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ReactOS 0.3.16 released

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Re: ReactOS 0.3.16 released

#31
post #14

If ReactOS were "ready" right now (i.e., could run 99% of all Windows 7 software unmodified), with all the bad press that Windows 8 gets, it might even have a chance to steal some market share. However, I don't think they can catch up before Microsoft manages to release another "good" version of Windows, and then the game of catch-up will start again. I hope I'm wrong. I'd really like to see this succeed.

weren't they targeting winxp? I think windows 7 would require a lot more work.

http://www.reactos.org/about-reactos

"Free and Open Source replacement for the Microsoft Windows NT® family [...] with its latest iteration being Windows 8"

Re: ReactOS 0.3.16 released

#32
post #14

If ReactOS were "ready" right now (i.e., could run 99% of all Windows 7 software unmodified), with all the bad press that Windows 8 gets, it might even have a chance to steal some market share. However, I don't think they can catch up before Microsoft manages to release another "good" version of Windows, and then the game of catch-up will start again. I hope I'm wrong. I'd really like to see this succeed.

If ReactOS every became a thing (i.e. more than a hobby exercise) Microsoft would sue them off the planet. I am sure Microsoft has countless patents covering Windows technology.

Re: ReactOS 0.3.16 released

#33
A review I wrote back in 2006 of ReactOS: https://neosmart.net/blog/2006/reactos-the-next-windows/

The roadmap has changed considerably since then, esp. as there were several major setbacks and snafus pertaining to the legal status of some reverse engineered components. However, neither the appeal nor the readiness of the OS have really evolved much since then.

Re: ReactOS 0.3.16 released

#34
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So ... is this like Citrix + Windows? Replacing licensing costs of both Windows and Citrix would be a huge cost savings. It also would allow unlimited users. It says Thorium Core is a commercialization. But ReactOS is open source. So is the cloud services part going to be proprietary? (Thus foiling my idea of a free Citrix replacement.)

It was my understanding that the licensing for windows on "cloud" workloads was actually pretty cheap and straightforward after the introduction of hyper-v -- isn't one licence per cpu socket -- run as many copies/vms as you want? Now for SQL server things can get more expensive... Not to mention the difference in cost of having any licensing vs having no licensing.

Standard gives you two licensed virtual Windows OSes per two-sockets. Datacenter provides unlimited.

SQL Server's pricing is starting to follow Oracle, despite mocking Oracle's model before. SQL Server has different prices for different types of CPUs.

Re: ReactOS 0.3.16 released

#35
post #32
post #14

If ReactOS were "ready" right now (i.e., could run 99% of all Windows 7 software unmodified), with all the bad press that Windows 8 gets, it might even have a chance to steal some market share. However, I don't think they can catch up before Microsoft manages to release another "good" version of Windows, and then the game of catch-up will start again. I hope I'm wrong. I'd really like to see this succeed.

If ReactOS every became a thing (i.e. more than a hobby exercise) Microsoft would sue them off the planet. I am sure Microsoft has countless patents covering Windows technology.

They got a 50 btc donation in december. ;)

Re: ReactOS 0.3.16 released

#36
This has always been an admirable project; I just fear that the world has moved on.

A competitive kernel alternative to Windows seemed like a necessity 6 years ago. Today, everyone I know who would be interested in ReactOS is OS agnostic and can exist without any one operating system in particular.

Re: ReactOS 0.3.16 released

#37
post #32
post #14

If ReactOS were "ready" right now (i.e., could run 99% of all Windows 7 software unmodified), with all the bad press that Windows 8 gets, it might even have a chance to steal some market share. However, I don't think they can catch up before Microsoft manages to release another "good" version of Windows, and then the game of catch-up will start again. I hope I'm wrong. I'd really like to see this succeed.

If ReactOS every became a thing (i.e. more than a hobby exercise) Microsoft would sue them off the planet. I am sure Microsoft has countless patents covering Windows technology.

Yep. Microsoft allows WINE and ReactOS to proceed unchallenged because they're aware of the Streisand Effect. If it ever became a legitimate threat to Windows' dominance, they'd be lawyered out of existence lickety-split.

Re: ReactOS 0.3.16 released

#38
post #14

If ReactOS were "ready" right now (i.e., could run 99% of all Windows 7 software unmodified), with all the bad press that Windows 8 gets, it might even have a chance to steal some market share. However, I don't think they can catch up before Microsoft manages to release another "good" version of Windows, and then the game of catch-up will start again. I hope I'm wrong. I'd really like to see this succeed.

I'm surprised the Chinese government is not sponsoring it.

Re: ReactOS 0.3.16 released

#39
I've been very interested in ReactOS for several years now, as I've wanted to replace WindowsXP on my desktop with something more open and extensible. Unfortunately, I have since upgraded to Windows Vista, Windows 7, and now Windows 8. So I am not sure that ReactOS is going to be a viable option for me anymore.

But now I think that I am not in the target audience of ReactOS at all. But rather, it is intended for businesses which for some reason are stuck using WindowsXP but would like to switch to an open alternative that is still being patched with security updates regularly. This is a reasonable and generous plan, and I applaud the ReactOS team for their work towards this effort.

Re: ReactOS 0.3.16 released

#40
post #3

Office 2003 works now too: http://www.reactos.org/node/771 Some screenshots of ReactOS: http://www.reactos.org/screenshots and http://old.reactos.org/en/screenshots.html

It's too bad all the screenshots are of open-source windows ports of stuff, and stuff that's otherwise going to be really well-behaved (ie, not use secret API's)

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