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CLUSTER BROWSER-DESKTOP-WEB · 25 ENTRIES · EARLIEST ENTRY 2025-07-31

Retro desktop OS simulators

This cluster consists of web-based recreations of classic desktop operating systems (primarily Windows XP and 3.1) that run in the browser, bundling virtual filesystems, built-in apps, games, and window management. Only two dated entries exist before the index's start, so the cluster's dated history is too thin to read a shape from—it predates the index or its members are undated. Among members with activity signals, ReProgman leads with 62 stars, followed by wphone.dev (14 stars) and Developer-OS (12 stars).

Entry timeline

ENTRY TIMELINE

FEB 2025: 1JUL 2025: 1AUG 2026: 6SEP 2026: 7OCT 2026: 10
FEB 2025OCT 2026

Each bar is the month a member carries, which is a creation date where the source published one and a crawl date otherwise. Nothing in the index was found before 11 August 2026, and coverage broadened sharply on 14–15 August, so a bar from then on reports how much we found that month, not how much was built; an earlier bar reports how far back a member's own source dated it — not how long we have been watching.

Members by activity

Activity signals, not revenue.

Build origin · 5 ai-built · 4 hand-coded · 11 unlabelled

Operator · 17 hobby · 1 open source · 2 unlabelled

Two labels per entry, never collapsed into one: how it was built, and who stands behind it. Counted over the 20 listed below. Unlabelled means nothing has decided yet — not that the answer is small.

  1. 01ReProgman62★1 mo—hobbyDesktop app that recreates the classic Windows Program Manager interface for organizing and launching applications on modern systems.
  2. 02wphone.dev14★8 daysliveai-builthobbyWeb-based simulator that recreates the Windows Phone experience in the browser, including live tiles, lock screen, and bundled apps.
  3. 03Developer-OS23★1 molivehand-codedhobbyInteractive desktop-style portfolio website simulating a Windows 11 environment to showcase projects and skills.
  4. 04Win20004★8 dayslivehobbyRecreation of the Windows 2000 desktop in the browser with editors, drawing, games, and media tools on a shared virtual drive.
  5. 05WinVista3★8 dayslivehobbyWeb app that recreates a classic desktop environment in the browser, bundling dozens of applications and system tools in a retro interface.
  6. 06Win313★8 dayslivehobbyWeb app that recreates the Windows 3.1 desktop environment with built-in applications and a persistent virtual file system.
  7. 07WinXp2★8 dayslivehand-codedhobbyWeb app that recreates a Windows XP desktop in the browser with apps, a virtual filesystem, and games.
  8. 08WinMe2★8 dayslivehobbyWeb application that recreates a retro Windows desktop in the browser with applications, control panels, a virtual drive, and window management.
  9. 09Win952★8 dayslivehobbyBrowser-based recreation of the Windows 95 desktop that lets users manage windows and files, draw, write documents, and play games.
  10. 10MirageOS2★10 daysliveai-builthobbyBrowser simulation of an operating system that generates hallucinated content from trending topics as an interactive desktop experience.
  11. 11Bottles0★1 moliveopen sourceDesktop utility that lets users run Windows applications and games on another operating system through customizable, repairable virtual environments.
  12. 12MacOS91★8 dayslivehobbyBrowser-based recreation of the Mac OS 9 desktop with a spatial Finder, apps, and persistent virtual disk.
  13. 1398ish0★9 dayslivehand-codedhobbyWeb-based simulated operating system that recreates a retro desktop with apps, games, chat, and file management.
  14. 14SigeonOS-pexgeon-bird-0★23 daysliveai-builthobbyDesktop operating system simulation playable in a web browser, featuring a functional window manager and interactive applications.
  15. 15hammeros0★20 days—hobbyFullscreen desktop workspace that recreates a retro employee intranet while managing real files, running terminal sessions, and embedding Windows applications.
  16. 16mit-pov-webos0★20 daysliveBrowser-based desktop OS simulation that recreates an MIT student's environment with draggable windows, a terminal, and live transcript.
  17. 17CathodeDisplay0★1 molivehand-codedhobbyDesktop app that creates a CRT-style virtual monitor for Windows, applying retro display effects to real applications.
  18. 18nexus-os1★1 molivehobbyWeb app that provides an operating-system-like desktop in the browser with windows, files, terminal, and an AI workspace.
  19. 19nidos-ai-web0★1 yrabandonedliveai-builthobbyWeb-based simulator that recreates an interactive operating system desktop environment with functioning applications and windows.
  20. 20desktop-image-mimic0★1 yrabandoned—ai-builtWeb app that mimics desktop images to create simulated desktop screenshots and mockups.

Ranked by traction, highest first, and paged 20 at a time — this is a window on the cluster, never the whole of it. Ties are broken by a stable id so a product cannot appear on two pages or fall between them. Browse every cluster.