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ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

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Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#21

Post by coderjames »

e12e wrote: post #14
blisterpeanuts wrote: post #11

An OEM Windows 7 disc is under $50 at Amazon now (down from $80 which is what I paid a couple of months ago). At a certain point, why not just buy the real thing and not have to fuss so much about compatibility? Almost every recent Mac can bootcamp Windows now, and Linux can also dual-boot, or else maybe install it to VirtualBox. That's also why I've stopped updating my Crossover for $40 every year or two. Basic lapt…

I'm not sure it's entirely clear what you can use an OEM Windows disk for. Isn't that just for new hardware? And that's at least 50/vm if I understand things. The thing to compare reactOS to is probably a datacenter licensed copy of Windows server. Productivity applications will (mostly) run in Wine - I don't think anyone expects ReactOS to be a viable alternative to bare-metal Windows install for gaming.

Exactly. The Windows "OEM" or "System Builder" edition is only valid for computers that are sold on to the final end user. They aren't legal for personal use by the original purchaser. [1]

[1] = http://www.howtogeek.com/197232/microsoft-is-misleading-cons...

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#22

Post by superuser2 »

blisterpeanuts wrote: post #11

An OEM Windows 7 disc is under $50 at Amazon now (down from $80 which is what I paid a couple of months ago). At a certain point, why not just buy the real thing and not have to fuss so much about compatibility? Almost every recent Mac can bootcamp Windows now, and Linux can also dual-boot, or else maybe install it to VirtualBox. That's also why I've stopped updating my Crossover for $40 every year or two. Basic lapt…

OEM pricing only applies if you have receipts for desktop components. To put Windows in a VM costs a good bit more.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#23

Post by marcosdumay »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #2

This is one OS I've kept my eye on forever, though it feels as though Microsoft will go open source before ReactOS can catch up if anything. I wouldn't mind if certain parts of Windows were open sourced, or replaced by open sourced alternatives at least, not all of Windows. We saw this happen to the Open Live Writer.

ReactOS may be the best WinXP-like alternative in existence. That counts for something... Not a huge amount, but something.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#24

Post by marcosdumay »

radlad wrote: post #6
giancarlostoro wrote: post #2

This is one OS I've kept my eye on forever, though it feels as though Microsoft will go open source before ReactOS can catch up if anything. I wouldn't mind if certain parts of Windows were open sourced, or replaced by open sourced alternatives at least, not all of Windows. We saw this happen to the Open Live Writer.

It seems to me like Microsoft is trying to position themselves more as a Google-type entity. In the past, they were a massive proprietary corporation focused on Windows. Nobody cares about computers anymore (thanks smartphones, tablets!), and so Windows will go down the drain eventually. Not to mention Linux and OSX market share increasing. Not today, not tomorrow, but the writing's on the wall. Open source to get de…

> Nobody cares about computers anymore

You know, it was annoying when people started to say those computers you carry with yourself the entire day were not "personal computers".

Now you are trying to say they are not even "computers"! I just hope the world ignores your labels.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#25

Post by yuhong »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #2

This is one OS I've kept my eye on forever, though it feels as though Microsoft will go open source before ReactOS can catch up if anything. I wouldn't mind if certain parts of Windows were open sourced, or replaced by open sourced alternatives at least, not all of Windows. We saw this happen to the Open Live Writer.

Windows is complex enough that I think so. I am thinking of breaking up Microsoft's OS division into a non-profit foundation, funded by hardware vendors like Dell and Intel with no per system licensing fees required anymore for example.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#26

Post by codinghorror »

blisterpeanuts wrote: post #11

An OEM Windows 7 disc is under $50 at Amazon now (down from $80 which is what I paid a couple of months ago). At a certain point, why not just buy the real thing and not have to fuss so much about compatibility? Almost every recent Mac can bootcamp Windows now, and Linux can also dual-boot, or else maybe install it to VirtualBox. That's also why I've stopped updating my Crossover for $40 every year or two. Basic lapt…

Grey market keys can be had for way less than that, if you are comfortable with grey markets -- where keys being provided to countries being charged way less are resold to consumers in other countries.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#27

Post by rasz_pl »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #2

This is one OS I've kept my eye on forever, though it feels as though Microsoft will go open source before ReactOS can catch up if anything. I wouldn't mind if certain parts of Windows were open sourced, or replaced by open sourced alternatives at least, not all of Windows. We saw this happen to the Open Live Writer.

Microsoft already kinda went open source, unintentionally :) http://www.opennt.net/

interesting thread documenting start of OpenNT project http://www.betaarchive.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=33250 from broken code base that would not compile to booting ~Windows 2003 compiled from source.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#28

Post by 13of40 »

blisterpeanuts wrote: post #11

An OEM Windows 7 disc is under $50 at Amazon now (down from $80 which is what I paid a couple of months ago). At a certain point, why not just buy the real thing and not have to fuss so much about compatibility? Almost every recent Mac can bootcamp Windows now, and Linux can also dual-boot, or else maybe install it to VirtualBox. That's also why I've stopped updating my Crossover for $40 every year or two. Basic lapt…

Even if it was $200, you get about as much mileage out of a single-machine license for Windows as you would out of, say, a hard drive or a video card, and you don't see anyone complaining about having to pay for those. I think people even understand that most of the price for those items goes toward paying employees and keeping the lights on, not physically building the device. What gives, people? What gives?

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#29

Post by SwellJoe »

marcosdumay wrote: post #24
radlad wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems to me like Microsoft is trying to position themselves more as a Google-type entity. In the past, they were a massive proprietary corporation focused on Windows. Nobody cares about computers anymore (thanks smartphones, tablets!), and so Windows will go down the drain eventually. Not to mention Linux and OSX market share increasing. Not today, not tomorrow, but the writing's on the wall. Open source to get de…

> Nobody cares about computers anymore You know, it was annoying when people started to say those computers you carry with yourself the entire day were not "personal computers". Now you are trying to say they are not even "computers"! I just hope the world ignores your labels.

I call it "the super computer in my pocket", but that label doesn't seem to be catching on.

Re: ReactOS, a 17-year quest for an open-source Windows, has a new release candidate

#30

Post by eecks »

carbocation wrote: post #18
eecks wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Nobody cares about computers anymore You're not in touch with reality at all

I think the comment to which you were responding was both thoughtful and, yes, provocative. You took the bait, but you didn't add anything of substance. Do you think that attributing some of the shift in how computing is done to tablets/smartphones is "not in touch with reality"? Because if you can show some data or link to other arguments, that would be really interesting. If not, why post?

The parent post didn't say anything thoughtful. The same spiel about Windows going down the drain has been repeated for years. People not using computers is just mindlessly repeated these days.

You're asking me to provide data or links to other arguments but the initial statement provided neither.

Why did you call my comment out but not the other two similar responses to the same line?

I could say that you proved my comment to provocative and took the bait but then we'll spiral into comment hell.

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