Low End Mac
Search LEM 
Donate · Amazon.com · MacResQ · Advertise
Other Cobweb sites: Low End Living · Reformed.net
Quicklinks: · Power Macs · 'Books · Early Macs · Week's Best Deals · Best Buys · OS Downloads
Apple Archive

Getting on the Net with an Older Mac

- 2001.01.26

Low End Mac Reader Specials

Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com

LA Computer Company: LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, Apple Displays, MacBooks, iMac's, MacBook Pros, Laptop and iPod accessories and more. Apple A/C Adapters for laptops starting at $25.00 Call 1-800-941-7654 or Click Here.

OWC: Mercury Elite FW800/FW400/USB2/eSATA up to 2.0TB TOP-RATED Solutions offer High Performance, Reliable storage for all your data storage needs. 500GB $159.99, 750GB $199.99, 1.0TB from $299.99

Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.

Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.

Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.

New MacPro Memory 800Mhz With Apple Spec Heat Sink 2GB $104 / 4GB $172 / 8GB $338. Click to Maximize your Macs...

Yes, it is possible to get on the Internet with an older Mac.

I have had a lot of people asking me about getting an older computer online. One person I talked to had a Performa 600 without a CD-ROM drive. She wasn't a computer expert, and she wanted to get online. She couldn't get anyone within 10 feet of it. Another had a 6100/60, and her ISP told her she had to get more memory to run their software. This is the ISP that she had been connecting with for some time already.

The thing that gets to me is that ISPs are raising the requirements for their software. Sure, maybe their software requires a PowerPC with 32 MB of RAM, but the Internet has no such requirements. You can sign on to the Internet on almost any computer (even an Apple IIgs!), Mac IIalthough, you have to be reasonable if you want the "modern" Internet. You should have at least a 16 MHz 68020 processor (that is, Macintosh II or LC or better), at least 4 MB of RAM (8 highly recommended), and at least 10 MB of hard disk space.

You will need a modem. Don't get anything under 14.4 kbps, and I highly recommend 28.8 or 33.6, because they are inexpensive and yet let you get to websites fairly quickly. Using a 56K modem on a IIcx is a bit of overkill, since the IIcx is not a very fast computer, and it can't handle a high speed modem. Also, the serial ports are limited on some of these older Macs to certain speeds, which prevents you from using certain types of modems. The general rule that I usually go by: use a 14.4, 28.8, or 33.6 on a 68K Mac, and 33.6 or 56K on a PowerPC.

Most ISPs will tell you that you need a CD-ROM drive to run their software, so if you don't have one, you may want to look into one. Make sure it is an external SCSI CD-ROM; you don't want to end up with an internal CD-ROM for a PC. You will also need drivers. If you can find an older version of FWB's CD-ROM Toolkit, pick it up. The APS drivers tend to work well, too, if you can find a copy.

You will also need System 7.1 or higher. (OK, it can be done on 7.0 or 7.0.1, but I am only covering installation on 7.1 or better right now.) If you don't have it, look around on the online auction sites, such as eBay, or on the Low End Mac swap list. If you have a Macintosh IIvx, IIvi (Performa 600), Colour Classic, LC III, Performa 450 or higher, all in one LC or Performa, or a Quadra/Centris, you already have at least 7.1 installed. Check the version number and how much RAM is installed in your system by pulling down the Apple menu and selecting "About this Macintosh" or "About this Computer." (If you know someone with Internet access, you can download System 7.5.3 and the System 7.5.5 updater from Apple's site. Details here.)

Next, you need to get an ISP. The one I am using is EarthLink, because their software is easy to set up, Total Accessincludes everything you need, and supports older Macs. There are other choices out there, and I recommend looking around a bit before you decide on one. AOL, SNET, and Prodigy (if they are still out there) are among the others.

When it comes time to load the software, put the CD into the drive and click on the installer. You will be taken step by step through several different prompts. When the installer is finished, it will launch the account setup program.

You can either configure an existing account or set up a new account. If you are setting up a new account, just click that button, and you will be brought through several screens asking you for desired username and password. After you have gone through the prompts, it may ask you if you want to install your "Internet Tools." This will install an older version of FreePPP (2.5), Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.1, and Microsoft Internet Mail and News (Microsoft's first email program - it's like Outlook Express). Click yes.

Once it installs and configures your software, you will be prompted to restart the machine. Do that. When it is back at the desktop you have a choice to make. You can use Internet Explorer/MSIMN or Netscape 2.02.

If you don't care what browser you use, skip this paragraph. If you want Netscape, open the "EarthLink Extras" folder. Inside you will find "Tools for Older Macs." Open that, and mount the self-mounting disk image. Inside you will find the Netscape Installer. Open that and follow the directions to install it.

Once your software is set up, it is time to get online! Open either Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. After the splash screen has appeared, your modem will dial and connect to your ISP. Once all of the screeching is over, click "stop" (your browser will most likely be loading an outdated Netscape or Microsoft start page). In the URL box, type http://www.lowendmac.com. You should see the Low End Mac website appear. If it doesn't, you may need to check your software setup or get a new phone number to use. If you are using EarthLink, you can do that from the "Registration and Utilities" application.

Netscape on a Mac IIci

Setting up a Mac with OS 8 is a bit easier than System 7.1. I used both a Macintosh IIci and a Quadra 610. The Quadra 610 was faster to set up, partly because it already had some of the components installed with OS 8, and partly because it is simply a faster computer than the IIci.

The IIci set up just as well and went ahead at it's own speed running System 7.5 and Netscape Navigator 2.02.

The Internet doesn't just let you access a world information on your older Mac; it also slows it down. If your Quadra 650 felt fast before you put it online, it will feel considerably slower when it is loading Web pages. The same is true with a IIsi, LC III, or any older Mac. I am typing on a Quadra 610 right now, which feels very fast running Mac OS 8.0 and Word 6.01. Once I put it online, I could see it was struggling a bit at loading intense images. It also struggled with animations on banner ads. I have the minimum video RAM in mine, so an upgrade would probably improve performance in this area.

You can't expect top performance from a Mac that is six or ten years old, but the performance that they give you is incredible compared to other computers. A 386 PC would really struggle doing some of the things these Macs can still do decently. While you can't run the latest version of Netscape or Internet Explorer on an older Mac, you can run one that lets you do most of the same things as the newest version.

The Internet should not be limited by your computer. Don't listen to the ISP's who "require" a Power Mac. If you have a Mac II or LC with 4 MB of RAM, you can use the Net.

Recent Apple Archive articles

Recent Content on Low End Mac

  • Time Machine can now backup to a shard hard drive, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 07.08. Earlier versions of Leopard didn't seem to allow backup to a shared drive on another Mac, but the 10.5.4 update allows it.
  • More air: Expectations for future MacBook and MacBook Pro models, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 07.08. Next generation 'Books are expected to include Intel's next generation Montevino processor, but wireless power and wireless USB could give Apple a leg up on the competition.
  • Safari 3.1 Is the best browser for Macs and for Windows, Carl Nygren, Classic Macs in the Intel Age, 07.08. Apple's Safari browser is fast, lightweight, and compatible with pretty much any website that doesn't require users to run Windows and Internet Explorer 5.5 or later.
  • Best iBook G3 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 07.08. Used clamshell, $100; 500 MHz CD, $169; 700, $279; 600 CD-RW, $240; 900 Combo, $299; 14" 700, $300; 900, $449.
  • Best Power Mac G4 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 07.08. Used 450 MHz ACP, $79; 533 DA, $100; 867 QS, $200; 1.25 GHz MDD Combo, $375; 867 dual, $325; 1 GHz, $395; 1.25, $529; 1.42, $619.
  • Best classic iPod deals, Low End Mac Deals, 07.08. Used 20 GB, $100; 30, $120; 40, $150; 60 color, $175; 30 video, $160; 80, $200; refurb 80 classic, $209; new, $229; refurb 160, $299; new, $319.
  • Mac of the Day: 'Lombard' PowerBook G3, June 1999 - 'bronze keyboard' model is first PowerBook with USB, reaches 400 MHz, trims almost 2 lb.
  • List of the Day: PowerList for those using Power Computing Mac clones.
  • July 9 in LEM history: 01: Anti-spam measures marginalize low-end Macs - Color Classics on eBay - DSL diary - The 25th Anniversary Mac - 02: eMac test drive - Women in IT - 03: A week with an eMac - Are Apple's applications helping or hurting? - 04: Hardware failure, that rare Mac headache - Radeon Enabler unlocks video features
  • Macintosh reliability improving since the shift to Intel, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 07.07. For a while in the G3 and G4 era, Apple was plagued with logic board failures and analog board problems, but they seem to be a thing of the past.
  • 1.8 GHz, SSD MacBook Air price cuts; Samsung vs. Hitachi notebook drives; Centrino 2 preorders; and more, The 'Book Review, 07.07. Also MacBook shipments up 61% over Q1 2007, Apple notebook redesign rumored, Santa Rosa MacBook Pro video failure, Mopar in-vehicle wireless Internet, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,749, and m
  • iPhone 3G service more costly in States, outrageous in Canada, and more, iNews Review, 07.07. Also long fingernails and the iPhone, future iPhone may include keyboard and Intel Atom CPU, voice control for iPods, Ringtons Studio for the iPhone, and more.
  • Best MacBook deals, Low End Mac Deals, 07.07. Used 1.83 GHz Combo, $819; 2.0 SD, $975; refurb 2.1 GHz Combo, $949; 2.4 SD, $1,099; black, $1,299; new 2.1 Combo, $1,005 a/r; 2.2 SD, $1,205 a/r; more.
  • Best eMac deals, Low End Mac Deals, 07.07. Used 700 MHz CD, $140; CD-RW, $150; Combo, $170; 1 GHz, $200; 1.25 GHz SD, $230; 1.42 GHz Combo, $300; SuperDrive, $439.
  • Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 deals, Low End Mac Deals, 07.07. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $40; 10.1, $49; 10.2, $60; 10.3 DVD, $80; CD, $160; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $80; 10.3 Server, unlimited, $130.
  • More links in our archive.

  • Mac of the Day: 'Lombard' PowerBook G3, June 1999 - 'bronze keyboard' model is first PowerBook with USB, reaches 400 MHz, trims almost 2 lb.
  • List of the Day: PowerList for those using Power Computing Mac clones.
  • Channels
     Power Macs
     iMac Channel
     iBook/PowerBook
     MacInSchool
    Computer Profiles
     iMac
     Power Mac
     PowerBook/iBook
     Performas
     Mac Clones
     Older Macs
     LisaNeXT
    Editorial Archive
    Mac Daniel's Advice
    Email Lists
    LEMchat (uses AIM)
    Online Tech Journal
    Consumer
     advice, reviews
     guides, deals
    Software
    Apple History
    Best of the Web
     Best of the Mac Web surveys
    Miscellaneous Links
     Best Used Mac Buys
     Used Mac Dealers
     Video Cards
     Mac OS X
     Mac Linux
     Macspeak
     RAM Upgrades
    About Low End Mac
    Site Contacts

    Open Link

    Support LEM

    Affiliates

    The Apple Store
    .mac
    iTunes Store
    Club Mac
    MacMall
    MacResQ
    ExperCom
    eBay
    Amazon.com
    PayPal
    PCMall
    PC Zone
    Crucial Memory

    Our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For detailed price quotes and advertising information, please contactat BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number is for advertising only. Apple Archive articles copyright ©2000-07 by Adam Robert Guha. Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2008 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
      LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
      Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
      Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
      PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
      Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, PowerBook, MacBook, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.