Thread
Things Mac OS 9 doesn't do that you wish it did.
Cameron is doing some excellent work on a web browser, and I recently discovered the program icWord that allows viewing of modern Word documents. Here's a wishlist of features I wish existed:
- Modern Flash player. Even though it might be speed limited.
- The ability to view Adobe Acrobat documents newer than version 5 (this is most annoying).
- USB 2.0 support.
- The ability to save documents in modern a Word format (though Appleworks and WP 3.5e do an admirable job in earlier formats like 6.0 and 97/2000).
- We could probably do with a better Java runtime.
- Long filename support (this would be a tough one to do).
What's your list?
- Modern Flash player. Even though it might be speed limited.
- The ability to view Adobe Acrobat documents newer than version 5 (this is most annoying).
- USB 2.0 support.
- The ability to save documents in modern a Word format (though Appleworks and WP 3.5e do an admirable job in earlier formats like 6.0 and 97/2000).
- We could probably do with a better Java runtime.
- Long filename support (this would be a tough one to do).
What's your list?
http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~iimori/sw/Coela.html
oooooo, this looks neat, but it mentions an expiry date... perhaps a hex editor or something would fix that.. Also appearance manager :/
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bekkoame.ne.jp%2F~iimori%2Fsw%2FMgrepApp.html
Word 98 and 2001 (as well as corresponding versions of Excel and PowerPoint) run great on OS 9 and can export the .doc format (and .xls and .ppt formats) fine. I do wish there was a way to have these versions read .docx files, but maybe someone will come up with a .docx reader for OS 9 as a RetroChallenge project someday 
The one thing I wish OS 9 did is run on newer machines.
The one thing I wish OS 9 did is run on newer machines.
255 characters is considered long filename, and has been on PCs since Windows 95 and OS/2. Technically, a Mac should have no trouble with this, but (unfortunately) the *Finder* in Mac OS versions previous to X will only display between 63 and 31 characters depending on version.
My MDD and TiBook are last-generation OS 9 machines, and neither of them come close to anything crunchy enough to handle h264. My MDD 1.42 with GeForce Ti 4600 video could barely handle 1fps of x264! It is just too processor intensive, and the amount of data probably choke the bus also. To dial down the detail enough for it to work, we'd lose the benefits. Better off converting it to MJPEG.h264 for quicktime 6At least decoder.
I would say that this one fits under "running on modern machines", at least a G5.
Coela:
Never heard of this before. Would it allow backup (even Time Machine backup) to an OS9 server? I seem to recall from a couple of years ago that an OS9 (running ASIP 6.3) machine that I tried this with refused to accept some UNIX files with extra-long names.
Never heard of this before. Would it allow backup (even Time Machine backup) to an OS9 server? I seem to recall from a couple of years ago that an OS9 (running ASIP 6.3) machine that I tried this with refused to accept some UNIX files with extra-long names.
Here is my list of demands for the Appearance Manager:
- Support for alpha-transparent pxm# images in appearance themes
- Ability to justify tabs in themes (always left-aligned or top-aligned)
- Support for vertical text, especially on right and left facing tabs
- Scale option for images in themes, instead of always repeating
- Animation of any element in themes
- Rollover of any element in themes
- Appearance control panel options for left grow boxes, 'X' style checkboxes, right-to-left styles, and double double scroll bar buttons present in themes
- Support for window growing from positions other than the bottom, right corner
- Support for custom mouse cursors present in themes
- Support for color variations in themes (similar to Apple Platinum and Aqua Blue/Graphite in OS X)
- Support for equations (add, multiply, sine, etc) in coordinate offsets in layo resources of themes
- Ability to change font face, size, and color in layo resources
- Better anti-aliasing
- Ability to swap out other system resources, such as strings, in the System File
- Ability to reposition the menu bar elsewhere on the screen
- Separate menu title item for the Apple Menu, which can be resized independently
- Alpha-transparent mouse cursors
- Ability for layo resources to "reach out" beyond their bounds instead of everything bigger than the original just getting chopped off.
- Support for alpha-transparent pxm# images in appearance themes
- Ability to justify tabs in themes (always left-aligned or top-aligned)
- Support for vertical text, especially on right and left facing tabs
- Scale option for images in themes, instead of always repeating
- Animation of any element in themes
- Rollover of any element in themes
- Appearance control panel options for left grow boxes, 'X' style checkboxes, right-to-left styles, and double double scroll bar buttons present in themes
- Support for window growing from positions other than the bottom, right corner
- Support for custom mouse cursors present in themes
- Support for color variations in themes (similar to Apple Platinum and Aqua Blue/Graphite in OS X)
- Support for equations (add, multiply, sine, etc) in coordinate offsets in layo resources of themes
- Ability to change font face, size, and color in layo resources
- Better anti-aliasing
- Ability to swap out other system resources, such as strings, in the System File
- Ability to reposition the menu bar elsewhere on the screen
- Separate menu title item for the Apple Menu, which can be resized independently
- Alpha-transparent mouse cursors
- Ability for layo resources to "reach out" beyond their bounds instead of everything bigger than the original just getting chopped off.
CJ_Miller wrote:
>My MDD and TiBook are last-generation OS 9 machines, and neither of them come close to anything crunchy >enough to handle h264. My MDD 1.42 with GeForce Ti 4600 video could barely handle 1fps of x264! It is just >too processor intensive, and the amount of data probably choke the bus also. To dial down the detail enough >for it to work, we'd lose the benefits. Better off converting it to MJPEG.
>I would say that this one fits under "running on modern machines", at least a G5.
I don't know what's wrong whith your system. But my G4 MDD dual boot, dual 1.42 overclocked to 1.67Mhz and ATI Radeon 9000 PRO, handle 1280x768 H264+AAC mono 22khz at 24-29 fps. in Mac Os 10.4.11.
But I haven't any interest in Mac Os X. Just for hardware testing purporses.
Tested whith this video:
http://st.gsmarena.com/vv/reviewsimg/lg-optimus-2x/camera/gsmarena_v002.3gp
Sorry for my bad English.
>My MDD and TiBook are last-generation OS 9 machines, and neither of them come close to anything crunchy >enough to handle h264. My MDD 1.42 with GeForce Ti 4600 video could barely handle 1fps of x264! It is just >too processor intensive, and the amount of data probably choke the bus also. To dial down the detail enough >for it to work, we'd lose the benefits. Better off converting it to MJPEG.
>I would say that this one fits under "running on modern machines", at least a G5.
I don't know what's wrong whith your system. But my G4 MDD dual boot, dual 1.42 overclocked to 1.67Mhz and ATI Radeon 9000 PRO, handle 1280x768 H264+AAC mono 22khz at 24-29 fps. in Mac Os 10.4.11.
But I haven't any interest in Mac Os X. Just for hardware testing purporses.
Tested whith this video:
http://st.gsmarena.com/vv/reviewsimg/lg-optimus-2x/camera/gsmarena_v002.3gp
Sorry for my bad English.
Just tried Coela today. It is like Greg's Browser on steroids. In looking for info on how to use it, I stumbled upon this Japanese page:
http://geocities.yahoo.co.jp/gl/go9life/view/20110117/1295275239
which gives a hexedit hack to remove the expiration message and about box when you start it.
I just wish the documentation was in English so I could figure out how to fully use it.
http://geocities.yahoo.co.jp/gl/go9life/view/20110117/1295275239
which gives a hexedit hack to remove the expiration message and about box when you start it.
I just wish the documentation was in English so I could figure out how to fully use it.
About Bittorrent:
It is at least "somehow" possible in 9: http://btfaq.com/serve/cache/11.html
A good coder could make a nice GUI in some weekends and make it really usable.
It is at least "somehow" possible in 9: http://btfaq.com/serve/cache/11.html
A good coder could make a nice GUI in some weekends and make it really usable.
What I really miss beside the already mentioned points is the possibility to display .odt files
Also missing is a encrypted Jabber client. As well as better File-System support for external media like sticks, HDs etc.
Also nice would be to make Multiprocessors usable for the OS. Shouldn´t it with a dirty hack, be at least possible to use both prozessors for different applications?
Next nice feature would be to use the 1,5 GB to 2GB Ram at least as RAM Disk, if not as RAM itselve.
Nice would also be complete good disk encryption. PGP 7 does a good job, but only up to 2 GB PGPdisks.
And last point I never solved, what do you use as replacement for Skype?
Also missing is a encrypted Jabber client. As well as better File-System support for external media like sticks, HDs etc.
Also nice would be to make Multiprocessors usable for the OS. Shouldn´t it with a dirty hack, be at least possible to use both prozessors for different applications?
Next nice feature would be to use the 1,5 GB to 2GB Ram at least as RAM Disk, if not as RAM itselve.
Nice would also be complete good disk encryption. PGP 7 does a good job, but only up to 2 GB PGPdisks.
And last point I never solved, what do you use as replacement for Skype?
Mac OS 9 apparently did have some multiprocessing ability.
Found this MacTech article that talks about a Multiprocssing_SDK.sit.hqx file.
As for reading .odt and .docx files, if someone could find a article on how to make Claris XTND Translators Packages, someone could write up a plugin for Apple/ClarisWorks.
Found this MacTech article that talks about a Multiprocssing_SDK.sit.hqx file.
As for reading .odt and .docx files, if someone could find a article on how to make Claris XTND Translators Packages, someone could write up a plugin for Apple/ClarisWorks.
Apple did acknowledge After Dark's popularity at least once. There was a package called the Campus Software Set in the mid-90s, which was marketed to college students. Included on those disks was the After Dark Starter Edition, which came with Flying Toasters, Fish, and one or two other modules. There were also day planners, money managers, and the PC Exchange software. I may do a writeup of it sometime for Mac512; these are the types of bundles Apple should market through the Mac App Store.
I thought of another wish for OS 9--Apple-supplied drivers for non-Apple printers (excluding PostScript printers selectable through the LaserWriter driver). It sure would be nice to get my LaserJet 1022 working on OS 9!
I thought of another wish for OS 9--Apple-supplied drivers for non-Apple printers (excluding PostScript printers selectable through the LaserWriter driver). It sure would be nice to get my LaserJet 1022 working on OS 9!
Let me be the troll;
Really? I think thats Apple propaganda, as everyone has to read that the OS is not afflicted by a application crash for years now. I have some reale stabel OS 8.6 machines that never need reboots at all. OK, PM could be nice but it is not mandatory.
I do not need it. In fact cooperative multitasking has its advantages. For example I will never see such a snappy GUI at any X or Debian or whatever. It drives me crazy to see how fast a OS can react at 1 GHz when I use the Quadcores with Linux, ...I belive cooperativ multitasking is better for desktops and single user computers. Applications like Quicktime, that grab everything and block the entire computer are a pain – that´s true - but this is a application problem and not one of the OS.
In fairness, it is eminently possible for one bad application to stomp all over another one. The OS tries to guard for this (and has some trivial protections such as guarding the red zone), but there really isn't much true protection at all.
That said, as you demonstrate, a well-chosen set of well-behaved apps will run faster and just as well on a real-memory, cooperatively multitasked OS simply because preemptive multitasking and true virtual memory cost cycles. But then, cherry picking always works. }
That said, as you demonstrate, a well-chosen set of well-behaved apps will run faster and just as well on a real-memory, cooperatively multitasked OS simply because preemptive multitasking and true virtual memory cost cycles. But then, cherry picking always works. }
Windows 9x was a nice mixture of everything. Part Protected, part not. Cooperative Multitasking with Multithreading. (Wha?) Sometimes it was rock solid, and then 1 bad app or driver would make the entire thing as stable as 7.5.2. But then, cherry picking always works. }