8 ms·

Turning an iPad Pro into a classic Macintosh

159 points by naetius 6y ago

smoldesu 6y ago
I think "ultimate classic Macintosh" and "iPad Pro" are two fundamentally incompatible phrases, but maybe that's just the old Macintosh fan in me. Kinda like naming an article "we turned my 2019 Dodge Dart into the ultimate 89' Mustang".
- hellotomyrars 6y ago
  I tend to agree. Especially when you consider the implications of the hardware in either case. They're two very different ways of computing and I have a hard time ascribing the "Ultimate Classic Macintosh" as being in the form factor of an iPad Pro regardless of anything else. That said, it's still worth recognizing the value of being able to create this experience!
  - msephton 6y ago
    I hear you both. For me the core of the classic Macintosh experience is System 7 and the apps I run on that, which is what I brought across to the iPad here. Apple Pencil and iOS interoperability is the cherry on the cake that ultimately makes this a much more modern and enjoyable experience than any of my real classic Macs. Plus I can carry it anywhere really easily!
- cable2600 6y ago
  Yeah but it gives the iPad Pro the advantage of running Mac 68K apps. PowerMacs used to have that option and without it they would never have taken off.
pvg 6y ago
There doesn't seem to be a direct link in the post but some forum posts by the same author with some more details and pointers to the relevant repos: https://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11149&sid=f4d32a0e5c1e073799f95a33a6452ed2 https://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11149&...
- msephton 6y ago
  I'll be sure to embellish the blog post with some links. I plan to go into more detail on various aspects in future blog posts. Edit: done!
stolen_biscuit 6y ago
TL;DR - compiled an emulator for it, macro'd some function keys.
- ec109685 6y ago
  Removed two emulators (briefly), opened up my eyes to possibilities.
  - ec109685 6y ago
    Reviewed!
    - cheaprentalyeti 6y ago
      Do you know you can edit comments?
      - ec109685 6y ago
        Yes, but it was long enough that delete and edit were disabled, unfortunately.
- msephton 6y ago
  You missed out: modifying source code, deducing and adding optimal screen resolutions, editing and compiling keyboard layout, and more. But thanks for reading!
  - smoldesu 6y ago
    To be fair, modifying source code and deducing optimal screen resolutions is all in a days work for most of the people on this site. I'm glad you had fun learning about virtual machines, but GP is right; this article isn't terribly interesting or thought provoking.
    - macintux 6y ago
klodolph 6y ago
> With BasiliskII things are easier as it has a drive mapped to the app’s file sharing folder. You can use the Share Sheet in the same way as Mini vMac, but you can also simply copy/move a file to the BasiliskII folder and it will be accessible inside the emulator. Hidden inside this innocuous statement is a bit of black magic fuckery. It's easy enough to present a block device to an emulated system and let the emulated system run its usual filesystem stack on top of raw block storage. That's what Mini vMac does. Basilisk II is a bit different--it installs a filesystem into the guest through the Mac OS filesystem manager on the guest side. Just take a look at this code: https://github.com/cebix/macemu/blob/master/BasiliskII/src/extfs.cpp https://github.com/cebix/macemu/blob/master/BasiliskII/src/e... Crazy.
Sunspark 6y ago
Nice! System 6 is faster btw.
- anthk 6y ago
  But Systen 7.5.3 is both lightweight and modern enough to even run QuickTime VR backed "multimedia" software and games; and 8.1 can do the rest of software unsupported by the former. Also, running 8.1 in SheepShaver grants another old Classic Mac software stack to be ran. An emulated 7.5.3 was lightning fast even under an AMD Athlon back in the day.
  - Sunspark 6y ago
    I guess it is a different experience in the emulator. I had one of those System 6/7 Macs. Really great amazing machines. Lots of waiting with the 800k floppy drive waiting for it to finish grinding out. I don't miss floppy disks at all. Am I just remembering things through rose-colored glasses or am I really jaded? I just seem to remember those classic Macs as being an experience. Computers now are just meh and don't contain that same the world has changed magic.
    - msephton 6y ago
      System 6 is definitely faster. The apps I use run on System 7 and I enjoy the experience more as it's closer to macOS X in a lot of ways whilst System 6 isn't. I run System 6 on my Macintosh Classic for speed-critical apps but 7.1 is my daily driver on that. Using BasiliskII, for the benefits it provides, mean that System 6 isn't an option. But it runs System 7 plenty fast on the iPad Pro.
      - anthk 6y ago
        7.5.3 it's better as it's the minimum requiment for lots of software. For example, QuickTime VR based graphical adventures, and late publishing applications which ran on both 7.5.3 and 8.1 On speed, well. Today a machine based on System7 will run crazy fast as you can set max cycles on BasiliskII I think, as it shares the same core as UAE.
kwdc 6y ago
Remind me why we can't find this kind of thing in the app store? Edit: which clause stops this kind of thing?
- simonh 6y ago
  Who would publish it, Apple? They still own System 7.
  - msephton 6y ago
    Apple made available System 7.5.3 for free download some years ago (1999?) though they have since stopped hosting the files. https://lowendmac.com/2001/abandonware-and-copyright/ https://lowendmac.com/2001/abandonware-and-copyright/
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
- yoz-y 6y ago
  It's the clause 2.5.2: > 2.5.2 Apps should be self-contained in their bundles, and may not read or write data outside the designated container area, nor may they download, install, or execute code which introduces or changes features or functionality of the app, including other apps. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#software-requirements https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#sof...
  - Jyaif 6y ago
    This clause is... "flexible", see for instance Roblox.
    - kwdc 6y ago
      And any number of calculator emulators. Pythonista lets you write python code and run it.
bonaldi 6y ago
Impressively lovely. What's the battery life like while running this? I'm guessing better than my old PowerBook 160, but curious to know.
- msephton 6y ago
  I've not done any real measurements, but it does deplete quicker than, say, web browsing. Nothing drastic though IMHO. I'll try to figure out a way of doing a measurement. Thanks for the question!

159 points by naetius 6y ago

I think "ultimate classic Macintosh" and "iPad Pro" are two fundamentally incompatible phrases, but maybe that's just the old Macintosh fan in me. Kinda like naming an article "we turned my 2019 Dodge Dart into the ultimate 89' Mustang".

hellotomyrars 6y ago
I tend to agree. Especially when you consider the implications of the hardware in either case. They're two very different ways of computing and I have a hard time ascribing the "Ultimate Classic Macintosh" as being in the form factor of an iPad Pro regardless of anything else. That said, it's still worth recognizing the value of being able to create this experience!
- msephton 6y ago
  I hear you both. For me the core of the classic Macintosh experience is System 7 and the apps I run on that, which is what I brought across to the iPad here. Apple Pencil and iOS interoperability is the cherry on the cake that ultimately makes this a much more modern and enjoyable experience than any of my real classic Macs. Plus I can carry it anywhere really easily!
cable2600 6y ago
Yeah but it gives the iPad Pro the advantage of running Mac 68K apps. PowerMacs used to have that option and without it they would never have taken off.

pvg 6y ago

There doesn't seem to be a direct link in the post but some forum posts by the same author with some more details and pointers to the relevant repos: https://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11149&sid=f4d32a0e5c1e073799f95a33a6452ed2 https://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11149&...

msephton 6y ago
I'll be sure to embellish the blog post with some links. I plan to go into more detail on various aspects in future blog posts. Edit: done!

stolen_biscuit 6y ago

TL;DR - compiled an emulator for it, macro'd some function keys.

ec109685 6y ago
Removed two emulators (briefly), opened up my eyes to possibilities.
- ec109685 6y ago
  Reviewed!
  - cheaprentalyeti 6y ago
    Do you know you can edit comments?
    - ec109685 6y ago
      Yes, but it was long enough that delete and edit were disabled, unfortunately.
msephton 6y ago
You missed out: modifying source code, deducing and adding optimal screen resolutions, editing and compiling keyboard layout, and more. But thanks for reading!
- smoldesu 6y ago
  To be fair, modifying source code and deducing optimal screen resolutions is all in a days work for most of the people on this site. I'm glad you had fun learning about virtual machines, but GP is right; this article isn't terribly interesting or thought provoking.
  - macintux 6y ago

klodolph 6y ago

> With BasiliskII things are easier as it has a drive mapped to the app’s file sharing folder. You can use the Share Sheet in the same way as Mini vMac, but you can also simply copy/move a file to the BasiliskII folder and it will be accessible inside the emulator. Hidden inside this innocuous statement is a bit of black magic fuckery. It's easy enough to present a block device to an emulated system and let the emulated system run its usual filesystem stack on top of raw block storage. That's what Mini vMac does. Basilisk II is a bit different--it installs a filesystem into the guest through the Mac OS filesystem manager on the guest side. Just take a look at this code: https://github.com/cebix/macemu/blob/master/BasiliskII/src/extfs.cpp https://github.com/cebix/macemu/blob/master/BasiliskII/src/e... Crazy.

Sunspark 6y ago

Nice! System 6 is faster btw.

anthk 6y ago
But Systen 7.5.3 is both lightweight and modern enough to even run QuickTime VR backed "multimedia" software and games; and 8.1 can do the rest of software unsupported by the former. Also, running 8.1 in SheepShaver grants another old Classic Mac software stack to be ran. An emulated 7.5.3 was lightning fast even under an AMD Athlon back in the day.
- Sunspark 6y ago
  I guess it is a different experience in the emulator. I had one of those System 6/7 Macs. Really great amazing machines. Lots of waiting with the 800k floppy drive waiting for it to finish grinding out. I don't miss floppy disks at all. Am I just remembering things through rose-colored glasses or am I really jaded? I just seem to remember those classic Macs as being an experience. Computers now are just meh and don't contain that same the world has changed magic.
  - msephton 6y ago
    System 6 is definitely faster. The apps I use run on System 7 and I enjoy the experience more as it's closer to macOS X in a lot of ways whilst System 6 isn't. I run System 6 on my Macintosh Classic for speed-critical apps but 7.1 is my daily driver on that. Using BasiliskII, for the benefits it provides, mean that System 6 isn't an option. But it runs System 7 plenty fast on the iPad Pro.
    - anthk 6y ago
      7.5.3 it's better as it's the minimum requiment for lots of software. For example, QuickTime VR based graphical adventures, and late publishing applications which ran on both 7.5.3 and 8.1 On speed, well. Today a machine based on System7 will run crazy fast as you can set max cycles on BasiliskII I think, as it shares the same core as UAE.

kwdc 6y ago

Remind me why we can't find this kind of thing in the app store? Edit: which clause stops this kind of thing?

simonh 6y ago
Who would publish it, Apple? They still own System 7.
- msephton 6y ago
  Apple made available System 7.5.3 for free download some years ago (1999?) though they have since stopped hosting the files. https://lowendmac.com/2001/abandonware-and-copyright/ https://lowendmac.com/2001/abandonware-and-copyright/
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
yoz-y 6y ago
It's the clause 2.5.2: > 2.5.2 Apps should be self-contained in their bundles, and may not read or write data outside the designated container area, nor may they download, install, or execute code which introduces or changes features or functionality of the app, including other apps. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#software-requirements https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#sof...
- Jyaif 6y ago
  This clause is... "flexible", see for instance Roblox.
  - kwdc 6y ago
    And any number of calculator emulators. Pythonista lets you write python code and run it.

bonaldi 6y ago

Impressively lovely. What's the battery life like while running this? I'm guessing better than my old PowerBook 160, but curious to know.

msephton 6y ago
I've not done any real measurements, but it does deplete quicker than, say, web browsing. Nothing drastic though IMHO. I'll try to figure out a way of doing a measurement. Thanks for the question!