If you used a Mac computer in the '80s or '90s, you probably remember what's now known as the "classic Mac operating system," which was the predecessor to today's macOS operating system. You might think you'd need to find an old Mac on Craigslist to use the OS again, but that's not the case: you can now try all of these features in your browser.
Created by Mihai Parparita, the site InfiniteMac offers virtual machines running all the major classic Mac operating systems from 1985 through 2001. Just browse the collection, find what you want to try, and click Run.
Everything loads right in your browser, which means you don't have to install anything. There are sticky notes on each machine to help you find your way around, and a hard drive full of games and goodies.
There's even a special hard drive called "Saved HD" where you can save any files you create. These are saved on your local computer, but they can be accessed by any other operating system you open on InfiniteMac. You can also drag files from your computer to the window and find them in the "Outside World" folder. Everything is very stylish.
There is a drive full of software that you can try out, including everything from games to old versions of QuarkXPress. There are also a series of CDs available at the bottom of the window that you can install directly into the emulation. There were some games, including Mysterious Island, and a collection of software that was bundled with the magazine at the time.
And you're not limited to macOS, there's also a working version of NeXTSTEP, which Steve Jobs helped develop after he was fired from Apple in the 1980s. A lot of the code and ideas from that system, combined with elements of the classic Mac OS, culminated in the macOS we still use today. not many people remember using this system, mainly because they were very expensive, but by using them, you can see our modern macOS starting to take shape. It's all a fascinating experience and a great way to remember a specific era of computing.
The current Mac operating system was introduced 23 years ago, in 2001, as Mac OS X, and has a longer history than Apple's "classic" operating system, which was introduced 16 years ago. Consider that the iPhone was launched in 2007, 17 years ago, which means the iPhone is even older than Classic Mac OS.
