Hello everyone! :-D I'm kind of new to Macs; I've used them before but not OSX... I got this 'new' computer, but every time I want to run an app it tells me I need to have OS9 installed... Whaa? Does this mean I have to install OS9 and then upgrade to OSX from that? That sucks! >:( I have OS8.1 laying around... Will that count? And what about that Rosetta thingy? Help! Thanks! ;-) -- Leo

you can install OS9 with OSX.. OS X is unix based, classic OS 9 is not.. That is why OS X needs OS 9 to run your older programs... Rosetta is for Intel based Macs only, and only allows them to run PowerPC based applications that are for OS X, on them.. (it does not allow them to run OS 9)

http://www.macfixit.com/article.php... http://www.macosxhints.com/article.... http://www.macfixitforums.com/showf...

You have to install it alongside X, it might install right next to it, but you may need to install OS 8 before installing X, I am not sure, it being that my MAC came with os 9 preinstalled, after both versions of MAC are installed, you have to search for an icon called Classic, by doing that, it will run something called a parallel allowing you to run both X and 8 or 9 together as one OS

Hmm... So 8 will work too? I have 8.1, 8.6 (Mac G3 restore CD), and 9.0.4... But that Classic icon you're talking about in System Preferences says it needs 9.1 or above... :-( Are you sure 9.0 will work? If not, can I upgrade to 9.1 or 9.2 for free? I was looking at these: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.... I don't want to test anything right now 'cause I didn't get my OSX CD yet. It should arrive tomorrow though. Tell me if 9.0 is fine. Thanks! ;-) -- Leo

Yes; it seems I can upgrade like this: 9.0.4 > 9.1 http://docs.info.apple.com/article.... 9.1 > 9.2.1 http://docs.info.apple.com/article.... 9.2.1 > 9.2.2 http://docs.info.apple.com/article.... Wee! Okay, so now I install all of that, and then install OSX over it? Or is there a special procedure to follow? Thanks! ;-) -- Leo

No special procedure, you just install 9 like you normally would.you can keep your OSX just as it is now.it lives together with X.. just make sure that it's *not* on the same harddrive partition if your only using 10.1, because it wont run either as classsic mode or boot into OS9 ..later versions of OSX allow you to have OS9 ion the same partition, and even right inside your X installation, and even boot into it or use it for classic, but not 10.1. Although this is probably obvious to someone who has used it for a while, it's not obvious to someone new to OSX, so I'll mention how Classic works... When your actually running OSX and a program written for OS9 or earlier wants to run, it starts up the classic 'Mode" which is, os9 starts as usual with a boot screen (in 10.1x anyways), and then disappears (becomes invisible). The program now runs the same in OSX as any other ordinary app, and you dont see the os9 desktop at all. You might notice the old finder menu bar pop up now and then, and the windows in the OS9 app will be the classic style, but there's themes and stuff to patch up the differences..by the time you get familiar with using a Mac maybe resexellence will be up and running again, and youll have fun browsing through there. Also, although not about classic anymore, youre going to want to immediately do the apple updates to 10.15..through the updates control panel..it should have started automatically, but OSX 10.1 is *very* buggy, really stable but lots of things just *dont* work in it, and you might have to start the updates process manually. Lastly, make sure you remember that you must have a free partitin for OS9, if you've got OSX all on one harddrive, However, your in luck anyways because you've got a G3 blue and white, and it has an extra harddrive space in the case , with an extra power jack and drive plug..it's a simple job to put it in , just have to undo one screw holding the drive clamp to the case..and a hard drive big enough for OS9 should set you back $2 (used drives tend to be a 25cents to dollar per gig these days)..that will save having to re- partition an occupied drive, which is not recommended for newbies ...! Put the drive in, boot from the CD, install OS9, and the updates, (important, you need the updated startup disk control panel!). and you're done..select OSX in the starup disk, boot into X, select the new OS9 install in theclassic preferences control panel and that's it...! HTH