8 Best Alternative Operating Systems You Can Install

The only operating systems we know or hear about are Microsoft, Apple and Linux. But the first two are most prevalent in computers and preferences of users. Now all operating systems weren’t a piece of cake when it was programmed, it took a lot of time and combinations of various programs to get to the final state.

Have you ever had the thought that someone somewhere might be sitting in their room and inventing an operating system that is totally next- generation kind that could replace Microsoft or Apple? Well honestly there are other operating systems out there that are in the dark. Not many people would have heard of them or even known that they exist, so here are some of those anonymous operating systems that could very well be the next big thing in decades to come.

Haiku: This system runs on recreating an existing operating system, BeOS, but as open source. There are no changes in direction or random new features and unnecessary decisions on trivia designs. The developers of Haiku are very passionate and have paid great deal of attention to presentation and documentation that are usually ignored by other developers. 

This could very well be the next big thing due to its simplicity and lack of historical baggage. BeOS was unable to break the market with this operating system that was in favor of Microsoft and also sued Microsoft for not allowing PC makers to sell with BeOS operating systems.

ReactOS: This operating system comes to the rescue of the failings of WINE. WINE is a compatibility layer that lets certain window programs run on Linux. But this OS would mix up Windows and UNIX approaches to the OS, and also couldn’t use Window drivers. Hence ReactOS fixes all the problems of WINE and instead of running as a layer of another OS, it is an independent project. It is bootable from an install or live CD.

It does use WINE DLLs but has its own Bootloaders as well, thus making it compatible to use Window drivers. This OS is in hopes of replacing Windows, and may very well be the next big OS that people use. This also can be installed for free, unlike Windows that costs a lot of money for just an installation. This will help manufacturers of PC save money.

OpenBSD: An OS that works on the mantra of Security. OpenBSD will not add anything unless it is completely sure of its security, unlike other OS that looks at security as a feature of performance. It checks the database for vulnerabilities and has made modifications to C library that helps prevent buffer overrun of programs.

OpenBSD was the first non-research OS to integrate many features, which puts libraries and memory sections in random locations in RAM, that way no crackers can't assume their location.

KolibriOS: Earlier OS used to be written in assembly language though it is not so in modern OS.  Programming in assembly is hard work, but it can often lead to results that a typical compiler cannot compete with. KolibriOS, a part of MenuetOS, is written entirely in assembly language.

They best part is that it's tiny (4.9MB for the ISO) and ridiculously fast (booting in a couple of seconds). Apart from these features, it includes a web browser, mail client, games, and more, all running at light speed. This OS is nowhere near Windows but it sure is free of bloat and wastefulness we are used to.

AROS: This particular computer Os used to be loved by many people before and it still has many fans. It had amazing graphics, crisp sounds and it was great at multitasking. AROS is a word made of the first letters of Amiga Research Operating Systems.

This OS was super fast and it can be revived with little changes to the old Amiga OS and can be used with great compatibility for low level netbooks and tablets.

DexOS: This particular desktop OS does not have the usual assortment like windows with panels and launchers. Instead it provides a more console-like approach. The OS works in two ways: the graphical side that is more like a video game launcher rather than the traditional OS and the programmers has easy access to bare metal for maximum performance.

It is a new kind of approach from the standard windows and also with the rise of android and iOS this could very well take over windows in a couple of years.  This OS is a great example of what part time hobbyist coders can do.

Inferno: Inferno has been around for almost a decade and in some respects it’s ahead of other OSes. It is built to be a distributed OS meaning it shares resources across machines. Inferno uses a protocol called Styx, where in any system running Inferno can share hardware and networking devices with one another without any problems.

The applications for Inferno are written using a language called Limbo, which is a compiled code for Dis, a virtual machine. These applications are portable across the various architectural Inferno supports.

eComStation: Microsoft and IBM created an operating system called OS/2. This project though was discontinued by Microsoft but was carried on by IBM. This operating system competed with the MS-DOS and other original versions of Windows. Unfortunately it could not beat the Windows of Microsoft but this OS/2 still runs in old ATMs and PCs.

IBM used to market it under the name OS/2 Warp, but has discontinued with this operating system now. The right to carry on development of this OS/2 is given a company named Serenity systems, who has the distributing rights as well. They call it eComStation. This new operating system is based on the IBM’s OS/2 with additional applications, drivers and other enhancements.