Comments on: How Many OS 9 Die-Hards Are Out There?

By: Allen

Allen — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:44:12 +0000

I use Classic mode(os-10.4.11) on an iBook G4 for old mac games and appleworks 5. I have the newer appleworks for OSX but I think it sucks. I also have an old iMac G3 333 that has OS9 and OSX10.4.11 on it. To be honest OSX is a little slower but OS9 can’t do anything but run old software. So you cant have a fast useless computer or use OSX (with a bunch of tweaks like turn the dashboard and spotlight off) and actually be productive.

By: Alex Harris

Alex Harris — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 16:39:20 +0000

Some people on this comments forum actually have some sense! I have Snow Leopard for the stuff 9 can’t push anymore (Internet stuff), but boy oh boy were some of you right about the “it’s not a true Mac without the Classic Mac OS” argument. It’s like, with modern Macs, it’s a PC logic board with another proprietary version of Unix, and that doesn’t qualify hardware OR software-wise as a Mac. Bravo to the fellow (I believe it was “Queue” who said that the Apple that they remained doggone tenaciously loyal to just packed up and left town (to die.) I heard it was because of the fact that the then-current board of directors of Apple gave Steve Jobs the authority to throw all of Apple’s founding principles out the window to make it profitable, and he did just that. Efficiently, coldly, ruthlessly.

Enjoy the explanation (in case you didn’t already know.)

By: GloomyJD

GloomyJD — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:28:39 +0000

I use Mac OS 9.2 excluseively on my laptop – A 2003 iBook G3 w/ 800mhz!

By: Valter

Valter — Mon, 03 May 2010 05:52:44 +0000

I have one, an Epson GT-7000 Photo - SCSI Interface. Really good and still working fine.

Problem is, I'm living in Italy. In case you think I might help you, you may write to: valter.prahlad (a t) fastwebnet (d o t) it

By: Brian Bourke

Brian Bourke — Mon, 03 May 2010 01:03:00 +0000

I need a OS9 compatible flatbed scanner. This is sort of an emergency.

By: Noodleman

Noodleman — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:21:33 +0000

I still use OS9 on an iMac G3 and an eMac. Its a pretty good OS, just not for internet, which I use OSX for =)

By: Valter

Valter — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:25:38 +0000

I agree with Queue.
IMNSHO (25 years of computing and 18 years of Mac ;-), OSX is a powerful OS with a questionable interface, on some aspect even awkward. I even find late Windows (XP, Vista) sometimes superior to OSX, interface-wise.
The really big limit of OS9 (and before) was stability, and/or lacking of a true multitasking; and in that sense OSX is a huge step forward.
Apart from that, I still use OS9 mainly for production and leisure, and I love it.
I use Panther 10.3.9, too, and I appreciate its multitasking and some feature; but on my G4 DA upgraded to 1,4GHz (!) is someway sluggish and too prone to the “spinning beachball”. :-o
OTOH, OS9 reacts instantly and is a breeze to use, and the interface is just as it should be: unobtrusive and ready to serve. Minimal eye-candy, maximum user-friendliness. In OS9 you don’t even think about the interface, because is so well studied it just flows with you most of the times.
It’s when I switch to OSX (when I have to: surfing on “loaded” websites, watching videos…) I realize there’s an interface, because it often gets in my way. :-/
For me (and I acknowledge it’s a matter of personal taste) OS9 is the “real Mac OS”, as the Macintosh was always meant to be. OSX, well… it’s a modern OS, with a more-flashy-than-functional “dress”; good for geeks and engineers (they don’t mind about the interface… they love the Terminal, don’t they? ;-).

By: Queue

Queue — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:51:00 +0000

Well, i’m one of the weird people other computer geeks like to laugh at. I try to use OS 9 whenever possible. I boot into Tiger to manage my iPod and photo library, and do certain things like update my website (it requires a much never java to use my wysiwyg editor).

Truth be told though, everyone just loves OS X so much, whereas I think it represents amazing new technology and blah blah blah, but the GUI :(
This interface represents the death of a true Macintosh. It doesn’t feel like the “think different” company I grew up with. If it were possible in any way to make some of the current software versions work with that most beautiful interface, i’d be thrilled. This is what always gets me crap from other Mac users. I’m a loyalist of the old school (my first computer as a child for an xmas present was a Mac SE/30). I’ve always been emotionally loyal to Apple (weird??). OS X makes me sad not because it’s any kind of poor system, it’s powerful and etc, but here’s a man who still uses OS 9. Who still uses a true ‘Macintosh’.
–Q

By: Rod

Rod — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:01:32 +0000

Access to OS9 is helpful to read and convert files made using software from that era.
Several kinds of files cannot be read with OSX software.
By the way, boot up time for a box designed for OS8 or OS9 is about 45 seconds.
Compatibility is also a concern for those who began their career with OSX, because change is likely to continue in the future.

By: kenelm seiler

kenelm seiler — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:44:42 +0000

OS9 has nothing going for it anymore as far as i can tell everything i have ever needed in OS9 has been ported (or updated) to OSX.

By: DON FOWLER

DON FOWLER — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:15:46 +0000

I just bought an os-9 for a song, I thought!
When I turn it on all I get is a 1 inch
flashing face and logo keyboard does`nt
do anything. mouse lights up, at least that`s
something.. HELP,, HELP

By: land524

land524 — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:55:52 +0000

Our Senior Account and Senior Project Manager still use OS 9.2 for database and
Hypercard Accounting Report Generating. They also have 10.4.11 and 10.5.5 computers
in addition to their OS 9 computers.

By: AaronLBorg

AaronLBorg — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:53:45 +0000

I’m a diehard Linux (Ubuntu) user but have been using OS9.2.2 to record on an old G3 that I inherited.

I’m wondering if someone could let me know why startup takes so long? Perhaps there’s something I could do to remedy this?

It’s like I boot up and then stare at the little watch for a good 5 minutes before I can do anything. Most frustrating.

Thanks.

By: Nukey

Nukey — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:59:42 +0000

My coworkers and I use OS 9 daily at our workplace. We still enjoy using some peripherals, like imageWriter label printers and SCSI scanners, that will only work with OS 9; and neither Apple nor MS has come up with a decent replacement for the MS Works office suite.

At home I use OS 9 maybe once a month to retrieve old fonts and play around with its graphing calculator.

OS 9 is a workhorse, OS X is a trip toy. I really enjoy them both.

By: Josh Newman

Josh Newman — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:22:34 +0000

I use Mac OS 9 for my daily computing, mostly for the speed on my old late 2001 iBook. The only things I miss about OS X is my iPod compatibility (gen 5) and the new flash player. Besides that I never get into OS X because it is painstakingly slow in most aspects.

By: marcel luntungan

marcel luntungan — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 16:36:38 +0000

I still use OS9 for protools. Now I’ve just bought a powermac G4 mirrored drive 1.25 Ghz single processor with OSX installed on it and I’ve formatted the harddrive to put the old OS9 on it.
I can’t get it to start up from the OS9 harddrive. The computer sees it when I start up while holding down the option button. When I choose it however, it gives a question mark.
Anyone familiar with installing OS9, the real original OS, not the Classic within OSX?
All the best!
Mars