ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

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laurflorin
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ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by laurflorin »

Hello. I have a question (probably a bit too early to ask or too obvious for some) regarding ReactOS's future.

Currently, ReactOS is in compatible mode with Window Server 2003. Since then, Windows Vista/7 have appeared. I know, they are still NT-based, so this should not be a problem for ReactOS yet.

However, when ReactOS becomes stable and usuable for daily/public use, will it be able to keep up with the newer OSes from Microsoft then? Will users still be able to use it with peace of mind that it will be kept up-to-date? I see that this project has a lot of potential. I have noticed that it has taken ReactOS little time for huge progress.

So, what do you think? Could this OS be constantly upgraded so as to keep up with the future? I mean, do you really see it in reality? I have all the hopes for this and I am looking forward to it :)

Wish you all the luck and the money you can get :) Currently I am just a poor student, but I will definetly contribute to this amazing project as soon as I can. Until then, I wish you all the best, good luck and never give up.
Last edited by laurflorin on Mon Apr 29, 2013 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Pisarz
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by Pisarz »

I think that it should be possible, although at the moment it's not a priority. It's easier to recreate one version of Windows OS that is quite up to date, than trying to catch up to Microsoft.
laurflorin
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by laurflorin »

Yes, I agree to that, but as far as I know, Windows XP will end up in graveyard in 2 years from now. Then, ReactOS will have to be compatible with Vista/7/8 etc. It's not a priority in this moment, that is right, but it's worth considering in the near future (especially now that the ReactOS kernel is aimed to be compatible with 2003 server, if I remember clearly).

My opinion is that when ReactOS reaches beta (0.5), or at most version 1.0, its version number should be changed from 2003 server (5.2) to Vista (6.0) or 7 (6.1) .
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gonzoMD
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by gonzoMD »

I think the user should be able to decide which version will be used. Maybe at installation or in the control panel.
Techno Mage
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by Techno Mage »

Some programs do just check the OS version number,
but there are others that actually check for implemented methods and functions (in fact this is the method that Microsoft Recommends)

As long as the functions and methods are implemented, I see no problem with faking the Windows versions.
Faking a server or workstation is another thing that needs to be implemented.
milon
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by milon »

laurflorin wrote:However, when ReactOS becomes stable and unusable for daily/public use, will it be able to keep up with the newer OSes from Microsoft then?
AFAIK, worst case scenario would require a new subsystem to be added, along with a way for ROS to tell the difference. It's kind of like Windows 7's compatibility mode for older apps.
PurpleGurl
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by PurpleGurl »

Why should we have to keep up with MS at all? Think about it. The software doesn't go bad. It is not perishable like produce. Most of what makes the OSes obsolete is Microsoft. Operating systems is their business, and they have to keep revenue coming in. They cannot create a great product and then stand on their laurels. Sure, new people will come to Windows daily, but not at the rate needed to keep a corporation of their size afloat. So they use planned obsolescence as a tactic. It only gets obsolete because they want it to.

Now many users already have their PCs as they want them for years to come and cannot afford to get newer ones. But the current system of doing things is bad for them. They feel the pressure to get the latest Windows version because it is popular to do so and because there are new programs out there which cannot run without it. When they do try to upgrade, they realize their hardware is deficient for it. Yet there are many people running older boxes with Linux, Windows 95/98/ME, and Windows 2K and older variations of Windows NT. It would not surprise me if some out there are still using MS-DOS and maybe Windows 3.11 with a few Windows 95 shims thrown in.

So now, with Reactos, they can have NT compatibility on older boxes, and hopefully better compatibility than Windows 2000 (which anyone can in theory apply now if they wanted to). Even if we never get past Windows 7 compatibility, we would still be a living project. At that point, it would be more trivial to bring the compatibility closer, since we could write a few new drivers and add a few more APIs.
zed260
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by zed260 »

i personaly bet that windows 8 will be the death nail for windows as we know it


lots of windows game devlopers are working on linux versions of stuff to help cover there bets

as such i suspect there will be a growing demand for reactos and other alternatives to windows coming though in 2013-2014 timeframe
Haos
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by Haos »

zed260 wrote:lots of windows game devlopers are working on linux versions of stuff to help cover there bets
Where did you take this info from? The single case of Steam and L4D2 is not really helpful, as this move was planned upfront, before even more details of Win8 emerged.
andreas84
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by andreas84 »

the criticism on win 8 of the halo developers. He said if you have no touchscreen win 8 is bad.
Haos
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by Haos »

Great. I would never knew that Halo is made by "lots" of Windows game developers? Big changes in Windows were always bringing up controversy, same thing was with XP or Vista.
andreas84
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by andreas84 »

zed260 wrote:i personaly bet that windows 8 will be the death nail for windows as we know it


lots of windows game devlopers are working on linux versions of stuff to help cover there bets

as such i suspect there will be a growing demand for reactos and other alternatives to windows coming though in 2013-2014 timeframe
Lets mutate the topic to "wishful thinking - hopefully successful" sometimes it works :P
DOSGuy
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by DOSGuy »

People have short memories. Windows Vista had horrible publicity and never overtook Windows XP, but Microsoft didn't go bankrupt and Windows survived. In the worst case scenario that no one buys Windows 8, Windows 7 will continue to be the dominant operating system until Microsoft fixes their mistakes in Windows 9.
Today entirely the maniac there is no excuse with the article. Get free BeOS, DOS, OS/2, and Windows games at RGB Classic Games.
zed260
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by zed260 »

DOSGuy wrote:People have short memories. Windows Vista had horrible publicity and never overtook Windows XP, but Microsoft didn't go bankrupt and Windows survived. In the worst case scenario that no one buys Windows 8, Windows 7 will continue to be the dominant operating system until Microsoft fixes their mistakes in Windows 9.
youed need an alternative to windows 8 that had pretty high game compatbilty but also was highly compatble with windows hardware

if apple was to ever release version of the mac os that had the same level of compatbilty we have today but could run on any hardware not just apple hardware and costs less then 100 usd it would be able to overtake windows


the only thing that has kept mac from overtaking windows has been the fact that theyve locked it to the hardware which they charge an arm and a leg for


but depsite that they are still vary common to get a scale of how large the number of mac users are right now its about the same as total vista users are at moment if apple played its card right it could overtake windows within the next 8 years or so with ease
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jonaspm
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Re: ReactOS Future cross-compatibility

Post by jonaspm »

You should catch up at least with Windows 7, because if you decide to stay with Windows 2003 then you'll lose fans, donators and followers since people come searching a Compatible OS up-to-date with modern software
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