Mac OS 9 was the last version of what has since become known as the classic Macintosh Operating System (Mac OS), introduced by Apple Computer on October 23, 1999. Upon introduction, Mac OS 9 was advertised by Apple as having "50 new features". Codenamed Sonata, and originally intended to debut as Mac OS 8.7, Mac OS 9 is, by some, considered the most functional and stable version of the original Mac OS, though OS 9 still does not have some features common to modern operating systems, such as protected memory (which, reportedly was implemented in beta versions of Mac OS 9.1, but pulled at Steve Jobs' command), and pre-emptive multitasking. However, it did ship from Apple with many improvements over earlier versions, such as improved Open Transport networking, and an upgraded search tool (Sherlock 2), though it did retain the platinum theme introduced in Mac OS 8. Unlike previous versions, it supports multiple users without third-party additions. Perhaps most importantly, Mac OS 9 dropped support for the Motorola 680x0 series of processors, becoming the first PowerPC-only Macintosh operating system. Parties interested in such things have noted that despite that fact, there are still many strings in the System suitcase which make references to obsolete 68K machinery.
| Mac OS 9 | |
|---|---|
| File:Mac OS 9 screenshot 2.jpg Mac OS 9 desktop | |
| Developer | Apple Computer |
| OS family | Classic Mac OS |
| Working state | Still in use |
| Source model | Closed source |
| Latest release | 9.2.2 / 12/5/2002 |
| Kernel type | Nanokernel |
| License | Proprietary |
| Official website | N/A |
Apple billed OS 9 as "best Internet operating system ever". It was the first Mac OS to include an internet-based Software Update system, and Apple offered the iTools (now .Mac) suite of tools for free to users of OS 9.
Apple updated OS 9 with a series of bugfixes and minor enhancements, most notably versions 9.0.4 and 9.1 (which provided CD burning support within the Finder), in 2000 and 2001. Another update, Mac OS 9.2.1 was introduced in 2001, but only to improve the functioning of the Classic environment in the new Mac OS X (and was followed by 9.2.2 with the same purpose). However, OS 9.2.x is a fully functional operating system and can be used as the startup OS on Macs that do not have an OS X-only boot.
In May of 2002, at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California, Apple CEO Steve Jobs delivered a mock "funeral" for Mac OS 9 during his keynote address, dressed in black and toting a coffin. The purpose of the theatrics was to announce that Apple had stopped all development of OS 9. Mac OS 9.2.2, introduced in 2002, was the final version of Mac OS 9, and indeed, of the classic Mac OS.
Mac OS X provides a compatibility layer called Classic that runs a complete Mac OS 9 installation within OS X, for applications and hardware that expect to be running under OS 9.
Features
Compared with Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9 offered:
- Network Browser, a new application for browsing networks and connecting to other computers on a network. These tasks were previously handled through the Chooser application.
- Several improvements to the Appearance control panel.
- Sherlock 2, an updated searching utility for searching Internet and hard disk content.
- PlainTalk 2 improved speech synthesis and recognition.
- Added File Encryption into the Finder.
- Added Unix volume support.
- Remote Access Personal Server 3.5, included in the package, supports TCP/IP clients over PPP.
- CD Burning in the Finder, in a later update.
- A completely new Sound control panel.
- iTools Internet tools (later renamed .Mac).
- Support for multiple user accounts, without using At Ease.
- Keychain Access added, a new feature allowing users to save passwords in protected keychains.
- New version of AppleScript
- New "Software Update" system allowing for system software updates through a control panel which automatically downloads and installs new updates safely.
Version history
| Version | Release Date | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | Initial release | |
| 9.0.2 | ||
| 9.0.3 | ||
| 9.0.4 | ||
| 9.1 | Improved stability, Added Window menu | |
| 9.2 | ||
| 9.2.1 | Maintenance update | |
| 9.2.2 | Improved Classic Environment reliability | |
| Version | Release Date | Changes |
Apple updated Mac OS 9 with a series of bugfixes and minor enhancements, most notably versions 9.0.4 and 9.1 (which provided CD burning support within the Finder), in 2000 and 2001. Another update, Mac OS 9.2.1 was introduced in 2001, but only to improve the functioning of the Classic environment in the new Mac OS X (and was followed by 9.2.2 with the same purpose). However, Mac OS 9.2.x is a fully functional operating system and can be used as the startup OS on Macs that do not have an OS X-only boot.
Miscellaneous information
Despite 50 new features, including those mentioned above, Mac OS 9 still lacked features common to modern operating systems, such as protected memory and pre-emptive multitasking for applications (Mac OS 8.6 and later offered a pre-emptive scheduler to some applications, but not all.) Mac OS 9 also retained the platinum user interface appearance introduced in Mac OS 8.
Due to the perceived naming similarity with Microware's OS-9, Microware sued Apple for trademark infringement. Later, a judge rejected the claim, saying there was little chance of confusion.
Current versions of Mac OS X on the PowerPC provide a compatibility layer called the Classic Environment that can run a complete Mac OS 9 installation within OS X, for applications that expect to be running under Mac OS 9. Past Mac OS X updates updated the Classic Environment resources, which were added to the Mac OS 9.2.2 system folder, these resources are only used when Mac OS 9.2.2 is running in Classic Environment.
Discontinuation
In May 2002, at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California, Apple CEO Steve Jobs delivered a mock "funeral" for Mac OS 9 during his keynote address, dressed in black and accompanied by a coffin. The purpose of the theatrics was to announce that Apple had stopped all development of Mac OS 9. Mac OS 9.2.2, introduced in 2002, was the final version of Mac OS 9, and indeed, of the classic Mac OS. The final death knell for Mac OS 9 came in June 2005, when Steve Jobs announced that the Macintosh platform would be transitioning to Intel x86 microprocessors; the developer documentation for the Rosetta PowerPC emulation layer explicitly states that applications written for Mac OS 8 or 9 will not run on x86-based Macs.
Available versions
For some time after the debut of Mac OS X Apple still sold retail copies of Mac OS 9 at a lower cost than before, but soon stopped selling Mac OS 9 all together. However, retail copies are still available from authorized Apple resellers and several internet businesses at varying prices. Mac OS 9 is not yet classed as abandonware, as it is still in wide use by those who cannot upgrade to Mac OS X due to hardware limitations, or prefer it to MacOS X. Unlike Mac OS 8 and System 7, Mac OS 9 cannot currently be emulated because it requires PowerPC hardware and existing popular Macintosh emulators only emulate the 68k architecture.