Relive the classic ARM-based RISC OS

RISC OS is an operating system with a fascinating history that dates back decades. Michael Reed tries it out in its current incarnation.

- Michael Reed

1 Icon barDrives and other hardware are on the left, applications are on the right, with system tools are located on the far right.

2 Task Manager A click on the Pi logo (on this distribution) opens up the Task Manager that neatly shows resource usage on the machine.

3 ! Help RISC OS’s help application is system-wide and provides pop-up descriptions of any GUI element under the mouse pointer.

4 Pop-up menu This is the style of menu that RISC OS has instead of the more common pull-down menus of other systems.

5 A filer windowThis is where you launch applications and load and save files. Filetype is stored within the metadata.

6 ToolboxRISC OS makes quite a lot of use of toolboxes, which are either glued to the side of an application window or free-floating.

7 Adaptable desktop The backdrop itself can be used as an application launcher or to store minimised application icons.

Back in 1987, British computer manufacturer, Acorn released its Archimedes series of workstations that were aimed at educational establishments and home users. Rather than using an off-the-shelf CPU, Acorn designed its own – the ARM processor – which now powers the majority of mobile phones and portable devices.