Why would you use Mac OS 6.0.5?

[avadondragon]

Additionally, there were bugs and glitches introduced in System 6.0.7 (which quickly replaced 6.0.6 for a show-stopping bug), that weren’t present in prior System software versions. Additionally, System 6.0.8 introduced a few more problems that weren’t in System 6.0.7.

Interesting. I haven't used different versions of system 6 enough to observe major differences. Could you elaborate a little? This is exactly the kind info I was hoping for. There is so little about pre system 7 on the internet and almost nothing at all pre 6. I'd really appreciate any details you can share.

 

[MrFahrenheit]

Interesting. I haven't used different versions of system 6 enough to observe major differences. Could you elaborate a little? This is exactly the kind info I was hoping for. There is so little about pre system 7 on the internet and almost nothing at all pre 6. I'd really appreciate any details you can share.

You’re asking me to cite specific cases from my memory of a system I used over 30 years ago. I just remember as system software advanced new problems cropped up.

Unfortunately I don’t have specific details and the problems were “random” in nature (meaning I would have to sit at a System 6 machine for weeks testing both 6.0.4 and 6.0.7 with the same software and use case to provide any real solid answers).

I was merely going based upon what I recall from using both. I haven’t used System 6 for more than a casual few minutes in almost 30 years.

I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.

 

[joshc]

There is so little about pre system 7 on the internet and almost nothing at all pre 6.

That's because all the sites that existed have since gone offline. There used to be a lot of stuff about original Macintosh system software and System 6 but not much of it is left.

System 6 Heaven was the one I always used to go to, which is archived here

https://web.archive.org/web/20160827204614/http://www.euronet.nl/users/mvdk/system_6_heaven.html

This site has some really good info about the early OS releases:

Apple Macintosh before System 7

earlymacintosh.org

Some info about the naming/numbering schemes as people get confused about this:

The develop CD and its spawn

earlymacintosh.org

There's a bunch of really useful stuff for System 6 users here:

Vintage Apple - Gamba - System 6 Vault

There's a little treasure trove of sites for System 6 stuff here, most gone now but the wayback machine has them:

Resources For The Older Macintosh

A special section on older, antique, classic Macs, technical data, a macintosh software download section, and tons of other macintosh links. Seeing is believing!

web.archive.org

Apple still host a brief version of release changes for each Mac system software release, it does note 6.0.5 as being the IIfx release but doesn't go into more detail:

Macintosh: System Software Version History (UK)

This page has a more full release history for 6.0.5:

System 6.0.5 /Finder 6.1 (System Software Update 6.0.5)

And finally, here's the actual original release document for 6.0.5:

Macintosh System Software Version 6.0.5 is an update consistent with Version
6.0 family standards. It transparently co-exists in networked environments
with Macintosh System Software Versions 6.0.2, 6.0.3 and 6.0.4. The Macintosh
IIfx, the Macintosh Display Card 8/24, the Macintosh Display Card 8/24GC, and
other interface cards and applications require Macintosh System Software
Version 6.0.5 to support their features.

Macintosh IIci, Macintosh Portable and 32-bit QuickDraw software users should
also use this version. For the Macintosh Portable, System 6.0.5 resolves a
communications problem when connected to serial devices and a power-consumption
problem when the Portable is shut down while connected to AppleTalk networks.
Macintosh IIci users will benefit from proper zero-width characters (used in
music programs and with accented characters), improved use of 32-bit QuickDraw
version 1.2 and corrected reception of control-break characters through the
serial port. System 6.0.5 supports 32-bit QuickDraw by offering additional
dithering capabilities, variable-resolution PICT images and font information
storage in PICT images.

Features:

-- The Macintosh Finder

-- The MultiFinder operating system

-- User Interface Toolbox

-- Cut and paste capability among applications

-- QuickDraw photographic-quality color graphics and PostScript typographic-
quality text output

-- Standard Apple Numeric Environment (SANE)

-- AppleTalk network operating system

-- Compatible with thousands of applications and utilities.


Macintosh System Software Version 6.0.5 (M0681/A)


Apple Products Library
4-16-90



Copyright 1990, Apple Computer, Inc.

Hope this helps? I can dig out more stuff about the other System 6 releases if you want to know more about what is different between each.

 

[avadondragon]

Thanks! I'll look over all those sites. I used System 6 Heaven back when it was still online. I also found Jag's House pretty helpful.

 

[Phipli]

Thanks! I'll look over all those sites. I used System 6 Heaven back when it was still online. I also found Jag's House a pretty helpful.

Jag's House was still up last time I looked, but entropy has set in and a lot if links between pages are dead.

 

[joshc]

Jag's House was still up last time I looked, but entropy has set in and a lot if links between pages are dead.

Yeah, and some of the info is out of date (like saying the Portable can be used on its adapter/charger without a battery without issue which is not true).

 

[Scott Baret]

Each System 6 version, complete with the mathematically questionable double decimal point, is similar to what we get today when we update our systems. Every upgrade adds support for something new, fixes a bug, or a combination of the two.

This is going completely off memory, but...

6.0.0: First release of System 6. Known to be buggy. Supports 512Ke, Plus, SE, II, IIx.
6.0.1: Apparent bug fix, pulled early, very rare in the wild.
6.0.2: Stable release of System 6. Earliest version included on System 7 CD-ROM.
6.0.3: Adds support for SE/30 and IIcx.
6.0.4: Adds support for IIci and Portable. Portable cdev and Battery DA introduced. First version to park drive heads at shutdown.
6.0.5: Adds support for IIfx. 32-bit QuickDraw INIT introduced.
6.0.6: Adds support for LC and IIsi. Officially adds Classic support.* Unofficially adds LCII support. Introduces on-board sound input support in Sound cdev and includes Brightness cdev for the first time. Changes icon at shutdown screen to use information icon rather than a compact Mac (presumably for the LC, the first Mac that wasn't a compact with a rocker switch for shutdown). Has an apparent AppleTalk bug. Packed with very early Mac Classics.
6.0.7: Bug fix for 6.0.6. First version compatible with TrueType INIT. Final version included on System 7 CD-ROM (which skips 6.0.6). Unofficially adds support for PowerBook 100. First to support StyleWriter printers. Likely first version to be compatible with IIe card.
6.0.8: Adds new versions of printer drivers, lining up with System 7. Officially listed as having LCII support. Final version of SSW to run on 512Ke.
6.0.8L: International version of System 6. Runs only on certain machines, including LC, LCII, Classic, Classic II, and PowerBook 100. Officially adds PowerBook 100 support and is only version of System 6 capable of running on a Classic II (or Performa 200).

Note that there are some compatibilities not listed. Any version of System 6 will run on a Classic, although it won't include a way to adjust brightness unless you either have a newer version. (A Classic will also run versions earlier than 6). The Classic ROM disk has 6.0.3 and a prototype version of the Brightness cdev with a vertical slider (the final release has a horizontal one) and a different icon. An LCII (or any of its Performa derivatives) can run 6.0.6 or 6.0.7. (In fact, all the LCIIs in my lab run 6.0.7). I'm not sure offhand if the IIcx can go earlier than 6.0.3 or the PB100 can run anything earlier than 6.0.7. Also, the 512Ke is not officially supported by any version of SSW 6 but will run it just fine. I've run as recent of a version as 6.0.8 on mine.

I also haven't tested whether StyleWriters, TrueType, or the IIe card are OK on 6.0.6 (if anyone wants me to do that, I have a IIe-card equipped LC and a StyleWriter I here along with my copy of 6.0.6), but some programs, namely Davidson's Kid Works 2, will reject 6.0.6 and demand 6.0.7 despite the only real difference being a bug fix.

Another note on 6.0.6: it was indeed packed in with early Classics. I know it had a creation date of 9/4/90 (source: I have both System Startup and System Additions disks for it). I have a Classic with an August 1990 date and know someone who had a July 1990 Classic that also came with them. 6.0.7 has a creation date of 10/13/90, just two days before the Classic's release, and was included last-minute with the Classic. If you've ever seen a System 6 disk with a circular green sticker that says "6.0.7" on it, that disk was packed in with an early Classic along with a note to destroy your 6.0.6 disks and use 6.0.7. It was too late to take the old ones out of the box, apparently. The 6.0.6 complete disks do exist in the wild...

6.0.6 does run fine on other Macs. I tried it on both a Plus and an LC. Of course, I didn't use any networking features...didn't want to push it...

Regarding that System 7 CD-ROM: It had 6.0.2, 6.0.3, 6.0.4, 6.0.5, and 6.0.7 on it.
Apple's website hosted 6.0.3, 6.0.5, and 6.0.8.

Why go with these older versions when 6.0.8 is available?
- Unlikely, but there may be an issue with certain programs and newer SSW
- Ditto for hardware
- A program with a boot disk may use a particular version
- If you're a developer, you may want to test for compatibility with them

Nothing seems to really change in terms of RAM or storage requirements between them unless you count newer INITs, cdevs, and add-ons.

One final note: 6.0.6 was the first version on two 1.4MB floppies.