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.

Top Rated Comments

Menopause Avatar
Menopause
119 months ago
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.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
AngerDanger
119 months ago
@Menopause, I'm a worse person for only being able to focus on the bloody portrait video!
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dayv Avatar
Dayv
119 months ago
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.
Your existence is terrible.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Slix Avatar
Slix
119 months ago
While incredibly useless in practice, the idea of it is very cool. We've come a far way! :D
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ingot Avatar
Ingot
119 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/06/22/apple-watch-runs-20-year-old-mac-os/')


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 ('https://twitter.com/nickplee') 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 ('http://www.gryphel.com/c/minivmac/').



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 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/06/22/apple-watch-runs-20-year-old-mac-os/')
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.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Analog Kid Avatar
Analog Kid
119 months ago
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.
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
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
Read Full Article • 137 comments
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Read Full Article • 129 comments
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
Read Full Article • 495 comments
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
Read Full Article • 66 comments
Apple Watch Series 9

2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...
Read Full Article • 38 comments
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...
Read Full Article • 133 comments