Updated
Updated · The Verge · Jun 7
Andrew Warkentin Builds 600-OS Virtual Museum, Packing 1,700 Installations Into 127GB
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Jun 7

Andrew Warkentin Builds 600-OS Virtual Museum, Packing 1,700 Installations Into 127GB

1 articles · Updated · The Verge · Jun 7

Summary

  • More than 600 operating systems across 250 platforms are now available through Andrew Warkentin’s Virtual OS Museum, which lets users download and run 1,700 distinct installations via emulation on their own computers.
  • Warkentin, a developer and OS historian, has been assembling the archive since 2003, building a library that stretches from 1948’s Manchester Baby to early Android releases from 2011.
  • The collection includes mainstream systems such as Windows 95 alongside obscure DOS variants, MOS for the Acorn BBC Master and hobby projects like NitrOS-9 for the Tandy CoCo line.
  • A full download comes zipped at 127GB, while a Lite version is 14GB and fetches images as needed; most installations include only the software originally bundled with the operating system.

Insights

How does a digital museum legally preserve hundreds of copyrighted operating systems from tech history?
Can emulating vintage software on modern PCs truly capture the authentic experience of past computing eras?
How will this vast digital library evolve into a guided museum experience for users?