Windows 2 for the Apricot PC/Xi

Summary

Windows 2 for the Apricot PC/Xi (and Word, and Excel, and so much more) by Nina Kalinina, December 27th, 2025 (rev. 1.01 2025-12-27) I bought my first Apricot PC about three years ago, when I realised I wanted an 8086-based computer. At the time, I knew nothing about it and simply bought it because it looked rad and the price was low. I had no idea that it was not IBM PC-compatible, and that there were very few programs available for it. I have been on a quest to get a modern-ish word processor and spreadsheet program for it ever since. Which eventually made me "port" Windows 2 on it. In this post, I will tell you the story of this port. As a side-quest, I also wrote an article explaining why Windows 2 is kind of awesome. Make sure to check it out, too, if you need more Windows 2 screenshots in your life. A photograph of a dark grey computer with a CRT monitor - an Apricot PC - running Windows 2 Please note that most of the images in this post were taken from a real green CRT, and thus their quality might vary. You can click the image to load it in full size. If you have comments or feedback, please leave them in the Mastodon thread. If you own an Apricot PC, or want to try the port in an emulator, check out the project on sr.ht. You need an Apricot PC, PC/Xi or Xen with at least 512 kB of RAM. If you find technical details boring the heck out of you, please don't hesitate to scroll down to the screenshot section. A few words about the Apricot PC/Xi If you want a personal computer today, your general choice is between a "PC" and a "Mac". Back in the 1980s, you would have to choose between dozens or even hundreds of computer architectures, and "PC" was not necessarily the most popular choice for a computer. One of the most promising market contenders, Victor 9000, also known as Sirius 1, was released in 1981. It gained popularity in Europe, creating a niche market for "Sirius-compatible" computers. Two years later, the British company ACT released its Sirius-compatib...