Mac OS 9 Overview

Below are some of the key features of Mac OS 9. This information is adapted from Technote 1176 and other online resources. More details in the Technote and elsewhere.

Hardware Requirements

Power Macintosh, PowerBook designed for PowerPC, iMac, iBook
Clones are not tested and qualified by Apple, but field reports indicate success
32 MB physical RAM, 40 MB logical RAM (VM set to 64 MB by default if less than 64 MB physical RAM installed)
First generation Power Macs (6100, 7100, 8100) and computer with System 7.5.1 or earlier must be booted from Mac OS 9 installation CD

Mac OS 9 Features

Allows multiple users to have their own preferences
Supports copying files over 2 GB in size, up to 8,169 open files
Encrypt command added to File menu (encrypts files, not folders)
Keychain tracks user passwords
Carbon support
Unicode support
Sound and Monitor control panels separated
Font Manager fixes FOND problem found in Mac OS 8.6
Mac OS USB v1.3 fixes sleep problem found in v1.2
Mac OS USB v1.3 provides improved support for PCI USB cards
Support for preemptive multiprocessing on Power Macs with more than one processor
Notification Manager eliminates "modal" alerts for background applications
Date & Time routines now default to 4-digit years, use 64-bit routines, eliminate Y2020 problem on older Mac OS, supports dates to A.D. 2108
Large memory leak in Appearance control panel fixed
File Sharing now supports TCP/IP
Supports automatice OS updates over the internet
Sherlock 2 allows grouping of search sites
Palm Desktop 2.5 (formerly Claris Organizer) includes with OS
Support for Color StyleWriter 4000 series dropped
LaserWriter 8f drivers, which include support for fax cards in certain LaserWriters, in not compatible with OS 9

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