Windows 8.1 and OS X Mavericks may be the two foremost operating systems available at desktop level, but they weren’t always as slick, intuitive and feature-rich as they appear in the present day. Over the past 30+ years, the respective OSes for PC and Mac have seen many changes, and although we certainly couldn’t go through a day using the old software from the eighties, nostalgic heads will probably want to check out an interesting Web-based emulator that runs both Windows 1.01 And Mac OS System 7. It’s certainly a bit of a throwback, and even if you’re not perhaps old enough to remember either of these vintage release, it’s definitely worth taking a peek.

Thanks to Hampa Hug’s PCE emulator, which can be accessed using virtually any browser, you can run what is a fairly fluid resemblance of the very antiquated OSes.

It’s often difficult enough to comprehend just how fast the technology industry is moving. Ten years ago, a camera on a smartphone was seen as a novelty, and yet today, we have the Nokia Lumia 1020 running Windows Phone 8 and boasting a 41-megapixel camera. Seeing these old operating systems running in full flow serves as a reminder of just how much we now have at our disposal when running our daily digital errands, and both Windows 1.01 and Mac OS System 7 are where it all began.

James Friend, the guy behind the System 7 feature, decided to work on the emulator based on "the importance of learning from the past." He wanted the technology world to refrain from making the same mistakes over and over again due to "lack of historical perspective."

If nothing else, these emulators offer fascinating insight into a world many have not even seen, and would otherwise disregard as ancient history. As we move forward in this incredibly exciting industry, it’s important to note that problems existent back then have still yet to be resolved today, and whilst we may commend the work of the Big Two in bringing great advances and a wealth of digital information to the masses, this is very much just the beginning.

So, if you would like to check out the emulators, please do hit up this link in your browser: jamesfriend.com.au/pce-js/. And oh, be sure to leave your thoughts on it!

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