System 6

Template:Short description Template:About Template:Infobox OS version Template:Classic Mac OS sidebar System 6 (or System Software 6) is the sixth major release of the classic Mac OS operating system for Macintosh computers, made by Apple Computer. It was released in 1988. It is a monolithic operating system, with cooperative multitasking based on an improved MultiFinder. The boxed version cost Template:US$, and it was included with all new Macintosh computers until 1991, when it was succeeded by System 7.<ref name="macuser">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Overview

MacroMaker

The MacroMaker utility was introduced in System 6.<ref name="newfeatures">Template:Cite magazine</ref> It records mouse and keyboard input as macros, and has a unique user interface intended to look and act like a tape recorder.<ref name="macromaker">Template:Cite magazine</ref> MacroMaker was criticized for its lack of features when compared to Microsoft's AutoMac III, which was already available commercially. As MacroMaker records only the locations of mouse-clicks inside windows and not what is being clicked on or exactly when, it can not be used to automate actions in more sophisticated programs. The pre-recorded clicks miss buttons if the buttons had moved since the recording, or if they failed to appear upon playback.<ref name="macromaker"/> It records the start and end locations of mouse movements, but does not track the precise path of a movement or support pauses.<ref name="inside-the-apple-mac_pg333-334">Template:Cite book</ref> MacroMaker is not compatible with System 7, in which it is succeeded by AppleScript.Template:Citation needed

Multitasking

Macintosh gained cooperative multitasking in March 1985 with Andy Hertzfeld's Switcher, which can switch between multiple full-screen applications.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was not integrated, and was only sold separately by Apple. Not many programs and features function correctly with Switcher, and it does not share the screen between applications simultaneously. Systems 5 and 6 have MultiFinder instead,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite magazine</ref> which is much more mature and widely used in System 6. With MultiFinder, the Finder does not quit to free resources, and the system behaves as in the still-familiar multitasking fashion, with the desktop and other applications' windows in the background.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Hardware support

System 6 includes support for the Apple ImageWriter LQ and PostScript laser printers. New software drivers allow the ImageWriter LQ to be used on AppleTalk local area networks and supports the use of tabloid or B-size paper (Template:Convert). System 6 includes QuickerGraf (originally QuickerDraw), system software used to accelerate the drawing of color images on the Macintosh II. It was licensed to Apple and Radius Inc. by its programmer, Andy Hertzfeld.<ref name="newfeatures"/>

Limitations

In comparison to the NeXTSTEP operating system of the time, System 6 does not make much use of sound, and its user interface is limited in file management and window displays.<ref name="revamp"/> System 6's Apple menu cannot be used to launch applications. The icon in the upper right-hand corner of the menu bar simply shows the open application and is not a menu.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> System 6 supports 24 bits of addressable RAM (random-access memory), which allows for a maximum of 8 megabytes of RAM, with no provision for virtual memory.<ref name="memory">Template:Cite magazine</ref> These limitations were removed in System 7. System 6's version of the HFS file system also has a volume size limit; it supports up to 2 gigabytes (GB) and 65,536 files on any one volume. System 7.5 increased this limit to 4 GB, and 7.5.2 increased it further to 2 TB on certain machines, specifically PCI-based Macintosh models.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Trash (known as the "Wastebasket" in the British-English version) empties when the Finder terminates.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Icons on the Desktop in System 6 are not organized into a single folder, as in later operating systems. Instead, the system records if a file is on the Desktop.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> This is inefficient and confusing, as the user cannot browse to the Desktop in applications besides the Finder, even within the standard Open and Save As dialog boxes. Furthermore, these dialogs are primitive, and were mostly unchanged since 1984. The lack of aliases, shortcuts to files, is another limitation of file management on System 6,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and custom file and folder icons are not supported. These issues were all remedied in System 7.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

A maximum of 15 desk accessories may be installed at one time, including the Chooser, Scrapbook, and Control Panel.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> System 6 uses the Control Panel desk accessory to access all the installed control panels, which imposes severe user-interface limitations. In System 7, Control Panels are contained in separately openable panels, and are held in a central folder for better organization.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Desk Accessories cannot be installed or removed within the Finder; this requires the Font/DA Mover utility. System 7 also fixed this.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The interface is not very customizable. The Finder allows each icon to be assigned a color, but the desktop background is limited to an 8x8-pixel color tiled pattern (color patterns were introduced in System 5),<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and standard window frames are black-and-white. However, many "INIT" extension files exist to add color and customization.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> System 7 allows the user to change the color of window frames and various other aspects of the user interface.<ref name="revamp">Template:Cite magazine</ref> By 1989, the System 6 user interface was in need of a change.<ref name="revamp"/>

Reception

Initial releases of System 6 are unstable; Don Crabb of BYTE described 6.0 as "buggy and unreliable".<ref name="crabb198902">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Many third-party developers did not receive advance copies, resulting in widespread compatibility issues.<ref name="macuser"/> The contemporary versions of many common programs such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Works and 4th Dimension were not fully compatible with System 6.<ref name="macuser"/> There were also software bugs in the Color Manager, Script Manager, and Sound Manager extension files. Apple announced that 66 bugs were fixed with version 6.0.1 update, in September 1988.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="saga">Template:Cite magazine</ref> However, a major bug involving the text-spacing of screen fonts was found, and was fixed in version 6.0.2,<ref name="saga"/> which Crabb described as "a huge improvement" over 6.0.Template:R Some customers waited longer until moving to System 6 because of its poor reputation.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Compatibility

System 6 was officially supported by Apple for many different machines, some of which shipped with it. Some unsupported Macintosh computers can run it with limitations.<ref name="versionmatrix"/><ref name="PowerBook100">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Macintosh Model	Model Date	6.0.8<ref name="versionmatrix">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	6.0.7<ref name="versionmatrix"/>	6.0.5<ref name="versionmatrix"/>	6.0.4<ref name="versionmatrix"/>	6.0.3<ref name="versionmatrix"/>	6.0.2<ref name="versionmatrix"/>
128K	1984	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No
512K		Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No
512Ke	1986	Template:Yes<ref name="512Ke">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Yes<ref name="512Ke"/>	Template:Yes<ref name="512Ke"/>	Template:Yes<ref name="512Ke"/>	Template:Yes<ref name="512Ke"/>	Template:Yes<ref name="512Ke"/>
Macintosh XL	1985	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No
Plus	1986	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
SE	1987	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
SE/30	1989	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
Classic	1990	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes<ref name="ClassicROM">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:No
Classic II	1991	Template:Yes: 6.0.8L<ref name="6.0.8L">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No
Portable	1989	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
II	1987	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
IIx	1988	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
IIcx	1989	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
IIci		Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No
IIfx	1990	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No
IIsi		Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No
LC		Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No
LC II	1992	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No
Quadra 700	1991	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No
Quadra 900/950	1991/1992	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No
PowerBook 100	1991	Template:Yes: 6.0.8L<ref name="6.0.8L"/>	Template:Partial: limited<ref name="PowerBook100"/>	Template:Partial: limited<ref name="PowerBook100"/>	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No
PowerBook 140 145/145B/170	1991/1992/1993	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No	Template:No

Version history

System version<ref name="versionhistory">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Release date<ref name="versionhistory"/>	Finder version<ref name="versionhistory"/>	MultiFinder version<ref name="versionhistory"/>	LaserWriter version<ref name="versionhistory"/>	Release information<ref name="versionhistory"/>
6.0	April 1988Template:Citation needed	6.1	6.0	5.2	Initial release
6.0.1	September 19, 1988	6.1.1	6.0.1		Release for Macintosh IIx (1988)
6.0.2	September 19, 1988	6.1	6.0.1		Maintenance release
6.0.3	citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref>		6.0.3	Maintenance release with bug fixes for Apple File Exchange, Time Manager, and other components. New York 18 and 24 fonts were removed.
6.0.4	September 20, 1989	6.1.4	6.0.4		Release for Macintosh Portable and IIci (1989)
6.0.5	March 19, 1990	6.1.5	6.0.5		Release for Macintosh IIfx (1990)
6.0.6	March 19, 1990 - October 15, 1990	6.1.6	6.0.6		Packed with early Macintosh IIsi, LC, and Classic; contains bugs with keyboard and AppleTalk.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
6.0.7	October 15, 1990	6.1.7	6.0.7		Official release for Macintosh LC, IIsi, and Classic (1990)
6.0.8	May 13, 1991	6.1.8	6.0.8	7.0	Updated printing software to match the printing software of System 7.0
6.0.8L	March 23, 1992<ref name="6.0.8L"/>				Used only on the Macintosh Classic, Classic II, LC, LC II, and PowerBook 100.

External links

• Macintosh: System Software Version History at Apple