games that only work on os9. There is a perfectly functioning LCIII in a closet I've been meaning to dig out and hook into our network so we can play Myst. For that matter a bondi imac that probably could be fixed with some effort.

I don't think we should confuse folks between Classic (os9) and classic (cool old stuff). If we had a Classic subforum, I think it should be for those machines that could still run OS9 and below. There is overlap with some machines, but those questions could be answered in OSX or hardware.

This was my original idea for the forum - OS 9 and older. Of course, PPC in general is quickly becoming vintage, so maybe in the future that'll be folded in.

besson3c · Feb 19, 2013, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by P

Anyone wanting to play classic Mac games, check out GOG.com (previously known as Good Old Games). Their idea is to license old games and make sure they work on modern operating systems. They recently begun supporting Mac OS X for some games, and while it's not too many yet, they keep adding Mac versions. It's only the PC games skinned with Wineskin, but they work quite well. DRM-free, download as many times as you like, get both Mac and PC versions...what's not to like? Includes a bunch that never got a Mac release back in the old days as well.

Another option if you have the PC version of the game is the excellent free Boxer - a DOS emulator for Mac. Also note that if the games are old enough that they're on Classic, just about any emulator will work fast enough on just about any recent Mac - or you can just use Wineskin to make a skin yourself.

Almost forgot: There's also ScummVM :: Home, which works by taking the data files of old games and emulating the engine on modern OSes. The list of supported games is getting quite long now.

I prefer PlayOnMac to Wineskin.

shifuimam · Feb 19, 2013, 01:01 PM

ScummVM is pretty awesome.

That being said, it's fun to play games on the hardware they were designed to run on.

It's like the difference between using SNES9x and actually playing games on a Super Nintendo.

P · Feb 20, 2013, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by besson3c

I prefer PlayOnMac to Wineskin.

PlayOnMac appears to be an interface to making your own Wineskins. Never tried it, will have to look in to it some time.

besson3c · Feb 20, 2013, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by P

PlayOnMac appears to be an interface to making your own Wineskins. Never tried it, will have to look in to it some time.

Except they aren't wineskins, but they are both similar in creating WINE sandboxes.

reader50 · 02:43 AM

Classic Macs and Mac OS is live again.

Older Systems & Clones (archive) was merged -> Classic Macs and Mac OS
Digital AV (archive) has been merged -> Art & Graphic Design
Servers (archive) has been merged -> Mac OS X
iPod, iPhone & iPad has been renamed -> iPhone, iPad & iPod
Hardware Hacking was moved -> Enthusiast Zone

We're still conspiring - there may be more mergers.

shifuimam · Feb 21, 2013, 07:34 PM

Woohoo!!

euphras · Feb 25, 2013, 08:49 PM

I think it´s a good idea to create a special subforum. I love to tinker with the old beige and translucent boxes, max them out* and run vintage software in it´s own little natural ecosystem rather then emulate it in some Sheepshaver, Basilisk and so on. As for the borderline, i would draw it somewhere in the realm of the PPC machines and "Tiger" since this stuff is now officially abandonware refused to be further supported by Apple.

*sometimes with parts i rescue from the dust bin.