How to emulate the Apple Lisa: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Lisa Desktop.png|thumb|Lisa Office System desktop]]
 
In this article we will be describing '''how to emulate the Apple Lisa''' from 1983. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lisa Lisa] was one of the first PCs to include a GUI and was extremely influential for Apple's history. For this tutorial, we'll be using '''LisaEM''', a free open-source emulator that emulates the original Apple Lisa. You can run the original Lisa Office System OS as well as every Mac OS version up to System 6 using MacWorks XL.
 
We will also want to download the OS itself. You can download the last version of the Lisa Office System from MEGA [https://mega.nz/file/dB9niAhL#psTMJAw8qCKgjlZlgnUQH6p3NUbEYJ3AxFX_PY8Qi0w here]. Extract the .rar somewhere on your system. You can also download Version 2 from [https://macintoshgarden.org/apps/lisa-office-system-20 Macintosh Garden], however it seems to have some issues running in this emulator, so I recommend using Version 3.
 
If you are using a version before 1.2.0 (why?) you will also have to provide your own boot ROMs. Versions after that can boot without one using ROMless boot.
 
===Running the emulator===
 
[[File:Lisa Install 6.png|400px]]
 
When the installation has been completed, you will see a message that says the Lisa Office System software has been installed. Click OK and it will return you to the installation screen. Click "Finished", and it will ask you if the Lisa should turn off or start up from the disk. Click "Start Up". Now you will be asked again from ROMless Boot to boot from either "Profile Hard Drive on Parallel Port" or "Floppy Diskette". Make sure "Profile Hard Drive on Parallel Port" is checked and hit OK. You will see a giant hard disk image. Wait a minute or so and it'll start.
 
[[File:Lisa Boot.png|400px]]
 
Now you will be booted into the desktop! Hooray!
 
[[File:Lisa Desktop.png|400px]]
 
==Post-installation==
===Software===
Well, that's the million dollar question, isn't it? One of the main reasons for the Lisa failing was the lack of software, so naturally, software for it is few and far between. You definitely won't be finding any games made for this system. The base OS comes with a calculator and a clock, and there are a few applications which I listed below. More can be found on the [https://www.macintoshrepository.org/apple-lisa/?p=2 Macintosh Repository].
 
*[https://www.macintoshrepository.org/23270-lisa-desktop-calendar Lisa Desktop Calendar]
*[https://www.macintoshrepository.org/23885-lisadraw-3-1 LisaDraw 3.1]
*[https://www.macintoshrepository.org/23283-lisagraph-3-0 LisaGraph 3.0]
*[https://www.macintoshrepository.org/23886-lisaproject-3-1 LisaProject 3.1]
*[https://www.macintoshrepository.org/23287-lisalist-3-0 LisaList 3.0]
*[https://www.macintoshrepository.org/23878-lisawrite-3-1 LisaWrite 3.1]
*[https://www.macintoshrepository.org/23858-macworks-xl-4-5 MacWorks XL 4.5]
*[https://www.macintoshrepository.org/23314-xenix-3-0 XENIX 3.0]
 
==Conclusion==
The Lisa itself isn't a very useful system, and of course, isn't super impressive looking at it today, however it is extremely interesting from a historic perspective, and it's amazing to see just how much it influenced Apple and the modern GUI, even today. A lot of elements we see here greatly influenced future operating systems including Microsoft Windows, which still has a few of the elements we see in this OS.
 
[[Category:Tutorials]]