New open-source operating system aims to achieve binary compatibility with Windows 2000 and XP.

The push for an open-source operating system is hardly newsworthy stuff, after all, Linux has been championing the idea for years. The only problem is that Linux is no Windows replacement and even Linux supporters would agree with this. Attempts to make Linux more consumer-friendly such as Ubuntu have certainly helped to spread the open-source software message but the real problem is that many of the applications Windows users have come to love and cherish simply do not work on Linux.

However, the idea of an open-source operating system that is designed to be 100% compatible with Windows XP and Windows 2000 is something new and has the potential to straddle the divide between consumer friendly and open-source.

And that’s what ReactOS is aiming to do.