14 DAY TRIAL // For users already familiar with Windows 7 and its predecessor, Windows4all will look similar to both, albeit more to Windows Vista. However, the project is unlike the latest iterations of the Windows client, as it’s not anchored on the desktop, but rather available in the Cloud. An interesting experiment, Windows4all.com is designed to offer an online virtual operating system built by leveraging Microsoft’s alternative to Adobe Flash, namely Silverlight.
The Windows4all.com website is set up to offer a simulation of the Windows platform inside users’ web browser. Despite the branding and the design similarities of the graphical user interface, Windows4all has nothing to do with Microsoft. The Web-based OS is an independent project hosted on CodePlex and offered under the GNU General Public License version 2 (GPLv2) open source license. Because it is open source, users interested in the project can grab the source code of Windows4all.
“Windows4all.com replicates the desktop environment of a modern operating system. It can give you a familiar work interface that looks the same whether you’re working at your home computer, or remotely from a borrowed or public computer. You can launch applications right away without installation,” an excerpt out of the project’s description reads. “Windows4all.com is web-based and requires Silverlight 3 to operate. Application runs in Silverlight’s security sandbox. By default code is restricted from accessing user's file system or doing anything that could hurt user's machine.”
Windows4all users will be surprised by the speed of the Web OS, which only needs Silverlight 3 in order to function. The GUI inside the browser features Windows familiar elements, including the desktop, taskbar, start menu and sidebar. At the same time, there are a range of applications included by default, such as File Explorer, Internet Explorer, Video Player, Rich text editor, RSS reader, Virtual PC, Notepad, Paint, the Twitter client, Flickr viewer, Virtual Earth, Chat, Calculator, and even games.
Windows4all.com comes with the following advantages, according to its authors: “Convenience and freedom – A personalized desktop is available and accessible from any computer in the world. No more administration – No more software installation, software update, worry about anti-virus. Security – Less prone to typical attacks, viruses, worms, vulnerabilities, spyware and disk crashes. Hardware – Performance doesn't depend much on the speed of your computer. Entertainment – Being online, windows4all.com offers more opportunities for communicating and entertainment. Cost – It is free.”