This, My Soul Mac OS
Open the downloaded Mac OS X El Capitan software and preview the file in the Applications folder. Click “Continue” and then select “Agree”. Click on “Install” and then enter your admin password. Installing Mac OS X El Capitan Safely on an External Drive. Downloaded the iso image and proceeded to make a Mac OS X bootable USB on windows. To create a bootable media to install Mac OS X leopard on my old macbook A1181. I used imageusb and installed. I was very happy to find this 10.5.4 version which worked perfectly. Many thanks to all.
Apr 16, 2009 4:00 AM PT
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Ask a Mac OS X fan or a Windows fan what the difference is between the two operating systems, and the short answer might be something like, 'The difference is, the one I use doesn't stink.' That response may underscore the emotional pull an operating system has with a particular sort of computer user, but it is not very helpful for getting at the heart of the matter. The long answer involves understanding the soul of each OS.
Mac OS X is gaining favor among a growing number computer users. What is it that makes up the real difference between OS X and Windows? The long answer goes well beyond the Dock, the Start Button, or other obvious surface features and appearance details that any user can easily see at first glance.
'Apple is second to none in user experience,' Bill Gribbons told MacNewsWorld. Gribbons is director of the Master of Science in Human Factors in Information Design at Bentley University and senior consultant to the Bentley University Design and Usability Center. 'They turned it into an art form. Apple's approach to product design is what distinguishes them from Microsoft. Microsoft is not always focused on technology. It is not always a good experience for users and is not always easy to learn. It does not always fit the users' needs.'
Close Birth
Certainly, both Microsoft's and Apple's operating systems have changed dramatically over the years.
The two systems share a common lineage, of sorts. Windows was released in 1985 and was at least inspired (if not copied) from the earliest Mac OS, which Microsoft had access to as a Mac software developer. Apple actually sued Microsoft in the 1980s for 'borrowing' their ideas, according to Edward Shepard, marketing manager of Apple sales professional for Small Dog Electronics.
'Forward 25 years, and it can be argued that Microsoft borrowed many ideas for Vista's look and feel from Mac OS X. Likewise, Apple has also borrowed ideas from Windows over the years. The two OSes are like two competitive, wealthy cousins from different sides of a single family tree,' Shepard told MacNewsWorld.
From these entwined origins, the two systems embarked on different paths and gathered families of followers either born into the fold or converted to it. For instance, Apple has emphasized the seamless integration of software and hardware, as well as a core focus on graphical feedback. Windows was designed as a licensed product to run on thousands of different computer models produced by dozens of companies around the world, according to Shepard.
Soul Differences
Apple's approach made it easier for developers to assure compatibly and reliability. However, it has also limited the size of Apple's user base, which stood at about 30 million users in early 2008, Shepard noted.
Meanwhile, Microsoft emphasized getting as large a user base as possible for Windows. Now, somewhere around 90 percent of computer users run Windows. On a global scale, having a dominant OS probably helped facilitate mass adoption of personal computers. On the other hand, it also made Windows an attractive and easy target for viruses, Trojans, worms, and other computer attacks, he added.
These two paths followed distinctively different design passions, and it's in the design that the essence of their souls emerge.
Mac OS X has a restrained, coolly calculating soul that effectively handles its business, though perhaps doesn't always tell you about everything on its mind. As a human, Mac OS X would be an efficient, dedicated concierge that smoothly does his job, albeit with an air of quiet superiority. Windows has an aggressive, do-it-all soul, but often huffs and puffs to remind you it's working hard (even if it's for your benefit). As a human, Windows would be a sweaty middle manager stomping around the office, reliable enough and 'surprisingly good at karaoke,' quipped Shepard.
Designed Distinctions
Peeling back the trappings of each OS unveils a closer glimpse at the architectural differences that separate Mac and Windows systems. At the root of the architecture lies the core programming.
'Windows was built around networking. Its foundation is on highly modifiable DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries) to support many applications and a registry file for multiple configurations. On the Mac side, the OS is based on Unix, Mach and the Apple OS structure,' Gene Spafford, professor in the department of computer sciences at Purdue University, told MacNewsWorld.
Mach is an operating system microkernel Carnegie Mellon University developed to support operating system research. The basis of the Mac OS X is still the core built by Carnegie Mellon.
Architectural Adversaries
Windows' design set led to the growth of an OS that was full of tweeks. The Windows of today evolved from the NT/Windows 2000 structure. It facilitated drag-and-drop convenience and easy-to-install applications, Spafford explained. In contrast, the Mac OS seldom put in a shared library to install applications.
Instead, the Mac uses permissions like Unix. No large-scale system management is needed. The result: When something installs on an Apple computer, the user knows it. The installation cannot happen silently.
Another difference is that most configuration settings on the Mac are in plain text. There is no arcane registry setting like in Windows, and the kernel stays minimal.
'This is the overall Mac philosophy of how things get added in. Microsoft extended the design to add to the kernel,' Spafford said.
Growth Spurts
Both the Mac and Windows operating systems are inherently different today than their earlier generations. Apple had a shift in technology that brought an end to the single-threaded OS that was similar to DOS (Disk Operating System), according to Spafford. Windows designers began peeling away the DOS core upon which the Windows GUI (graphical user interface) was applied with the migration to Windows XP.
Similarly, Mac OS 9 was creaking under the load. Steve Jobs, who at this point had returned to head up Apple once again, changed the operating system to make the OS X into a new design, explained Spafford.
'What was novel was its ability to seamlessly emulate OS 9 running under OS X, much like VMware functions today. This enabled users to switch over without losing their software. The new version strengthened Unix as the underlying kernel,' he said.
Sensitivity Training
One of the main aspects of the Mac soul is the connection its designers have with Mac users. Gribbons, who specializes in studying how people interact with systems, describes Mac developers as having a deep, intimate understanding of what people want and value.
'Apple maps the system design to whatever product they do to that model. Apple always feels like a user's best friend,' said Gribbons.
With Apple, users enjoy a carefully orchestrated experience that is not accidental. From the way it is marketed, sold, packaged and supported, it is designed to be seamless.
'You don't see that from Microsoft,' he said.
How Good Is Too Good?
However, this approach almost brought doom to Apple, noted Gribbons. At one point, the company almost went out of business because of it, he said.
'The systems didn't seem serious. They were expensive. There were delays in getting to the market. They wanted to get it perfect, but the market didn't demand this. On the other hand, Microsoft got its products to the market more quickly, and they were good enough. This is how Microsoft captured the market share,' Gribbons said.
Addressing this conundrum was part of the soul searching that Mac developers did to salvage the Mac OS from itself. For much of the 1990s and up until about the last five years, the product was almost too good, he explained. Consumers were really buying too much product, and the price point was way above that of Windows-based products.
What's the Diff?
Differences abound in the two systems, but both can do essentially the same things, according to Fernando Machado, who has a decade of experience running a computer maintenance and service business and is a computer expert on JustAnswer.com.
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'Windows is better for gaming due to the large amount of games that are available for it. Mac, however, has better overall security and is less prone to attackers,' he told MacNewsWorld.
The differences in OS design reflect a clear distinction in what attracts the user base. For instance, the Mac is designed more for graphical and multimedia functions and tends to run better than Windows doing so. Windows, however, is much better with statistical applications as well as office applications. It also seems that Windows is easier for the user to customize, Machado explained.
The Roots of Design
Windows is designed to be a do-it-all-at-any cost OS, which has its benefits and complications, Shepard added. For example, there are six versions of Windows Vista, and there will be six versions of Windows 7, all listed at different prices. In contrast, Apple simply sells one fully loaded version of OS X for one price (US$129). This version even includes Boot Camp for installing Windows on a Mac if desired.
'The biggest difference between the two goes back to their origins. Windows tries to be everything to everyone, is phenomenally successful, but has a history of security vulnerabilities, peripheral incompatibilities (ironically enough), and upgrade confusion. Apple still has a more restrained consumer focus, still controls the design and engineering of its hardware and software, competes hard in some demographics but is content letting others go. Thus, it has a smaller user base,' Shepard summarized.
All things considered, the two OSes are starting to become quite similar, according to Mike Palumbo, an IT specialist for the Center for Instructional Technology at Eastern Connecticut State University.
Most OS preference these days is driven by the same brand loyalty that divides Ford and Chevy owners and Coke and Pepsi drinkers, he said -- and the arguments that ensue are often the equivalent of 'Tastes Great! vs. Less Filling!'
Soul Survivors
In recent years, both companies have learned from each other and incorporated each other's ideas. Windows has become more user friendly and more slick in its design, while Apple has included functional features and control options that were previously unavailable, according to Palumbo.
'Apple makes a lot of assumptions about what you want control over and makes a lot of decisions for you, and that's great for the majority of the users. Windows gives the user more control and more options, and by virtue of that, more opportunity to mess it up,' Palumbo told MacNewsWorld.
Windows designers are catering to an audience that likes to look under the hood and shift manually. The average user can still drive it, but the enthusiast can really tweak it if they desire, he explained. Windows designers have made it possible for IT pros to completely control every aspect of how the computer is used by the employee.
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'Apple designs its interface and even the outward hardware to appeal for people who appreciate design. It's slick, shiny and expensive, not unlike buying a sports car,' said Palumbo.
Long ago, Mac fans and Commodore Amiga fans fought like mortal blood enemies. But we now live in a far more civilized age—one where Macs and Amigas can walk together, hand-in-hand, along the sandy shores of computerburg.
For that we can thank MorphOS 3.5, a free-to-try Amigalike operating system developed by Amiga and PowerPC aficionados. With a simple download and a CD-burn, you can turn an aging G4-era Macintosh into a modern day Amiga-compatible machine.
“Sacrilege,” you say. “Why would I want to do that?” For the same reason you might build a life-sized replica of Iron Man in your basement. It’s a hobby; a fun diversion—for most, anyway. Some people do use MorphOS as their daily computing workhorse. In this big world of ours (mostly Europe), there still exist pockets of die-hard Amiga users. For them, MorphOS is a boon because it extends the OS platform with which they’re most comfortable (AmigaOS) into a new generation of relatively modern, low-cost, and high-powered machines (PowerPC Macs).
And unlike some cottage OSes, MorphOS brings with it a large library of very usable software, much like a modern Linux distribution. Not only does it run MorphOS native programs, but also a large selection of programs written for AmigaOS.
So here, without further ado, is how you can join the “Amigalike” renaissance—or just play around with a different OS for a few hours.
Step 1: Check hardware compatibility
Before any Amigalike magic begins, you need to make sure MorphOS 3.5 will work on your system. Fortunately, MorphOS runs on a nice variety of Apple-brand machines from the early 2000s.
Here’s a list of compatible machines, which I scraped from the official MorphOS Hardware Compatibility Page.
- Apple Mac mini G4
- Apple eMac (1.25GHz and 1.42GHz models only)
- Apple iBook G4
- Apple PowerBook G4 (models with a Radeon graphics only)
- Apple PowerMac Cube (bundled USB audio hardware not supported)
- Apple PowerMac G4 (nVidia GeForce2 MX and nVidia GeForce4 MX/Titanium cards are not supported, audio supported only with certain models)
- Apple PowerMac G5 (only a couple models are supported, and MorphOS will only use up to 1GB of RAM, no matter what)
If you’re like me, you probably have some spare Mac hardware like this floating around somewhere (in my case, I just decommissioned a Mac mini G4 that ran as a backup server for almost a decade).
Everything I’ve read suggests that installing MorphOS on a G4 Mac mini is the easiest route. It makes installing MorphOS relatively painless (if you call overwriting a perfectly good Mac OS X partition painless, that is). It’s worth mentioning that MorphOS also runs on certain exotic non-Mac hardware like the Genesi Efika.
Step 2: Download MorphOS ISO and burn it to CD
After you’ve selected your target machine, it’s time to download the software. Mosey on over to http://www.morphos-team.net/downloads and grab the ISO file made for Macs.
To go any further, you’re going to need a computer with a CD/DVD burner for this step. You’ll also need a program that burns ISO files to CD-Rs (I recommend ImgBurn for Windows and Disk Utility for OS X).
After you download the software, burn the MorphOS 3.5 ISO to a CD-R.
Step 3: Boot your Mac from the CD
This step is easy. Gently place the CD you just burned into your Mac’s CD/DVD drive (gently!), power up the machine, and just after you hear the chime, hold down the C key on the keyboard. That tells the Mac to boot from the disc in the CD/DVD drive.
After a few moments of furious churning noises from your CD-ROM drive, you’ll see a black splash screen with a blue butterfly logo in the center. If you see blue butterflies before that, it’s time to cut back on the LSD.
After further loading from CD, the MorphOS desktop will appear. A window titled Welcome to MorphOS in the center that shows various 3D-rendered vehicles will greet you, and you will be pleased.
Step 4: Tiptoe through the waters of MorphOS on CD
At this point, you have the option of playing around with MorphOS for a while without obliterating your Mac’s existing OS X installation. Think of it as a test drive.
To run some MorphOS applications, click on the Explore CD button in the welcome window. You will find most of the included applications tucked away in the appropriately named Applications folder. Some are also in the Utilities, Tools, and Games folders.
If you’re looking for a Web browser, it’s called OWB (short for Origyn Web Browser), and it’s in a folder called OWB within the Applications folder. Type in macworld.com and read this article. Congratulations; you’re now stuck in an infinite loop. To break free, read the next step.
Step 5: Install MorphOS
Before we go any further, a warning: any MorphOS installation will destroy whatever is currently on your target Mac’s hard drive. Proceed with caution.
It is possible to dual-boot MorphOS and OS X (which would still destroy your OS X partition), but that would be silly.
If you’re ready to take the plunge and do a full MorphOS install, click on the Installation button in the aforementioned Welcome to MorphOS window. A new window will pop up that leads you through the install process.
For me, the installation itself was quick and trouble-free. MorphOS asks you to set a few keyboard, mouse, time, and network preferences, and then it politely asks you to wipe out (partition) your hard drive. I recommend the automatic partition option for simplicity’s sake.
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After that, the system will set up custom partitions and install the files from the CD. You can then reboot into full MorphOS glory. Amazingly, the boot process only takes a couple seconds on a Mac Mini; it’s a lean operating system.
Step 6: Use and enjoy—with a catch
After noodling around with MorphOS for about 30 minutes, you will notice a pop-up window that asks you to register, and then the system will become unbearably slow. This is where MorphOS reminds you that it is not free software.
Obviously, the architects of MorphOS would like you to purchase a license, which currently costs €79 for the Mac mini. (As of this writing, about 2300 people have done so. Seriously.) You can get around the limit by rebooting as many times as you want.
For most tinkerers, I suspect the 30-minute limit will be enough time to fool around with MorphOS. Those serious about the system can buy a license and go further.
To extend your MorphOS installation, you can download thousands of MorphOS native applications from various sites around the ‘Net. I recommend archives hosted by the Czech PowerPC User Group and the MorphOS Software Repository. You can also download and run many modern Amiga programs (written for AmigaOS 4.0 and above) from Aminet.
Plenty of support for MorphOS can also be found at the World Association of MorphOS Users website. But try as you might, nothing will ever redeem your soul for erasing a perfectly good Mac OS X installation—or so they tell me on the Macworld forums.