Apple doesn’t like their operating systems to be used on non-Apple hardware, so it’s difficult to run Mac OS 9 on a Wii. However, we are aware that the Nintendo Wii’s PowerPC processor is sufficiently similar to the PowerPC chip used by Apple in its Power Macintosh G3 computers.
After booting the Wii and activating the Homebrew Channel, a disk image of Mac OS 9.2 on an SD card is inserted. BootMii is then used to launch Linux and then Mac OS, albeit without the recognizable startup sound—one of several problems with running the OS on a gaming device.
Despite Dandumont’s best efforts, Mac OS 9.2 was not able to run smoothly on the Wii due to resolution issues. However, he was able to load Internet Explorer 5, iTunes, and even Doom which is unplayable due to its inability to produce even one frame per minute. However, iTunes has crackling sound and crashes abruptly.
Apple’s desktop and laptop operating systems have been struggling to keep up with the latest trends in gaming. Mac OS X needs at least 64MB of RAM to run, but the Wii can only provide 52MB, which leads to an OS crash when it first starts up. Although it’s impressive to watch the Wii pick up new skills, a more modern version of Apple’s desktop and laptop operating system would be more successful given that Mac OS 9 was released seven years before the Wii.
