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ReactOS posts

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Linux, Open Source, Beta

Open source Windows alternative ReactOS gets faster in 0.3.9

In case you aren't familiar with the ReactOS project in a nutshell, the aim is to produce an open source operating system that is fully Windows compatible. I've been intrigued by the project for years, and as the developers push toward the release of version 0.4, there's every reason to get excited.

The latest version, 0.3.9, sports reduced memory requirements and major speed improvements, as well as a number of other enhancements. ReactOS requires only 32Mb of memory (it will run with as little as 20Mb), and the installer weighs in at just under 34Mb. Preliminary AC97 sound support has also been added, and GDI fixes have taken care of a number of graphics issues.

Want to take it for a spin? You can play with ReactOS a number of ways. There's an installation CD, LiveCD, VMWare virtual machine, and pre-packed Qemu setup, all ready to download. Just keep in mind that ReactOS is still considered an alpha release at this point.

Once you've got ReactOS running, fire up the downloader to get some apps installed, like Firefox, mIRC, AbiWord, IfranView, or even the Diablo 2 Shareware release. Nice!

[via TuxRadar]

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Open Source

ReactOS keeps getting better

ScreenshotThe ReactOS project has one simple goal: to create an Open Source implementation of Windows. It borrows heavily from the WINE project for obvious reasons, but despite this, it is a stand alone OS. Since the last time we covered it, development of ReactOS has progressed very nicely. It now supports several components of OpenOffice, Firefox, and even Remote Desktop sessions.

The OS is still in Alpha state, making it more of a developer's plaything than anything else for the time being. However, anyone can try out premade images from the official site for giggles and grins. If you're not brave enough to try it out yourself, the site has plenty of screenshots as well.

Filed under: Windows, Open Source

What's up with ReactOS?

ReactOSIf you haven't heard of ReactOS, here's the 411: ReactOS is an open source operating system intended to be compatible with (and as similar as possible to) Windows XP. The goal is to allow people to run WIndows apps as well as Windows device drivers without actually using Windows. The project has made considerable progress since its inception, but in case, like me, you've never had the opportunity to try it, NeoSmart has a lengthy review of ReactOS. It's mostly positive and includes anecdotes like, "Using ReactOS was a breeze, and once it's complete we believe a normal non-geek user would be very hard-pressed to r Not so good is ReactOS' weak TCP/IP stack. Much of ReactOS' is based on WINE, which provides its Windows compatibility, and as a result it's only as successful as WINE in running Windows apps. While you read the review, take a look at NeoSmart's ReactOS screenshot gallery, or head to the ReactOS web site for more information.

[Via Slashdot]

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