#1Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:18 pm7.6.1 on a 1400c -- how useable? ALSO: MP3s on 7?
Hey there!
I am getting a 1400c with about 48MB or so of RAM very shortly. I was debating having them install OS 9 before they shipped -- but on the other hand, should I just stick with 7.6.1 which is already installed? I think there is an AIM client for that, as well as Internet Explorer and Office 98 -- so that is everything I need to do!
Is there a good way to play MP3 music on a 1400c as well?
Mac OS 7.6.1 would be much faster. Use it unless you have to use Mac OS 9.
Lots of software for Mac OS 7.6.1 is avaliable at System 7 Today, including the MP3 player, SoundJam MP
There are several good options for playing MP3s. For no-frill thrills, try MpegDec. It gets the job done without chewing up too much CPU power, letting you do other things with your 'book.
Another option is Audion, which used to be payware, but is now freeware, thanks to the generosity of its creators. It has more eye candy than MpegDec, and more features, but at the expense of chewing up more CPU cycles. Download both, try them out, and see what you like. Luckily, it's not an either-or decision; I have both on my 3400.
There are others (and I'm sure you'll hear about them shortly), but those two are my faves for older macs.
I'm personally a fan of MacAMP on older Macs. It was also the first MP3 player on the Mac, but it's a bit buggy at times.
Audion is my favorite overall MP3 player, however.
Some people have enjoyed using iTunes 1 on older Macs. I ran it fine on a G3-accelerated 6100 running 8.6. But the catch is that you have to be running OS 8.6 or higher. SoundJam MP is iTunes (or rather, iTunes is SoundJam MP), so that might be a fine choice, too.
There's a bevy of MP3 players to pick from. In the end, it will really be up to you as to which features and eye candy you want and which you can live without. By far, MpegDec is the best in terms of requiring the least horsepower, but it has almost no feature beyond simple MP3 playback. It just gets more complicated from there.
I've used GrayAMP on my 8100...its actually designed for early NuBus PowerMacs, and should therefore perform perfectly on a 1400. IIRC it runs on System 7 too. Audion is good, but IIRC you must have the Appearance Manager s/w from OS 8.1 installed for it to run.
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I've used the hacked iTunes 1.1 under 8.6 on my 1400/166/48. I can get skip-free playback only by turning OFF virtual memory and using a stripped down extensions set.
7.6.1 will be a lot easier on RAM usage, but 8.1 and up use more PPC native code for speed. 8.6 and 9.x are a bit bloaty RAM wise. 8.1 might be your best compromise for RAM, speed, good looks and modernity, especially if you load the Carbon 1.6 extn from 8.6 or 9.x
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