The purpose of this page is to highlight some alternative operating systems that you may have overlooked. for practical reasons, I typically avoid posting BSD or Linux here unless it’s really strange.

React OS - Basically an open source Windows. It is compatible with Windows 2000 programs, so it’s probably the best legal way to play old games natively if you don’t have an old PC. Be warned…its not very stable, and good luck getting any modern programs working on it.

TempleOS - The story of Terry Davis is what got me into alternative operating systems. The guy was crass…real crass. However, he was a complete genius tortured with mental illness. This OS is the strangest one I have ever seen. It doesn’t attempt to be like Windows, or Mac, or even Linux. It is its own thing through and through.

HaikuOS - This is a continuation of the original BeOS system that was discontinued when Apple didn’t buy them, and they had to go out of business. The 32 bit version is still backward compatible with old BeOS binaries, which I think is neat.

SerenityOS - Andreas Kling, the lead developer, started this project when he got out of rehab and felt like he needed something to do. Without drugs, he had a lot more spare time than he used to have, so he began work on this. You can listen to his full story here. He is also working on the LadyBird browser which, while it is still years away from being a main browser for anyone, looks very promising.

ToaruOS - This OS is another Unix clone, but it looks nice. The DE reminds me of Gnome 2. The purpose was less to make something new, but rather to be a learning resource for the developer. I respect it.

PonyOS - UwU