Questions, re old software

[H е n d r i k]

Hi,

("long time no see", so here's a virtual handshake!)

I've been using MS-Office 2001 (J) for some time (on a B&W G3 with OS 9), and have so far not had any problems opening files that others have sent me. But time is moving on, and it might be prudent to upgrade (at least a little bit). So the related question would be whether there was/is any newer version of MS-Office that works under OS 9? And if so, does anybody here have it  and might sell it?

And, a long shot:

Someone sent me a no longer needed iBook G3 with OS 10.3. The system software was apparently damaged (there were all sorts of problems - for example, it was not possible to switch it to Japanese, the date and time could not be set, and no plugged in mouse was recognized). Anyway, since networking worked, and since this kind of PB (14" screen) apparently needs OS 9.2 as a minimum, the obvious solution was to copy the Classic System Folder from a friend's iBook G4 (running OS 10.4, which comes on DVDs and is thus unsuable for the iBook G3) and then making the downloaded folder the active System Folder. So, all is well - except that the iBook G3 can't sleep (my guess would be that the needed fiunctionality is not contained in the Classic software but only in the OS X software). Therefore, the 100-dollar question: has there ever been original OS 9.2 software for that machine? And if so, where might one be able to get it?

That's it for today...  Any insights and/or leads would be mich appreciated...

Best regards from the far south (no monsoon in sight so far)!

H.

--

[yiwai]

> ...whether there was/is any newer version of MS-Office that works under OS 9?
Not that I know of. MS-Office 2001 is the last version for OS9.

> ...no longer needed iBook G3 with OS 10.3---has there ever been original OS 9.2 software for that machine?
Depends upon the type of iBook G3. 1st generation iBook G3-500MHz (Dual-USB) requires 9.1 or later, the last iBook G3-900MHz requires 9.2.2 which is Classic only (there is no 9.2.2 standalone installer that comes with the machine), I believe.
The last standalone version, AFAIK, is 9.2.2 that came with iMac-FlatPanel-17" or eMac. I don't think I have discarded old OSes, EN/JP.

But, please note that iBook G3s, in general, are losing its hardware integrity these days.

Y

[Col]

Great to see you again Hendrik

As Yiwai says the G3 iBooks are mostly dead now. Typical problems are dead hard drives (replacement is complex), damaged hinges that cut through the video wire, and cracked ribbon cables.

But you were asking about installation disks.  I have OS 10.4 Tiger on CDs (not DVDs). They are lent out at the moment, but should be back by June 20th. Also OS 10.3 Panther - although I would recommend Tiger if you have 512MB or more of RAM installed. I also have OS 9.2.1 English and I may have an original iBook G3 OS 9.1 install CD.

Colin

[H е n d r i k]

> MS-Office 2001 is the last version for OS9.

Hi, and a "thank-you" to you as well... :-)

> ...no longer needed iBook G3 with OS 10.3---has there ever been original OS 9.2 software for that machine?
Depends upon the type of iBook G3.

This one appears to be a 14" screen equipped 900MHz G3 - and i just managed to get it booted with OS 9.2.1 that i copied off a desktop machine. ;-)

But, please note that iBook G3s, in general, are losing its hardware integrity these days.

Well, i won't entrust it with my one-and-only irreplacable files then. ;-) If it goes it goes...

Thanks & regards!

H.

--

[H е n d r i k]

Typical problems are dead hard drives (replacement is complex), damaged
hinges that cut through the video wire, and cracked ribbon cables.

Oh, well... ;-)

I have OS 10.4 Tiger on CDs (not DVDs).

That would be useful... :-)

Also OS 10.3 Panther [...]. I also have OS 9.2.1 English and I may have an original iBook G3 OS 9.1 install CD.

I managed to get an English OS 10.3 from someone in the US - do you still need the OS 9 stuff or is it on the market...?

Thanks & regards!

H.

--

[yiwai]

14" iBook-G3 900MHz; best of its kind. RAM can be up to 768MB (soldered 256MB + PC-133-512MB), OK to run Classic under 10.4 Tiger.
(Unfortunately my 12" iBook-G3 900MHz stopped functioning.)
it (any iBook) may take a couple of hours to swap its inner hard drive, which I did several times. It may be helpful if you have a plastic scraper (or maybe pronounced as "hella" in Japanese) found at a local DIY shop (so-called home center, priced like 100/200 yen)

http://www.macfamily.info/imac/kindanibook/g3ibookanaliysis.htm  <-- (unnecessary) ID card is used instead

If OS 10.4 is a way to go, please note that you can run Classic from mounted disk image, provided OS9.2.2 exists in that image.
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20020901083220804
Same way Classic under 10.4 (maybe 10.3 also), this image can be inner/external HD or both (can be launched one a a time, English/Japanese is your choice, if you have both images).

Y

[H е n d r i k]

14" iBook-G3 900MHz; best of its kind. ...

Good to know it's a decent machine. :-) I'll probably keep using it until it quits ...

it (any iBook) may take a couple of hours to swap its inner hard drive ...

Oh, i won't need to change anything. :-) If the drive goes, that's it...

{rant} I don't invest anything into computers anymore - they (maybe more on the software side than on the hardware side, but that can't be separated anymore, with specific versions of an OS required for a specific model of a computer, etc.) have become unelegantly complex. It's the same with home electronics, car electric, radio equipment, etc., that i used to repair: There is little to repair nowadays, one just swaps whole sections, often the whole device (the labor cost of opening something and ascertaining that one can't repair it, after all, is often already higher than the artificially low cost of a new device - artificially, because it has been produced in some place where the production garbage is dumped into the environment and people get paid low wages, so we don't pay anything what we should pay if our accounting was honest). Similarly, in the case of an OS, jf something don't work quite right, just re-install the whole OS. In the OS 6 and 7 era - which lasted much longer in my case than in yours, i am sure ;-) - i used to modify the System, the Finder, and various apps with Resedit and in that way taylored them to my needs, and that was fun, but those times are no more, and i've long lost interest in keeping up with the arms race... ;-) I'm using my free time now for things like writing and music... {/end of rant}

If OS 10.4 is a way to go, please note that you can run Classic from mounted disk image, provided OS9.2.2 exists in that image. http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20020901083220804
Same way Classic under 10.4 (maybe 10.3 also), this image can be inner/external HD or both (can be launched one a a time, English/Japanese is your choice, if you have both images).

Is the Classic included in 10.4 not going to work? It works as it is, after installing 10.3 (this seems to be version 9.2.2)

Thanks again...

~ H ~

[yiwai]

> Is the Classic included in 10.4 not going to work? It works as it is, after installing 10.3 (this seems to be version 9.2.2)

Classic is not included in retail version of 10.4.

It would be wise to obtain Multi-Language-Classic-DVD that comes with later models of PowerPC.
Of course you can boot into OS9.2.2 as a result of above installation, but you'd need an Apple CD/DVD (extension) driver from somewhere.

Y

[H е n d r i k]

> Is the Classic included in 10.4 not going to work? It works as it is, after installing 10.3 (this seems to be version 9.2.2)

Classic is not included in retail version of 10.4.

OK. But if i install 10.3 with Classic and then install 10.4 over that, the classic system software would be left on the computer, no?

It would be wise to obtain Multi-Language-Classic-DVD that comes with later models of PowerPC.
Of course you can boot into OS9.2.2 as a result of above installation, but you'd need an Apple CD/DVD (extension) driver from somewhere.

I see... lots of tricks one needs to know. ;-)

Thanks again for the info!

H.