2002 – 2006retired
EMac
“Built for classrooms, shaped like a friendly toaster, gone but never graded down”
“It let Linux and Windows share a desk without yelling, then quietly closed the office.”
Win4Lin was proprietary software for Linux that let users run Windows 9x, Windows 2000, or Windows XP applications right on their Linux desktop. For Linux fans who still needed a Windows app or two, it was the polite bridge between two worlds that didn't always get along. Its roots ran deep, too: it was based on Merge software, a product that changed owners several times before landing at TreLOS Inc.
On May 30, 2006, publisher Virtual Bridges discontinued Win4Lin Pro, citing changes in the desktop virtualization industry. The industry moved on and found other ways to run Windows on Linux, but Win4Lin had already proven it could be done with grace. Rest easy, old translator — you made the detente work.
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“Built for classrooms, shaped like a friendly toaster, gone but never graded down”
“The colorful laptop with a handle, gone but still opening like a lunchbox in our hearts”
“White plastic, big heart: the people's Mac went home smiling.”