Killer on the Loose: |
 |
by Susan Easter |
OS/2 Warp 4.0 is officially out. For those who have stuck by OS/2 while seeing Windows NT and Windows '95 promoted as the only 32-bit alternatives for PC users, it is time to rejoice!
IBM has opted for stability over performance - but don't take that to mean it's not quick and responsive. I highly recommend that you take a look at OS/2. If you have never used OS/2, you will find it quite easy to install and use. If you use OS/2, you will be quite happy with the newest changes.
It is faster, more stable, looks better, and works great. But the nicest thing of all is that there is only one package. The OS/2 interface comes complete with pop-up menus and the taskbar.
Warp 4.0 is a very mature, very robust product. It has also benefited greatly from all the input that users have been sending to IBM over the last few years. IBM has replaced almost all the 16-bit code with 32-bit, but still supports 16-bit applications.
First off, the installation is very good. There is the Easy Installation or Advanced Installation, but changes are noticeable immediately after you decide where to install OS/2. I used the Upgrade Edition, and it did a very good job of upgrading my system, while saving my old settings to change back if I was not happy. I have not changed back.
Context sensitive help is available on all installation screens. After the install is done, help is available for whatever your level of OS/2 experience might be, including help programs that will walk you through every type of procedure you will ever perform. No matter how new you are to OS/2, you can learn very quickly.
The installation allows you to pick and choose exactly what you want installed. I chose to install nearly everything, including Voice Navigation & Dictation, and even though my system does not really have all the requirements to use the Speech capabilities, it let me install it anyway. I did uninstall it, which sped up my 46DX/4-120 a bit.
IBM is not exaggerating when they recommend that you have a Pentium 100 with 20 megs of ram, or more, to install Speech. The four CDs that come with OS/2 Warp 4.0 are pretty complete for most average users. There is the OS/2 System & Bonus CD, which used to be on 2 separate disks. There is a separate CD that contains device drivers from practically every hardware manufacturer on earth.
If there is not a recent driver on there, the entire OS/2 Device Driver Pak CD is accessible from Web Explorer, and has hypertext links that will take you out into the Internet to retrieve them.
Another CD has a version of Lotus Notes Mail, and the last CD has demos and lite versions of 70+ programs that are specifically written for OS/2. When people say that there are so few programs written for OS/2 or they are not of the same quality as those that run under Windows, this CD shows otherwise.
This article was written in StarWriter 3.1, which is one of the demos, and this program is impressive. There is a question of how well OS/2 Warp will work with other operating systems. It does great, in most cases. There are times where there may be a conflict with Windows '95 or Windows NT, but there are ways around them.
Upfront, I'll tell you that you won't be able to run Win95 specific software. It's basically a technical problem - the Win32s API specs are complex. Partitioning your hard drive with OS/2's Fdisk is the first step. Start with a one meg Boot Manager partition, then break up the drive(s) as you want them. If you plan on putting in DOS, it requires a primary C: partition. Windows NT, Linux, FreeBSD, and OS/2 can all go on logical drives.
If installing DOS, format and install on C:, do the same for the other Windows OS, then make the boot manager partition active and then install OS/2. FreeBSD and Linux are very compatible with OS/2, and you should have no problem putting them on with or without the boot manager active. Read the manual though. Your mileage may vary. With the networking, Win/OS/2, and Java that is built into Warp 4.0, you have a very powerful system.
Add to that the many applications that come built into the system, and you will not need to rush out and buy much software if you are new to OS/2. Most Windows programs run beautifully under Win/OS/2, and with the Internet software on the bonus pack, the Netscape/2, and the price reduction of IBM's Internet Service of $19.95 a month unlimited, you can now be connected and surfing in full 32-bit splendor! Java pages come alive, and with the tools that come with Java, anyone can build their own applets. OS/2 includes a powerful set of networking features that will allow you to connect to most any type of network - e-mail, internet, intranet, even dial-in from a remote location.
It's really designed to operate like a universal network client with all the attendant protocols and such connections as TCP/IP, IBM LAN Servers, NetWare, and Windows NT! This also allows for a great portable capability. You'll find the built-in Notes Mail 4.0 very useful. Visual Rexx is another nice feature in Warp 4.0.
You have a choice of the standard PM Rexx, or Visual Rexx, for those that like to really sink their teeth in this programming language. Open DOC is also a part of Warp 4.0. Programmers should be quite happy with some of the new changes and additions.
Some of the software that comes with Warp 4.0 is IBM Works, which has a spreadsheet, a wordprocessor, a database, an appointment book, a calendar, a planner, a notebook, a to-do list, and an address book. There is also CompuServe's CIM, Faxworks and HyperAccess Lite.
The security issue is addressed by IBM; however, they don't want to qualify for the government's C2 level of security - the system resources overhead would slow the system.
Instead, IBM has included some "hooks" into its system for third-party developers to offer software that meets government specs. This keeps OS/2 leaner and meaner. The games are still Klondike Solitaire, Mahjongg, and 3D Chess, but they are faster, and the graphics are better.
With Sim City, Avarice, and other native OS/2 games out there, games still play a big role in the OS/2 world. Stardock currently has at least three games coming out in beta during the next couple of months. The Smartsuite for OS/2 is due soon as well as additional software. One look at Indelible Blue's catalog will make any OS/2 user happy.
Susan Easter is a HAL-PC member and currently on temporary assignment in Ohio. .
E-mail me at webmaster@hal-pc.org with any comments you have and tell me what you want to see here.
Back to the User Journal Home Page