Compact Macs
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This page helps you identify what you need for your Compact Mac. 

So, what is a Compact Mac? Well, I define it as any of the the little self-contained, black and white macs. Yes, I know the Color Classic and Color Classic II are compact, and so are the Powerbooks for that matter, but for purposes of this discussion, I am really focusing on the 68000 based, black and white, compact Macs like the Plus and the Classic (and even the Portable and the PB 100). 

Low-end Mac has a complete listing of Compact Macs (though my page really does not focus on anything faster than the Classic). Much of what I will discuss here does pertain to 68030 based Compact Macs too (such as the Classic II and the SE/30) since they are restricted by the same screen limitations. But when I am talking about speed and performance, the 030 based Macs are obviously faster, so you can also look to the Color Macs section for my .02 on what to do with a faster mac too. 
 
 

Macintosh OS

The Classic that I was recently given came with 7.0. While System 7.0 is a great improvement over 6, feature-wise, it really is a little slow on the ole' Classic. So my recommendation is to use 6.0.8. If you want a real "Classic" experience, it really is the way to go--it is lithe and nimble and allows you to run all of those really old programs that won't run under system 7. 

I also like System 6 on my IIsi. Makes the little guy as zippy as a G4 (without all the capabilities, of course).
 

Word Processing Programs

Well, I am using Word 5.1 for compatibility reasons, but really, even it is a little slow, so I am not sure what to suggest, except perhaps Nisus. That is a free program, and there are other available free and shareware programs out there that you can try too.

  • For a good discussion of Word Processors for System 6, check System 6 Heaven's discussion of Vintage Word Processors.
  • For a list of available Word Processing Programs, and links to download many of them, view the eMailman's Mac Word Processors list.
  • You can also get an old version of Nisus, from the Info for System 6 page.
  • And you can get a lot of Vintage software--including the much touted WriteNow, here. These are for archive purposes, assumably. You still would need a license for the software.

Internet Programs

I do not really use my Classic on the Internet, but I found people that do and can tell you how to as well...

Games

So much to talk about here. I will have to write it another time. But for now, here is a great link to many games @ System Six Heaven
 

A lot of 68000 programs in one place

The sites below have lots of 68000 compatible programs available.

 
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