The Apple Watch isn’t a powerful device by 2016 standards, but it has more than enough weight to run a desktop operating system.
A software developer installed Microsoft’s Windows 95 operating system on his Apple Watch, and it actually works.
Revealing its odd success on Medium, Nick Lee called Windows 95 “one of the most revered desktop operating systems Redmond has ever produced.”
Listen:
Related: Apple Watch 2
“With a 520MHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage, the Apple Watch packs a lot of processing power into a very small package,” Lee writes.
He continues: “On paper, the processor alone is about 25 times faster than average[Intel 80386 CPU]and 512MB was the size of a hard drive in the mid-90s, not RAM.”[Intel80386CPU)and512MBwasthesizeofaharddriveinthemidninetiesnotmemory”[Intel80386CPU)and512MBwasthesizeofaharddriveinthemidninetiesnotmemory”
Lee pulled off the feat by patching files within the WatchKit app to load his own application code instead of Apple’s.
He helpfully posted this code on GitHub, and you can find instructions on how to install the software yourself in his Medium post. However, keep in mind that you could damage your device in the process, not to mention void your Apple Watch warranty.
Buy it now: Apple Watch Sport on Amazon for £293.33
Already own a smartwatch? Tell us why – or why not – in the comments below.