Blog

How this site works, what classic Macintosh software was actually like, and why the files it left behind are so awkward to open.

What Shareware Licences Actually Say

September 2026 · Andrew Nakas

Most of the Macintosh catalogue between 1985 and 2000 was released on terms that explicitly permit copying it. Three licence files, read properly, and what they allow.

How a 1991 Macintosh Boots in a Browser Tab in Two Seconds

September 2026 · Andrew Nakas

The stack behind macemu: WebAssembly emulators, content-addressed disk chunks, cross-origin isolation, and why the fast page and the readable page have to be different pages.

Why Old Mac Files Won't Open, and What to Do About It

September 2026 · Andrew Nakas

Resource forks, type and creator codes, StuffIt, BinHex and MacBinary — why a Macintosh file that crossed platforms arrives broken, and how to open one today.