[ros-dev] ReactOS: Execute Natively or Virtually?

[J. C. Jones]

Hi,

I had forgotten all about BOCHS. It is amazing how many emulators there are on the market these days.

I think that, for mass appeal, we should try to get ReactOS to run natively. The problem is that there are basically two types of users of ReactOS:

1. Those who enjoy OS development.
2. Those who do not enjoy OS development. :)

#1 is the type that might run ReactOS inside an emulator.
#2 is the type that would probably never run ReactOS inside an emulator, even if ReactOS were stable.

Unfortunately, for all the people who might run ReactOS someday [millions and millions of people] the ratio #1/#2 is probably less than 1/100, conservatively speaking.

Therefore, it makes sense to get ReactOS to run on as many of the devices that users of type #2 would use. That leads to the following reasoning:

There are several popular CPU's on the market. X86_32/x86_64 rules the desktop. ARM is 90% of mobile devices. And there is the "other" category, which is less than 10% of all new devices, including mobile.

Since it is not (yet) likely that a user of type #2 will remove Microsoft Windows from an existing device and replace it with ReactOS, even if ReactOS were stable, one must conclude that the best way to get ReactOS onto as many devices as possible is to make ReactOS the first OS on the device before any other OS has a chance to be on the device. That means new devices.

New devices come with Microsoft Windows, iOS, or Android. Getting HP, Dell, ASUS, Acer, etc..to start using ReactOS instead of Microsoft Windows on their hardware is an up-hill battle and not likely to succeed. Apple hardware, of course, is out of the question. That leaves Android hardware, which is more vulnerable, IMO, than people might think. Google does not own these devices. As Timo showed, there are manufacturers in China/Taiwan/Korea, etc. that make Android hardware very cheaply. Those manufacturers choose Android, but they could choose whatever they desire.

So I think that getting ReactOS to run on just one, commonly-available, mobile device, like an ARM-based SmartPhone, that is made by a hardware manufacturer who is not committed to Android or any other OS, would open the flood-gates.

I would not worry about the number of available "apps" on ReactOS on ARM, because there are many, many developers who know how to write applications for Microsoft Windows  on x86_32/x86_64, and therefore, for ReactOS on ARM, and they will be immediately attracted by the open nature of ReactOS. Also, I suspect that the following technique for converting Windows-on-x86_32 applications to ReactOS-on-ARM will work:

http://www.reactos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12262

Cheers!

-John

-----Original Message-----
From: [e-mail] [mailto:[e-mail]] On Behalf Of HeChi-Lau
Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2013 10:20 AM
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: [ros-dev] Ros-dev Digest, Vol 101, Issue 30

Hey，Do you know the BOCHS？An x86 emulator.Its android version works fine through the JNI library.Reactos also runs okay.But I configured the net card in conf file,nothing effected.
In my opinion if anyone could develop a similar,but advanced software:it included full hardward support and released with reactos.Or just add the x86 vm or  in reactos's kernel,and then reactos can work with arm cpus.After one of I said above done,I believe more people will know reactos and use it.
reactos has some advantages that other os can't compared with.such as free,fully opensource,pe compatible,low memory usage and fast boot and shutdown.If application experience be better，it will be finer.