Making the Case for a Truly Modern, Up-to-date Browser for Mac OS 9
Bookmark in del.icio.us- 2007.10.25
Low End Mac Reader Specials
Memory To Go Special: New 2008 iMac 2GB $42 / iMac Intel Core2 DUO & MacBook Pro 2GB $36 - 1GB $20. MacPro 8 Core Memory 8GB kit $286 / 4GB kit $143 / 2GB kit $93 -- Free shipping available. LIfetime warranty.
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: Specials on AppleCare, iMac's, Apple Batteries and Apple A/C Adapters. Also Great prices on Used Apple Computers. Call 1-800-941-7654 Click Here.
OWC: Juice up your iPod w/NewerTech High Capacity Battery from $19.99 Free Installation Videos for most models. Pro Installation Service w/FedEx Shipping From $57.95 (Battery Included). - www.MacSales.com
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.
Bong! . . . :-) . . . Welcome to Macintosh!
Hear ye, hear ye! Now hear this! Leopard will be introduced to the world on October 26th! Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
That's cool and all, but what about Mac OS 9? Where's the love? Sitting all alone in the corner over there, being treated like an old, but still good, comfortable pair of shoes collecting dust. Where's the justice? There's a lot of dance left in the ol' dame yet!
For those of us who remember the Classic Mac OS days, Leopard puts the final nail in the coffin for any remainder of the "true" Mac OS. As of Leopard, Classic mode ceases to exist. Sure, we have SheepShaver, but it's not the same.
Granted Classic mode wasn't what you'd call a pillar of strength, but it at least kept the flicker of the flame alive for the G-crowd (those who use G3 and higher based Macs that can run Classic mode).
Mac OS 9 has a lot going for it even now. Its simplicity in terms of user interface, which to this day OS X still doesn't entirely match, is a major strength.
It's greatest weakness in terms of modern appeal? Lack of a good browser.
Classic Mac Browsers
Let's look at the lineup for OS 9 browsers.
First you have the truly yucky and deplorable Internet Explorer 5.1.7. Buggy, slow - need I say more? Netscape 4.7, 4.8, or even 7.0.2? They're okay. They're passable - but buggy and slow to a point.
Then there's iCab. This is the browser I used on the tail end of my dial-up days before I switched to DSL last year. My main purpose for using it to begin with was because it was the only browser that I could use to log into the CompuServe forums and chat rooms, something that no other browser could do. iCab is a great browser, but it's slow on dial-up and even lags on DSL. Kudos to the makers of iCab for continuing OS 9 development. I pray you'll continue to keep development going, because iCab is getting better all the time.
WaMCom (based off Mozilla) and WannaBe (a text-only browser) I haven't tried yet, but I reckon I should....
Then there's Mozilla. I never thought of using Mozilla until I recently visited my good friend Sean. He uses Mozilla 1.2.1 on 9.2.2 running on his Molar Mac (G3 AIO). It impressed me, even for a browser that is no longer being developed for OS 9. It has reasonable speed and is still current enough to handle most things. But Mozilla still lacks in that it can't render some sites at all, which is sadly what all OS 9 browsers suffer from.
A Plea to Developers
I'd like to make a plea to software developers out there who still program in OS 9. Maybe it's the old-school in me, or maybe it's the nostalgia, or the fact that OS X still hasn't completely won me over - nevertheless, I issue a plea to all OS 9 developers out there to help the makers of iCab in developing a modern browser that will keep OS 9 alive.
OS 9 is still viable even in an age of OS X with all its unnecessary, resource-hogging eye candy. For those of us with older Macs, it's apparent that Apple is zooming at the speed of light to forget about older Macs and their users. But lest they forget, were were the ones who supported them during their darkest days.
Maybe we're not ready to give up on our beige beauties and the early colored beauties too! Hear our call, developers! Let's keep OS 9 alive! Let's prove that the last iteration of the "true" Mac OS won't go down without a fight!
Feel free to drop me a line at thomas(at)lowendmac(dot)com with your
thoughts. 
Recent Welcome to Macintosh articles
- TruePower Battery Can Run WallStreet PowerBook Past the 5 Hour Mark, 10.10. If you have a rugged old PowerBook but its battery is losing capacity, TruePower can give you plenty of time in the field.
- Listen to Just the Music with the V-Moda Vibe Earbuds, 09.05. Well built, the noise canceling earbuds will let you hear all the nuances of your music without letting through background noise.
- SanDisk Sansa Clip MP3 player has lots of features at a sub-shuffle price, 07.22. The Clip has 1-2 GB of storage, a screen, iPod-like navigation, excellent sound, an FM radio, a built-in microphone, and a price that beats the shuffle.
- Apple's eMate still a great tool in the classroom, 05.09. How one teacher equipped his classroom with eMates with his own money - and plans to keep using them as long as possible.
- More in the Welcome to Macintosh index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: iMac G5 (iSight), Oct. 2005 -Apple built an iSight webcam into the last version of the G5 iMac.
- List of the Day: Leopard List Low End Mac's email list covering Mac OS X 10.5.
- October 12 in LEM history: 98: Beyond HFS+ nightmares - 99: iMacs for all - 00: The future of low-end gaming - 01: Tips on buying a new computer - 05: iMac G5 (iSight) - Simple backup strategies - 06: Bring back flexible, easy to upgrade 'Books - 07: Road Apple nominations - PB 150 boots from Compact Flash - Leopard to slow down PowerPC Macs?
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- nVidia Inside Next MacBook?, Time for a Mac Netbook, Asus Launched MacBook Air Killer, and More, The 'Book Review, 10.10. Also photo reveals more about MacBook Pro, comparing 16:9 and 16:10 displays, Apple settles suit over faulty iBook and PowerBook adapters, bargain 'Books from $150 to $2,699, and more.
- 30% of iPhone 3G Buyers Switched Carriers, EU Battery Rule May Force iPhone Redesign, and More, iNews Review, 10.10. Also iPhone 3G greatest consumer electronics device ever, track presidential polls on your iPhone, Talking English Dictionary, waterproof armbands, several new iPhone apps, and more.
- Economic Crunch May Slow Mac Sales, a Recycled Cube, ToCA Race Driver 3 for Mac, and More, Mac News Review, 10.10. Also don't buy RAM from Apple, customize your Mac's appearance, MacTribe expanding into print, My Apple Space social networking, and more.
- Best Mac Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.10. Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,799; new, $1,949 after rebate; 2.8 4-core, $2,099 shipped; 8-core, $2,599 shipped; 3.0 $3,399 shipped; 3.2, $4,099 shipped.
- Best PowerBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.10. Used 14" WallStreet G3/266 MHz, $90; Lombard G3/400 MHz, $150; Pismo G3/400 MHz, $300; 500 MHz, $350.
- Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.10. Refurb 500 GB Time Capsule, $249; new, $294; refurb 1 TB, $419; new, $462; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; Base Station, $159; Express, $60.
- Modding Your Old Mac to Make It More Useful, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 10.09. If your old Mac is too slow, too noisy, too plain looking, or has too little room for expansion, you might want to mod it.
- What Would an $800 MacBook Mean for the Mac mini?, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 10.09. If Apple does release an $800 entry-level MacBook next week, the $600 Mac mini is going to look very overpriced.
- Best iMac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.09. Used 15" 700 MHz CD-RW, $269; 800 Combo, $300; 1 GHz, $390; 17" 1.25 GHz SuperDrive, $400; 20", $529.
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.09. Used 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $995; 2.16, $1,125; new, 2.2, $1,400 after rebate; refurb 2.4, $1,699; 2.5, $1,999; 2.6, $2,299; rebates on new.
- Best Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 10.09. DVD upgrade from 10.3, $75; upgrade bundle with 10.3, $118; full version, $129; family pack, $200; 10-user Server, $350; unlimited, $400.
- The Power of Older Macs, Why Vista Only Sees 3 GB of RAM, Wangwriter Supplies, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 10.08. Also the end of an era as MIT HyperArchive shuts down and another suggestion for profiling Windows computers.
- Migrating My Law Office from Windows to Macintosh, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 10.08. By switching to Leopard Server, everyone in the office will be able to move to a Mac - but which ones will best meet their needs?
- Low End Mac Needs Help Moving to Joomla, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 10.08. We've settled on Joomla as the content management system that should work very well for Low End Mac, but we're running stuck with templates.
- Will Apple's iPhone/App Store Tornado Blow Away the Competition?, Tim Nash, Taking Back the Market, 10.08. The iPod, iTunes, and the iTunes Store paved the way for the success of the iPhone and the App Store - and nobody can match that.
- More links in our archive.
About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts
Have a question?
Ask an expert!
Navigation
Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Best Used Macs
Video Cards
Email Lists
InfoMac's Low
End Mac Forum
Favorite Sites
MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System
6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
Mac FAQ
Abandonware
Petition
Mac vs. PC Info
Affiliates
The Apple
Store
Mac
Connection
MacMall
TechRestore
MacResQ
ExperCom
Crucial
Memory
batteries.com
Advertise
