• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Finding System Software on CD

Floppies_only

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2008
Messages
648
Location
Washington, United States of America
Gang,

I have won an auction for the system software for my new Power PC, so this discussion is purely academic.

What I am wondering is if the large number of System software CDs that say they are specifically for the iMac (or some other specific type of Macintosh) can be used for any Mac that can run that version of system? Are they model-specific?

Thanks,
Sean
 
What I am wondering is if the large number of System software CDs that say they are specifically for the iMac (or some other specific type of Macintosh) can be used for any Mac that can run that version of system? Are they model-specific?

Thanks,
Sean

Some are, some are not. Most I think you'll find are model specific if it says so and won't install on a different model, however there are some exceptions. This is because Apple released some of those Sys software CDs to specifically support hardware on that particular machine, and also as a piracy reducing scheme.

If you can find a retail copy instead of a machine specific version, you'll be laughing.

Also, there are some ways around it, if you've got a PC with the same sort of hard disk interface as the Mac, you can always run an emulator on the PC with the hard disk connected to the PC, and get the emulated mac to use that hard disk. Obviously then you'll need a copy of the correct ROM on the PC, but that is one possible way, because then you can set the gestalt (spelling?) ID of the emulated Mac so the sys CD thinks it's installing to the correct model.

Hope that helps you.
 
Hi Sean - most of the iMac O/S sets were very machine specific. If you are still looking for a version specific to your machine, we probably have it - send a message offlist.

Methuselah - used the old kind of sliderule
 
Hi Sean - most of the iMac O/S sets were very machine specific. If you are still looking for a version specific to your machine, we probably have it - send a message offlist.

Methuselah - used the old kind of sliderule

Thanks! I managed to snag a copy of System 9.1 on eBay.

Back in the early '80s when I was in high school, I took to wearing a slide rule around. I guess in a way, I was into vintage computing devices even then :)

Sean

www.archaiccomputers.com
"Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage"
 
Wow the usual Mac obscurantics. Clicking on the Archaic site brings up all kinds of Macs , for sale ON OTHER SITES. Most with no price until you click around. I finally found the LAST 3 Cube offers at only $279. And IMacs at another one for just over $100. Unfortunately they only ship within the US. Screw you canucks for not supporting the rape of Iraq. No waving US flag on it fortunately.

Part of why I gave up on Macs. Too much BS about "user friendliness". I have a 7100/66 AV which is a decent Power PC and to answer the original post there is a cd called Power PC GOLD (over 500 programs-wowzer) put out by Microforum Inc. "made in Canada" so it's likely not available in the US. But what-the-heck, maybe someone from Canuckistan will ship it to Bushland. We're much less Jingoist and more friendly than our "close" neighbors to the south.

By the way I thought the Vintage Computer Forum was about vintage computers, not the ever-changing line of new Macs.
Shouldn't this whole thread be in the General Off Topic section ?

Lawrence
 
Last edited:
Academically, I suppose it should be in off topic - with the PowerPC we're basically talking about Pentium or faster, and this form says it's for 68000+ based machines (I assume the + means 68030, 68040, etc. are included).
 
Back
Top