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Current Status
vMac is an open source emulator of older 68000 based Macintosh machines. It runs on a variety of platforms in two main flavors. The older of the two is the main
vMac emulator, which emulates the Apple Macintosh Plus. This project has been untouched since April of 1999 (version 0.1.9.3). A spin-off, mini vMac
is under active development. Mini vMac's name is misleading: it is feature rich and emulates a wider range of machines, specifically the
Macintosh 128K, 512K, 512Ke, SE and Classic models, in addition to the Plus. New users should reach for this one instead of the original project.
Mini vMac's developer, Paul Pratt, has created some extra software that is very helpful
with vMac and with other older Mac emulators as well. Of particular note is ImportFl
to import files into the emulated Mac, and binUnpk, which is a great way to
quickly unpack Stuffit Expander when you are starting out with vMac. These can be used as an alternative to the more feature rich HFV Explorer.
Mini vMac works only with a ROM image from the Mac Plus.
History
Developer Philip "PC" Cummins began work on vMac in 1996. It was ported to a variety of platforms very soon afterwards. The Windows port was
developed by Weston D. Pawlowski. Work stopped on the emulator around 1999. In 2001, however, Paul Pratt made an intial release of "Mini vMac,"
an emulator intended to be "a simpler version to serve as a programmers introduction to vMac." Pratt continues to work on the emulator, though,
and now describes says that he intends mini vMac to be "intended to be as simple and maintainable as possible, while still being usable enough that
the software running within it is as usable as ever. Also as part of this goal, Mini vMac is intended to be easily portable to new operating systems."
Through 2007 and 2008 Pratt spent a year "mostly working full time" on Mini vMac, and hopes to release a functional Mac II emulation in the near future
(as of July 2008).
Required Reading
Links
Mini vMac
Original vMac Page (lots of broken links and downloads)
vConfigurator (configure original vMac)
Files
System Specs
Emulates: 68000
ROM Required: Yes
Memory: 4 MB
Sound: Supported
Mac OS supported: ? - 7.5.5
Modem Support: No
Ethernet Support: No
Hard Drive size: Unlimited
Current Version: V0.1.9.6 (original) / 3.0.4 (Mini vMac)
Creator:Philip "PC" Cummins
Price:Free
Runs On: Everything
Screenshots
page updated 26 August, 2008 |
