Adding OS X Features to OS 9
From Donald Johnson
Although it is nice to bring back some OS 9 features for
OS X, I often long for some of the simple features of the
OS X Finder on my OS 9 Macs. Most especially I would like
the ability to open subfolders within the same window as their
parent. Any suggestions?
Donald Johnson
Hi Donald,
None that I can think of offhand. If some utility
exists that could support this feature in OS 9, perhaps
someone in readerland can point the way.
Charles
Opera Setting Itself as Default Browser
From Christoph Trusch
Hello Charles W. Moore,
The same happens to me (see Opera
Setting Itself as Default Browser). I had used Opera 5
(OS 9 version, the build I have is 5.0b5.465) for some time,
because it was the last and only decent Opera version for the Mac
during the dark ages of horrible OS X try-and-error ports and
the whole Opera 6 disaster, until Opera 7 finally came
out.
I keep it around for sentimental reasons and for testing
purposes, having long upgraded to Opera 9 in OS X, of
course. Whenever I start it now, I have to manually switch the
default browser back afterwards to whatever my default browser is
at that time (normally SeaMonkey).
The RCDefaultApp System Preferences extension - a thing Apple
should have built-in natively like in OS 9 - is a nice way to
switch the default browser quickly. I asked some people who are
usually in the know in the Opera forum, but they had no idea, and
of course now that Opera 5 is a little outdated, there
won't be a bug-fix anymore. I just learned to live with this
strange behavior.
What really disturbs me, however, is that a Classic application
can change an OS X default setting. Even if you say No to the
question at Opera 5's startup - if you'd like to have Opera set as
the default browser (you have to manually edit the preferences file
to get that dialog back once you told Opera to not show it again) -
Opera still changes the OS X default browser. Looks like Opera
will set itself as the default in the Classic "Internet"
preferences panel (in the "Web" tab) no matter what you do, and
this panel is somehow connected to the OS X default browser
setting. Whatever Classic application I select as "Web" default in
that OS 9 panel will also become the OS X setting as long
as there is an OS X version of that program in the
Applications (OS X) folder - even if I select "QuickTime
Player" or something. Very, very weird coincidence of an old Opera
bug and Apple's apparent inability to keep Classic and X
preferences apart.
Best regards,
Christoph Trusch
Hi Christoph,
Thanks for the interesting report. You seem to
have the same taste in browsers as I do, although I never really
liked Opera much prior to version 7.5, and I really got hooked with
version 8. Version 9 is wonderful, and I also use SeaMonkey a
lot.
Charles
Bizarre iMac G3 Startup Problem
From Mat Schulte
Please help me restore my 4-year-old daughter's faith in my
computer superheroism! I don't know who else to ask; you and your
readers seem to come up with solutions to the most obscure Mac
issues. Hopefully, this one is something simple.
A while ago I received a G3 iMac
450, the "DV +" I think they call it. It was free, because it
"wouldn't start up." I quickly ascertained that the hard drive was
bad. The only one I had available to put in was a 6 GB from an
older Rev. C iMac.
Everything worked fine for a while, both OS 9 and Panther.
However, a month or so ago, I decided to reinstall everything (for
some reason I can't remember, but that seemed important at the
time). Only thing is, I started with Panther, skipping the
OS 9 install. Once again, everything seemed fine.
Then I decided to go back and install 9, but it wouldn't start
from the OS 9 install CD. The CD shows up in Panther's Startup
Disk pref pane, but when you restart, you get the blinking question
mark. The short of it is, this computer will now only start
up in OS X, either CD or hard drive. It will not start
up from any OS 9 System Folder, whether CD or hard drive (I
tried dragging a System Folder off another computer, and as such it
works fine in Classic mode, but it won't actually boot from
9, no matter what I do).
The PRAM battery is brand new. I've tried switching out RAM
modules just in case. I've reset PRAM. The firmware is 4.1.9.
Panther's Disk Utility finds nothing wrong. Neither does Norton
Utilities - although it will not start from an OS 9 Norton
disk either.
I've never encountered anything like this! I wouldn't even care
that much, but a couple of my daughter's older games and art
programs don't like Classic very much, so the dual-bootability is
still desired.
If anyone has any ideas, I will be extremely grateful.
Cheers,
Mat Schulte
Hi Mat,
My guess is that you didn't select the "Install OS
9 Disk Drivers" checkbox option in Disk Utility when (if?) you
reinitialized the hard drive before installing OS X.
If that is the case, you will need to wipe and
reinitialize the hard drive again, making sure to install the
OS 9 drivers.
Charles
Old Versions of AIM
From Ian Anderson
Hello,
I am hoping to find an old copy of AIM or an AIJN-client that
will run on a 68K Mac, specifically a 20 MHz 68LC040 Centris 610.
Thank you, and keep up your good work.
Ian Anderson
Hi Ian,
Try here: http://www.jagshouse.com/classicsoftware.html
or here: http://ftp.newaol.com/aim/mac/InstallAim_4_3.bin
Charles
MacTV Value
From Chris Turpin
Hello, Charles.
Your last advice to running
Tiger [OS X 10.4] on my G3 iMac helped me tremendously. I went with
the thought in my head and bought Panther [OS X 10.4]. It runs
great on my G4 AGP, and my iMac.
I have
another question I've been meaning to ask the right person. I have
an old MacTV sitting in my room,
unused, and I've been meaning to sell it. Since it just gathers
dust, I'd rather it be in someone else's hands. Probably someone
who would appreciate it more. While I'd rather not sell it, but
just give it away to a distant friend. But I need the money for a
G4 upgrade....
I'd just like to ask what you would recommend for a price point.
It has 8 MB of RAM, 150 MB hard disk, stock CD-ROM, etc. It
has a few scratches on the case - nothing major.
It doesn't have the black keyboard, unfortunately, or the mouse,
but I am including an Apple Extended Keyboard and a Kensington
Thinking Mouse with it (4 buttons!). It has 7.6 installed on
it.
Any recommendation would be nice.
-Chris
Hi Chris,
I'm delighted that my OS X advice was helpful.
Wow, a Mac TV. Those are pretty rare - and one of
the more interesting ancient Macs. I have an LC 520 is good working
order that is a close cousin.
As to price point, anything I could suggest would
be a wild guess. Unfortunately, the lack of the original black
keyboard and mouse diminishes its value as a collectable
considerably.
As a computer, it's 8 MB of RAM (non-upgradable)
hobbles it as a workhorse, although it would still be suitable for
word processing.
Price would depend on what the buyer is willing to
pay.
Charles
Jinxed 9600 Kills ATI VR128
Following up on OS 9 and Video
Capture with PCI Macs, David Harpe writes:
Hi Charles
It turns out that the software for the system is something
called Avid 7.2, and it also needs a lot of supporting hardware. I
doubt I have the resources to assemble all of this, so I took them
out. I put the ATI VR128 in, and it worked for about a week. This
morning I turned on the 9600, and it
was dead.
Turns out all the PCI cards are dead, and I suspect the power
supply did something really awful and killed a lot of stuff. I
should have been more careful, because I knew the machine was very
badly mishandled by FedEx when it was shipped here.
Unless I can get another one of those video cards, my video days
are over. If I do get one, I guess it's back to doing everything
with the ancient but reliable 7200.
Dave
Hi Dave,
Condolences.
Your story reminds me of a rough shape Power Mac 9500 my son resurrected, only to
burn out the motherboard with some wrong voltage scrounged RAM.
Charles
Digital Rolleiflex TLR
From Greg Endler
I found a posting (Rolleiflex
TLRs and Digital, 2004.09.20) through a search and thought I
would let you know that a digital TLR can be made. While many
people think it is completely stupid to waste my time building one,
I'm still going forward to make it work.
Here's a picture of the first version of the prototype:
http:///2012/charles-moore-picks-up-a-new-low-end-truck/.photobucket.com/albums/v329/Greg_E/drollei3.jpg
Hi Greg,
Gotta love those old Rolleis. What a great looking
camera!
I don't think it's a stupid idea at all. I would
love to have a digital back for my Rolleicord. I'll be
fascinated to hear how you make out with this project.
Charles
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