10 PC operating systems that not everyone knows about

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Some of them have no practical application, but those who like to discover something new will be interesting.

When we hear the phrase "operating system", we first of all think about Windows and macOS. Especially advanced ones can also name Linux. And, of course, where in our time without mobile Android and iOS.

But in fact, there are many more operating systems. Here are ten little-known systems that you can download and run on your computer - out of curiosity or out of novelty.

1. FreeBSD

It is a free and open source operating system that is used all over the world on servers and routers, smart homes, terminals, and so on. Parts of the BSD code were borrowed even by Apple for its macOS and Sony for the PlayStation 4.

You can install FreeBSD for fun, to see what the beast is, but no one forbids using it for more useful purposes - for example, to create a home mini-server.

2. ReactOS

ReactOS is a free and open source operating system that has an unusual goal: compatibility with all Windows programs.

So far, the success is modest, but Firefox, MSN Messenger, OpenOffice, StarCraft, Diablo 2, Quake III and some other games and programs already work pretty well, crashing only occasionally. But there are problems with the launch of fresh versions of MS Office and Visual Basic. Outwardly, the system is very similar to Windows 2000.

3. FreeDOS

Before computers provided users with cute interfaces that anyone could easily figure out, MS-DOS was the queen of operating systems, the most used system for IBM-PC-compatible computers from the 1980s to the mid-1990s.

If you are nostalgic for those days, love terminal commands, or want to run a very old game (or you are George Martin and take inspiration from old text editors), then FreeDOS will come in handy. This is a free analogue of MS ‑ DOS, compatible with its programs and allowing them to run on a modern computer or inside a virtual machine.

4. Haiku

In October 1995, Be Incorporated, created by Apple-born Jean-Louis Gassier, released its own BeOS operating system. It never became popular, and in 2000 its last version was released.

Haiku is an enthusiastic remake of BeOS that is compatible with its programs. Haiku is very light on computer resources and can be used to breathe new life into old hardware. Or just to touch the era.

5. MenuetOS

MenuetOS is so small that it fits on a single 1.44 MB floppy disk. To run it, 16 MB of RAM and any video card supporting VESA 1.2 or 2.0 standards are enough. The most outstanding feature of this system is that it was written in assembler in 2000 by a Finnish student Ville Turyanmaa.

The system is unlikely to find practical use, but it can be installed for entertainment purposes. There are some simple games for MenuetOS and even one virus called Menuet. Oxymoron.

6. KolibriOS

Another operating system written in assembly language. This is an analogue of MenuetOS, created by the joint efforts of three dozen programmers from the CIS countries. It also weighs 1.44 MB and easily fits on a floppy disk, but at the same time contains a set of drivers, a browser, several text and image editors and viewers, music and video players, more than 30 games and other programs.

7. AROS

The Amiga 1000, released in 1985, was the world's first multimedia personal computer. True, the Commodore company, which created these machines, could not realize their potential and eventually went bankrupt. However, Amiga computers are still loved by enthusiasts.

AROS is a free analogue of AmigaOS, allowing you to run programs and games from that system. You can install this OS to play Amiga ported hits like Doom, Quake, DukeNukem 3D, MYST, Descent and Freespace.

8. MorphOS

Another operating system, also based on AmigaOS. It supports thousands of programs from there, and it has a pretty pretty interface, browser, video player, text editor, customizable menus, and even the ability to watch YouTube videos. Unlike AROS, MorphOS is closed source.

9. DexOS

Most operating systems try to mimic the Windows or macOS interface. But DexOS, created for fun by programmer Craig Bamford, takes a different path: it mimics the look and feel of the menus on older game consoles. Like MenuetOS, it fits on one floppy disk.

10. Wayne OS

You've probably heard of Chromebooks - these are cheap laptops that run ChromeOS. It has nothing but a browser, and most of its “applications” are web services you open.

Wayne OS is a ChromeOS alternative that doesn't even require installation. Wayne OS system files need to be copied to a USB flash drive using a special application downloaded from the developer's website. Now you will have your own ChromeOS that you can carry with you (for example, to work or in an Internet cafe) - you just need to download it from a USB flash drive.