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Apple G4

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Frontier News

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Mar 9, 2009, 10:04:20 PM3/9/09
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Is there a version of OS-9 (68K?) that could run on a Apple G4? (Motorola
CPU)
Is there any freeware or low cost version?
I havent run it since my CoCo days and happened to stumble on this NG.

TIA
Rich W.


Leonidas Jones

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Mar 9, 2009, 11:05:45 PM3/9/09
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Depending on the specs of the machine, OSX will run on a G4. I have one
running Tiger, and one running Panther. That are a bit slow, but
working pretty well.

Post the specs on the machine, I may be able to tell you more.

Lee

Martin Gregorie

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Mar 11, 2009, 5:26:40 PM3/11/09
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You're in the wrong group, mate. The OP was asking about porting
Microware's OS-9, not an obsolete Apple OS.

To the OP - I've never heard of a port for the G4, but IIRC V3.x would
run on the 68040 and 68040.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

Leonidas Jones

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Mar 11, 2009, 8:05:54 PM3/11/09
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Martin Gregorie wrote:

My apologies. I do know that this group used to have discussions about
the Mac System 9, though you are clearly right about the OP's intent.

Lee

Martin Gregorie

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Mar 12, 2009, 9:01:51 AM3/12/09
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On Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:05:54 +0000, Leonidas Jones wrote:

> My apologies. I do know that this group used to have discussions about
> the Mac System 9, though you are clearly right about the OP's intent.
>

Only by mistake. This group has been focussed on Microware's OS-9
operating system since at least the min '90s.

Microware OS-9 predates Apple's Macintosh series by 4 years and is still
alive and well. However I notice that Apple's OS 9 is dead and buried.

Leonidas Jones

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Mar 12, 2009, 7:43:22 PM3/12/09
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Martin Gregorie wrote:

> On Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:05:54 +0000, Leonidas Jones wrote:
>
>> My apologies. I do know that this group used to have discussions about
>> the Mac System 9, though you are clearly right about the OP's intent.
>>
> Only by mistake. This group has been focussed on Microware's OS-9
> operating system since at least the min '90s.
>
> Microware OS-9 predates Apple's Macintosh series by 4 years and is still
> alive and well. However I notice that Apple's OS 9 is dead and buried.
>
>

You might be surprised. I still spend a fair amount of time giving
support to OS 9 users. Now and again, I still get questions from OS 8
users.

I would admit, OS 7 seems to be pretty dead. ;)

Lee

Martin Gregorie

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Mar 12, 2009, 7:53:32 PM3/12/09
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On Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:43:22 +0000, Leonidas Jones wrote:

> You might be surprised. I still spend a fair amount of time giving
> support to OS 9 users. Now and again, I still get questions from OS 8
> users.
>

OK - I hadn't heard much about it recently, is all.



> I would admit, OS 7 seems to be pretty dead. ;)
>

Except, I'd imagine to the enthusiasts who still run Mac SEs?

I wonder if there are still any Lisas alive and working. I used one in
'84 and liked it a lot.

Leonidas Jones

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Mar 12, 2009, 8:29:48 PM3/12/09
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Martin Gregorie wrote:

> On Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:43:22 +0000, Leonidas Jones wrote:
>
>> You might be surprised. I still spend a fair amount of time giving
>> support to OS 9 users. Now and again, I still get questions from OS 8
>> users.
>>
> OK - I hadn't heard much about it recently, is all.
>
>> I would admit, OS 7 seems to be pretty dead. ;)
>>
> Except, I'd imagine to the enthusiasts who still run Mac SEs?
>
> I wonder if there are still any Lisas alive and working. I used one in
> '84 and liked it a lot.
>
>

It wouldn't surprise me if some people actually still have working
Lisa's. Its what led to the Macintosh in the first place. A quick look
only found some souvenir items up for sale.

For those who may not be old enough to remember:

http://oldcomputers.net/lisa.html

Lee

N Morrison

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Mar 12, 2009, 10:30:52 PM3/12/09
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Have you searched for OS-9000? IIRC, that was a 68000 version - mainly
supported by a German group. There used to be a ton of it on
CompuServe before the collapse.

Leonidas Jones

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Mar 12, 2009, 11:03:36 PM3/12/09
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Bill Gunshannon

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Mar 13, 2009, 7:49:20 AM3/13/09
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In article <27fc3926-746c-4e65...@33g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>,

N Morrison <Anoth...@gmail.com> writes:
> On Mar 9, 7:04 pm, "Frontier News" <tur...@frontiernet.net> wrote:
>> Is there a version of OS-9 (68K?) that could run on a Apple G4?  (Motorola
>> CPU)
>> Is there any freeware or low cost version?
>> I havent run it since my CoCo days and happened to stumble on this NG.
>>
>> TIA
>> Rich W.
> Have you searched for OS-9000? IIRC, that was a 68000 version -

No, that was Microware's re-write in a high level language (I always
assumed C but I never saw any of the source) for Intel boxes. The
68000 ran OS9-68K.

> mainly
> supported by a German group.

While there may have been a very active German Users Group, OS9. OS9-68K
and OS9000 are and always have been supported by their owner, MicroWare.

> There used to be a ton of it on
> CompuServe before the collapse.

That would be User Group stuff and not the OS itself which is certainly
not just another open source project.

bill


--
Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves
bill...@cs.scranton.edu | and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton |
Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include <std.disclaimer.h>

Martin Gregorie

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Mar 13, 2009, 8:45:15 AM3/13/09
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That's good to know. In some respects the Mac was a step down from the
Lisa. Yes, I know the Mac was faster and cheaper, but I thought the 'pad
of documents' concept was brilliant and was disappointed to see that it
had been dropped. I really liked the way you never started an
application, but just tore another sheet off the pad. However, I suppose
it wouldn't have been a good fit with, say, a web browser.

Getting back on topic: Have you contacted Radisys:
http://www.radisys.com/

They who bought Microware and now sell OS-9? They would certainly know if
there was a G4 port.

OS-9 has never been free. Apart, that is, from the Nitros project, which
aimed to produce an open source version of the original 8/16 version of
OS-9 that ran on the Motorola 6809 (hence its name). However, I haven't
heard anything about Nitros for a long time so it may be moribund.

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