| System 6 | |
|---|---|
| Version of theclassic Mac OS operating system | |
 System 6.0.8 | |
| Developer | Apple Computer |
| OS family | Macintosh |
| Source model | Closed source |
| Released to manufacturing | April 1988; 37 years ago (1988-04) |
| Latest release | 6.0.8 / May 1991; 34 years ago (1991-05)[1] |
| Kernel type | Monolithic |
| License | Proprietary |
| Preceded by | System 5 |
| Succeeded by | System 7 |
| Support status | |
| Historical, unsupported | |
System 6 (orSystem Software 6) is the sixth major release of theclassic Mac OSoperating system forMacintosh computers, made byApple Computer. It was released in 1988. It is amonolithic operating system, withcooperative multitasking based on an improvedMultiFinder. The boxed version costUS$49 (equivalent to about $130 in 2025), and it was included with all new Macintosh computers until 1991, when it was succeeded bySystem 7.[2]
The MacroMaker utility was introduced in System 6.[3] It records mouse and keyboard input asmacros, and has a unique user interface intended to look and act like atape recorder.[4] MacroMaker was criticized for its lack of features when compared toMicrosoft'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.[4] It records the start and end locations of mouse movements, but does not track the precise path of a movement or support pauses.[5] MacroMaker is not compatible withSystem 7, in which it is succeeded byAppleScript.[citation needed]
Macintosh gained cooperative multitasking in March 1985 withAndy Hertzfeld's Switcher, which can switch between multiple full-screen applications.[6] 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 haveMultiFinder instead,[7] 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.[8]
System 6 includes support for the AppleImageWriter LQ andPostScriptlaser printers. Newsoftware drivers allow the ImageWriter LQ to be used onAppleTalk local area networks and supports the use oftabloid or B-size paper (11 in × 17 in or 280 mm × 430 mm). System 6 includes QuickerGraf (originally QuickerDraw), system software used to accelerate the drawing of color images on theMacintosh II. It was licensed to Apple andRadius Inc. by its programmer, Andy Hertzfeld.[3]
In comparison to theNeXTSTEP 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.[9] System 6'sApple menu cannot be used to launch applications. The icon in the upper right-hand corner of themenu bar simply shows the open application and is not a menu.[10] System 6 supports 24 bits of addressableRAM (random-access memory), which allows for a maximum of 8 megabytes of RAM, with no provision forvirtual memory.[11] These limitations were removed in System 7. System 6's version of theHFS file system also has avolume 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.[12]
The Trash (known as the "Wastebasket" in the British-English version) empties when the Finder terminates.[13] 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.[14] This is inefficient and confusing, as the user cannot browse to the Desktop in applications besides the Finder, even within the standardOpen andSave As dialog boxes. Furthermore, these dialogs are primitive, and were mostly unchanged since 1984. The lack ofaliases, shortcuts to files, is another limitation of file management on System 6,[15] and custom file and folder icons are not supported. These issues were all remedied in System 7.[16]
A maximum of 15 desk accessories may be installed at one time, including the Chooser, Scrapbook, and Control Panel.[17][18] 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.[19] Desk Accessories cannot be installed or removed within the Finder; this requires the Font/DA Mover utility. System 7 also fixed this.[20]
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),[21] and standard window frames are black-and-white. However, many "INIT" extension files exist to add color and customization.[22] System 7 allows the user to change the color of window frames and various other aspects of the user interface.[9] By 1989, the System 6 user interface was in need of a change.[9]
Initial releases of System 6 are unstable; Don Crabb ofBYTE described 6.0 as "buggy and unreliable".[23] Manythird-party developers did not receive advance copies, resulting in widespread compatibility issues.[2] The contemporary versions of many common programs such asMicrosoft Excel,Microsoft Works and4th Dimension were not fully compatible with System 6.[2] There were also software bugs in the Color Manager, Script Manager, and Sound Managerextension files. Apple announced that 66 bugs were fixed with version 6.0.1 update, in September 1988.[24][25] However, a major bug involving the text-spacing of screen fonts was found, and was fixed in version 6.0.2,[25] which Crabb described as "ahuge improvement" over 6.0.[23] Some customers waited longer until moving to System 6 because of its poor reputation.[26]
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.[27][28]
| Macintosh Model | Model Date | 6.0.8[27] | 6.0.7[27] | 6.0.5[27] | 6.0.4[27] | 6.0.3[27] | 6.0.2[27] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 128K | 1984 | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| 512K | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| 512Ke | 1986 | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | Yes[29] |
| Macintosh XL | 1985 | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Plus | 1986 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SE | 1987 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SE/30 | 1989 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Classic | 1990 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[30] | No |
| Classic II | 1991 | Yes: 6.0.8L[31] | No | No | No | No | No |
| Portable | 1989 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| II | 1987 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IIx | 1988 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IIcx | 1989 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IIci | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | |
| IIfx | 1990 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| IIsi | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
| LC | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | |
| LC II | 1992 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Quadra 700 | 1991 | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Quadra 900/950 | 1991/1992 | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| PowerBook 100 | 1991 | Yes: 6.0.8L[31] | Partial: limited[28] | Partial: limited[28] | No | No | No |
| PowerBook 140 145/145B/170 | 1991/1992/1993 | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| System version[32] | Release date[32] | Finder version[32] | MultiFinder version[32] | LaserWriter version[32] | Release information[32] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | April 1988[citation needed] | 6.1 | 6.0 | 5.2 | Initial release |
| 6.0.1 | September 19, 1988 | 6.1.1 | 6.0.1 | Release forMacintosh IIx (1988) | |
| 6.0.2 | September 19, 1988 | 6.1 | 6.0.1 | Maintenance release | |
| 6.0.3 | December 23, 1988[33] | 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 forMacintosh Portable andIIci (1989) | |
| 6.0.5 | March 19, 1990 | 6.1.5 | 6.0.5 | Release forMacintosh 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 andAppleTalk.[34] | |
| 6.0.7 | October 15, 1990 | 6.1.7 | 6.0.7 | Official release forMacintosh LC,IIsi, andClassic (1990) | |
| 6.0.8 | May 13, 1991 | 6.1.8 | 6.0.8 | 7.0 | Updated printing software to match the printing software ofSystem 7.0 |
| 6.0.8L | March 23, 1992[31] | Used only on theMacintosh Classic,Classic II,LC,LC II, andPowerBook 100. |
Now you can break the Macintosh barrier of 15 DAs, 200 fonts, and 8 FKeys.
Then came hard disks and megaRAMs, and a System update that included scrolling menus. That basically solved the font problem, but there was still a System limitation of 15 "slots" in the Apple menu for accessories.
Many of the cdev modules that come with System Tools 5.0 are for the Macintosh II, including a new one called "Color" that allows you to change the highlight color, the color used as a background when text or an icon is selected. The General cdev also adds the ability to set the desktop pattern color on a Macintosh II.
| Preceded by | System 6 1988 | Succeeded by |
