Run virtual FreeHand in a Browser window on new Mac

All about running FreeHand inside a virtual system on more recent Macs with OS 10.7 or newer.
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Handsfree
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2012 7:54 pm

Run virtual FreeHand in a Browser window on new Mac

Post by Handsfree »

A nostalgic trip down memory lane here. A chance to use the old FreeHand sofware under Mac os 7 and Mac os 8. I have been a user since Aldus FreeHand 3 and Aldus Pagemaker made for the early Mac system 7. You can now try that same system in your browser. IF you are or have your old hard dives intact you may be able to drag-and-drop the -entire FREEHAND folder onto the webpage (see below).

For me a workable FreeHand is still FreeHand 5, so I tested that and it seems to work although its quite old. Possibly FH7 will work but I don't have a copy of that. FreeHand 9 won't work for me at the moment.

You can also in this virtual Mac go FULL SCREEN and it looks a lot better. I am using a 20" iMac and running under MAc Catelina system. But it should work on anything with a chrome browser.

You can install your own programs (see instructions on screen for virtual disk). I am testing FreeHand 5 which I used to have on a back up drive. You need that 'old' installation to drag and drop onto the open browser window. Or you an just tru and install a DEMO FreeHand 5 iso (sit) that may also work. Old disks (CD's DEMO) may work best. But ther is installable software LIVE on the page to install. 'SmoothType' was an essential for smooth TYPE smoothing (see install on page)

Have fun:
System 7
https://system7.app/
or
System 8
https://macos8.app/

No system os9 as yet. Only then we can install FreeHand MX (on this website) and all our old fonts and system tweaks using ANY computer on any Mac system.

Some of the old Mac install disks may not work due to ADOBE closing down the SERVERS. So you can only uses DEMO (10 day DEMO versions) or what you already have on an old Mac system. I still had FreeHand 3, 5 and 9 already so I tried FH5 and it worked simply by dragging onto browser screen (system 8). It would be very hand to have FreeHand working this way, but as yet, we may have to wait until system 9 version. We may not have to wait that long...!

Note: In above APPS, (bottom left on screens) hover over area with your mouse to see FULL SCREEN option to enlarge. Escape with [ESC] key. There is also a SETTINGS for keyboard.

Its not a professional graphics solution, but this way we can at least have some nostalgia to look forward too. Its also a bit of fun to work on my old mac system. In 1980's I had a Mac SE30 with (4/40) with Aldus FreeHand 3 (which I hardly used) then Macromedia FreeHand 5 became my main work- horse and was light years ahead of Adobe Illustrator which I loathed - even then.
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