Thread

Good OSes for your 68k Mac

· 68k · 54 posts · May 16, 2015 — Jan 21, 2024 View original thread ↗

#1 Sat, 16 May 2015 - 16:29

First, please note that I have never used a 68020 or 68040.

The Mac OS can really be divided into three main groups:

System 6.0.x (1989-1991)
System 7.0.x/7.1.x (1991-1994)
System 7.5.x/7.6.x (1994-1997)
Mac OS 8.0/8.1 (1997/1998)

Now, for which OS:

_________________________________________________

| | Speed | Modernity |Compromise|

|68000 (with HDD)| 6.0.8 | 7.5.5/7.5.4 | 7.1/7.0.1 |

| 68020 | 6.0.8 | 7.5.5/7.5.4 | 7.1.1 |

| 68030 | 6.0.8 | 7.5.5/7.5.4/8.1| 7.1.1 |

| 68(LC)040 | 7.0.1 | 8.1 | 7.5.5/7.5.4 |

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I recommend the "Compromise" option for most systems.

System 7.5.4 was released for anywhere between a few hours and a week, and was pulled by Apple due to the fact it causes (some?) PowerPC machines to crash.

It's just fine for 68k, and is my recommendation for all 68040 systems. An updater going from 7.5.3 to 7.5.4 may be found on Max1zzz's server (Google "max1zzz"), and 7.5.3 is free from Apple. Apple also released 6.0.8 and 7.0.1. 7.1 and 7.1.1 can be found on the Internet pretty easily.

If you have any practical experience, go ahead and reply.

#2 Sat, 16 May 2015 - 16:29

Also, does anybody know how to do a table?

#3 Sat, 16 May 2015 - 22:51

Unless the forum allows HTML; no.

The LC and the Mac II are the only '020 68K machines. The LC II & LC III, along with the Mac IIx, IIcx, IIci, IIci, IIfx and others are '030 Macs. And there were a few accelerators for the B/W 68K Macs that were '020 and '030 68K CPUs. Long ago I had a '020 accelerator for the SE, making is an SE\20 - LOL!

The OS depends on the machine, amount of RAM and what programs are being used.

My preferences - 6.0.X for the B/W 68K Macs, with the exception of the SE\30 and Classic II which would have System 7.

System 7 on my IIcx, IIci and IIfx. Later System 7 (7.6.1) on my PowerPC Machines and '040 machines. But I would strip the code to fit the machine's CPU.

#4 Sun, 17 May 2015 - 11:59

As a general rule of thumb, any 601-based PowerMac I use OS8, 8.5/8.6 on 603-based machines and 9.1 on 604-machines... that being said I am running 9.2 on my 9600 with OS9helper. G3's and G4's from the graphite era, OS9.1/9.2 and OS 10.3 are where it is at... 10.3 actually runs faster than 10.2 or 10.1 on a given machine, whiilst 10.4 is a little sluggish on all G3's and G4's that are slower than about the 733 mark. The G5 I simply use 10.5 as it is the latest supported operating system and it runs flawlessly.

As for 68k machines, depending on variables... most 68000 machines I run 6 simply because it is small, fast, and doesnt chew RAM. I do use 7.1 on classics and SE's but most of them already had it when I got them and it runs reasonably well but RAM is an issue.

anything '020 or slower '030, I am most comfortable with 7.1 on them... on faster 030's I prefer 7.5 for it's added functionality and support, and I use this on most of my '040 machines as well. For what it's worth, I've never found myself with any desire to run 7.6, as it really seems it was designed more with PPC in mind but at the same time, PPC machines are a whole lot more versatile with 8-8.6.