OS 8 or 9 for My Clone
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MacPro Memory 667Mhz With Apple Spec Heat Sink 2GB $ 82 / 4GB $128 / 8GB $256 - Click to Maximize your Macs...
- 2001.02.08
Q: I have been having all sorts of problems with my Umax SuperMac C600/240. I was
told to use only System 8.1.
Then someone told me to use System 9.0. Can you please
tell me who's correct and what should I be looking for when
potential problems crop up?
A: It could happen that your Mac wouldn't like Mac OS 8.1 as it is. Before you go anywhere, you may want to make software and hardware checks, just to be sure that your problems are not coming from there.
First, do the usual troubleshooting. Turn all extensions off and see if your Mac is stable. If it isn't, then reinstall Mac OS 8.1. If that doesn't work, you need to check your hardware. TechTool Pro does a great job at checking every part of your Mac. You never know if failing hardware - especially faulty RAM - is your problem.
Then, if you wish to explore a Mac OS 9 upgrade (since you could not point to 8.1 or your hardware for problems), the switch is doable. For this, you should read Upgrade a SuperMac to Mac OS 9.
[Editor's note: We have SuperMac C600, J700, and S900 computers at home. All have run Mac OS 8.1 through 8.6 flawlessly, despite the fact that neither Apple nor Umax makes any claims of compatibility. Both the J700 and S900 have been upgraded to Mac OS 9.0 and 9.1 - and also performed as they should. We haven't tried OS 9 on the C600 yet, but since it contains an Apple-approved motherboard, it shouldn't be a problem. Members of the Power Computing, StarMax, and SuperMacs lists are all reporting excellent compatibility with everything this side of OS X.]
Michael Munger is a French Canadian living in Montreal. He discovered the Mac in 1994 while studying journalism, the profession he loves and practices. He also studied history and communications. He currently writes iBasics and Macinthoughts for Low End Mac. He wrote On the Flip Side for The Mac Observer and co-founded MacSoldiers in 1998. You can learn more about him on his personal website.Not sure if you should upgrade your old Mac or replace it? Check the Mac Daniel index to see if we've already addressed your problem.
Recent Mac Daniel columns
- Bringing G3 iMacs and other G3 Macs into the Tiger Age, Dan Knight, 12.07. Tips on hard drives, memory, WiFi, and getting Mac OS X 10.4 installed on G3 iMacs and other older G3 Macs.
- Multiple users on the same Mac at work, Dan Knight, 11.15. How to set up a Mac so multiple users can log in and use it - and use the same pool of work files.
- 1 working eMac from 2 broken ones, Dan Knight, 11.14. A pair of matching eMacs, each with a different failure, results in one working eMac and lots of leftovers.
- Problems running Classic mode in Tiger, Dan Knight, 11.08. After upgrading to Tiger, the old Classic installation stopped working. Where to find the pieces to get everything up to date.
- More in the Mac Daniel index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: PowerBook 170, Oct. 1991 - At 25 MHz, the PB 170 was at the top of the original PowerBook line.
- List of the Day: The iPhone List Low End Mac's forum for discussing and supporting Apple's iPhone.
- August 30 in LEM history: 99: The truth about USB speed - 00: Could Eazel kill the Mac? - Mac OS 8.1 on a IIci and LC III - 01: Beyond MHz and GHz - Getting a handle on email - Thanks for the IBM PC, Dad - Apple's anniversaries - 02: Mac OS X v10.2 - iBook video out - 04: Things that freak out my students - 06: Nvu and SeaMonkey can't replace Home Page - 07: DVD-RAM support
Recent Content on Low End Mac
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- CrossOver Strikes Out, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 08.27. Running Windows apps on a Mac without paying for Windows is great in theory, but actually getting Windows software working is another story.
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- Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27. 500 GB Time Capsule, $294; 1 TB, $468; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; 802.11n Base Station, $166; 802.11g AirPort Express, $60; 802.11n, $98.
- More links in our archive.
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