Best Web Browsers, Word Processors, and MP3 Players for the Classic Mac OS
- 2004.12.10
Low End Mac Reader Specials
Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core 8GB kit $232 / 4GB kit $116 / 2GB kit $72. New Macbook 2GB DDR3-$65. HARD DRIVES available -- Free shipping / 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
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Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.
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If you're using Mac OS 9, you might wonder if there is actually any modern software available for the OS. Firefox requires OS X, and in my last article, I found out that Windows Media Player 9 also requires OS X. The past two versions of Cubase have been OS X only, and recent versions of Photoshop also require OS X.
This doesn't mean that you need to have the latest version of everything in order to be productive on your machine. I was very productive in Mac OS 9 on my blue G3, and on a beige G3 before that.
OS X added a bit of stability, as well as the ability to run a whole bunch of more modern applications that couldn't run under OS 9.
But what if your Mac can't run OS X or your machine isn't up to spec enough for it? You're not completely out of luck. While you won't be able to view recent Windows Media files on your computer, if you're running Mac OS 9, chances are you won't care about that anyway.
The things you might care about could include a modern word processor, a modern Web browser, and something decent to play MP3s with.
For the word processor, Microsoft Word 98 and 2001 both run just fine under Mac OS 9. The files they create are compatible with newer versions, too, although older versions of Word (5.1 and 6) won't be able to open them unless you specifically save them as Word 5 or 6 documents.
AppleWorks 5 and 6 are also options, although they're starting to look somewhat old now. AppleWorks 6 comes free with iBooks, iMacs, and eMacs. If you get an older version of it (6.1 or earlier, I believe), it'll run just fine on Mac OS 9 - but be aware that AppleWorks 5 won't open files created in version 6.
As for Web browsing, I pretty much ruled out Internet Explorer with my article on Firefox. If Firefox were available for Mac OS 9, I'd suggest it.
However, since it's not available, one proceeds to the next-best thing. Some might say that would be iCab. I hadn't used iCab in a while, so I decided to give it a try. I downloaded the latest version and was disappointed when it failed to render a number of websites correctly - including About.com and Mozilla.org.
I searched everywhere for a popup blocker, but there seemed to be none. It's hard to believe that a web browser under development today doesn't include a popup blocker.
What seems to be the best browser for OS 9 would be Mozilla 1.3.1, which is available from the Unofficial Mozilla for Mac OS 9 website, or WaMCom, the Web and Mail Communicator build of Mozilla 1.3.1.
Lastly, you can use Apple's iTunes 2.0 for MP3s, but I find that a bit limiting. It's based on SoundJam, and SoundJam 2.5.3 works just fine under Mac OS 9. It's a bit hard to find these days, but it the link used here worked when it was tested this week.
There's also Audion, which is now free and runs on both Mac OS 9 and OS X.
The combination of choice for me would be Word 2001, the WaMCom build of Mozilla, and Audion. This is perfect if you've got an OS X Mac and want to use the same software on both your OS 9 and X machines.
If you don't have quite enough RAM or processor power to spare for some of the larger programs, look around for a used copy of MacWrite II, MacWrite Pro, ClarisWorks, or Microsoft Word 5.1 (try eBay) and download Internet Explorer 2.1 ( 1.7 MB) and GrayAMP.
That combination will make even a Power Mac 6100 useful again.
Recent Apple Archive articles
- iPods, notebooks, and other modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, 12.07. Whether it's an intermittent failure or a broken display cable, more often than not it's cheaper to replace a broken electronics device than repair it.
- Options for replacing your older iPod, 11.19. Whether you've run out of space on your old iPod or want features it doesn't have, here are your options in new and used iPods.
- Could the $200 'green' PC with gOS Linux become a threat to Apple?, 11.14. The low cost, low power Everex desktop comes with a customized version of Ubuntu Linux, has a Mac-like Dock, and sells for $400 less than the Mac mini.
- Leopard different, a bit buggy, but worth the upgrade, 11.02. Leopard on a Power Mac G4 and a MacBook Pro: It runs well on both computers, but each has some odd bugs, and some of the changes are a step backwards.
- More in the Apple Archive index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 'Yikes!' Power Mac G4, Aug. 1999 - The only Power Mac G4 with PCI graphics was built on a modified G3 motherboard.
- Group of the Day: SuperMacs is for those using Umax SuperMac clones.
- November 21 in LEM history: 00: OS upgrades, downgrades - AltiVec vs. Pentium III - 01: Saved by the clones - Computer of the future - 02: Apple Education: Let's get to it - 03: Panther lets Macs and PCs work together, - Lombard SCSI bug - 05: 3 survivors from the 1970s - Real world battery life inadequate - Windows to Mac file transfer with Zip disks - $99 alternative to Microsoft Office - 06: Parallels 1.0 far more polished than beta
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Just Right: Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear MacBooks, Charles W. Moore, 'Book Value, 11.20. Some people like small and light notebooks, others prefer huge desktop replacements, but the best value tends to be in the middle.
- Virtualization Shootout: VMWare Fusion 2 vs. Parallels Desktop 4, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 11.20. Both programs do the same thing, but one runs Windows XP smoothly alongside Mac apps, while the other bogs down everything but Windows.
- Apple Caves to Hollywood with DRM on iTunes Videos, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20. HDCP on the new MacBooks means that you may never really own those videos you buy from the iTunes Store.
- Leopard Runs Very Nicely on PowerPC Macs, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 11.19. Some claim that Mac OS X 10.5 is so optimized for Intel Macs that it runs poorly on PowerPC hardware. That's simply not the case.
- No High Definition iTunes Video for You, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.19. The October 2008 MacBooks are preventing users from viewing some high-def iTunes content from being viewed on their external displays. Poor form!
- Every Working Computer Is Useful to Someone, Allison Payne, The Budget Mac, 11.19. Whether it's a PowerBook 1400, G3 iMac, or Power Mac G4, it could be all the computer someone needs.
- 3 WeatherBug Options for Apple Users, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.19. Have instant access to current local weather conditions with a Dashboard widget, iPhone app, or Firefox plugin.
- Anticipating Macworld: Nehalem, Snow Leopard, and Updated Desktops, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.18. Intel's Core i7 CPU has to make it way into the next Mac Pro, nVidia GeForce graphics will drive the iMac and Mac mini, and 'Snow Tiger' will unleash the animal within.
- Love My Refurb MacBook Pro, Eudora Forever, and the Lightest AA Batteries, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.18. Also questions about nVidia GeForce 8600 problems in earlier MacBook Pro models and importing Eudora mailboxes into Eudora successors.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.20. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733, $100; 800, $199; 1.25 GHz, $300; 800 MHz dual, $200, 867, $300; 1 GHz, $350; 1.42, $400.
- Best iBook G3 Deals, 11.20. Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 366, $199; 800 CD, $180; 600 CD-RW, $240; 700 Combo, $290; 900, $369; 14" 600, $360; 900, $449.
- Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.20. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
- Best iMac G4 Deals, 11.18. Used 15" 700 MHz Combo, $243; 800 MHz, $280; 1 GHz, $380; 17" 1.25 GHz SuperDrive, $400; 20", $549.
- Best MacBook Air Deals, 11.18. New 1.6 80, $1,150 after rebate; 120, $1,744 a/r; 1.8 80, $1,794 a/r; 1.6 128 SSD, $2,150; used 1.8 64 SSD, $1,500; new, $2,200 a/r; 1.86, $2,398 a/r.
- Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals, 11.18. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $30; 10.1, $20; 10.2, $60; 10.3 CD, DVD, $100; CD, $119; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $58; 10.3 Server, unlimited, $150.
- Best iPod nano Deals, 11.17. Refurb 3G/4 GB, $79; new, $114; refurb 8 GB, $99; new, $125; 3G/8 GB, from $134; 16 GB, from $189. Prices include ground shipping.
- Best Titanium PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.17. Used 1 GHz with SuperDrive, $478 plus shipping.
- Best Xserve deals, 11.17. Used G4/1 GHz, $999; G5/2 GHz, $1,288; new 2.0 4-core Xeon, $1,900; refurb 3.0 4-core, $2,599; 2.8 GHz, $2,499; 3.0 8-core, $3,499.
- More deals in our archive.
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