This software lets you explore 600+ operating systems on PC
What's the story
The Virtual OS Museum is a digital treasure trove of over 1,700 unique installations of more than 600 operating systems across over 250 platforms. The project is the brainchild of Andrew Warkentin, an OS historian and developer who has been curating this collection since 2003. The museum covers nearly the entire computing timeline, from Manchester Baby in 1948 to early Android builds from 2011.
Historical significance
Explore the history of computing
The Virtual OS Museum takes users on a journey through the history of computing. It features a plethora of obscure operating systems, including several DOS variants and MOS for Acorn BBC Master. There are also hobby OSes like NitrOS-9, which brings modern features to the '80s Tandy Radio Shack CoCo line. These unique offerings make the museum an invaluable resource for tech enthusiasts and historians alike.
User experience
Limitations of the operating systems
While the Virtual OS Museum offers a vast collection of operating systems, it's worth noting that the images usually don't come with additional software. This means users may find themselves limited to basic tools like calculators, file managers, and text editors. However, if you're looking to relive the nostalgia of Windows 95 or other classic systems, this museum is an excellent choice.
Download details
How to access the museum
The Virtual OS Museum is a hefty download, with the full version (including all images) taking up 127GB when zipped. For those who don't want to download such a large file, there's also a Lite edition available. This version downloads images as needed but still takes up 14GB of space on your computer.