> ReactOS is a free and open-source operating system for amd64/i686 personal computers intended to be binary-compatible with computer programs and device drivers made for Windows Server 2003 and later versions of Windows. ReactOS has been noted as a potential open-source drop-in replacement for Windows and for its information on undocumented Windows APIs.
Indeed but it does provide direct value to the open source community even when it fails in the more ambitious end goal. For example the ReactOS and WINE devs do collaborate a fair amount.
I've also read that a fair number of ReactOS developers have been recruited by Microsoft over the years. So even if the project itself never reaches feature parity, it's still a strong advert to put on ones CV.
If ReactOS is stable enough, it can also be an alternative for all the places where a very specific software runs on a very specific Windows edition, without having to redevelop the application (think ATMs or specialized displays)
> ReactOS is a free and open-source operating system for amd64/i686 personal computers intended to be binary-compatible with computer programs and device drivers made for Windows Server 2003 and later versions of Windows. ReactOS has been noted as a potential open-source drop-in replacement for Windows and for its information on undocumented Windows APIs.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReactOS