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Apple's Mac OSX imitated in latest North Korea system
Seem familiar? What Apple's Mac OSX platform actually looks like
North Korea has upgraded the operating system used in the country - and it bears a striking resemblance to Apple's Mac OSX platform.
Red Star OS is the country's "home-grown" software that is installed on computers found mostly in libraries and schools.
It previously had a look that closely mimicked Microsoft's Windows system.
Screenshots were obtained by American computer scientist Will Scott and published on the NorthKoreaTech blog.
Despite living in a country very much shut off from the outside world, many people in North Korea do have access to technology - including mobile phones.
However, devices are heavily restricted. Internet access, for instance, is locked down, with most users able to visit only a handful of sites mostly serving up state-sponsored news.
Year 103
The Red Star OS is peppered with North Korean propaganda, and its calendar tells users it is not 2014, but 103 - the number of years since the birth of former North Korean leader Kim Il-sung.
An earlier version of Red Star OS was made available worldwide in 2010 after a Russian student posted it online.
The latest version is believed to have been released some time in 2013.
Another screenshot shows a background selecting screen that will be familiar to Mac users
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been keen to demonstrate his country's technological abilities since coming to power in December 2011.
In August 2013, he visited a factory that was said to have been manufacturing the country's first smartphone.
Industry experts, however, were unconvinced - most agreed that it was more likely to have been made in China.
North Korea's domestic operating system draws inspiration from Apple
Red Star, a North Korean operating system, has received a graphical upgrade that makes it similar to Apple's OS X
Red Star version 3.0's installation screen. Photo: North Korea Tech
First there was a North Korean tablet that came complete with a full version of Angry Birds Rio and contained more free apps than any of Apple’s iPads.
And now, North Korea’s one and only operating system bears an uncanny resemblance to something you might find on a Mac computer.
According to reports from technology website North Korea Tech, North Korea has revamped its operating system Red Star in a substantial update, changing the software’s interface from a Microsoft Windows-inspired appearance into something that closely resembles Apple’s OS X.
The re-skinned Red Star version 3.0 was released in early 2013, but news of it only emerged from North Korea recently thanks to images released by Will Scott, an American computer scientist and guest lecturer at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology.
Scott said he purchased a copy of the updated Red Star in a southern Pyongyang retailer.
Red Star previously resembled Windows. Photo: North Korea Tech
The software's new look drops the Windows appearance in favour of Apple's OS X. Photo: North Korea Tech
Red Star’s menus and graphical cues all strongly resemble those in OS X, and to the untrained eye, the software’s file manager, email tool and various productivity applications are difficult to differentiate from their Apple counterparts.
Originally programmed by the government-backed software development organisation Korea Computer Centre (KCC), Red Star is based on Linux, an open-source operating system that allows for a high degree of appearance modification.
Kim Jung-un seated beside what appears to be an Apple iMac. Photo: Screenshot via OS X Daily
Currently, Red Star is only seen and used by a select elite in North Korea. The software is installed in some universities and state-run industries as a means of accessing Kwangmyong, the country’s domestic and heavily censored public intranet.
Although there has been no official reason behind Red Star’s sudden change in appearance, Apple products have found their way into North Korea in the past, and rumours have suggested that late ruler Kim Jong-il’s computer of choice was a Macbook Pro.
Recently released images of Kim Jung-un have also shown the leader seated with what appears to be an iMac atop his desk.
