Using OS9 (or older) for daily internet tasks in 2017

[Johnnya101]

Yeah they should have a 68k version and a PPC version, and finally intel version. Of the site. Like one for an SE, a G3, and a whatever intel and modern computers...

That would be incredibly useful...

 

[sstaylor]

How old are we talking? ... i've found the garden to be very usable on Classilla.

Old like PowerMac 8600, MacOS 8/9, Netscape IE and iCab.

Haven't tried Classilla.

 

[rsolberg]

Macintosh Garden works quite well on my 68040 33MHz/Mac OS 7.6.1 in Netscape Communicator 4.08 with Java, JavaScript, style sheets, plugins, and images turned off in Prefs. Turning images off isn't a big deal because in Navigator 4.08, there's a load images button on the toolbar. If you decide you want images to load on a page, you can load individual images with the context menu, or use said button to load all images on a page. There's no need to keep opening Preferences to toggle the images option. It really speeds up page load and rendering times. Search on Macintosh Garden works much better too.

On PPC Mac OS 8.6 to 9.2.2, Classilla is my go-to browser.

For PPC Mac OS 7.6.1 to 8.1, I stick with Netscape Communicator 4.8 with style sheets turned off. More info at System 7 Today: http://main.system7today.com/browsercentral.html

 

[EvilCapitalist]

I had no trouble with Classila on my G3 AiO getting to Macintosh Garden back when it was at the stock 233MHz.  Classila even managed some standard web browsing (Hotmail, Google, Washington Post) though a great deal of patience was necessary.  I haven't tried anything aside from the Garden since I hot-rodded the machine to a G4/733MHz but I'd imagine browsing would be a bit faster now.

 

[Themk]

I used OS9 on my Sawtooth G4 back in 2009-2010 for many tasks. I realize that todays internet is different, but it wasn't bad.

 

[CC_333]

I tried using my Pismo, running Tiger, in 2014 or so for modern stuff, and it worked. Slowly.

I think I may have tried Classila too, but I don't remember.

More recently, I used it on my Cube to get software off of Macintosh Garden for my 540c, and it was okay.

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[CkWeb]

I like using vnc clients to use my newer computers to go online and do everything my old Macs can't

 

[Hrududu]

Things are changing so fast in regards to internet security and web development, even Classilla isn't good for much anymore.  Seems like just about anything that starts to load is blocked by a security measure these days that may have worked fine even a year ago.

 

[Unknown_K]

Classilla is still good enough to grab files from an older website if you don't have a server to dump them on.

I don't see the point of trying to browse the modern web on an OS 9 machines these days. The WWW has changed quite a bit, I remember when you could use IE 5 and browse on a PPC machine.

 

[Machead]

I can't access 68kmla, Wikipedia or Wiktionary with iCab 2.9.9, Opera 5 or Netscape 4.08. I have a PPP daemon between my 6360 and the Internet. I can still use Google, Macintosh Garden, and several other sites.

There has to be some way to make more of the Internet accessible to our old Macs.

I looked, and Classilla development seems to have stalled.

 

[Themk]

I don't think any of those work due to HTTPS being required. It's too bad, but its the way it is, more and more sites are going HTTPS only. For the 68kmla being what it is, a community of vintage mac users, it should have a plain HTTP option for us. Forcing HTTPS serves no real purpose*.

*HTTPS should be used when logging into your account to secure your password, as well as while you are logged in, to secure your personal profile information. If you are browsing as guest/anonymously, HTTPS shouldn't be required.

 

[IPalindromeI]

Hint: HTTP proxies exist. Stunnel exists.

 

[Themk]

I know about that, I should have mentioned that. But don't you think this site should be offered in HTTP. Stunnel is great, but they shouldn't be requiring HTTPS here.

 

[CkWeb]

If a fast vnc client is updated and/or optimized for 68k and ppc macs, newer systems or even virtual machines  can be used to surf, email and do other things remotely on our macs while we do what we love on them, like play games, office and productivity suites or even retro-programming. It's all about doing what you love

More recently, Google using search ranking to push https has made having secure sites a necessity. So alternatively, an online portal could work similar to stunnel but could also serve http sites optimized with old-school html to breathe some fresh air to our classic systems. Then we could browse news, wordpress blogs, how-to and other information sites. Things like logging in to post comments may not work (due to security and privacy concerns), but at least browsing could be achieved with less hassle, especially on 68k macs. Things like video and audio could be switched on and off to tailor your browsing experience and needs. This would mirror how the web used to be: a place where you surf rather than interact in. A lot of samples of this can be seen on the wayback machine, but a lot of sites still offer mostly browsable content.

 

[RC14]

So alternatively, an online portal could work similar to stunnel but could also serve http sites optimized with old-school html to breathe some fresh air to our classic systems.

I'm actually working on something like this, spurred on by my own troubles trying to use an old laptop.  Right now, it's still in the relatively early stages but I think it's an approach that will work - I have tested it working on several old machines.  The eventual goal is to repackage site html, keeping as little of the original superfluous resources as possible, and perhaps have custom css/themes for specific websites.  I'm currently working on optimizing it and making it more user friendly, but will update.

 

[pcamen]

If a fast vnc client is updated and/or optimized for 68k and ppc macs, newer systems or even virtual machines  can be used to surf, email and do other things remotely on our macs while we do what we love on them, like play games, office and productivity suites or even retro-programming. It's all about doing what you love

I'm not sure if this is the same was what I was thinking ... a VNC server for vintage Macs such that I can access them from a more modern Mac.  I know Timbuktu is an option and I see that there are work-arounds to get the last version working on Mojave and presumably Catalina.  But would still prefer VNC because it is built into modern Macs as screen sharing, and there are other good clients. 

There is a VNC server on Macintosh Garden for PPC / macOS 9.x:

http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/vnc-server-350

And a client for the same:

http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/vncthing