Nexus One runs Windows 3.11, possibly the saddest thing we've seen all day (video)

In a volatile Android ecosystem where bigger and better phones pop up every week, your Nexus One might be feeling a little obsolete. Frankly, there's hardly a better way to cheer it up than by installing an operating system that's a little more its speed. In the finest DOSBox tradition, one gentleman recently imbued his Googlephone with Windows 3.11, by far our favorite 1993 Microsoft OS. Realizing the futility of getting it to do anything -- ah, memories -- he set about crafting a step-by-step guide for you to do the same. If you care to give his misery company, you'll find instructions at our source link; if not, don your rose-tinted glasses and peep the video after the break.

[sweet greggo Posted May 17th 2010 4:22PM]

Whoa. Flashback.

[benr Posted May 17th 2010 4:28PM]

@sweet greggo
Seiously!!! Thats the first thing I thought: DAMN! I havent seen that IN FOREVER! Actually I was kinda glad I hadnt either!

[tklr08 Posted May 17th 2010 4:44PM]

@sweet greggo
Packard Bell Navigator anybody?

[thisNthat Posted May 17th 2010 4:47PM]

@sweet greggo

In several years those handheld devices will run Win7 in the same fashion

[John52 Posted May 17th 2010 5:05PM]

@sweet greggo

It can run flash?

[SmokemeaKipper Posted May 17th 2010 5:50PM]

@sweet greggo
BUT But, Can it run MicroSoft BOB?

[nicholas1987ucsb Posted May 17th 2010 6:14PM]

@sweet greggo
Isn't there a website where you can sort of run windows 3.11 like that? I don't know exactly which

[nicholas1987ucsb Posted May 17th 2010 6:16PM]

@nicholas1987ucsb
Found it after like 2 googles...If anyone cares...
http://www.michaelv.org/

[Arkv2 Posted May 17th 2010 6:55PM]

@thisNthat
I think in a few years, actually.

[alex904 Posted May 17th 2010 8:42PM]

@benr I don't think you actually saw it before, otherwise you would not comment.

[shadowj0 Posted May 18th 2010 12:00AM]

@sweet greggo

OH SHIT ITZ A ZOMBIE!!!

[rederikus Posted May 18th 2010 12:05AM]

@benr
It's getting better. Before Windows 3.11 it was running OS/X.

[pjs Posted May 18th 2010 1:03AM]

@uwbradley

more like a Snapdragon Overdrive

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_OverDrive

[Trickymaster Posted May 18th 2010 1:19AM]

@sweet greggo If it could only run Ubuntu, Google OS or gOs, I would give it a chance.

[graey Posted May 18th 2010 5:26AM]

@Trickymaster
It's already running Google's OS. At least, last time I checked, Android was made and owned by Google...
And seeing how it's linux-powered, getting andriod to run wouldn't be hard.

[shenailps Posted May 18th 2010 6:33AM]

@sweet greggo Well its still cute, although It would be great to see it run the win 95. Like this one. http://j.mp/winddows-95-ipad-reaction

[DBG Posted May 23rd 2010 1:45AM]

@ssgadget Well technically anything can run Android, if you are up to the task of porting it =p.

[drksilenc Posted May 17th 2010 4:23PM]

... really thats ... idk thats lol

[kapanak Posted May 17th 2010 4:27PM]

@drksilenc

That is ... Painful.

[ppmcdoodles Posted May 17th 2010 5:22PM]

@kapanak Really, the most painful part is this boob of a writer decided to classify the most advanced GSM handset as 'obsolete'.

As much as I try to convince my friends that Engadget doesnt dick ride iproducts, they always seem to contradict me. gg.

[kapanak Posted May 17th 2010 7:42PM]

@ppmcdoodles

Buddy, I have made that arguement before...Engadget has a lot of writers...and believing they are not biased is like saying there is no life somewhere out of the trillions and trillions of planets in the universe...

In US and Canada, corporations can lobby entire governments and bribe individuals in the name of gifts...Engadget is in no way immune to that...

Also, some of the customer service and employees on Apple campus comment on engadget on their free time...lol.

[estrouse Posted May 17th 2010 7:56PM]

@ppmcdoodles c'mon man... he wrote "might be feeling obsolete" because of NEW android phones being released that are going to essentially "beat" it in terms of functionality... AKA the Sprint EVO. I don't care what you say, the EVO will be more powerful, a larger screen, and do more than the N1, hence his "OBSOLETE" comment.

Why do you automatically assume he's an iLover? I saw NO Apple fanboism in that. So, CHILL.

[rayln Posted May 17th 2010 9:28PM]

@estrouse the evo is cdma. he specifically mentioned gsm bro.

[weedalin Posted May 17th 2010 10:25PM]

@estrouse The EVO has a paltry LCD screen; the N1 has an AMOLED. Game, set, match, my friend.

[weedalin Posted May 17th 2010 10:28PM]

@estrouse Additionally, how is the EVO's Snapdragon any more powerful than the N1's Snapdragon? I'd love to see you try to prove that.

[TylerCameron42 Posted May 18th 2010 1:06AM]

@weedalin The Nexus One's AMOLED screen is only 16-bit, therefore it sucks.
Even if they were both atleast 24 bit, I'd go with the EVO, 4.3" > 3.7"

[clinte Posted May 18th 2010 1:26AM]

@ppmcdoodles 100% true. Engadget dont understand that all those "bigger" and "better" Devices are a Nexus One...

[MaTdg Posted May 20th 2010 3:46PM]

@TylerCameron42

A physical bigger screen is not always better. I saw the HTC Touch HD2 with 4.3" screen in a local store and for me it's just to big. I would be more comfortable with a 3.7" scree. It's still a portable phone and not your primairy media consumption device.

Besides, they both have the same resolution so the nexus has a better pixel density. It is true however that the quality of the screen of the nexus is lacking. One of my reasons not to buy it, it would be a downgrade compared to my current midrange nokia smartphone in terms of color and such.

[DoctarPeppar Posted May 17th 2010 4:23PM]

Good 'ol dosbox.
It's actually allowed tons of mobile devices to run Windows 3.11 and even 95, albeit kind of slow :\

[trj85 Posted May 17th 2010 4:24PM]

Some people have way too much time on their hands.

[hoodcrist Posted May 17th 2010 4:24PM]

Best phone nexus one baby

[tread Posted May 17th 2010 4:24PM]

yay, now I can add the BSOD as another defect in my Nexus One...

[roflcopter Posted May 17th 2010 5:17PM]

@tread
So how much is Apple paying you for your trolling efforts?

[tracdoor Posted May 17th 2010 5:31PM]

@tread what defects? I have no defects..

[tread Posted May 17th 2010 5:40PM]

@roflcopter

seeing as I've had a Nexus One since launch on January 5th and still use it and am relatively happy with it, your anti apple sentiment is more obtrusive to me than allowing me to express the many faults in my phone in the ways I see fit

[tread Posted May 17th 2010 5:45PM]

@tracdoor

Phone does not come back on from sleep, it is completely unresponsive until I do a battery pull... Alarm goes haywire and will go off when I don't even have any alarms turned on, at times that were set a week ago... I continually drop 3G coverage to EDGE, and am at a lot of times stuck on GPRS... Does not grab signal after losing coverage at all, I've waited up to 2 hours to be patient but does not re-register on the network... Touch screen goes crazy when i'm 100% sure I only have one point of contact on the phone... When doing a soft reset, the phone has been stuck on the Phone is Turning Off screen for over an hour before I did a battery pull... and so on

This is my 2nd Nexus One, I have already done a warranty replacement through HTC, and am patiently awaiting froyo to see if any of the issues get fixed before I consider grabbing a different phone as the benefits still outweigh all these problems.

[c w j Posted May 17th 2010 6:03PM]

@tread

There was a blue screen in 3.x?

I never saw it.

(stands on bridge plaintively, chin in hand, watching troll foraging below)

[commenter7 Posted May 17th 2010 6:05PM]

@tread

wow, you probably have the KIRF one...

Ive had no problems with mine whatsoever

[Mikeserena Posted May 17th 2010 7:18PM]

@roflcopter
How much is Google paying you?

[Namarrgon Posted May 17th 2010 10:59PM]

@tread I love my N1 dearly, even though it's definitely a little buggier than my wife's iPhone - but that list is way beyond anything I've seen myself.

Only bug I really want fixed is the occasional touchscreen craziness. It's easily fixable by a quick lock/unlock, but annoying nonetheless. Still, it's a small price to pay for such a fast, flexible and sweet-looking phone.

[peetuhr Posted May 18th 2010 11:06AM]

@commenter7 sometimes some people get defective phones, how hard is it to understand, just like some peoples ipods, computers, whatever end up with random problems. this guy is having problems with his and you arent. I'm sure if he reads engadget he can tell if his phone is a KIRF. some of you people are really stupid...

[adriannn Posted May 17th 2010 4:25PM]

Nice, but can it run Crysis?

[TheOrioles33 Posted May 17th 2010 4:34PM]

@adriannn Or at least Doom! :)

[Alexpeegs Posted May 17th 2010 4:41PM]

@adriannn 0.1 frames per second FTW

[mikmik111 Posted May 17th 2010 6:35PM]

@adriannn while we're on the matter, what is the smallest device that can run Crysis on a playable framerate?

[atebit80 Posted May 17th 2010 8:35PM]

@mikmik111 The N-Gage, of course.

[JW Posted May 18th 2010 1:29AM]

@mikmik111
Vaio Z

[iluvms Posted May 18th 2010 1:59AM]

@Alexpeegs Slideshow ftw

[Alphathon Posted May 18th 2010 6:24AM]

@mikmik111 Probably some ridiculous quad SLi setup crammed in a server tower.

[hoodcrist Posted May 17th 2010 4:25PM]

Also 2.2 here i come. While you'll wait months. Damn i love my N1