Mac OS 8.1 Update 4 --

Visit Macs Only!'s Hands-on Mac OS 8.1 Installation and Use Page.

My mail is running heavily in favor of Mac OS 8.1. Here's a representative note from reader Anthony Melillo:

"Just installed 8.1 from a 14.4 download on my 4-year old MAC 6100/60. It installed perfectly without a glitch. I have VM on. NOTES: ALL applications load faster the first time and even faster on a re-launch. Major time saved starting Netscape, Corel Draw, ect. The finder seems snappier. First glance fixes: I can now see the "Time display" on the menu bar when Netscape is active ( this did not work with 8.0 ). System startup is faster. Install was quick and trouble free. Every major OS upgrade since 7.6 has given me faster performance. OS 8.1 is the most obvious speed increase so far."

Apple Tech Info Library document #22142 admits that the installer damages several Mac OS 8.1 files during installation. They should run okay but if there is any question, just drag a file from the Install Pieces folder to your System folder after using the installer.