Up To Date : Office Software

The word processor previously known as ClarisWorks, this venerable application was a mainstay of the education sector for years. AppleWorks was last released for Mac OS 8.1 - 9.x as version 6.2.8.

AppleWorks 6.2 was still actively maintained by Apple Computer as of 26 December, 2006.

FileMaker Pro has had a virtual monopoly on the Mac OS 8 and 9 database market since its introduction. The latest copy available for Mac OS versions before OS X is 6.0v4.

FileMaker Pro 6.0v4 runs on Mac OS 8.6 and 9.x with the CarbonLib extensions installed.

There's not much to say about this application. Mariner Calc is a viable 3rd party alternative to the heavyweight spreadsheets like Excel. Version 5.2.2 appears to still be available for purchase through the Mariner Software website.

Mariner Write is a strong performer with a small footprint. For those looking for word processors with all the traditional features and none of the traditional bloat, Mariner Write may be just what the doctor ordered. Version 3.5.1 appears to still be available for purchase through the Mariner Software website.

The most popular spreadsheet application was first executed on a Macintosh. Since 1985, Microsoft has maintained a current Macintosh build of Excel. Today, however, development for OS 8/9 has ceased. The latest version supported for Mac OS 8/9 is 9.0.1 and can be obtained as part of Microsoft Office 2001 or as a standalone application.

Another office application that began on the Macintosh, PowerPoint was originally developed by a company that was ultimately bought by Microsoft. Since 1987, PowerPoint has existed on the Macintosh platform. The last version supported for Mac OS 8/9 is 9.0.2 and can be obtained as part of Microsoft Office 2001 or as a standalone application.

Unlike its office siblings Excel and PowerPoint, Word was not born on the Macintosh. The Macintosh, however, can be attributed as the cause of the application's success. It wasn't until Word was released for Macintosh in 1985 that the application began to pick up steam and become a serious competitor to WordPerfect. Like its siblings, Word has been consistently maintained on the Macintosh ever since. The last version supported for Mac OS 8/9 is 9.0.1 and can be obtained as part of Microsoft Office 2001 or as a standalone application.

An acclaimed word processor developed by a software company that isn't a traditional powerhouse, Nisus Writer offers many interesting features that its contemporaries do not. Some such features are non-contiguous selections and support for multiple type systems in the same document. The last version supported on Mac OS 8/9 is 6.5, and it is still available for purchase on the Nisus Software website.

WordPerfect was once a strong competitor in the word processing arena. In the end, the Macintosh version was beaten out by AppleWorks and Microsoft Word. In 1999, Corel released WordPerfect 3.5e for Mac into the world for free. Corel then discontinued development of the product and ceased supporting the Macintosh. WordPerfect 3.5e is still a strong performer for word processing on Mac OS 9, however.

Because WordPerfect is discontinued, Corel does not currently make it available for download. Additionally, version 3.5e is not fully compatible with OS 9. When downloading WordPerfect 3.5e from the link at left, be sure to also get the Mac OS 8/9 Updater. Another good location for finding WordPerfect for Mac is here.

Originally delivered by NeXT, Inc., WriteNow is currently owned by The Learning Company. The Learning Company appears to have completely abandoned the software and does not allow distribution of it. The author of WriteNow Enhancer appears to have become the unofficial support person for the application. The latest version of WriteNow is 4.0.2. The software was written and released before the advent of Mac OS 9, so your mileage may vary.