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Where does one get OS 9?

I have a white iBook G3 with a reformatted hard drive but no OS 9 to drop on it.
Yesterday I was planning on recycling this machine. Then this morning I realized it'd be great for a special task that only OS 9 can handle.
leads greatly appreciated!
-Jonathan
PS: my CL post: http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/sys/1594894771.html

Orange iBook G3, Mac OS 8.6 or Earlier

Posted on Feb 10, 2010 2:04 PM

Best reply

Texas Mac Man

Level 8

46,839 points

Posted on Feb 10, 2010 3:13 PM

Suggest you join LEM-Swap for buying & selling Mac stuff. http://groups.google.com/group/lemswap
After you join, post a WTB (want to buy). The retail OS 9 install CD is white with an orange 9. A gray installer from another model Mac might work, but a retail installer will always work.

 Cheers, Tom 😉

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22 replies

bemorjac

Level 1

0 points

Feb 24, 2010 11:08 AM in response to Electronathan

Ive got a set of OS9 install discs. They r the gray ones. Do u still need a set?

Mar 1, 2010 1:43 PM in response to Jowie

Just a little interjection at this point; If you already have Tiger installed, do you also have the "Additional Software" disc for that install? Because the Additional Software" as I remember IS Classic.

You do need to have the HD formatted correctly, too. When installing Tiger, one of the options is to install OS9 drivers when formatting prior to install. Without them it's very difficult to get Classic to work at all.

Mar 1, 2010 10:50 PM in response to noondaywitch

Hi, noondaywitch -

Only the OEM disk sets that originally shipped with a Mac have the capability to install OS 9 or Classic, and those disks are model-specific to the model with which they came.

None of the retail (after market) OSX disk sets (OSX 10.2 and later) have the ability to install OS 9.

More importantly, since the last Mac that was OS 9 bootable came with a version of OSX 10.2, none of the later version OEM disk sets can install a bootable OS 9 - they can only install a Classic-only version, one which is not complete in the sense of being OS (boot) capable.

This means that any Tiger disk set, even an OEM one, can not install OS 9; an OEM disk set for Tiger may be able to install Classic, but that's not the same thing as OS 9.

Mar 2, 2010 2:40 PM in response to Don Archibald

Thanks Don, your points are noted (and agreed). I'm not sure, however that affects the ability to run the software required.

I am getting somewhat bemused though by the shifting descriptions of the Mac(s) referred to. Always a problem when threads are hi-jacked.

Mar 14, 2010 6:42 AM in response to Jowie

Hi Jowie,

I would like to install OS 9 to my old machine
a PowerBook G4 (black keyboard) that runs under 10.4.6

Any tip about where to find a retail install 0S 9 CD
would be much appreciated. I'm based in UK just
outside London.

thanks!
Thanos

Jowie

Level 2

222 points

Mar 14, 2010 11:31 AM in response to Thanos Chrysakis

Hi Thanos

I can let you know how but probably not on here, so probably best if you email me - I use MobileMe and my username is joe.nash ... Hopefully from that you can work out my address 😉

:-Joe

Mar 15, 2010 5:01 AM in response to Jowie

Jowie,

thanks for your reply.
Actually I don't use MobileME so can you
please email me to this address:

azimuths@gmx.co.uk

Thanks!
Thanos

Where does one get OS 9?