InfiniteMac: A Browser-Based Journey into classic MacOS and NeXTStep Operating Systems

If you’re a retro-computing enthusiast (like I am) you probably know that nothing compares to the feeling of running classic software on actual vintage gear. There are several indelible moments of Mac computing that still delight me after all these years: The “thunk” sound when inserting a 3.5″ floppy disk, the whir of a hard drive platter spinning up, or the aroma of a warm Cathode Ray Tube.

It was a simpler time back then. Computing in the 80’s and early 90’s was largely a solitary experience, (unless you were lucky enough to own a dial-up modem).

Reliving the computing nostalgia from a bygone era can be a challenge, especially if you no longer have an old Mac lying around. But the next best thing is emulation, and InfiniteMac does just that.

InfiniteMac lets users run all flavors of the classic MacOS and NeXTStep operating systems. But, unlike many modern day emulators, there are no software or hardware hoops to jump through. InfiniteMac only requires a modern web browser. That means you can run InfiniteMac from modern Mac, Windows or even Linux-based operating systems.

Each version of classic MacOS, from System 1.0 to MacOS 9.2.2, is represented. Simply select the version you wish to explore, and click the “Run” button. In the fraction of a CPU cycle, you’ll find yourself sitting in front of the classic MacOS Desktop. You can also optionally add other configuration parameters prior to running the emulator.

For example, I can select parameters such as Mac model, RAM, and screen size. So if you are feeling nostalgic and want to run MacOS 6.0.8 on a Mac SE/30 with 32MB of RAM, you can do just that!

InfiniteMac’s emulation is blazing fast, especially when compared to running classic MacOS on original hardware. It’s somewhat unbelievable how fast it runs, given that the emulation is all happening inside a web browser window.

Each InfiniteMac emulator includes an assortment of classic Mac software from many popular categories: Productivity, Games, Utilities, etc. I was impressed with the collection of games on the System 7.5 emulator. Just about every game I remember playing from that bygone era is there, from Dark Castle to Bolo to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. InfiniteMac even supports AppleTalk, the proprietary networking scheme that allows users to share two or more Apple computers on one local network.

InfiniteMac doesn’t run in a vacuum, though. What makes InfiniteMac more than a novelty (and downright cool) are its practical features. For example, I can drag and drop files from my modern Mac into the InfiniteMac emulator. The reverse is also true. It’s pretty remarkable that I can seamlessly drag and drop a text file from my modern Mac running the latest BBEdit, to a classic Mac emulator running a much old version of the same software.

Even better, I can load additional software from a collection of included virtual CD-ROMs. Simply click on the CD-ROMs tab and double-click the CD-ROM you want. InfiniteMac also works with the rather substantial collection of classic Mac software on the Macintosh Garden. Between these two resources, you’re bound to find something fun or nostalgic to try out.

Whether you grew up with classic Macs or you are simply curious about these old systems, there’s a lot to explore with InfiniteMac. Use it for fun, or simply re-live nostalgia from an earlier time. From a practical standpoint, InfiniteMac can be useful when reading and viewing older files from Mac software formats long gone.

InfiniteMac isn’t perfect. Like its physical counterparts, InfiniteMac can crash or behave unpredictably while you’re using it. But for what it offers, you can’t really beat it. Now if only I had access to an online Apple IIGS emulator…