On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:36:03 -0700, Dave Platt wrote:

In article , Jim Thompson
wrote:

What we need is someone to write a Windows-like OS, so I can use all my
software without the pain of Micro$hit's continual tampering.

Something akin to this has already been done - it's called WINE (think
"Windows Emulator"). It's an application which provides an
implementation of many of the Windows APIs, and translates them to the
native APIs of a different operationg/windowing system (typically, Linux
or Unix or a similar OS, and the X Window system).

Unfortunately, even this isn't immune to M$'s "continual tampering"...
Microsoft keeps adding new APIs (and changing the expected behavior of
old ones), application developers keep upgrading their apps to use these
new APIs, and so WINE is always playing catch-up.

It has even been necessary for WINE to provide support for known
bugs/inconsistencies in the Microsoft APIs... a surprising number of
apps require a "bug-for-bug compatible" implementation to work in the
expected manner.



WINE stands for Wine Is Not an Emulator. It's actually a windows-like API
that converts calls from windows programs into calls to Linux. It looks
like Windows to the program, so well-behaved programs run ok. Programs
that use undocumented calls and "features" have problems!

--
Mick (Working in a M$-free zone!)
Web: http://www.nascom.info
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