Someone reviewed v on Mar 19, 2023

Pros:

Cons:

Bottom Line:

GlendaBrewer reviewed v0.4.14 Release 56 on Feb 27, 2023

Pros: And I thought the development pace of linux desktop was glacial, this one is moving 10 times slower than that.

Cons:

Bottom Line:

Someone reviewed v on Jul 5, 2022

Pros: 555

Cons: 555

Bottom Line: 555

gsteele reviewed v0.4.14 Release 8 on Feb 7, 2022

Pros: Absolutely none

Cons: Still in the stone age.

Bottom Line: A total waste of time

Aegis69 reviewed v0.4.3 on Nov 17, 2016

Interesting as a research project, but Linux + Wine is a far more robust and stable platform to run windows apps on than this ever will be.

Aegis69 reviewed v0.3.16 on Feb 6, 2014

And I thought the development pace of linux desktop was glacial, this one is moving 10 times slower than that.

tomkelly reviewed v0.3.15 on Aug 22, 2013

reactos is solid

wogget reviewed v0.3.14 on Sep 23, 2012

Pretty awesome for a free OS that can run Windows programs and still be fast with 1 GB RAM in VirtualBox. Works great!

drkstlkr reviewed v0.3.13 on Nov 29, 2011

Many of you who wonder why ReactOS is still using an "outdated Windows XP" interface are completely missing many valuable points of ReactOS. For one, most of your novice Windows users are very comfortable with Windows XP, and HATED Vista's newer interface, let alone trying to learn a new OS, such as Linux. ReactOS is a viable option for people who are still using an older computer, possibly who's hard drive crashed, and can no longer order recovery discs from the manufacturer. Most people could afford another new hard drive for around $70, but don't want to spend $200 for the retail version of Windows Vista/7. Many users and companies still use software tailored for Windows XP that have known issues running in Vista/7. Most advanced users wouldn't run ReactOS, so stop looking at it from that narrowed perspective.

ender ossel reviewed v0.3.13 on Sep 27, 2011

SUPER!!!! BUT NOT IF YOU INSTALL VISUAL STUDIO 2010
only it is a beta but it idea is MEGA SUPER ;)
A REAL GOOT IDEA

wuahn reviewed v0.3.12 on Nov 30, 2010

I applaud the effort. I really really do. Unfortunately it just crashes every five minutes with no explanation. I understand that it's alpha though and as such it deserves a appropriate rating for what it is.

mikeeberhart reviewed v0.3.12 on Nov 30, 2010

I agree with every one else reviewing this operating system (attempt): it may have been interesting 5 years ago or more. Bluntly put, the developers behind this project are wasting an incredible amount of talent they could be directing elsewhere. There are so many wonderful open-source projects, including Linux derivations, the OpenJDK, and even things like more modern experimental OSs like Genode to work on... or heck, even Android OS.

I understand, on a fundamental level, why software developers persist with projects like ReactOS; they simply can not let it die since they have so much invested in it emotionally and time-wise. But, there is a time to cut one's losses and move on. This is the last time I will ever even read the release-notes of ReactOS, as I have moved on to more interesting and modern projects like most others.

bittermann reviewed v0.3.12 on Nov 29, 2010

Really slow development cycle. Might have been interesting in 2003. Is there a point in developing this anymore? It wants to mimic the outdated Windows XP!

roj reviewed v0.3.12 on Nov 29, 2010

I've been watching this for a year now.

Awesome project - ten years ago.

Dead issue because of glacial progress. Ubuntu 10.10 is more viable than this dead horse as a Windows alternative.

Just shut it down and let it go since it's obvious the heart and the drive just isn't there.

ONE star for a great idea with NO execution.

LakotaElf reviewed v0.3.12 on Nov 29, 2010

A very good idea that has missed its time. The development of this OS is much too slow to even begin to keep up. A good try I might add, but much too slow.

bobad reviewed v0.3.12 on Nov 28, 2010

I would love to see competition for Windows 7, but is competition to Windows NT really useful? I believe ReactOS is nothing more than a hobby or educational OS. Development is far too slow to be of any real value to users. By the time it reaches stability, there will be no programs to run on it (unless you resurrect old floppy disks on a dusty shelf).

dracodos reviewed v0.3.12 on Oct 22, 2010

The idea of an open source windows OS is just too much to pass up. But the reality is that this projects progress is just way to slow to really serve as a true Windows Alternative. I praise the effort but hey are still stuck on Windows 2000 while we are already in the 2nd iteration of the new kernel (ie Windows 7). By the time it catches up with the 1st iteration of that Kernel, aka Vista, we'll already be at Windows 10 with something probably completely different.

If they truely want to offer a great ground up open source Windows they need to be more aggressive with coding and release schedules. It shows promise bit sadly right now that is all it shows.

In response to Hilbert saying Linux is a go nowhere OS may i remind that although Linux will probably never be a mainstream replacement desktop OS for Windows it thrives very well in the Server space, and on smartphones in the form of Android.

Hilbert reviewed v0.3.12 on Oct 22, 2010

The Forth Millennium will arrive faster than v1.0 of ReactOS.

If you look at the changelog you'll see this project has been underway for at least 12 years. Obviously, it's not a real project which is very unfortunate.

Theoretically, for Windows users wishing for an alternative to M$, an 'open' version of 'Windows' running genuine Win32/64 APIs would be a much better proposition than having to switch to any version of that other going-nowhere operating system, Linux, as existing code would be running naively, and for Windows users, years' worth of programs would be preserved not to mention continuing to working in a familiar environment. But don't hold your breath.

Given the huge desire of millions to rid themselves of having to rely on M$, you'd think thousands of programmers would be queuing up to join this project and that after a decade-plus we'd have real product, but alas ReactOS is still little more than a joke.

Anyone really know why this project has been so moribund for so long--is it perhaps a pet project of a few who won't let others in or something similar? (I've watched it going nowhere for years and I'm curious as to why it's even still around.)

In the meantime we've:

- going-nowhere ReactOS super-early alpha
- going-nowhere Linux, or,
- going-somewhere Windows (even if we don't like where it's going).

Right, it's a no-brainer (even if we don't like the choices).

mrpowerup reviewed v0.3.12 on Oct 21, 2010

ReactOS maybe the future of windows ?
considering the way windows is coded

dotnetnightmare reviewed v0.3.12 on Oct 21, 2010

Please bear in mind that ReactOS 0.3.12 is still in alpha stage, meaning it is not feature-complete and is not recommended for everyday use. Why is this incomplete software being listed?

Artem S. Tashkinov reviewed v0.3.12 on Oct 21, 2010

I believe people developing ReactOS are sick.

This thing most likely will never reach stability or usability so I still wonder what justifies this project.

Mr Swiffer reviewed v0.3.12 on Oct 21, 2010

Microsoft greatly appreciates the existence of this product. Once people realize how buggy this fake Windows is they will start buying Windows 7 in droves.

thartist reviewed v0.3.12 on Oct 21, 2010

By the time this gets relevant, i may have a Windows 11/Linux Mint 28 dual-boot implanted in my brain.

Hilbert reviewed v0.3.11 on Dec 19, 2009

It would be wonderful if React OS would really take hold. I looked at it a year ago and had problems this time I've not had enough time to make up my mind but it's rough.

I can't understand why this product isn't rushed by every open source developer everywhere. The thought of M$ independent Win 32 API stuff is the stuff of dreams as Windows compatibility at the binary level ultimately solves the Linux incompatibility.

Linux is ultimately useless to Windows users. If I buy a Chinese dictionary when I only speak English the Chinese dictionary is useless to me. On the other hand, if I have an Oxford Dictionary and I lose it and I buy a Webster instead then all's well.

If ultimately sufficient people supported it, it might be ok. even if it got to the stage where it can be run on one's second PC instead of Windows it would be great. M$ Windows will never have any real competition until has an open freeware API compatible os that replaces Windows in droves. Linux will never do this because it's not API compatible. Never has never will.

jotte_ct reviewed v0.3.11 on Dec 17, 2009

I played tetris on this OS like one year ago, previous release I think...
Looking forward next years for a release that will allow me to play minesweeper.
Thank you!

sst reviewed v0.3.11 on Dec 17, 2009

Keep up the work! We will need a compatible system with usable source code.
Microsoft's reputation of modifying their APIs, and their reputation of internal and external coding standards is courtroom documented.

bobad reviewed v0.3.10 on Jul 6, 2009

Interesting, but irrelevant. Development is simply too slow, and people will lose interest as new Windows and Linux refreshes are released.

Too bad,,, the world needs a platform on which Windows apps will run natively.

Aegis69 reviewed v0.3.10 on Jul 6, 2009

I like this idea, but I'm not sure if the niche they are trying to fill is large enough. As some others have stated, ubuntu + wine does a lot of what this does, and since gnome is customizable so you can make it look exactly like windows if you want, I believe most people will go that route before using React.

A for effort tho.

johnuw225 reviewed v0.3.10 on Jul 6, 2009

NT design is very strong and the fundementals haven't changed since its early days. Unless Microsoft drops the NT architecture, then ReactOS will always be relevant.

"by the time they are usable, the world will be by Windows 11..."

Ha... who needs Win11 ! For example the audit company where I work, still runs on NT4 machines, and there are even no considerations about upgrading to something newer.

bittermann reviewed v0.3.10 on Jul 6, 2009

Development is too slow to be worth considering. A good idea at a monolithic development pace. Linux + Wine is done in almost all versions of Linux and BSD so I don't see what the point of this OS is? You want free updated OS get Ubuntu...

thartist reviewed v0.3.9 on Apr 27, 2009

by the time they are usable, the world will be by Windows 11...

you can't expect to survive by framing yourself in a bubble... Sorry but no good cause makes this worth anything (or it's just too little to mean anything), and it's not like saying "true" for "true NT" makes it any more honorable anyhow.
Do u have a pentium I and it works? Ok, throw it away the same you hippie! What value are u trying to save?

mynamehere reviewed v0.3.8 on Feb 6, 2009

@madmike
I think it's obvious that the point is to make not just a free alternative OS, but a free true NT based windows alternative (written from scratch) that runs windows apps and uses windows drivers.

I'd love to see it go gold, Imagine all the possibilities, i.e. instead of offering linux as a windows alternative to cut prices, they could offer a true windows replacement instead, it would have been great if it had been up to speed for the OLPC project.

A lite free "windows" OS would be good for throwing together old "junker" pc's for file servers, grandparents or tiny tots that don't need much to run educational games, etc. (could save preschools money better spent elsewhere), after all, most of us have hardware sitting around, it's the OS that'd cost us to do such good deeds.

Progress may be slow, but at least they haven't given up like a lot of others have, and very few others were trying to be "windows replacements".

You never know, if they get this OS up to snuff it might effect MS OS pricing.

The site says that at v0.5 they'll consider it beta & suitable for every day use (not sure what that means as far as hardware/software compatabiity though). Gotta give it at least a 4 for their continued effort towards a real windows alternative, and not just making another *NIX OS.

us3r reviewed v0.3.8 on Feb 6, 2009

Very buggy, most things don't work at all or they cause freeze, crash, BSOD. But since it is noble idea to make a completely free NT based operating system which would be an alternative for Microsoft products I gave it a 4. Also I hope that the development of this project will speed up.

madmike reviewed v0.3.8 on Feb 6, 2009

Well done to the dev team, but personally I cant see the point at all.. Win XP is on most peeps pcs, then there is Vista and soon Win 7.. Whats the point of this program?

mackintire reviewed v0.3.7 on Nov 25, 2008

Its getting better. I do see a day when ReactOS will be usable. Unfortunately it needs to speed up the development process before it becomes outclassed.

It needs to get to 1.0 before 2013 when XP support is 1 year from being dropped.

If they can get this OS up and running with security and enough compatibility, it should survive and possibly thrive.

PagingDrLeoMarvin reviewed v0.3.7 on Nov 11, 2008

Nice, enjoying watching how this project progresses.

bobad reviewed v0.3.7 on Nov 6, 2008

Great effort, although it's going slowly.

I think there's a huge market for ReactOS. People are frustrated and fed up with Vista, and yearn for a simple, reliable OS like XP. After many years, Linux is not there yet application-wise, and may never be. With ReactOS, you can use the countless excellent Windows compatible software, AND divorce yourself from Microsoft.

If the authors could hurry and get it functional and stable, with a user-friendly install, I think it would take off like a rocket.

Redrik reviewed v0.3.7 on Nov 6, 2008

It may have a way to go but the objective is superior to Linux. As good as Linux is it's a scary prospect for most, especially the corporate computer guys who have a vested interest in sticking with MS. ReactOS has the potential to get those people moving whereas Linux will never do it. Perceived as too hard and the Linux diehards are often nerdy elitists, not computer illiterates.

pforbes reviewed v0.3.6 on Aug 8, 2008

Excellent work given it is the first step to approach Linux to Windows users by using an autonomous OS. As we all come from Microsoft culture, IMO this is the right direction.
Good luck!

mflip reviewed v0.3.6 on Aug 8, 2008

@DJGM

Windows XP and Vista both use NTFS 3.1. You're referring to the bootloader code in the boot sector of the Windows partition. Windows XP (aka Windows 5.x) uses NTLDR while Vista (aka Windows 6) uses BOOTMGR.

In any case, with projects like Wine around ReactOS is a complete waste of time. Nobody wants a cheap lookalike of Microsoft Windows. The people who use Linux are generally people who don't like Microsoft Windows for one reason or another.

DJGM reviewed v0.3.6 on Aug 7, 2008

@ oomingmak . . .
NTFS v5.2 is used in Windows Server 2003 and 64bit XP
NTFS v6.0 is used in Windows Server 2008 and Vista.

=====

The ReactOS project may be taking a long time to reach
its ultimate goal of building a totally open source clone
of Windows, written entirely from the ground up, but
that's to be expected, given what's involved.

I believe it'll eventually be good enough for everyday use.
It may never topple Windows itself as the most widely
used OS, but it has the potential to be as stable and
useable as Windows XP is now by the time MS has
finally killed off all support for its venerable OS.

madmike reviewed v0.3.6 on Aug 7, 2008

Credit to the people for working hard on this, but I cant see the point of it?? might be labour in vain.

the artist reviewed v0.3.5 on Jul 1, 2008

...aaaaaand it will be in crawling speed development till 2050 when pc's won't exist anymore... Fantastic!

yeh, go linux!

oomingmak reviewed v0.3.5 on Jul 1, 2008

@ glassdesigns, I agree with you about the absolute necessity for NTFS support, but ReactOS is still in very early stages of development.

NTFS support is scheduled for ReactOS v 0.7
http://www.reactos.org/en/about_roadmap.html

Hopefully they'll implement NTFS v5.2 (aka v6.0) so that you can use *proper* symbolic links (rather than those dodgy junction points) and also take advantage of atomic file system transactions.

glassdesigns reviewed v0.3.5 on Jul 1, 2008

Why only fat16 and fat32 file system recognition.

This OS is a great idea but you have to be able to use ntfs.

tylerhw reviewed v0.3.4 on Apr 3, 2008

Looks great, haven't tried it out yet. Nice that Diablo 2 works on it. I'm a little wary of the small download, but still optimistic it will work great. As for IE and DotNet, we have FireFox which is handsdown better than IE and Mono is DotNet for Open Source OS's. ;)

SineWave reviewed v0.3.3 on Sep 14, 2007

Well, I don't think you have to use *IE* only, or dotnet apps. I know I don't and I have no need for any of them. I don't get the point. It is highly subjective what one needs and for me ReactOS is doing more than just fine.

Keep up the good work guys! I want to be able to use it as a DAW, but Im not sure it supports ASIO at this stage. Thanks!

bobad reviewed v0.3.3 on Sep 14, 2007

It's a great idea, but it will never fly without IE and DotNet compatibility. When you peruse the ReactOS site, all you see is Firefox this, Mozilla that, which most Windows users will reject as being foreign. Only if the Dev's can come up with ingenious ways to use IE browser overlays (such as Maxthon and Avant) and use DotNet apps (such as QuickBooks) can it succeed. Too many modern Windows apps rely on the above. I think they will succeed with hardware compatibility, but that's only a small battle won. I sincerely wish the ReactOS crew the best of luck!

ModderXManiac reviewed v0.3.3 on Sep 13, 2007

korgul, they have a portable version; look on the download page.

Sweet feathery Jesus..they have Halo working on it(to an extent), and full working Quake 2 and UT!

ReactX is well under development, so game compatibility is growing drastically per release...This release is muuuuuch more stable than the 3.3 RC, and lots of new features over 3.1, not to mention the very long changelog for this release; it's pages long.

Within the next year, they could be at Win2k compatibility.

korgul reviewed v0.3.3 on Sep 13, 2007

Verry good alternative, but i dont installed it directly, on a main os on a harddrive.

I have used some older ReactOS releases, in VMWare.

Did it will be a Portable ReactOS version ? = I hope, ...

Then try it, ...

Tao2005 reviewed v0.3.3 RC2 on Sep 8, 2007

Looks like windows. blah...................

fss69 reviewed v0.3.3 RC2 on Sep 5, 2007

Interesting project! Nice to see some solid progress going.

computershack reviewed v0.3.3 RC2 on Sep 4, 2007

It's coming along great.

It's main advantage is that it can use Windows drivers and as ndiswrapper has proven in Linux, that solves a huge problem with hardware support.

hell0 reviewed v0.3.3 RC2 on Sep 4, 2007

Veeeery interesting.

Been watching it for a few years and it really is starting to hot up. I look forward to the releases in future :)

E.T reviewed v0.3.3-RC on Jul 25, 2007

Basicly I like windows operating system that come with light weight, high security, low resource memory, easy registry backup like win98se, easy to use, doesn't install many driver to my system when not needed, when I connect to internet my Identity, IP address, CPU info and my system are invisible, highly secure, encrypted and anti scanner. Also when I connect to internet, only one folder is allow (the function is like Sandboxie) thus make my system more secure. That is what I need and that is my future OS.

BTW: "ReactOS" Should change the name to "Future XP"!

Excellent! 5 rating from me.

cricri_pingouin reviewed v0.3.3-RC on Jul 24, 2007

This is progressing well. A 5 from me to encourage its authors.

SineWave reviewed v0.3.3-RC on Jul 23, 2007

I'd give it 5 just for the noble effort. I've been watching it's development throughout the years, and it's becoming very close to what those that cannot part from some Windows only apps need.

I'm sure, it will be more efficient and easier to work with ReactOS than "real" Windows.

Great work guys!

Patnet reviewed v0.3.1 on Mar 12, 2007

Just had a quick look using the *.vmx. That was enough to want to download the Alpha. While it's not quite 'smokin' it's beginning to smoulder and shows a lot of promise.

dawinsor87 reviewed v0.3.0 on Feb 28, 2007

I am a technology specialist at the college where I work, and have had an active interest in computers for several years. Though I am new to React, I am very excited about it. Once mass population groups begin to accept this as a viable alternative to windows (a free one), there will be no stopping them. I think this will be a great springboard for pushing out GNU style software in to the public's mind.

What makes me more excited is that its current version is only 0.3, and it's already a very nice OS. By the time beta testing, and production actually come around, this is going to be a solid piece of work that can free people from the chains of microsoft.

Only a 4 because if it were 5, then it couldn't get any better, which of course, it can.

maddevon2222 reviewed v0.3.0 on Dec 12, 2006

It's ok. I downloaded it with the Qemu emulator. It's small, easy to use, and that's about all I can say at the moment. It's better than WindowsXP I'm sure. And I'm also sure that it can be compatible with WindowsXP software even with out the source code of XP. You don't need the source for everything. If they couldn't make it compatible with XP software, they wouldn't say that it will. Now I just can't wait for it to be in beta. I'm ready to make it my OS. I'm tired of MS's crappy windows xp.

extremely well reviewed v0.3.0 on Aug 28, 2006

Yeah I'm giving it 5-stars because we really need an open source Win2000-compatible OS, in the least to keep MS future prices "reasonable". I already addressed the point that I DO NOT think copy-paste was/will be performed, but only a fool will think that the dev team does not "take a peek" when they hit a brick-wall implementing some obscure protocol/API... I don't give a sh*t when the project started. MS was founded in 1975, yet I see a lot of concepts "casually lifted" from 2005 OS's and getting integrated into Vista. So what MS couldn't do in 1975 they can do in 2006. Where does that put your stance? At best as a hopeless naive. And yeah, I knew about the audit. It's a Good Thing(TM) for legal purposes. Hopefully it also served the purpose that those who contribute code will know to better explain their "phenomenal knowledge" of inner-workings in the future... Perhaps introduce bugs themselves then "fixing" them.

crashoverride reviewed v0.3.0 on Aug 28, 2006

I'm sure it's nice but it doesn't work. I'm sure it should work because I have installed one of the previous releases and it worked fine but this one won't even start up after installation.

Skyfrog reviewed v0.3.0 on Aug 28, 2006

This is an open source project, if they were copying Windows 2000 source code don't you think Microsoft just *might* notice? Also did you miss the fact that they had to do a complete code audit to make sure no Windows code was being used? Guess you did...

The MAZZTer reviewed v0.3.0 on Aug 28, 2006

"extremely well": It's also well known that ReactOS was started in 1998. The source code leak you mentioned occurred in 2004. The accusation you made was already made by others, and has been addressed by the project. Please look up your facts before spouting nonsense.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReactOS
http://www.neowin.net/in...p?act=view&id=17509

I like how after your rant you went and rated it a 5.

ReactOS runs well in a Virtual Machine, I'm enjoying watching the progress they're making.

extremely well reviewed v0.3.0 RC3 on Aug 22, 2006

You're not fooling me, guys.... This program's "progress" is a facade. It's well known Windows 2000 source code has been circulating in the underground since the famous MS breakin a few years ago. So the progress is a fake progress, just to make the project appear legitimate in the eyes of the users and MORE IMPORTANTLY IN THE EYES OF THE LAW. So I don't expect any copy-paste to be done from the original MS code (because MS will catch that right away), but I definitely expect 99.9% compatibility with win2000 within a few short years "somehow". And "surprisingly", it will not be further compatible with WinXP-only drivers and software (XP source never leaked).

Corbit reviewed v0.3.0 RC3 on Aug 21, 2006

The progress this project is making is incredible. I admit I was a bit of a Doubting Thomas when I first took a look. I thought, "Someone points to Windows and decides to reconstitute a functional alternative to it. Right." Well, I am happy to see that that's a bet I'm in the process of losing. Keep chipping away! A quick note to some of the earlier reviewers - This is a work in progress. And it cost you nothing. While I wish it cured cancer, I'm not going to denigrate it for failing to do so.

Don Juan reviewed v0.3.0 RC3 on Aug 21, 2006

Was gonna rate it a four or three because RC3 seems less functional that RC1, at least inside a virtual machine. On the other hand all these people that don't understand this is years from final release come on here and give it a one or two, so I'll give it a five to compensate.

This project isn't using anything that could get them sued by M$, it's 100% legal and open source.

tickleonthetum reviewed v0.3.0 RC3 on Aug 21, 2006

I think this is an excellant ambition and is progressing steadily. It can run a number of programs without problems as can be seen in their site's Screenshot section.

aredo reviewed v0.3.0 RC2 on Aug 15, 2006

It's just a joke. If you want to waste your time or have plenty of time to waste, then try it. Otherwise, forget about a working Windows-clone, that just won't happen.
Being able to run some simple applications doesn't make it Windows-compatible at all. And if it would ever be able to run 60%+ of Windows software then Microsoft would sue all of them and the project would disappear.

lane32x reviewed v0.3.0 RC2 on Aug 15, 2006

My word. Seriously people: this was already debted quite a while back . Google search "ReactOS Reverse Engineering" and shut up
(or go here
< http://www.reactos.org/en/news_page_14.html >)
Meanwhile I've been wondering about this os for a long time but never grabbed parts for another 'box' as to try it. Anyone have an on topic review (since I don't).
by the way, I give it a 5 because they are sticking to their original goal of trying to create an OS that runs windows binaries, unlike SkyOS, Lindows, and several OSes before them.

noBuddy reviewed v0.3.0 RC2 on Aug 15, 2006

I really can´t get you guys.
Is this from people testing software, or from kids with personality problems?
Who really cares about your philosophy? Don´t you have a puppy to talk to?
Can ANYONE talk about programs? What´s your test result? Does it what it promises? Which programs run. which not. Is it worth downloading? Don´t know: Photoshop runs? What about programs encoding videos? Any problems? So what, All you Politicians

QQ reviewed v0.3.0 RC2 on Aug 14, 2006

Victor,

sorry, i insist on keeping the right to calls someone outright stupid if he/she insists that 2+2 in decimal system isnt 4 without providing valuable arguments.

besides - reverse engineering is just gathering knowledge. prove it's illegal.

hondaman reviewed v0.3.0 RC2 on Aug 14, 2006

A noble effort, and it would be awesome to one day use a non-ms os to run ms software.

However, this is far from complete, and barely useable as-is.

VictorAnderson reviewed v0.3.0 RC2 on Aug 14, 2006

QQ - There are thus legitimate and illegitimate reasons for wanting to reverse engineer software products, chips, printed circuit boards and other hardware products, and firmware (i.e. mask-programmed or similar embedded software products).

A genuine competitor will try to reduce their use of the intermediate description generated by reverse engineering to the absolute minimum necessary, to avoid copying, whereas a pirate will attempt to use the reverse engineered code to the maximum extent possible and add the minimum of independently created material, to make the product a "lookalike" in so far as possible, and to reduce the amount of effort they use.

I don't think what these guys are doing is actually reverse enginering in the eyes of the law (at least here in the USA) -- the DMCA law isn't all that clear in a lot of these cases.

If you want to do some research, I stronly suggest taking a look here...
http://lwn.net/Articles/134654/

I think if you take the time to read some of the laws, you'll find that in many cases, reverse engineering is, indeed, illegal. In all fairness though I'll conceed that this isn't always the case.

-------------------------------------------------
seier -> Reverse engineering someone elses work is illegal. Trying to create something new that's compatable is - for the most part anyway - not illegal.

QQ - are we 12 years old or something? Calling someone stupid out here is pointless and acomplishes nothing.

aredo - Don't be so sure of all that. Have you seen http://www.mono-project.com/Main_Page ??? I think you're underestimating the create ability of software developers and engineers these days. Might not ever be 100%, but eventually might be so close it won't matter. And hey the government hates Microsoft and the old anti-trust thing they got nailed with - so who knows?

seier reviewed v0.3.0 RC2 on Aug 14, 2006

Hi aredo,

First off, any clone will never have 100% compatibility. However, this project will most likely have a 90- 95% compatibility rating one day. However, the fact that you think they need the source code is rather silly. They can just reverse engineer windows just like the Wine folks do. Oh and I'm giving it a 5, because this is the single most exciting open source project out there.

Cheers,
Christian

QQ reviewed v0.3.0 RC1 on Jun 20, 2006

so you should rate WINE 1 aswell then? rating something with lowest rank just because it has long way to go it's ignorant, and outright stupid. which you are.

aredo reviewed v0.3.0 RC1 on Jun 20, 2006

It's just hype and nothing more than that. There is no way this OS will ever be fully compatible with Microsoft OSes. Only basic programs will remain compatible with it. Expecting full .NET 1.1/2.0, DirectX 9/10 and other APIs support and compatibility it's just naive.
It won't happen. They should have full access to Windows source code and documents to achieve such a goal and Microsoft would never allow that, they would easily sue if the OS ever gets too perfect--and it won't happen.

guti reviewed v0.3.0 RC1 on Jun 19, 2006

A great advance comparing it with the previous 0.2.9.

Unfortunatelly (I do not know if it is caused by the code auditing), the development is getting beyong new technologies.

Appearance is at the level of Win2k, not x64 port, ...

Anyway, good project.

Diam0nd reviewed v0.3.0 RC1 on Jun 19, 2006

God bless you!

bellgamin reviewed v0.3.0 RC1 on Jun 19, 2006

For its present stage of development, React EARNS a resounding 5!!!

I salute those who labor on this very worthwhile effort. May your efforts bear fruit, and may your dedication bring showers of blessings upon you.

/s/ A devout member of A.B.W.***

***(Anything But Windoze)

summoner reviewed v0.2.9 on Feb 3, 2006

Very impressed by this. While it is still in early stages and not yet useable for anything productive it shows great promise.

Is it just me or does the partitioning utility have a bug? It ignored the partition sizes I specified and just set values of it's own.

I am running Windows 2000 Pro on my two network servers (nat/storage/ftp/www/printers) and would love to replace them with this.

Keep up the good work!

bobad reviewed v0.2.9 on Dec 24, 2005

I have to seriously disagree with Spiked. As a complete program, I rate ReactOS as a weak 1 out of 5. As an ALPHA RELEASE, it gets a solid 5! Sure it has a long way to go, but we have to be realistic. All the people that whine and complain about Windows should spend a few days helping to code an OS such as ReactOS or a Linux package. It will give you a new perspective on things. Good luck to the ReactOS team, and anyone that can help should volunteer to do so!

guti reviewed v0.2.9 on Dec 24, 2005

Looks very promissing. Performance is good.

Compatibility needs to be improved a bit.

spiked reviewed v0.2.9 on Dec 23, 2005

If this were a school project, I'd give it an A+ because there is an impressive amount of functionality and compatibility implemented, considering that it's the work of a few people in their spare time. However, it's completely unrealistic to think this will EVER (even in 20 years) become comparable to Windows 2000 much less XP or Vista, unless a large commercial entity gets behind it. For the reviewers wondering about security, there is absolutely nothing implemented for security so far, except some placeholder dialogs and menus which don't do anything. Only FAT is supported so there are no file system permissions. Sharing is not implemented so there are no share permissions. Regedit has a permissions dialog but the registry does not implement ACLs yet, so the dialog doesn't do anything and every single key is fully open. It wouldn't matter if they add ACLs because there is no logon functionality and the user profile support is extremely skeletal (basically just placeholder directories, non-working property pages, etc.). Not only is there no Security Event Log, there's not any real event logging yet, just debug stuff in the code.

As with many open source projects, people tend to work on things they personally feel to be cool or fun. Therefore, ReactOS has frills like virtual desktops, even though basic functionality is far from finished for one desktop. There are way too many placeholders and things which barely work well enough for a 5-second demo but hardly at all for real use.

I truly believe ReactOS is a worthwhile exercise but frankly, it's not much more than an exercise. I'm sure I'll get flamed by people who act like I've just discredited Santa Claus, but it's simply not unrealistic to pretend that ReactOS will go anywhere unless it gets a major boost from somebody as big as Sun, IBM, Oracle, etc. Given the momentum of Linux and continued progress on WINE, it's very unlikely that ReactOS would ever show up on the radar screens of those folks.

Kramy reviewed v0.2.9 on Dec 23, 2005

I would have to disagree with the below person. While the aim is very good, if you don't build a very solid platform from the ground up, you'll suffer from the same problems as Windows does.

A good example of an OS timeframe is Windows Vista. It looks like it's taking around 5 years to complete. Well, perhaps in a couple more years this will be nearing 0.80, and you'll be able to easily install it and play all your favourite games?

On a side note - I hope this follows Win2k's path moreso than XP's path. XP had a severe drop in gaming performance from what appears to be how it handles multiple tasks. Also, while XP boots quite quickly, you then can't do anything in windows practically forever. Many people also have problems with its Hibernation. I've got a modified Win2k with hacked XP DLL's, and can hibernate dozens of times no problem, taking only a few second to do so or to resume.

Ofcourse, they don't use any code from MS...but yes, I'd like to see this less "inefficient multi-tasking", and more pure-speed.

UTAKER reviewed v0.2.9 on Dec 23, 2005

The aim is pretty good
The progress is far too slow to keep pace with Windows or in any useable form

chen_tso reviewed v0.2.8 on Nov 9, 2005

regarding the last comment. this operating system isn't based on linux. it's a complete rewrite. not built on a linux code.

spiffyjeff reviewed v0.2.8 on Nov 2, 2005

Interesting,
I wonder how security will come to play in this. Assuming its background is Linux, will it be vulnerable to Linux and Windows attacks?

Anyway, cool idea and it looks like it is growing quick. I'll give it a shot some day soon.

BobTheVeg reviewed v0.2.8 on Nov 1, 2005

Interresting project. Great job.

fogWraith reviewed v0.2.8 on Nov 1, 2005

I still remember the early days when it first was announced, released and displayed ... tried it on my VMWare and it ran... didn't look much at it until now.

It has come quite far, and I must admit ... the future is looking bright ;)

I'm having this installed on me old, old NT4 server, see how it performs there.

guti reviewed v0.2.8 on Nov 1, 2005

Nice Windows alternative for home users. In 1 or 2 years, probably it will be able to replace successfully Windows OS. Linux is actually a no-way.
Advancing great in compatibility and performance.

AntiochMedia reviewed v0.2.8 on Nov 1, 2005

Downloading ... getting ready to install the nightly... from everything I've read on the site and the compatibility reports, I think the picture here on BetaNews.com is a bit silly as it shows a very basic application running whereas ReactOS can run Unreal Tournament.

GeorgeSantayana reviewed v0.2.8 on Oct 31, 2005

Anyone know if there's a VMWare player for this?

ModderXManiac reviewed v0.2.8 on Oct 31, 2005

Considering they work so closely with the Wine project, they will soon crack the code to run all windows programs without fuss.

This shows so much potential, very fast, very stable, VERY LEGIT!

cemcd reviewed v0.2.7 on Aug 23, 2005

I believe reactos will be an excelent os when complete. I very much like the whole layout and the idea :-)

Fantastic Job!

spiffyjeff reviewed v0.2.7 on Aug 22, 2005

I've tried an older version with some difficulties, but I do like the idea and I'm sure the programmers enjoy the challenge. I think this will probably take quite some time to get somewhere. It is looking good, I think it will be pretty successfull when it supports more things.

It's just what we need, a Open Source OS that will run things, such as games meant for windows.

ModderXManiac reviewed v0.2.7 on Aug 22, 2005

There will be no lawsuits, since there isnt one single code similarity to MS windows.

I love what these guys are doing, excellent programmers.

Just give it sufficient networking and It'd be a hit.

Banquo reviewed v0.2.7 on Aug 22, 2005

The programmers of ReactOS aren't stupid. There is no Windows code in this and no basis for a lawsuit.

ukexpat reviewed v0.2.7 on Aug 22, 2005

Just standby and wait for the lawsuits.

Draje reviewed v0.2.6 on Aug 2, 2005

EXCELLENT! This is a very nice OS. Though somehow I predict a lawsuit in the future from Mirosoft for some reason or another.

Kartun_355 reviewed v0.2.6 on Apr 13, 2005

this is a very great idea to make FREE windows compatible OS, that will include power of Linux and native windows applications and device drivers. Hardware support is the most important thing in modern OS's, so this project has a great potential ... Keep it going =)

Gunman67 reviewed v0.2.6 on Apr 11, 2005

A great start. Once they get the networking up I think popularity will boom. I build computers for friends and this would be great due to high prices of Microsoft products. Makes a $500 computer $500 instead of $1000 after buying Office and Windows. Opensource is starting to really catch on and helps compete against the $300 computers they sell over at Walmart. easier to convince someone to pay an extra hundred than six hundred for for quality. Anyhow keep up the great work. I will be checking in on this one regularly.
Brian

kamirao reviewed v0.2.6 on Apr 11, 2005

Ofcourse I hate windows. But the reason not to switch to other OS is that there are great programs only compatible for Windows or Mac like macromedia and adobe products. This is a great idea. So why not rate it 5!

LRN reviewed v0.2.6 on Apr 10, 2005

yep. We all waiting...Let's give it all 5 stars...In future, we'll have enougth time and reasons to give it 2,3,4 - for bugs and errors. But today we must inspire developers to keep up the work :) Go-go-go!!!

anede2002 reviewed v0.2.6 on Apr 10, 2005

Masterpiece!!!

I love it, i know, i know, it is baby, but it have bright future. I hope other developers from around the world come and develop this prospective OS. it would take a long time, but i think it would worth waiting.

Nikkie reviewed v0.2.5 on Mar 25, 2005

Hey , Keep up the great work . I am sure this will make a great operating system . Just keep pushing forward .. Good things take time .

You have my support ..

likwidv reviewed v0.2.3 on Jun 30, 2004

Definitly congradulate thier efforts, but how long do you think it will take them to complete this project into a form people would use mainly. will the next version of windows be out before that?

patmc7 reviewed v0.2.3 on Jun 29, 2004

I had trouble getting it to install. The install program refused to go beyond the menu, and when I did get it to start up (by rebooting using the binaries and an install CD in the drive) it froze after not recognizing my keyboard or mouse.
I tried it on a PII with win98.

Richardky reviewed v0.2.3 on Jun 29, 2004

This is still a baby ..remember windows dos 3.1 ..95 ect ect...The big difference is this is (free) dont exspect a $200 operating system for now exspect a $0 dollar one that is in its first stage of life and then give a honest review about it.

Llama_tamer reviewed v0.2.3 on Jun 29, 2004

It's young. Don't expect a polished OS brimming with apps after you install the 5.4 MB ISO.
I have not installed this on real hardware yet so I can't really judge the performance. I've installed it on a very beefy VMWare server and just couldn't get it to react right. Sorry for the pun.
I may increase my review if I get it to function correctly, but I think I will have to wait for a few more revs.
Maybe I should just pitch in and help?

distinguished reviewed v0.2.2 on Jun 26, 2004

Great! support for the applications, not repressive microsoft.

g400 reviewed v0.2.2 on Jun 24, 2004

it has very high potential and it has come a long way since earlier versions (btw:0.23 just went RC2, 0.22 is from april).I always liked the NT-Kernel.Now there's also a good, flexible system on the way for it...

Dapumkins reviewed v0.2.2 on Jun 24, 2004

Windows isn't free. This is.

bigbill reviewed v0.2.2 on Jun 23, 2004

We already have something that does this, it is called WINDOWS

sjc001 reviewed v0.2.2 on Jun 23, 2004

Aren't they afraid that Microsoft will sue them for comfusing people?

tp reviewed v0.2.2 on Jun 23, 2004

this is interesting.. A for effort without even looking at their site lol.. anybody tried it?