Transferring files between the virtual Mac Plus and your PC requires an additional piece of software for the virtual Mac. Also unlike Basilisk II, there is no shared folder or virtual hard drive. However, unlike Basilisk II, you just need the startup and additions “disk” files – which contain the operating system. You then acquire a ROM file, just like in Basilisk II. You just download the ZIP file, uncompress it somewhere on your system. Installing Mini vMac is easy, at least on a Mac. I could get the GUI setup interface to run, but I couldn’t create the hard disk file in Basilisk II to install the operating system on.

(My Macintosh Classic has 2MB, though I hope to upgrade it to the maximum 4MB for improved performance.) Software that runs well in Mini vMac or on a Macintosh Plus should, in theory, run comfortably on newer compact Macs like my 1991 Macintosh ClassicĪnother reason for installing Mini vMac is I couldn’t get Basilisk II to run on my 2019 13″ MacBook Pro, likely due to Catalina. All three models feature the Motorola 68000 microprocessor, and all three also have a memory ceiling of 4MB. My 1991 Macintosh Classic is similar (spec-wise) to the Macintosh SE, which is the Plus’ successor – although anything that runs well on the Plus should run comfortably on the Classic. I wanted to see what software would look like on a Macintosh Plus in emulation. My reason for installing Mini vMac was simple. Just like with the real Plus and it’s predecessors (the 128k, 512k and 512ke), there is no hard drive – you have to learn how to “swap” disks. Instead, you get a modest Macintosh Plus with black-and-white graphics, the ubiquitous Motorola 68000 and the 4MB RAM. With Mini vMac, you don’t get a 68040 with color graphics and a virtual hard drive. However, what if you want to experience what it was truly like to own a compact Macintosh? What it was like living with 4MB RAM, a 9″ black-and-white (no grayscale) screen, and System 6? Mini vMac is the software of choice for that, as it emulates a Macintosh Plus – the fourth model of Macintosh. Basilisk II emulated a Macintosh Quadra 900, one of the most powerful Macs you could buy in 1992 Basilisk II can output millions of colors and is powerful enough to run almost all of the popular Mac software from the 68k era. Nearly a year ago I explored Basilisk II, another classic Macintosh emulator that emulates a Macintosh Quadra 900 to allow you to explore 68k software and System 7. Want to experience what it was like to use a Macintosh Plus from your modern computer? Mini vMac is the solution…

1993 mac emulator