July 7, 2026
The browser comeback nobody saw coming
MacSurf 1.68 – NetSurf on OS 9 Released
Retro Mac fans are losing it as OS 9 suddenly surfs today’s web again
TLDR: MacSurf 1.68 gives very old Mac OS 9 computers a surprisingly usable way to browse today’s web, including secure sites and better page support. Commenters are split between pure amazement and one deliciously salty take: how are these museum-piece Macs getting love while newer machines feel abandoned?
A browser for 1990s-era Macs just pulled off a stunt that has the retro-computing crowd acting like they witnessed a miracle. MacSurf 1.68 brings old PowerPC Macs running Mac OS 9 back onto today’s internet without weird workarounds, and the comment section is basically a standing ovation. The biggest flex: this old-machine browser can now handle much newer website code directly, which means fewer broken pages, better logins, and a lot less "why is this thing exploding when I click sign in?" energy.
The reactions are a mix of awe, nostalgia, and a little bit of platform drama. One commenter summed up the mood with a stunned "Wow. Just wow", while others are already planning to dust off old iMac G4s for a victory lap. The loudest praise is for the sheer audacity of the project: people are genuinely floored that someone is building this level of web support for a machine old enough to rent a car. Another comment delivered the funniest reality-check of the thread: it feels "weird" that ancient PowerPC Macs are getting fresh browser love while some much newer Intel Macs are still stuck with limited options. Ouch.
There’s also real affection here. The release number honors 68kmla.org, the fan community that helped test and push the browser forward, and that warm, nerdy gratitude gives the whole story a wholesome twist. So yes, this is a software update — but in the comments, it plays more like a comeback tour for old Macs everyone thought were long retired.
Key Points
- •MacSurf 1.68 was released as a native browser for PowerPC-based Classic Mac OS 9.1 to 9.2.2, with HTTPS support and no proxy requirement.
- •The release replaces the old Duktape ES5 engine with macQJS, a QuickJS port that runs modern ES2023 JavaScript natively on Mac OS 9.
- •The project says the former ES6-to-ES5 transpiler was removed because its async/await rewriting could silently corrupt minified bundles.
- •Version 1.68 adds protections against runaway scripts through a per-heap memory cap and execution deadline.
- •The release fixes several usability problems, including visible carets, text selection, persistent logins, correct arrow-key behavior, tab navigation between fields, and a startup delay caused by a launch-time benchmark.