Mac OS 8 Emulator Brings Late 90’s Apple Flare to Your Modern PC
If you have ever wanted to see what using an Apple computer was like over 20 years ago, well, now you can. A relatively popular Slack developer, Felix Rieseberg, created a program that emulates Mac OS 8. The program runs on macOS X, Windows, or Linux.
Rieseberg explained he built the entire app in JavaScript, ‘so please adjust your expectations’ accordingly. It emulates more or less the look and feel of Mac OS 8.1 on a circa 1991 Macintosh Quadra 900 with a Motorola 68K CPU.
I put an entire 1991 Macintosh Quadra with Mac OS 8.1 into an Electron app, together with a bunch of apps and games. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux… and JavaScript. Again: I’m sorry.
— Felix Rieseberg (@felixrieseberg) July 28, 2020
Go grab it here: https://t.co/JUw798dRcS pic.twitter.com/p3AR2dyx5r
Believe it or not, it’s relatively functional regarding software support. It includes demos and games from a Macworld demo disc that was released in 1997 including, Duke Nukem 3D, Civilization II, Alley 19 Bowling, Damage Incorporated, Dungeons & Dragons, and of course, Oregon Trail. The emulator includes some other programs and demos as well, like Photoshop 3.0, Illustrator 5.5, Premiere 4.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to connect to the internet using the emulator, even though it ironically includes Internet Explorer and Netscape. There is, however, a method you can use to get files into the emulated OS. So, you will be able to install some games and programs from the old Macintosh Repository. According to the creator, Encarta installed without modification on the emulator.
It’s not perfect, considering the fact that the Civilization II demo crashes as soon as it’s opened. But the fact that this is more than just a user-interface clone purely for nostalgia is quite an incredible feat. Remember, this emulator was designed entirely in JavaScript and runs in a web browser.
Featured Image Credit: [Felix Rieseberg]
