Experimental Classic environment for Intel-based Macs debuts

One of the most lamented aspects of Intel-based Macs has been the inability to run Classic (Mac OS 9 and prior) applications in any capacity. The systems can neither boot from a Mac OS 9 startup volume, nor run the Classic emulation environment.

Gwenole Beauchesne has released a new version of SheepShaver -- an Open Source PowerPC MacOS run-time environment -- that is tentatively compatible with Intel-based Macs, allowing these systems to run the Classic (Mac OS 9 and prior) environment.

The software requires a copy of MacOS and a PowerMacintosh ROM image.

The author says:

"Performance within MacOS X for Intel could not be evaluated. However, you may read about the following benchmarks run on a Linux platform. They show that performance with the current CPU emulator using basic Just-in-Time (JIT) translation techniques is roughly 25% of native speeds."

Some known issues at this point:

• You may need to boot with a CD-ROM in the drive if you intend to use it.
• You need a NewWorld ROM to take benefit of AltiVec emulation as there was no PowerMac PCI ROM supporting G4 processors.
• NewWorld ROMs can only support MacOS 8.5 and upwards. SheepShaver only supports first-generation NewWorld ROMs at this time. This means anything below or equal to version 1.6, i.e. not Parcels-based ones.

For more information, see this page.

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com.

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