Ramblings, by Doug Corbett.
I have been trying to get OS X up and running so I could give you all my thoughts
on this new operating system. As luck would have it, the setup of this operating
system is not as intuitive as I would have liked. I did get it to work... I am just
saying that one or two more words somewhere might have helped.
I read all of the preparation and 'before you install' read-me's and I did not see
any warning or statement that 'Classic' was not compatible with the
optional Unix file system. This does appear to be the case though because I made
multiple attempts (and have registered my [Penny's] new software about 10 or 15 times.)
What is 'Classic'? Classic is what Apple calls their provisions for running operating
systems prior to OS X. Classic is similar to Soft PC or Virtual PC but is to run
Mac OS on your Mac...
And why would you want to do that; run an operating system prior to OS X? Well a
lot of your older applications will not work on this new operating system in native
or OS X mode. Also not all of these older applications' software developers have
or even plan to make a new application for OS X. And especially, they won't want
to create this new software for free - at the very least they want to sell this software
to you for a profit. (At least Apple is providing us with the choice.)
Being the cheapest of the 'cheap Charlies' in town, I want to use these older applications
till they won't run any more.
I did want to run some of the Unix applications that I have experience with so
that is why I tried to use the option of Unix file system (UFS) in the setup options.
O-well.
If any of you are into chess, OS X comes with a very nice version of point-and-click,
drag-and-drop chess. The graphics are good and of course it was able to beat me handily
(I don't get much practice.)
The list of hardware that this software will work on is a comparatively short list.
G4's and G3's of course, iMac's, iBooks, PowerBook G4 and PowerBook G3 (minus the
earliest PowerBook G3's.)
If you have any of the above, you probably have the required 128 MB of RAM, but you
will also need 1.5 GB of available hard disk space.
Have I mentioned that you have to update your operating system to 9.1 if you want
to run classic? This update comes on the OS X disk so you do not need to order it
separately (as we did.)
A couple of sites that Bobby was able to locate for current information on OS X follow.
A very good, in-depth comparison:
and more news and info at
For the diehard Mac fan and/or anyone who is aware of Linux, I had to quote an article
from the above ìMacslash.î Linus Torvalds is the 'father' of of Linux. Linux is an
up and coming operating system that is very close to the operating systems of the
main frame computers and is starting to take market share from Microsoft in the OS
market..
Macslash, Friday April 6, 05:30 PM
Torvalds rubbishes core of Apple's OS X By Will Knight
"The forthcoming autobiography from Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux operating
system and figure head of the open source movement, Just For Fun, promises to cast
a shadow over Apple's newly released OS X, which Torvalds describes in less than
flattering terms.
"Frankly, I think it's a piece of crap," Torvalds says of Mach, the micro
kernel on which Apple's new operating system is based. "It contains all the
design mistakes you can make, and manages to even make up a few of its own."
Torvald's comments promise to upset not just Apple fanatics, but also some quarters
of the free software movement. The Mach micro kernel is also being used as the core
of Hurd, a kernel project from the Free Software Foundation that will be an alternative
to Linux as the heart of the GNU(Gnu's Not Unix) operating system, originally devised
by free software advocate Richard Stallman.
The criticism comes in a chapter where Torvalds tells that, on arrival in Silicon
Valley in early 1997, Apple's charismatic chief executive Steve Jobs invited him
to join Apple and help develop OS X. He says that Jobs was also keen for him to help
attract open source developers to the project.
The remarks will particularly sting Apple, because the company has made great play
of the fact that the core of its new operating system is, like Linux, based on the
Unix operating system and was developed on open source software.
The Mach micro kernel was created at Carnegie Mellon University in 1985 and has been
incorporated into a number of commercial operating systems including IBM's OS/2 on
certain platforms and Apple's OS X. Torvalds says that as developers have tried to
improve the Mach micro kernel it has become hugely complicated and convoluted.
OS X has not been unanimously applauded since its launch. Shortly after it was released
to the public two weeks ago, users questioned the lack of support for certain peripherals,
particularly CD-rewritable and DVD-recording drives, suggesting that the operating
system might be under-ripe.
Torvalds says that, even back in 1997, he foresaw compatibility problems between
the new operating system and legacy applications,due to a lack of memory protection
-- a safeguard that stops applications influencing each other and the operating system
-- in old Mac applications.
According to Torvalds, Jobs assumed that he would be interested in joining Apple's
mission to capture more of the personal computer market from Microsoft, rather than
continue concentrating on Linux. "I don't think Jobs realized that Linux would
potentially have more users than Apple, although it's a very different user base."
Apple was not available for comment at time of posting. "
See you at the meeting Saturday.
dc
