Probably due to missing resource forks, which are typically lost in OSX. There is no need to resort to floppies.
You are prone to have two problems these days with downloaded Newton software. The first is getting a Newton to recognize the .pkg files (for which Steve Weyer's utility is a real gem); the second is getting the software to decompress and be recognized as a Newton file on your main computer. OSX is a real PITA here, because it too uses .PKG files, and thus treats your Newton programs as if they are for OSX. They are not.
Possible solutions to the second problem include:
1. Decompressing the .sit or .zip archive on your Performa, using Stuffit Expander or similar. As long as you are working with the compressed archive, you are often successful using this method.
2. Alternatively, you can do the download on the Performa, and decompress there as in #1. The Performa will not introduce the problems that downloading on an OSX machine usually will, and it will be plenty fast for these purposes. The files are not large, and often they are tiny.
3. Try changing the file type using a standard file translation utility.
I find that, in general, downloads done on a machine running MacOS work much better than downloads of software intended for MacOS (or Newton) but done in OSX. Problems with the latter affect perhaps half or more of the files downloaded.
You are prone to have two problems these days with downloaded Newton software. The first is getting a Newton to recognize the .pkg files (for which Steve Weyer's utility is a real gem); the second is getting the software to decompress and be recognized as a Newton file on your main computer. OSX is a real PITA here, because it too uses .PKG files, and thus treats your Newton programs as if they are for OSX. They are not.
Possible solutions to the second problem include:
1. Decompressing the .sit or .zip archive on your Performa, using Stuffit Expander or similar. As long as you are working with the compressed archive, you are often successful using this method.
2. Alternatively, you can do the download on the Performa, and decompress there as in #1. The Performa will not introduce the problems that downloading on an OSX machine usually will, and it will be plenty fast for these purposes. The files are not large, and often they are tiny.
3. Try changing the file type using a standard file translation utility.
I find that, in general, downloads done on a machine running MacOS work much better than downloads of software intended for MacOS (or Newton) but done in OSX. Problems with the latter affect perhaps half or more of the files downloaded.