Editing System 7 (section)

==Overview==
===Changes===
As intended with the Blue and Pink model, improvements in System 7 are significant but incremental.

* A new Sound Manager [[API]], version 2.0, replaces the older ''[[ad hoc]]'' APIs. The new APIs provided significantly improved [[hardware abstraction]] and higher-quality playback.
* 32-bit [[QuickDraw]], supporting so-called "true color" imaging, is standard; it was previously available as a system extension.
* System 7 allows a 32-bit program address space.  This expanded the memory addressing capabilities from the previous 24-bit address space and increased the system memory limit from 8MB to 4GB.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 7, 1989 |title=InfoWorld Aug 7, 1989 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vDAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT69 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602232344/https://books.google.com/books?id=vDAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT69 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |access-date=May 26, 2015}}</ref>
* System 7 makes MultiFinder's [[cooperative multitasking]] mandatory.
* Trash became a normal directory allowing items to be preserved between reboots and disk eject events instead of being purged.
* [[Extension (Mac OS)|System extension]]s are relocated to their own subfolder rather than in the root level of the [[System folder|System Folder]] as in System 6. They can be installed or removed simply by moving these "extensions" to or from the folder and then rebooting the computer. 
* Similarly, the [[Control panel (Mac OS)|Control Panel]] [[desk accessory]] becomes the Control Panels folder. The control panels themselves are separate files stored within this directory.
* Under System 6, the Apple Menu contains both a list of desk accessories and a list of running programs under MultiFinder. In System 7 the list of active programs is relocated to its own Application Menu.
* System 7.1 introduces System Enablers, small extensions that are loaded at startup to support Macintosh models introduced since the last OS revision.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 18, 2012 |title=System 7.1 through Mac OS 7.6: Compatibility With Macintosh Computers |url=https://support.apple.com/kb/TA47341?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219222009/https://support.apple.com/kb/TA47341?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US |archive-date=December 19, 2021 |access-date=February 9, 2022 |website=support.apple.com}}</ref>
*Cannot run on [[Macintosh 512Ke]].

===New features===
* Personal [[File Sharing]] – along with [[user interface]] improvements for [[AppleTalk]], System 7 includes a basic file-sharing server allowing any machine to publish folders to the AppleTalk network.
* [[Alias (Mac OS)|Aliases]] – small files that represent another object in the [[file system]]. Similar in concept to [[Unix]] [[symbolic link]]s and [[shortcut (computing)#Microsoft Windows|Windows shortcuts]], an alias in System 7 acts as a redirect to any object in the file system, such as a [[document]], an [[Application software|application]], a [[folder (computing)|folder]], a [[hard disk]], a [[network share]] or removable medium or a [[Printer (computing)|printer]]. 
* [[Drag and drop]] – document icons can be dragged with the mouse and "dropped" onto application icons to open in the targeted application. System 7.5's Drag Manager expanded the concept system-wide to include multiple data types such as text or audio data.
* ''Stationery'', allowing users to save often-used document styles as a [[template (file format)|template]]. "Stationery-aware" applications create a new, untitled file containing the template data.
*[[Balloon Help]], a widget-identification system similar to [[tooltip]]s.
* [[AppleScript]], a [[scripting language]] for automating tasks. 
* [[AppleEvents]], a new [[interprocess communication]] model for "high-level" events to be sent to applications including support for AppleEvents over an AppleTalk network.
* [[Publish and Subscribe (Mac OS)|Publish and Subscribe]] permits data "published" by one application to be "subscribed" to in a document of another application, so that it is automatically updated if the original is changed.
* [[TrueType]] outline fonts, replacing bitmapped fonts and outline [[PostScript]] printer fonts. TrueType for the first time offers a single font format that scales to any size on screen and on paper.
* A newly colorized [[user interface]], for machines that support color.

===Installation===
After initial publication on a set of 15 floppy disks, System 7 became the first Apple operating system to be released on a [[compact disc]]. Unlike earlier systems, System 7 did not come bundled with major software packages. Newly purchased [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]] computers had System 7 installed and were often bundled with software such as [[HyperCard]], [[At Ease]] and ''[[Mouse Practice]]''. Later, the [[Macintosh Performa]] family added various [[software bundles]] including [[ClarisWorks]], [[The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia]], [[Microsoft Bookshelf]], ''[[Spectre VR]]'' and ''[[Power Pete]]''. Since System 7 was introduced before the Internet came to popular usage, software such as [[MacTCP]], [[FreePPP]], and [[Netscape]] were not included.  They later became available on disk from [[Internet service provider]]s and bundled with books such as [[Adam C. Engst]]'s Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh. [[Power Macintosh]] machines also included [[NuCalc]], a graphing calculator. System 7 includes [[AppleTalk]] networking and file-sharing software in the form of system extensions and control panels.

The basic utilities installed by default with System 7 include [[TeachText]] (which was replaced by [[SimpleText]] in later versions) for basic text editing tasks and reading [[README|readme]] documents. Also available on the additional "Disk Tools" [[floppy disk]] are [[Disk First Aid]] for disk repair and [[Apple HD SC Setup]] for initializing and partitioning disks.

Later versions of System 7, specifically System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6, come with dedicated "Utilities" and "Apple Extras" folders including: [[AppleScript]], [[Apple Disk Copy|Disk Copy]], [[QuickDraw GX]] Extras and [[QuickTime]] Movie Player. More optional extras and utilities can be manually installed from the System CD.

===Transition to PowerPC===
System 7.1.2 is the first version of the Macintosh System Software to support Apple's new [[PowerPC]]-based computers. 68k applications that had not yet been updated to run natively on these systems were [[Emulator|emulated]] transparently (without the user having to intervene) by a built-in [[Mac 68k emulator|68k processor emulator]]. [[Fat binary|Fat binaries]], which contained the code necessary to run natively on both PowerPC and 68k systems, became common during this time. This process was similar to the distribution of [[Universal binary|universal binaries]] during the [[Mac transition to Intel processors]] in 2006, as well as the [[Mac transition to Apple silicon]] beginning in 2020.

System 7.1.2 is the only release of the Macintosh operating system that boots stating "Welcome to Power Macintosh." Release 7.1.2P reverts this.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 14, 1994 |title=InfoWorld |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BjsEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22welcome+to+power+macintosh%22&pg=PA98 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915131107/https://books.google.com/books?id=BjsEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22welcome+to+power+macintosh%22&pg=PA98 |archive-date=September 15, 2022 |access-date=January 26, 2022}}</ref>

===PC compatibility===
System 7.0 and 7.1 have a utility called [[Apple File Exchange]], which accesses the contents of [[File Allocation Table|FAT]]- and [[Apple II]]-formatted floppy disks. Since System 7 Pro, [[PC Exchange]] is included, which allows the system to mount FAT-formatted [[floppy disk]]s on the desktop like Macintosh disks. [[OS/2]] disks can use the FAT file system. Macs can read and write UNIX file systems using extra software. System 7 accesses PC networks and uses TCP/IP and other compatible networking stacks.

===Miscellaneous===
System 7 had a larger memory footprint than System 6. System 6 could boot the system from a single 800k [[floppy disk]] and uses about {{nowrap|600 [[kilobyte|KB]]}} of [[Random-access memory|RAM]], whereas System 7 used well over one [[megabyte]]. It was some time before the average Mac shipped with enough RAM built-in for System 7 to be truly comfortable. System 7 was the first system release that could no longer be usefully run on floppy-only systems. Although most Macintosh models sold at the time included a hard disk as standard equipment, owners of older models were required to upgrade their hardware by buying either a new Mac or an external [[SCSI]] hard disk drive if they wished to run System 7.

The official system documentation, ''[[Inside Macintosh]]'', initially shipped in three volumes, with another added to describe the changes introduced with the [[Mac Plus]],<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Macintosh-Volume-Apple-Computer/dp/0201054094 "Inside Macintosh, Volume 4"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305023842/http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Macintosh-Volume-Apple-Computer/dp/0201054094 |date=March 5, 2016 }}, Amazon</ref> and another for the [[Mac II]] and [[Mac SE]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Book Collection |url=http://school.anhb.uwa.edu.au/personalpages/kwessen/web/books/Books.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121124070714/http://school.anhb.uwa.edu.au/personalpages/kwessen/web/books/Books.html |archive-date=November 24, 2012 |access-date=December 19, 2012}}</ref>

System 7's virtual memory requires a Macintosh with a paged [[memory management unit]] (PMMU). The [[Motorola 68030]] CPU has one, or one can be added to a 68020-equipped [[Macintosh II]].

System 7.0 was adopted quite rapidly by Mac users and quickly became one of the base requirements for new software.

The engineering group within Apple responsible for System 7 came to be known as the "[[Blue Meanies (Apple Computer)|Blue Meanies]]", named after the blue [[index card]]s on which were written the features that could be implemented in a relatively short time as part of Apple's operating system strategy. 

The pink index card features were handled by the Pink group, later becoming the ill-fated [[Taligent]] project.<ref name="bluemeanieseastereggs">{{cite web | url=http://www.mackido.com/EasterEggs/BlueMeanies.html | title=Apple Easter Eggs | publisher=MacKiDo | date=August 26, 1998 | accessdate=March 18, 2024 | first1=David K. | last1=Every | first2=Daniel | last2=Fanton}}</ref>

System 7.0 is the last version of the Macintosh operating system that was available at no charge and could be freely redistributed.  Although System 7 could be purchased from Apple, the cost was nominal and considered to only cover duplication and media. It was common for Macintosh dealers to allow customers to use the store's demo machines to copy System 7 install disks for the cost of a box of floppies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Re: System 7.0 - Will it be on apple.com? |url=http://macgui.com/usenet/?group=53&id=83199#msg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525064529/http://macgui.com/usenet/?group=53&id=83199#msg |archive-date=May 25, 2013 |access-date=April 8, 2013}}</ref> CD-ROM magazines such as ''Nautilus'' included System 7 on their disks. After Mac users downloaded thousands of copies of System 7 from online services such as [[AOL]], [[CompuServe]], and [[GEnie]], Apple surveyed the services and based on this popularity started selling the Mac OS as a retail product with System 7.1.  Apple continued charging for major operating system upgrades until the release of [[OS X Mavericks]] in 2013.