Top: Computers: Emulators
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Emulation is the process of setting up an environment on a machine, so that within that environment, it is possible to run software for another machine.
For example, Macs cannot run PC software. It is possible to create a special environment on Mac so that you could run PC software in that environment. With sufficient processing power, it is possible to run most software on a common PC or Mac (being the majority of home users' machines), regardless of the machine it was originally designed for, especially if the machine is technically obselete or hard to obtain now.
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An emulator is any hardware, software, or combination of both that allows one computer to mimic the functionality of another. There are many examples of popular emulators, such as:
- Emulators that allow Microsoft Windows programs to run on Linux computers.
- Emulators that allow old Microsoft MS-DOS programs to run on the newer versions of Windows that don't support those programs.
- Emulators that allow a computer to emulate the operation and instructions of a particular computer chip.
- Emulators that allow one manufacturer's console video game to run on another video game manufacturer's hardware.
- Emulators that allow developers to test and develop mobile softwares on computers.
A software program running on an emulator typically runs slower than in its native environment. This is because it takes time to translate the software instructions from the original environment to the platform the emulator is running on.
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