Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Classic Mac OS operating system.
Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System
Ever", highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's
free online services known as iTools and improved Open Transport networking.
While Mac OS 9 lacks protected memory and full pre-emptive multitasking, lasting improvements
include the introduction of an automated Software Update engine and support for multiple users.
Apple discontinued development of Mac OS 9 in 2001, transitioning all future development
to OS X.
Since that time, no updates have been released.
The final updates to Mac OS 9 addressed compatibility issues with OS X while running in the Classic
Environment and compatibility with Carbon applications.
At the 2002 World Wide Developers Conference, Steve Jobs began his keynote address by staging
a mock funeral for OS 9.
Features Apple billed Mac OS 9 as including "50 New
Features" and heavily marketed its Sherlock 2 software, which introduced a 'channels'
feature for searching different online resources and introduced a QuickTime-like metallic appearance.
Mac OS 9 also featured integrated support for Apple’s suite of Internet services known
as iTools and included improved TCP/IP functionality with Open Transport 2.5.
Other features new to Mac OS 9 include: Integrated support for multiple user accounts
without using At Ease.
Support for voice login through VoicePrint passwords.
Keychain, a feature allowing users to save passwords and textual data encrypted in protected
keychains.
A Software Update control panel for automatic download and installation of Apple system
software updates.
A redesigned Sound control panel and support for USB audio.
Speakable Items 2.0, also known as PlainTalk, featuring improved speech synthesis and recognition
along with AppleScript integration.
Improved font management through FontSync.
Remote Access Personal Server 3.5, including support for TCP/IP clients over Point-to-Point
Protocol.
An updated version of AppleScript with support for TCP/IP.
Personal File Sharing over TCP/IP.
USB Printer Sharing, a control panel allowing certain USB printers to be shared across a
TCP/IP network.
128-bit file encryption in the Finder.
Support for files larger than 2 GB.
Unix volume support.
CD Burning in the Finder.
Addition of a 'Window' menu to the Finder Mac OS 9 and the Classic environment
PowerPC versions of OS X prior to 10.5 include a compatibility layer called Classic, enabling
users to run applications and hardware requiring Mac OS 9 from within OS X.
This is achieved through running Mac OS 9 without access to Finder inside OS X.
This requires Mac OS 9 to be installed on the computer, even if computers that can run
the Classic environment are not necessarily able to boot into Mac OS 9.
Some Mac OS 9 applications do not run well in Classic, they demonstrate screen redraw
problems and lagging performance.
In addition, some drivers and other software which directly interacts with the hardware
do not work and there is also no access to the Mac OS 9 Finder.
In May 2002, at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California, Steve
Jobs, accompanied by a coffin, held a mock funeral to announce that Apple had stopped
development of Mac OS 9.
Mac OS 9.2.2, introduced in December 2001, was the final version of Mac OS 9 and the
end of the classic Mac OS.
In June 2005, Jobs announced that the Macintosh platform would be transitioning to Intel x86
microprocessors.
Developer documentation of the Rosetta PowerPC emulation layer revealed that applications
written for Mac OS 8 or 9 would not run on x86-based Macs.
The Classic Environment remains in the PowerPC version of OS X 10.4; however, x86 versions
of OS X do not support the Classic environment.
As a workaround for Intel-based Macs, Mac OS 9 can be emulated up to version 9.0.4 by
using SheepShaver, a PowerPC emulator.
It cannot emulate above 9.0.4 because SheepShaver does not emulate a memory management unit.
The PearPC PowerPC emulator does not support Mac OS 9.
Availability Retail copies of Mac OS 9 are still available
from several Internet businesses at varying prices.
Mac OS 9 is no longer available from Apple.
Although now classified as abandonware, as development on it has ended, it is still in
use by those who cannot upgrade to OS X due to hardware limitations, or prefer it to OS
X.
Mac OS 9 is also a popular choice for retrocomputing hobbyists.
Mac gamers also sometimes revert to Classic in order to play some of the earlier, non-supported
games, for example, Civilization II, and the Marathon Trilogy.
Other uses
Aside from original Apple based hardware that is still maintained and operated, Mac OS 9
can be operated in other environments such as Windows and Unix.
For example, the aforementioned SheepShaver software was not designed for use on x86 platforms
and required an actual PowerPC processor present in the machine it was running on similar to
a hypervisor.
Although it provides PowerPC processor support, it can only run up to Mac OS 9.0.4 because
it does not emulate a memory management unit.
Version history Updates to Mac OS 9 include 9.0.4, 9.1, 9.2.1,
and 9.2.2.
Mac OS 9.0.4 was a collection of bug fixes primarily relating to USB and FireWire support.
Mac OS 9.1 included integrated CD burning support in the Macintosh Finder and added
a new Window menu in the Finder for switching between open windows.
Mac OS 9.2 increased performance noticeably and improved Classic Environment support.
While Mac OS 9.2 is only officially supported on G3 Power Macs, it could still be installed
on certain unsupported PowerPC models through the use of third-party software, such as Mac
OS 9 Helper. [1] Compatibility
1Some newest G3 and most G4 Macs can only run at least Mac OS 9.1, and some only run
at least Mac OS 9.2.
This is because the late development of G3 Macs and the mid-development of G4 Macs was
during the development of Mac OS 9 and only the versions the G4 Macs support were designed
to compatible with those G4 Macs.
1Some newest G4 and all G5 Macs can only run at least Mac OS 9.2, and can only run its
compatible versions of Mac OS 9 in OS X's Classic Environment because the "Mac OS ROM"
was never updated to allow those Macs, which were developed during the OS X era, to directly
boot it.
See also Mac OS
Mac OS 8 Mac OS X
References
External links Technote TN1176 Mac OS 9 at the Wayback Machine
from apple.com Mac OS 9 "Special Report" from MacInTouch
Apple | iMac Firmware Update