Bill wrote:
> In article <C2C23C37.120B1%tonyc150@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> TonyPA <tonyc150@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>> Hi all...
>>
>> Is it possible to put System 9 on a MacBook with System X (Tiger)?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Tony
>
> Not on an Intel-based Mac, which the MacBook is.
>
> System 9 and earlier only run on PowerPC machines, not on the Intel
> Macs. The Intel Macs do not sup****t Mac Classic.
>
> PowerPC machines that run Mac OS X can also run System 9 under Classic,
> but the Intel machines cannot.
>
> This has to do with the computer hardware, not with Mac OS X.
>
Actually, it's as much an OS issue as a hardware issue. OSs must have
the proper interface for the hardware. All motherboards have built-in
software to link the OS to the hardware. All OSs must call software
routines in the motherboard when booting, for example. (ON PCs, these
form part of the BIOS, Basic Input Output System.) Unfortunately, the
BIOS isn't generic enough.
Fact is, there is no reason for OSs to be so closely tied to the
hardware. It's possible to write a BIOS in two (or more) layers, one a
layer that deals with the hardware, and one that links the OS to the
hardware-handling layer. If that linking layer were standardised on the
OS side (eg, via a list of pointers to "hooks" at standard memory
locations), then any OS could run on any hardware. IIRC, there is a
movement afoot to do just that, so that Windows wouldn't have to be
updated for every new CPU or motherboard chipset. The result would be an
extended BIOS. There is no reason why MAC OSs, and any other OSs for
that matter, couldn't be written to take advantage of such an extended
BIOS. AFAIK, the linking layer is at present part of each OS, which is
why Mac OS-9 etc won't play nice with Intel motherboards.
--
Wolf
'Just because it's true doesn't mean it's the right answer.'
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