Mike Hearn wrote:
From a dictionary:
"em·u·late: Computer Science. To imitate the function of (another system), as by modifications to hardware or software that allow the imitating system to accept the same data, execute the same programs, and achieve the same results as the imitated system."
Seems like a good description of Wine to me. It imitates the Win32 API.
By this definition:
Windows XP = Windows 9x Emulator Windows 9x = Dos Emulator etc...
In fact, this definition makes a confusing amount of software and hardware an "emulator" solely by virtue of conforming to standards or through backwards compatibility. There's not even an exception that says the "same program" has to be binary code. So, every interpretive programming language, but first implementations, is an "emulator".
I refuse to use such a loose definition, probably written by an English major who didn't fully comprehend what he was writing, simply because he was paid to write it. I don't think any of us should, unless you also agree that purchased software always does things more correctly than free software. :) So we need to make sure the media gets it right:
"em·u·late: Computer Science, Software: Imitation of the function of (another system), by dynamic recompilation or interpretive translation as to allow the imitating system to accept the same data, execute the same binary programs, and achieve the same results as the imitated system."