CherryOS finally arrives [updated]


Maui X-Stream has at long last released CherryOS, an emulator for running OS X on a PC. This product initially came to light back on October 12 and was greeted by a wave of skepticism when company failed to deliver.

Today, informed observers report that the $50 emulator, which is said to mimic a G4 Mac running OS X, is largely a carbon-copy of PearPC, an open-source (ie GPL) emulator.

According to BetaNews.com, "CherryOS boots up in the exact same manner as PearPC, and its error messages and source files are nearly identical. The emulator also includes MacOnLinuxVideo, which is the same driver used by PearPC to speed up graphics. The CherryOS configuration file also closely mirrors that used by PearPC."

The only apparent difference between Maui X-Stream's so-called commercial release and the open-source PearPC is the fact that after boot up is complete, the former "covers the window within its own display."

If that's not enough to put you off, a demo of CherryOS is available for download here (registration required). The demo will boot only 14 times before it disables itself.

[Update] MacDailyNews notes another potential legal issue facing CherryOS:

Apple Computer's Mac OS X Software License Agreement clearly states, "This License allows you to install and use one copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time."

Editor's note: Using open-source code, properly attributing it and releasing any changes made to the public is one thing. It seems, at first blush, that Maui X-Stream's CherryOS is quite another.

What's your take?