A YouTube video has been posted showing Microsoft's Windows 95 installed on an Apple Watch. The old-school operating system takes almost an hour to boot up but is quite functional considering it was released about two decades ago. Developer Nick Lee uploaded the clip on the video-sharing site showing what the OS looks like while running on the Apple wrist wearable.
Lee points out that Apple Watch's specs of 520MHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and 8GB of storage are much higher than a standard PC that ran Win95. Thus, it would make sense that the smart watch could run the very old OS.
However, one big issue is that Apple does not make it practical to install an operating system besides watchOS on the device. Lee made major changes to Apple's development software that basically turned Windows 95 into an Apple Watch app, according to The Verge. That also created an environment for the OS.
Lee found a loophole in the WatchKit SDK tool used for building Apple Watch apps. This allowed him to substitute code that creates an emulator to run standard PC software.
Another big challenge is that the Apple Watch's display screen tends to shut off when it is not being used. Lee solved the problem by using a motorized tube that keeps the watch crown turning and prevents it going into sleep mode.
Lee also changed the smartwatch's software since desktop OS interfaces were not developed for touchscreens in 1995. It tracks one fingertip to allow tapping to control the mouse.
One big drawback of running Win95 on the Apple wearable is that Lee waited nearly an hour for the operating system to boot since an emulator is not the best choice for running an OS.
This is not the first time Lee has made tech news. In 2010 he added a flashlight app with a hidden feature linking two devices to the App Store. The app was pulled from the online store after a few days, according to Digital Trends.
Other developers have a history of adding old games and apps to modern platforms. For example, one Facebook developer ran Doom on an Apple Watch.