Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Video of 20-Year-Old Mac Operating System Running on an Apple Watch

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,589
39,460



As an entire computer that fits on our wrists, the Apple Watch already seems like something out of a science fiction novel, but a new video from software developer Nick Lee demonstrates just how far computing has come in the last two decades.

Lee's hacked an Apple Watch running watchOS 2 to run a port of a 20-year-old Macintosh OS, System 7.5.5, using the Mini vMac Macintosh emulator.


When System 7.5.5 was released in 1996, it required a full PowerPC-based Mac to run, and in their smallest incarnation, those machines were clunky, heavy, and pretty far from the portable devices that we have now. Today, that same operating system can run on a tiny 38mm to 42mm wrist-worn computer.

Article Link: Video of 20-Year-Old Mac Operating System Running on an Apple Watch
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/06/22/apple-watch-runs-20-year-old-mac-os/
  • Like
Reactions: chicagohoops, Gasu E., EdRed and 8 others
Am I a bad person to find this to be a pointless waste of time? Just my humble opinion.. why do people do this? Run haggy old OS on new devices and announce it? Yes, software is much more efficient today and hardware is minimalistic compared to 20 years back. Also, bears crap in the woods. So? Please feel free to join in and bash my existence if you disagree.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TechZeke, ColdShadow, CarpalMac and 11 others
MacRumors said:



As an entire computer that fits on our wrists, the Apple Watch already seems like something out of a science fiction novel, but a new video from software developer Nick Lee demonstrates just how far computing has come in the last two decades.

Lee's hacked an Apple Watch running watchOS 2 to run a port of a 20-year-old Macintosh OS, System 7.5.5, using the Mini vMac Macintosh emulator.


When System 7.5.5 was released in 1996, it required a full PowerPC-based Mac to run, and in their smallest incarnation, those machines were clunky, heavy, and pretty far from the portable devices that we have now. Today, that same operating system can run on a tiny 38mm to 42mm wrist-worn computer.

Article Link: Video of 20-Year-Old Mac Operating System Running on an Apple Watch
Click to expand...
Just to add to the pointless discussion, why do this? Because we can. The cool factor in my mind is through the roof. In a few years snow leopard will run on the watch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: OriginalMacRat, TeamHufflepuff, EdRed and 7 others
Menopause said:
Am I a bad person to find this to be a pointless waste of time? Just my humble opinion.. why do people do this? Run haggy old OS on new devices and announce it? Yes, software is much more efficient today and hardware is minimalistic compared to 20 years back. Also, bears crap in the woods. So? Please feel free to join in and bash my existence if you disagree.
Click to expand...
Completely agree. Not about Mac OS being a waste of time, but the Watch.

If I want to run Mac OS, it'll be old G3s and G4s for me :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: AFEPPL, ColdShadow and MartiNZ
Menopause said:
Am I a bad person to find this to be a pointless waste of time? Just my humble opinion.. why do people do this? Run haggy old OS on new devices and announce it? Yes, software is much more efficient today and hardware is minimalistic compared to 20 years back. Also, bears crap in the woods. So? Please feel free to join in and bash my existence if you disagree.
Click to expand...

Your existence is terrible.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TechZeke, TeamHufflepuff, iSee and 9 others
Menopause said:
Am I a bad person to find this to be a pointless waste of time? Just my humble opinion.. why do people do this? Run haggy old OS on new devices and announce it? Yes, software is much more efficient today and hardware is minimalistic compared to 20 years back. Also, bears crap in the woods. So? Please feel free to join in and bash my existence if you disagree.
Click to expand...
These sorts of things are rarely about what they appear to be about. Running OS 7 on a watch is just a cool demo, but the point was almost certainly everything that was learned in making that happen.

Whenever asked "how do I learn such-and-such", the answer is usually "find a reason why it's important to know such-and-such and try to do that thing." It doesn't have to be something that will save humanity, just something that you find entertaining and will keep you motivated.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rhoydotp, AnthonyHarris and orbital~debris
nagromme said:
Kudos on proper use of portrait video! Perfect for mobile viewing, ideally suited to the Watch's own portrait display, and elegantly showcasing the chosen strap style.
Click to expand...
The chosen strap style remains the same from beginning to end. If something doesn't change, there is no reason to use video to capture it.

Capturing the strap wasted half of the available horizontal field of view even in portrait, and then wastes about 75% of the landscape viewing area on my display when played back.

Portrait video: always wrong
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wondercow, kyjaotkb, Macyourdayy and 6 others
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back