A new initiative, the Virtual OS Museum, aims to preserve nearly 1,700 operating systems that span the history of computing. Spearheaded by Andrew Wartenkin, this project compiles OS images collected over the last two decades. Wartenkin is credited with gathering the material and ensuring the functionality of the various emulations, though he did not develop all the emulation software himself.
The museum operates within a virtual machine environment, launching through a virtualized Linux installation. Users interested in exploring the collection will need to download and install the software on their computers, and may encounter some technical challenges during setup. The repository features a diverse range of systems, including emulations of ancient mainframes like the IBM 1130, which originally cost around $32,280 in 1965.
Among the offerings are unique systems such as the GIER, a 1960s transistor-based calculator from Denmark, and the IBM 5110, an early portable computer that redefined the concept of portability. This project not only highlights forgotten technology but also invites enthusiasts to engage with computing history in an interactive way.