Mac OS 8.1 Update 2 --

Yesterday I installed the Mac OS 8.1 update on an 8500/225, 7100/80 and a PowerBook 3400c/180 after doing so on my PowerBase/G3 on Monday. It's easy as can be. A running description of the steps taken when installing 8.1 and what one will encounter is contained in Macs Only!'s Hands-on Mac OS 8.1 Installation and Use Page. Here are the simple one-two-three-four steps:

1. Startup and make sure that all Mac OS 8.0 components are where they should be, e.g. Apple System Profiler in the Apple Menu Items folder in the System Folder;

2. Set extensions to the 8.0 Base Set in the Extensions Manager and shutdown;

3. Startup with a Disk Tools diskette, run Disk First Aid on the startup hard drive containing Mac OS 8.0 and shutdown; and

4. Startup and run the Mac OS 8.1 Installer.

I had no problems with the installation nor with subsequent use on any of my computers except for the PowerBase's CD ROM drive issue covered in yesterday's note and Macs Only!'s Hands-on Mac OS 8.1 Installation and Use Page. The major issue with Mac OS 8.1 is the reformatting of hard drives to HFS+, Apple's Extended Format for hard drives, that is more economical in its space requirements than the present HFS especially for hard drives over 1 GB. It's easy to do, i.e. simply backup, reformat and restore, but there are many conditions and limitations. I'll try this over the weekend and post the results Monday.

From Version Tracker, Mac OS Installer Helper v1.0b6 and Kaleidoscope 1.8.1 are out.