Difference between Retail and Bundled version of OS 9.1 1

[vampiresquid]

I recently bought an old PowerBook 3400c and wish to upgrade the OS to 9.1. Sellers on eBay claim that bundled versions are the SAME as a retail version. Is this true? Does anyone have a proof or a line of reasoning? The bundled version is shipped with the computer when new and has eMac, iMac, PowerMac, etc. printed on the OS 9.1 CD. The retail version has a big orange "9" printed on a white CD and is supposed to work for all Macs. Can I use a bundled OS 9.1 CD that has eMac printed on it to install OS onto a PowerMac 3400c or any Mac, in addition to eMac? Your help is greatly appreciated.

VS
8/1/2005

 

[jimbopalmer]

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25114

has some warnings about OS9.1 on a 3400

"If you are installing Mac OS 9.1 on a PowerBook 3400 running Mac OS 9.04, you must perform the installation without updating your hard disk drivers or your computer may stop responding during installation. To prevent the Installer from updating your hard disk drivers, click Options in the Install Software panel of the Mac OS 9.1 Installer and deselect the option to update your hard disk drivers."

I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[vampiresquid]

Thank you for posting warning about installing OS 9.1 on PB 3400c, but technically can I use a bundled OS 9.1 CD that has eMac printed on it to install OS onto a PowerMac 3400c or any Mac, in addition to eMac?

 

[jimoblak]

Do you mean technically or legally? Jimbopalmer seems to have already addressed the 'technically' aspect.

The few Mac laptops that I have used have required a system CD made specifically for the model of the laptop.

If an installation does not work, you can always delete it and fall back on a previous system installer.

- - I hope this helps - -
_{(Complain to someone else if it doesn't)}

 

[NPFChris]

My experience (IT Mgr, 24 Mac network) has been that:
– BUNDLED OS 9. x disks usually only work on the system they were bundled with (due to processer specific firmware updates, system enablers, etc).;
– RETAIL OS 9.x disks work on any Mac (that supports the OS and, as Jimbopalmer pointed out, with caveats).

This has been especially true with OS 9 disks intended to be installed WITH OS X; for example I was unable to use the OS 9 disk bundled with my G4 Quicksilver to install OS 9 on my warehouse PowerMac 7300.