[G4] Re: Classic or Native (was: Who needed help loading OS 9 on his MDD?)

[Al Poulin]

I am not a technician, but a somewhat knowledgeable Mac user and 
retired computer specialist.  I'd like to try to clarify the terms 
"Classic" and "native."  "Legacy" is a generic word for systems that 
have survived a number of years.

On Jun 17, 2007, at 9:57 AM, g4-request at listserver.themacintoshguy.com 
wrote:

>
> Message: 6
> Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2007 23:37:02 -0700
> From: Ronald Steinke <ronsteinke at mac.com>
> Subject: Re: [G4] Who needed help loading OS 9 on his MDD?
> To: "A place to discuss Apple's G4 computers."
>
> On 16 Jun, 2007, at 3:55 PM, Bruce Ryan Nakamura wrote:
>>
>> Since you are a technician, what is the difference in meaning
>> between Native
>> OS 9  and Classic OS 9?

> I'm not a paper certified tech, just a knowledgeable Mac user who
> does volunteer refurbishing of donated equipment to put into school
> classrooms. My interpretation of the difference is that Apple has
> used the title "Classic" to denote all computers, operating systems,
> and software that is pre-OS-X

This goes beyond Apple's meaning for "Classic."  One can speak of 
Classic applications and running in Classic Mode.  "Classic" does not 
apply to hardware or to OS-9 itself.  Also, many things, such as many 
applications written for System 6 and System 7, and some for OS 8, that 
are pre-OS-X are also pre-Classic.  I would use the more generic 
"legacy" for these older applications and also for older hardware and 
older operating systems.

> and that "Native" applies to machines
> that are capable of booting to OS-9.

"Native" has a wider meaning and applies to any machine capable of 
booting an operating system designed to run on that machine.  This is 
my own view and may be too limiting in specifying "operating system."  
Note that the following definition allows an even wider meaning by 
using the terms "instruction set," "something," and "corresponding 
item."

Here is a quote from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_mode
"The term native mode is used in computing in two related senses.
to describe something running on a computer natively or in native mode 
meaning that it is running without any external support as contrasted 
to running in emulation.
Native operating system, native instruction set, etc., in application 
to a computer processor means that the corresponding item was 
implemented specifically for the given model of the computer or 
microprocessor, as opposed to emulation or compatibility mode."

> There probably is a true company
> definition of those terms, but I haven't been exposed to it yet. In
> OS-X, programs that are OS-9 or earlier need to have the "Classic"
> environment running in order for the programs to operate, but it is
> not the full version of OS-9 and most of the system processes are
> being handled by OS-X resources.

This is accurate.  You can search at Apple's web site support tab with 
the terms "Classic" and "Classic Mode" for more information.  Briefly, 
Apple uses "Classic" to distinguish applications that can run under 
OS-9 from OS X applications.  If you run in Classic Mode, OS X is in 
charge but it uses software in the OS-9 (usually 9.2.2) System Folder 
to run Classic applications.  This is NOT emulation of OS-9 as 
mistakenly mentioned by some folks.

> In the Mac User Group that I am a member of, we use the terms
> interchangeably and usually mean a pre-OS-X item when we say it.

This is fine when everybody has the same understanding.  But OS-9 
cannot run natively on some of the machines that can be used in Classic 
Mode under OS X.  This is true of most G4s sold after September 2002 
and all G5s.  The OS-9 System Folder can be loaded on these machines 
but it will not boot them.

Hope this helps,
Al Poulin