OpenOSX' WinTel offers deliverance


OpenOSX, a company that creates commercial applications based on open-source code, has released the latest version of its PC-emulation package, WinTel, an Aqua graphical user interface to control the popular and powerful open-source Bochs software.

The WinTel product includes separate disk images for 10 open source x86 operating systems pre-installed: FreeBSD, Redhat Linux, GNU Hurd, MuLinuxl, FreeDos, PicoBSD, Minix, NetBSD, Debian Linux, and DLX Linux.

This emulator is fully-comaptible and optimized for the new PowerMac G5 -- a feature that Virtual PC will lack until next year -- with more optimizations under development.

According to the company, WinTel/Bochs has been tested compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2K, Windows NT 4.0 and Windows XP Professional. Further, tutorials are available that make installing Microsoft operating systems less of a challenge.

Wintel is available either as a downloadable or delivered on CD. Prices start at $25.

Editor's note: Though I haven't yet gotten my hands on WinTel to try it out for myself, the promise of a PC emulator that's not owned by Redmond is an intriguing one to say the least. What's your take?