Is your Mac up to date with the latest version of the Mac operating system (macOS or OS X)? Is it using the version required by some other product that you want to use with your Mac? Which versions are earlier (older) or later (newer, more recent)? To find out, learn which version is installed now.

Mac OS 9.x, based on Mac OS 8 was the final product based on the classic MacOS architecture. Like previous version, it lacks true protected memory or pre-emptive multitasking. MacOS 9 was abandoned in favor of of the Unix-ish NextStep/Openstep based Mac OS X. Running MacOS 9 requires a supported Power PC based Macintosh (see the compatibility matrix), or the following. Mac OS X Tiger (version 10.4) is the fifth major release of Mac OS X, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Mac computers. Tiger was released to the public on April 29, 2005 for US$129.95 as the successor to Mac OS X 10.3 Panther.Some of the new features included a fast searching system called Spotlight, a new version of the Safari web browser, Dashboard, a new 'Unified' theme,. Get the best deals on Apple iBook Mac OS 9 Laptops and find everything you'll need to improve your home office setup at eBay.com. Fast & Free shipping on many items! Apple MacBook Pro 15.4' (256GB SSD, Intel Core i7 3rd Gen, 2.30GHz, 8 GB DDR3). This unofficial Mac OS 9.2.2 universal boot CD was compiled in 2013 by/for macos9lives. This is not the installer released by Apple. This is a 9.2.2 drive image that includes updates and graphics drivers released after the offical 9.2.2 installer CD. It contains CPU version 5.9, Mac ROM 10.2.1, DiskCopy 6.5b13, the older DriveSetup 1.5.2 for.

If your macOS isn't up to date, you may be able to update to a later version.

Which macOS version is installed?

From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen, choose About This Mac. You should see the macOS name, such as macOS Mojave, followed by its version number. If you need to know the build number as well, click the version number to see it.

This example shows macOS Catalina version 10.15 build 19A583.

Which macOS version is the latest?

These are all Mac operating systems, starting with the most recent. When a major new macOS is released, it gets a new name, such as macOS Catalina. As updates that change the macOS version number become available, this article is updated to show the latest version of that macOS.

If your Mac is using an earlier version of any Mac operating system, you should install the latest Apple software updates, which can include important security updates and updates for the apps that are installed by macOS, such as Safari, Books, Messages, Mail, Music, Calendar, and Photos.

There is a simple solution to the mentioned SS video problem:
- startup with extension off;
- after OS9 has finished starting up, select your preferred video resolution using the Monitor control panel;
- reboot.
From now on, SS will boot the emulated Mac without video problems.

Thanks. Also, the new binary of SheepSaver (version 2.3-0.20060514.1) works 'out of the box'.

I am just curious how fast this emulation is on dual core Intel Macs--- I imagine it could be wicked fast, running old PPC apps faster than G4s ever did. Yes? No? Maybe?

No, unfortunately. Unlike the transition from 68k to PowerPC, the new architecture is not Wicked Fast™. Most of the performance increases seen in the new machines have little to do with the main processor, but rather with the FSB, DDR2 RAM, PCI Express, SATA, &c.
Perhaps when Conroe, Morem, &c. come out the difference will be more significant.
JP
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Pell

Is there a way to use 9.2.2 with Sheepsaver? That's the only install disc I have (that came with my PowerMac).

Sorry for the busted links to ROM-grabber and TomeView. Here are a couple that work:
http://homepage3.nifty.com/toshi3/data/Rom-grabber.sit
http://virtual.haru.gs/tomeview.hqx

I'm curious what essential Classic apps folks are still running.

Essential apps:
Oxford English Dictionary (set up to run from a CD image instead of the original CD)
Lexis-Nexis (much faster than the web interface)
WordPerfect (sometimes)
And most important and productivity-ruining of all -
The old AfterDark Stained Glass module, using the MacDim AD launcher (see my hint about this somewhere else on the site).
It's the last one that I'm really going to miss on an Intel Mac...

Lots of custom software is needed to configure or operate older hardware. The devices may still be in use but the control computer has failed. In my case, I don't want to carry around an old laptop to occasionally configure an older device.
Does anyone know if a classic app running in these emulators can use a USB-serial adaptor?
Thanks

Lots of old Ambrosia software games!
Maelstrom, Escape Velocity, Mars Rising, Apeiron
I can't cope with all this Doom stuff!

Indeed. I'm still occasionally playing Fool's Errand and the original Myst. Except for that, I can't remember the last time I used Classic to actually accomplish anything.

Yeah, games are about all I ever run in Classic, too!

I still run Civilization 2 (sue me, that's the version I like!), and I just get a hankerin' to run Future Cop sometimes, which was a kick-butt game that never got the marketing it deserved. It even came out for the Mac before the PC (in 1998!).

Neither of these games, AFAIK, will ever be updated to OS X. As long as I can play these games, I will, 'cause they're great games, so why all the hate about those of us who still keep a copy of Classic around?

SimTower. :-D
JP
---
Pell

quarkxpress 4.0 along with a ton of custom developed software for it. the expense and time to re-develop the code for use with the current version of quark would be out of proportion with the benefit gained. xpress 4.0 runs perfectly for what i use it for.
i'll be following and researching how to run classic apps on the intel chips very closely before i can purchase any for the shop.
---
if it aint broke, break it!

Virtual TimeClock 2.5. I know that there are dozens of Time-recording applications available for OS X, but they all require entry of clients, projects, tasks, or other endless information for which I have no need. Virtual TimeClock does one thing, simply--it works like a regular punchclock, allowing me to clock-in/clock-out for the day and for breaks, and totals my time entries and overtime. There is a Pro version for OS X, but it costs $129--the one I have cost me $29 years ago. Until someone comes up with a replacement, I'll keep using this one.

Oops! That's $195 for Virtual TimeClock Pro.

Those are some interesting replies. I'm just confused how someone can have the money to buy an intel machine, but no money to upgrade software. How about you upgrade that software first?
I do understand about needing old software to control even older hardware. But again, how about some hardware upgrades?
OS 9 has been dead for 4 years, lets all let it go.

It is quite possible for software upgrades to total MORE than the cost of new hardware. Software can be VERY expensive. I got a font editor for less than a hundred bucks 20 years ago. Now it's several hundred, and doesn't even have all the features of the old software. I am planning to use vMac to run FONTastic Plus 2.0.2 and other System 6 software which to this day still have no OS X equivalent. Apple's killing of OS 9 does not magically make new and affordable software appear. Hey, I wish it did.

Over the last 20 years I have written literally hundreds of HyperCard apps that are indispensable to my research. Most of them use specialized externals that will not work with the various HC replacements that have come out since Apple dropped HC. I also need to use a genetic mapping program called ACeDB. There is a OS X version but it would require that I redo much of my data AND modify the HC scripts I use to generate the data file in the first place.

Os 9 For Intel Macbook Pro

This is probably verboten, but how does one get a copy of 9.0.4? I have a CD of 9.2.2, but tossed any version of 9 before that ('Ha! Won't need THOSE anymore!'). It's frustrating since I have a valid license to use OS 9 (several, actually); I just want to use an older version.

eBay

If you have valid licenses, then LimeWire might be your friend. Be careful not to download anything you don't have a license for! ;-)
JP
---
Pell

Lew, I could afford a new machine every year, the cost is trivial compared to the number of hours invested in writing software. It is a matter of the number of hours invested in writing software. I have spent 20 years programming hypercard stacks for various psychology research projects. The time involved learning new programming languages and compilers then redoing much of this work would take me about 5 - 6 years if I worked on it non stop. I have more important things to do with my time. It is sad, I have gone from teaching in a university department buying about 30 macs a year to surrendering to use microsh**t platform for all but my individual research simply because the lack of backwards compatability and steves hubris in junking hypercard. The Gee wizz look what new macs can do focus has completely stuffed many in education and research. We do not have the time resources to cope with new platforms and are faced with a choice of hours wasted rewriting software or abandoning macs for windows because of the central support that is offered.

That is why those of you in the academic departments should push for Intel mac development because the systems themselves can be put together for around 500$ a piece keyboard, mouse, and monitor plus a p4 with HT, 1gb of DDR ram, 80gb HD, and DVD/RW- at that price that is the best deal there is. I am sorry to say also all of the enthusiasm for this new operating system has made it one of the most well documented ones in my opinion of fixing computers for the last 12 years. Unix outperforms Linux and Windows as a server OS- it always has and the mach kernel is a testament to that. The real problem is the government is forcing the university system to adopt 'active directory' as its networking standard. That alone has forced you into the situation that you are in. If there was some way for you to make agreements with the univeristy to allow you to use offsite computers in your research than the sky would be the limit as you would not be constrained to those requirements (or you can lie and say that you are following them). Who knows...I just think that in the future windows will be something that only children will use.

I've built a complete SheepShaver install, including _everything_ needed to run, as well as the last version of WordPerfect and several utilities. To download this 243mb image, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wordperfectmac, to the Links section, to the 'SheepShaver and Basilisk' folder, and click 'SheepShaver-WordPerfect Install'. It's about 20 minutes on a fast connection.
Enjoy,
John

John,
your downloadable disk image + installer guide are terrific.
it díd take less than 20 minutes to get a classic environment running on my intel MacBook. Very well done. Thank you.

Thank you.
I have downloaded and installed your wonderful little present.. now...
how do I get it to use classic apps - where do I put them to install them etc... PLEASE help me, I'm almost there.. after months of struggling.
I also get a message that says 'The result of a numeric operation was too large' should I worry about that?
and, thanks again.

John,
your downloadable disk image + installer guide are terrific.
it díd take less than 20 minutes to get a classic environment running on my intel MacBook. Very well done. Thank you.

I can run SimCity 200 & Pinballthrillride again, not to mention the software from the macintosh gardens? Yipee!

I'm going through all this trauma just to be able to run Claris Homepage and a wonderful little game called War of Flowers.

Unfortunately SheepSaver just doesn't work. You can't write to any drive, you can't read any of your drives, you can't read firewire drives. It's just... bad.

Mac Os 9.0 Download

Let me just highlight the circular logic every single Sheep Saver instruction page seems more than happy to gloss over:
1) To install OS9 start up your already installed OS9 and extract your ROM.
2) FTW?