Mac OS 8.1 arrives

MacWeek, Jan 5, 1998 by Clifford Colby

Following the success of Mac OS 8, Apple hopes to keep the focus on the operating system at this week's Macworld Expo with its next system update. The new Mac OS 8.1 features major revisions, new pieces of system software and bug fixes.

The update includes Apple's new volume format, called Mac OS Extended Format. Also known as Hierarchical File System Plus, or HFS+, the new format jumps the maximum limit of allocation blocks to 4.29 billion from the current HFS limit of 65,535.

Apple said HFS+ has the capability to boost the maximum volume size to 2 terabytes, expand the number of files on a volume to 2 billion and lift the maximum file size, but users won't be able to tap into these features until Apple revises the File Manager APIs in a future release. Likewise, the new file format embraces 255-character Unicode file names, but users will be limited to 31 characters until Apple revises system services.

Apple said users can choose to format volumes in either the older HFS format or the new HFS+ format. The installation process does not automatically convert drives to HFS+.

To assist users with HFS drives, Apple said the new volume format comes with an HFS wrapper. The wrapper allows Mac systems that don't support the new format to see a small, locked volume when they try to mount a Mac OS Extended Format drive or removable media. The volume includes a read-me file that tells users they need to connect the drive to an HFS+ system to see the contents. Apple said 680x0-based Mac systems cannot use an HFS+ volume as a start-up disk or for virtual memory.

The update, formerly code-named Bride of Buster, includes revamped Apple utilities that support the new format. The company also expanded the update's storage capabilities by building in support for the Universal Disk Format, the volume format for Digital Video Disc drives.

Nonstorage enhancements to Mac OS 8.1 include Version 2.0 of Mac OS Runtime for Java (MRJ). MRJ 2.0 supports Version 1.1.3 of the Java Development Kit from Sun Microsystems Inc. and comes with a just-in-time compiler for 680x0-based systems.

The update features Open Transport 1.3. Apple said the revision to its networking architecture includes single-link multihoming, which lets administrators assign multiple Internet Protocol addresses to one networking interface.

Apple also optimized Open Transport for file copies between clients and servers.

The update benefits from the Apple-Microsoft Corp. agreement announced at the last Macworld Expo in Boston (see 08.11.97, Page 1), Apple said. Microsoft's Internet Explorer becomes the default Web browser in Mac OS 8.1. The installation process, however, will keep a user's browser preference when the user upgrades to Mac OS 8.1 from an earlier system.

In the update, Apple improved the way virtual memory caches information, tuned disk cache and optimized the system's math libraries. The company said it also increased the speed of file copies in the Finder.

Mac OS 8.1 features a revised LaserWriter driver; an updated PC Exchange; a new AppleShare client; and Version 2.0 of Apple Location Manager, which now works on all Mac operating systems, not just portables.

Apple will make Mac OS 8.1 available in several ways. Starting this week, users of Mac OS 8 can download the update free from Apple's servers, but it does not include Internet Explorer.

The software will also be available at midmonth in two forms on CD-ROM. Customers will be able to purchase the Mac OS 8.1 retail package for $99, and Mac OS 7.6 owners will get a $30 rebate. Apple will offer the update for $19.95 for those who have a proof of purchase and bought Mac OS 8 as a retail package, received it through Apple's Mac OS Up-To-Date program or purchased a Mac system with Mac OS 8 installed.