Use iCab to Browse the Internet on Older Macs (OS 9)
Almost all of the computers at my school are old. They're underpowered Macs running Mac OS 9.2. They're good for some things, but the browser they came with - Internet Explorer 5 - just plain sucks. No two ways about it.
After some searching, I found a new browser that I love - iCab. I use it whenever I'm on a computer, and I plan on trying to convince the tech coordinator to put it on all of the laptops.
What's Wrong With Internet Explorer?
At the beginning of the schoolyear, I planned on maintaining a website for class. I intended to use it to record class notes and homework assignments - as well as to use it in class as a launching pad for web-based activities (i.e. Web Quests).
I built the site at pbwiki.com. I logged onto it at school the first day and realized that Internet Explorer mangled its layout.
The problem appears to be with Internet Explorer's handling of css - the code that styles a website. As near as I can tell, Internet Explorer doesn't like a piece of layout styling (float: left, for those of you that know some html) - so it royally screws up any website that uses this for styling purposes.
Aside from the class website, it also rendered del.icio.us illegible. The problems kept mounting, so I started looking for an alternative.
Enter iCab - An Updated Browser for Old Macs
After some research, I came across the name iCab. This browser appears to be the only browser that is compatible with Mac OS 9.2 and is still in development.
You can find some other compatible browsers - like Opera, Lynx, etc - but the old legacy versions are no longer developed. So at some point you'll run into a problem with the browser not supporting new web code.
I downloaded and installed iCab version 3.0.5. It worked like a charm. The page styles were rendered properly, and all the pages that were previously illegible were now displayed as intended.
Are There Any Problems With This?
Yes, there may be a few hurdles to overcome.
First, you need to have iCab where-ever you go. I can't stand using that old Internet Explorer anymore, but I travel between five rooms during the day.
Rather than install iCab on every computer, I figured out an easier way. If you download the file and unpack it to your flash drive, you can simply run it from there. Navigate to the iCab file on your flash drive, open it, and the browser will pop up. Voila - portable browser.
Unfortunately, this doesn't work on the laptops. They're designed to have special restrictions - I guess so that students don't do anything they're not supposed to.
The browser would need to be installed on them for the students to use it. In order to do that, I need the admin passwords from the tech coordinator - which means I need approval for the whole project.
Finally, the browser isn't technically free. It's shareware - so you can use it for free, but a pop-up appears everytime you open the browser and asks you to register it.
I'm not going to buy a personal license because I don't mind the pop-up. But a school can purchase a site license for $300.
If your school uses old Macs like mine, this is the best investment you could ever make. Beg your tech coordinator and administrators. If they want to see technology infused and they can't afford up-to-date computers, the least they could do is spend a few hundred dollars on up-to-date browsers.
Once you start using iCab, you'll wonder how you used the internet on IE 5.
Add A Comment
Randy Covington left this on June 14, 2008, 1:10 pm
Following you solution to tagging inmactive pages in CMSMS out of the News Summary, great idea, plan to implement. I also noticed your post about PBWIKI. Ther is a new wiki in town that blows the rest away. it is http://dekiwik.com. You can put up a wiki free on the hosted service for unlimited users for free until you exceed the bandwidth and strorage limit which are very generous. The technology itself is leaps beyond current wiki's. AS a teacher these could be invaluable to you. I would also encourage you to look at Claroline in OpensourceCMS. It is just the ticket for you asa teacher. Many Universities run their on-line offerings with it and it is GPL'd.
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