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ReactOS Updates

reactos.org

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Re: ReactOS Updates

#111

Post by hnlmorg »

rakoo wrote: post #65
hnlmorg wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed but it does provide direct value to the open source community even when it fails in the more ambitious end goal. For example the ReactOS and WINE devs do collaborate a fair amount. I've also read that a fair number of ReactOS developers have been recruited by Microsoft over the years. So even if the project itself never reaches feature parity, it's still a strong advert to put on ones CV.

If ReactOS is stable enough, it can also be an alternative for all the places where a very specific software runs on a very specific Windows edition, without having to redevelop the application (think ATMs or specialized displays)

That’s the hope for many. I haven’t yet had any success using it in such a way but I’m hopeful too.

Re: ReactOS Updates

#112

Post by folkrav »

inetknght wrote: post #72
quietbritishjim wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The classic theme doesn't use DWM sadly (at least it didn't in Windows 7, I assume it still true in 10). So it doesn't just change appearance but also how it performs: DWM offloads compositing from the CPU to the GPU.

> DWM offloads compositing from the CPU to the GPU. That was actually a feature. I wanted to use my GPU for other things like gaming and rendering things I actually wanted to be pretty. The OS interface doesn't need to be pretty. It needs to be usable. The pretty and usable are usually conflicting goals.

> The pretty and usable are usually conflicting goals.

That's a pretty bold statement.

Re: ReactOS Updates

#113

Post by the-dude »

sitzkrieg wrote: post #105
mixmastamyk wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You may have not realized but Windows has been in maintenance mode for a while, since v10. Aka the last Windows.

is this why windows 10 continues to get new features?

For those completely out of the Windows-loop : what are those new features?

I do know about WSL, which you could consider an anti-feature in a way.

Re: ReactOS Updates

#114

Post by moistbar »

GNOMES wrote: post #104

Bryan Lunduke on Youtube and LBRY, has as a wishful hope for the future of ReactOS. He imagines if Microsoft with their whole "We One of his arguments is that either method would take minimal effort from Microsoft, and would show their love of Open Source. The code could be made available as is, and allow the ReactOS project to continue burden of development/support. His second major argument is that Microsoft would…

It would also make an interesting companion product if the rumors of a switch to the Linux kernel turn out to be true, though more likely they'd just "Linux 10" alongside Windows for a while.

Re: ReactOS Updates

#115

Post by inetknght »

folkrav wrote: post #112
inetknght wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> DWM offloads compositing from the CPU to the GPU. That was actually a feature. I wanted to use my GPU for other things like gaming and rendering things I actually wanted to be pretty. The OS interface doesn't need to be pretty. It needs to be usable. The pretty and usable are usually conflicting goals.

> The pretty and usable are usually conflicting goals. That's a pretty bold statement.

> That's a pretty bold statement.

I use computers for 10-20 hours each day. I've come up with some pretty bold opinions based on actually wanting to improve efficiency of using computers. Someone else's ideas of aesthetics almost always conflicts with efficiently using the computer.

Re: ReactOS Updates

#116

Post by moistbar »

mhd wrote: post #56
johnchristopher wrote: post #5

ReacOS is a testament to how solid were Windows 2000/XP's UI for everyday tasks. I wouldn't mind being back in a Windows env/shop with ReactOS.

As with many things, I think from a pure UI perspective every Windows/Office release made things worse. Win95 was pretty solid, even improved on a few things that they took from the state of art at that time (Nextstep, Classic Mac, OS/2). The Taskbar being a good example. I'm still not sure that the move from actual buttons on a button bar to just a flat series of icons was right, and many such changes happened after…

>culminating in the horror of the ribbon bar)

I'm sure this is still an unpopular opinion, but I've come around to the idea of the ribbon bar. Toolbars as they were pre-Office-2007 usually only contained duplicates of entries that were already in the menu. The menus are difficult to discover things in and limited to only showing text (at least in the "classic" sense like Office 03 used). Ribbon bars take the discoverability of a toolbar and make it use only as much space as a menu would. It's a solid compromise IMO.

Re: ReactOS Updates

#117

Post by muricula »

mixmastamyk wrote: post #90
londons_explore wrote: post #69

What is ReactOS's endgame? It seems they will never have enough resources to become more popular than windows. And they will never manage to become the desktop OS of choice over Linux or Mac either. It seems to sit in an odd place with only a tiny userbase and no real goal, permanently playing catchup.

You may have not realized but Windows has been in maintenance mode for a while, since v10. Aka the last Windows.

Windows has not been in maintenance mode and Windows 10 is not the last version of Windows: https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/4/22212817/microsoft-windows...

Re: ReactOS Updates

#118

Post by sergeykish »

GNOMES wrote: post #104

Bryan Lunduke on Youtube and LBRY, has as a wishful hope for the future of ReactOS. He imagines if Microsoft with their whole "We One of his arguments is that either method would take minimal effort from Microsoft, and would show their love of Open Source. The code could be made available as is, and allow the ReactOS project to continue burden of development/support. His second major argument is that Microsoft would…

Will not happen while OS department is profitable, or even afterwards. They would just build on top of open source project (no source code of old IE versions).

Re: ReactOS Updates

#119

Post by amaccuish »

Koshkin wrote: post #85
londons_explore wrote: post #69

What is ReactOS's endgame? It seems they will never have enough resources to become more popular than windows. And they will never manage to become the desktop OS of choice over Linux or Mac either. It seems to sit in an odd place with only a tiny userbase and no real goal, permanently playing catchup.

When Linux the kernel will eventually be completely absorbed into systemd, and the Mac will turn into one giant Touch Bar, there will remain only two contenders for the reasoned user: Windows and ReactOS. (Unless Apple buys Microsoft by then, that is.)

https://twitter.com/ThatStupidDoll/status/135878904756556595...

Re: ReactOS Updates

#120

Post by amaccuish »

DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #19
watersb wrote: post #4

NTFS? Impressive.

I gather ReactOS builds upon the work for WINE and other open-source Windows-compatibility libraries - nothing wrong with that, but it isn't as impressive as it sounds - not that ReactOS as-a-whole isn't impressive as it is. ----- Dirty rumour + speculation time: I understand that, to an extent, ReactOS is supported by the Russian government to ensure they have options for running their IT systems in the event of US…

Please point me in the direction of the Wine NTFS driver?
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