rich002
Level 1 (5 points)

Q: Macintosh Plus System OS

I've purchased the System 7.1 OS Personal Upgrade Kit for my Mac Plus (which didn't come with any software installed when I purchased it), but unfortunately the kit comes with 1.4 MB floppies to install and Mac Plus' only allows a maximum of 800K floppies to run on it. I've been searching for system 7.1 on 800K floppies and haven't found any luck. Any ideas what I should do or where I can get this type of software?

Posted on Jul 15, 2013 7:37 PM

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rich002

Q: Macintosh Plus System OS

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  • Helpful answers

  • by kaz-k,

    kaz-k kaz-k Jul 15, 2013 11:48 PM in response to rich002
    Level 5 (6,005 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 15, 2013 11:48 PM in response to rich002

    You can download older software from following site.

    http://support.apple.com/kb/TA48312?viewlocale=en_US

  • by JustSomeGuy,

    JustSomeGuy JustSomeGuy Jul 16, 2013 5:27 AM in response to rich002
    Level 3 (586 points)
    Jul 16, 2013 5:27 AM in response to rich002

    For a Mac Plus, you don't really want System 7... you want System 6.  It's also available at kaz-k's link, if you have a means of moving data to Mac-formatted 800k disks.

  • by dalstott,Helpful

    dalstott dalstott Jul 16, 2013 11:43 AM in response to rich002
    Level 4 (2,625 points)
    Jul 16, 2013 11:43 AM in response to rich002

    Some links to browse.

     

    http://rescuemyclassicmac.com/index.html

    Screen Shot 2013-07-16 at 2.42.11 PM.jpg

     

    http://oldermac.hardsdisk.net/oldmac.html#hard

  • by rich002,

    rich002 rich002 Jul 16, 2013 4:14 PM in response to JustSomeGuy
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jul 16, 2013 4:14 PM in response to JustSomeGuy

    Well I'd actually read that system 7.1 is reccommended if you have an external HDD and 4MB of RAM which is what I have, and since it has bugs and issues that have been fixed from system 6.

  • by JustSomeGuy,

    JustSomeGuy JustSomeGuy Jul 17, 2013 5:56 AM in response to rich002
    Level 3 (586 points)
    Jul 17, 2013 5:56 AM in response to rich002

    System 7 is bigger and slower.  It certainly is more capable than System 6.  It really depends on what you want to run and how fast you want to run it.

  • by stevena1,

    stevena1 stevena1 Sep 6, 2013 5:03 PM in response to JustSomeGuy
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Sep 6, 2013 5:03 PM in response to JustSomeGuy

    Don't want to go fully off topic, but has anyone been able to run "Mac OS" (read: System 7.5.5.) on a Mac Plus? I bet it barely can run it, and it is the last supported OS on that Mac, and I've never seen any machine run it. If so, I'd like to know.

  • by kaz-k,

    kaz-k kaz-k Sep 6, 2013 11:31 PM in response to stevena1
    Level 5 (6,005 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 6, 2013 11:31 PM in response to stevena1

    No, you can't. System7 requires PMMU which 68000 doesn't have.

  • by rich002,

    rich002 rich002 Sep 7, 2013 4:28 PM in response to stevena1
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Sep 7, 2013 4:28 PM in response to stevena1

    Of course you can run system 7 on the Mac Plus just look at any website referring to system 7 compatibility even Wikipedia --->  http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Plus.  It's just system 7.5.5 is too slow and really not that necessary I've found out. So I'd recommend 6.0.8, 7, or 7.0.1 for a Mac Plus.

  • by stevena1,

    stevena1 stevena1 Sep 10, 2013 9:04 AM in response to rich002
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Sep 10, 2013 9:04 AM in response to rich002

    I suppose the max supported OS is only theroetical I take it?

  • by JustSomeGuy,

    JustSomeGuy JustSomeGuy Sep 10, 2013 9:44 AM in response to stevena1
    Level 3 (586 points)
    Sep 10, 2013 9:44 AM in response to stevena1

    Yes and no.  The max supported OS is real, and if you have a 7.5 app you absolutely must run on a Mac Plus, it'll work within the speed/screen/memory/disk space constraints you put on it.  Would you want to?  Not if you could run it more comfortably on a platform that was more suited to the job.

     

    It reminds me of "minimum specs" that operating system publishers used to put on their boxes (maybe still do).  "Will run in 4MB."  While strictly true... it wasn't optimal.  You'll always be happier with more where computer horsepower is concerned.  You never really want to be on the minimum end of the spec spectrum.

  • by stevena1,

    stevena1 stevena1 Sep 10, 2013 4:42 PM in response to JustSomeGuy
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Sep 10, 2013 4:42 PM in response to JustSomeGuy

    Well you can theroetically run older apps in System 7 (I know there were cutoffs like today.) Very likely in 7.0/7.1. The Mac Plus had a very long shelflife between the manufacturing and the app support, because that model like you had mentioned was the "minimum" Mac.

     

    I have a Color Classic, 9" incher - difference is other than color, I can add more RAM beyond the 4MB hardwired memory, unlike the Plus where 4MB was the maximum. It can handle System 7.5.x fine, but I get no memory errors on occasion, partially because I have too much unneeded apps for an antique machine.

     

    System 7 had more multitasking abilities compare to prior versions, which explains the reason why it would've been a memory hog, and why the Macintosh Plus can't run it well. Not sure about Classic Mac OS, but maybe processes might had went up in power for system resources, but I don't know that for sure.

     

    I'd really love to see if any Mac Plus could run something "modern" (because the "Mac OS" brand has been around for more than a decade and is in many people lexicons.) Mind you, of course, that appeared in the startup screen of course! Actually, 7.5.3 was the first OS with the modern brand.