One rather sad development in the Apple Leopard upgrade is the discontinuation of Classic support–that is to say, the ability of G4 Macs (Leopard does not support G3 Macs or earlier) to boot applications made before OS X. I actually do use some of these myself. A few are games: Risk and Super Yahtzee, for example. While games like Shanghai (mahjongg) have acceptable OS X equivalents, I have found no acceptable updated versions of those other two games–not among freeware, at least. Everything I’ve found is either not free, or is so clunky and poorly designed, I get no enjoyment from it.

Another Classic game that I sometimes indulge in is the original Civilization. I never got used to the angled view of the 2nd and 3rd versions of that game, and still enjoy the now completely-outdated original, with its cheesy graphics and everything. I also enjoys using some of the cheats developed for that version, to add variety. The down side of that game: it is a colossal waste of time. I allow myself maybe one play per year.

However, Classic can actually be useful in a more practical way. I still use SoundEdit 16 to edit and mix sounds. Yes, there are newer programs to replace it, but the best ones are not free (I have yet to feel comfortable with Audacity), and even while requiring Classic mode, the old reliable SoundEdit is easy to use and effective for my needs.

My father is in a tighter corner, however: his work in forensic acoustics requires the use of a Classic app that was very nearly custom-built for his needs, working fantastically well to do exactly what he has to do. Nothing since does the job better, and so if he wants to work the way he’s used to, he can’t give up on Classic.

There is a workaround for some needs, however: SheepShaver. It allows Classic Mac apps to run on Intel Macs and OS X, and reports seem to indicate that it will run under Leopard. The drawback: it’s a bit finicky and will not work 100%. For example, I can’t get sound to work–which means no help for my father’s must-have software. (YKW, any ideas for a work-around on that?) However, just now looking in a SheepShaver forum I just found, they seem to be posting new updates to the app. I’ll have to see if newer versions will work better.

Another solution is to use a dual-boot option–have Tiger sitting on an external hard drive somewhere, and fire it up when needed.

What remains is a discussion on whether Apple was right to abandon Classic. Even if advances in Leopard made Apple’s current “Classic Mode” inoperable, it would be relatively simple for Apple to adopt SheepShaver, and one might imagine they could make it work even better. So, why don’t they?

In one sense, Apple has always been willing to abandon old baggage, and it has worked well. Look at Windows, still carry baggage from a few decades ago; one of the common criticisms of Windows is how clunky and makeshift it can be in the name of backwards-compatibility. True, Apple gets flamed for cutting off people with old software or hardware–but that criticism usually dies off after a while as people inevitably adapt and adopt, and Apple gets kudos for having a more up-to-date system not bogged down by past technologies. Windows cannot avoid constant criticism as it continues to carry all that baggage with it.

Overall, I approve of Apple’s willingness to cast aside stuff that doesn’t work well any more. I still see Windows PCs selling with PS/2 and Parallel ports, and even floppy drives. Apple jettisoned that crap about a decade ago, and good riddance; if I need to use my old SCSI or Serial hardware again, I’ll revive my old G3 tower, or the older Performa I have laying around.

And though I don’t like leaving Classic behind, I’m willing to pay the price if it means a more streamlined computer and OS in exchange. Hopefully I am not misled in believing that this is what I’m getting, of course….