Might 13, 1991: Apple releases System 7, the most important improve to the Mac working system for the reason that authentic Mac shipped in 1984. The brand new Mac OS is whip-fast, stunning to take a look at, and boasts a bevy of revolutionary options.
The longest-lasting of Apple’s basic Mac working methods, it’s going to stay present till System 8 replaces it in 1997.
System 7: New options for Mac OS
One large new System 7 characteristic was true full-time multitasking, letting a number of functions run on the similar time on the Mac. This meant that, for the primary time, you may perform background processing. The brand new OS allowed Mac customers to carry out a processing-heavy activity in a single app whereas utilizing one other. Which will sound (and is!) regular at this time, but it surely was a revolution in 1991.
As well as, Mac customers gained entry to “aliases,” an concept later copied by Microsoft’s Home windows 95 as desktop “shortcuts.” This made it simpler to entry particular person information with out having to trace down the supply utility.
The brand new Mac OS additionally introduced an enormous enchancment by way of file sharing. In the event you had an AppleTalk community, System 7 made it straightforward to maneuver information and folders between methods with a easy peer-to-peer LAN.
System 7 even made it attainable to collaborate on tasks with a “Publish” and “Subscribe” characteristic. This meant that modifications made to a file on one individual’s machine routinely transferred to each different linked doc. Assume Google Docs is spectacular? Mac OS 7 was doing one thing related a quarter-century earlier!
Mac OS 7 brings large visible enhancements
Visually, Mac OS 7 proved leaps and bounds higher than its predecessor. TrueType fonts now not suffered from their beforehand jagged look. System 7 additionally made the Mac desktop extra customizable. The OS supported numerous colour choices, with a extra streamlined look total. (A brand new “Balloon Assist” characteristic got here to assistance from Mac newbies.)
Though it shipped with few packaged packages, System 7 shortly ushered in a spread of multimedia functions. Later in 1991, QuickTime landed on the Mac, letting customers run and manipulate video on their computer systems.
System 7 got here preinstalled on new Macs. For upgrading customers, a Private Improve Equipment value $99 and got here with 90 days of free technical help. A bunch improve for networks ran $349.
The working system continued till 1997, when Steve Jobs arrived again at Apple. The final System 7 replace got here with April 1997’s Mac OS 7.6.1. Apple then changed it with System 8, in a considerably sneaky transfer that ended the period of Mac clones.
Relive the glory with this System 7 emulator
Feeling nostalgic for Mac OS 7? Take a look at this System 7 emulator that runs inside your browser window.
What are your reminiscences of utilizing System 7? Have been you a Mac fan on the time? Tell us within the feedback beneath.