Mac OS X is possibly the biggest change to the Macintosh
ever. It marks the end of the standard Mac OS. It also marks the
end of tight hardware-software integration.
If you remember, if you chose "About the Finder" back in System
6, it would tell you what System you were running, what version of
the Finder you were running, and how much RAM you had.
System 7
System 7 introduced something new - when you chose "About this
Macintosh", you got a box showing your machine. If you had a
IIsi, that's what it would say:
"Macintosh IIsi."
That's hardware-software integration. System 7 also let you have
more than 8 MB of RAM; let you run many applications at once
by default; separated extensions, control panels, and preferences
folders; and allowed you to customize your Apple Menu easily.
Later on, you started getting extensions and control panels for
your specific model, which added things on to the standard Mac OS
that enabled you to use features of your computer. As the LC IIIs and Quadras started coming out, you would see
files called System Enablers, which told the OS a bit about your
computer and included a few 
extra things for it to do (for instance, on the PowerBook 165, the system enabler file told the
system to disable 3D windows, because Apple found that on the 160's
LCD screen you could see some liquid-like movement in the 3D
windows that came with System 7)
The Power Macs came with their own operating system, a temporary
one called System 7.1.2. It was buggy, but it included QuickTime
and CD-ROM support. To give you an idea of how fast 7.1.2 was on a
then new 7100/66, it took just 13 seconds to start up.
System 7.5 came out with a little less and a little more
integration. Gone was the machine identity in the "About this
Macintosh" box (although I have seen it in some cases, such as the
Mac IIfx and Classic II). There were many more
features, such as more complicated desktop patterns, a hierarchical
Apple Menu, a new Apple Guide, and lots more control panels and
extensions.
Many of these supported only certain machines, like the
Macintosh Processor Upgrade control panel. That only supported
Quadra and Centris models that
had been upgraded with the Macintosh
processor upgrade card.
System 7.5 was buggy, so there were several updates. System
7.5.1 came in 1995 and shipped with the
first PowerPC Performas. It was the first version of the system
software to be called "Mac OS."
Mac OS 7.5.2 came with the PowerBook
190 and 5300 and the Power Mac 7200 line.
Mac OS 7.5.3 shipped as an update for anyone with 7.5, 7.5.1, or
7.5.2. It introduced TCP/IP and many other enhancements.
Mac OS 7.5.4 was under development but never shipped.
Mac OS 7.5.5 was available for those who had 7.5.3 installed. It
was an update mainly for Power Macs (if you didn't have a PowerMac,
it didn't do anything except remove some unnecessary system code)
and shipped with later versions of the 6400 and early versions of the 6500.
In 1997, Mac OS 7.6 debuted with all of its bugs. A 7.6.1 update
was quickly made available, which made 7.6 a very stable OS.
Mac OS 8
In just a few months, another new OS arrived.
A huge upgrade, Mac OS 8 included improved Internet access, the
ability to set desktop pictures, and a whole new GUI. The GUI was
based on the previous System 7 appearance, but it had a 3D look to
its menus and folder icons.
Soon after, a much-needed 8.1 upgrade shipped. It fixed some
problems opening folders, solved some problems with stability, and
added the HFS+ file system. With the 8.1 update installed, Mac OS 8
was a very fast and stable operating system.
Mac OS 8.5 shipped with Sherlock, the Internet search detective.
OS 8.5 also introduced themes, so you could save a total appearance
on your computer. The 8.5.1 update came out to fix a few bugs in
8.5, and 8.6 came out in 1999, improving a few more things. OS 8.6
also improved USB support for the
iMac and G3.
Mac OS 9
Later in 1999, Apple introduced Mac OS 9, dubbed "your
Internet copilot." Shortly after, an update was issued to disable
the "save memory content on sleep" feature which the iBook and new
PowerBook G3 featured. This
feature was buggy, and Apple addressed it specifically as it should
have.
A 9.0.4 update shipped, disabling that and fixing some minor
bugs. Recently, Mac OS 9.1 shipped to improve Classic Mac OS
compatibility. OS 9.1 gave the Finder a new "Window" menu,
displaying open windows. It also provided a new General Controls
panel, which doesn't give the option to protect the Applications
and System Folders. A new Startup Disk control panel appeared in
9.1, now supporting OS X disks. Mac OS 9.1 added a
command-shift-delete Empty Trash command, and it also rearranged
files on your hard drive so that it will be a little more
compatible with OS X.
OS X
OS X is Apple's new operating system. It includes many new
features, such as a new GUI called Aqua. It also has a new control
panel. It is a single panel, as in Windows and System 6, where the
controls actually appear in the same window. OS X also
provides an Apple Menu, which you cannot customize, much like the
Apple Menu of System 6 (you could customize the System 6 apple menu
somewhat).
OS X provides solid/active window dragging and solid/active
window resizing. It also provides fading menus. The solid/active
window resizing doesn't work very well, not even on a fast G4. It
would be nice if you could turn that off, as well as the fading
menus, which get in the way of some things. OS X needs work in
this area.
OS X also offers something not seen in many operating
systems, preemptive multitasking. Imagine launching several
programs at once! In the old Mac OS, that wasn't possible. Mac
OS X gives you protected memory, which means if one program
crashes, you won't have to restart the whole computer, like you did
with the older Mac OS.
There is a new type of crash. You may experience a kernel panic.
You will notice that your desktop gets interrupted with lines of
text, and you are no longer able to do anything on your computer.
This is the equivalent of a bomb dialog in Mac OS 9.
Mac OS X does not feature tight hardware-software
integration like every version of the Mac OS since System 6.
Control panels just for PowerBooks, extensions just for the
graphics cards in G4s, and support for the volume keys on the
PowerBook keyboards.
This is a real step backward, as one of the main advantages of
the Mac OS was that it knew your hardware, and it contained
features to specifically support your system.
OS X is an ultramodern operating system. I believe that
Apple is going in the right direction, but it still needs work -
especially in the hardware-software integration area and in the
interface speed.
I am really looking forward to July, when Apple begins
installing OS X on their new computers.
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