OS/2 Warp Frequently Asked Questions List
Introduction and Credits
OS/2 Warp Frequently Asked Questions List User's Edition (U.S. English) Release 3 February 20, 1995 Compiled by Timothy F. Sipples
Copyright (c) 1995 by Timothy F. Sipples All Rights Reserved.
For changes, suggestions, or additions please mail tsipple@vnet.ibm.com or write:
Timothy F. Sipples IBM Personal Software One IBM Plaza (07/SS4) Chicago, IL 60611 U.S.A. FAX (312) 245-7624
I cannot acknowledge your contribution(s) individually, but they are greatly appreciated.
Mention of a product does not constitute an endorsement. Customers outside the United States should not necessarily rely on 800 telephone numbers, page numbers, part numbers, or upgrade policies contained in this List. Electronic mail addresses are in Internet form; use addressing appropriate to your mail system. Certain product names, including OS/2, OS/2 Warp, and Windows, are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective holders.
This List is freely distributable for noncommercial purposes. (For commercial purposes, please contact the author.) If you redistribute the List, please include all the original files. The views expressed in this document are not necessarily those of IBM Corp.
This List is updated regularly and is distributed through various computer networks and online services, including the Internet, CompuServe, GEnie, and many BBSes.
Both ASCII text and OS/2 Warp Information Presentation Facility (INF) versions of the List are provided. To view the INF version of the List, go to any OS/2 Warp command line prompt (e.g. double click on "OS/2 Window") and type:
VIEW WARPFAQ.INF
The ASCII text version may be viewed using any text editor, word processor, or file listing utility. The text version is intended to answer any questions you may have before actually obtaining and using OS/2 Warp. You will find that the INF version provides a much more attractive List, with hypertext links, fast indexing, and, increasingly, illustrations.
If you have not received all three files (WARPFAQ.ICO, WARPFAQ.INF, and WARPFAQ.TXT), please ask your system operator to make sure he/she is receiving the correct and complete package.
(0.1) Release Notes
Template:Text which has been revised or updated since the last release will ordinarily appear in the same color as this sentence and will be enclosed in double braces. However, due to the magnitude of the changes required for this release of the List, revision marking is not included.
BBS operators and archive maintainers: please retain Versions 2.1E, 2.0L, and 1.9G of this List, the last versions to deal specifically with OS/2 Versions 2.1x, 2.0x, and 1.3x, respectively.
(0.2) Recent Developments
OS/2 Warp Version 3 is here! Please see (0.4) Special Report on OS/2 Warp for the latest on this exciting new release.
To coincide with the release of OS/2 Warp Version 3, over 40 software developers have announced new software products. Here is a sampling:
Product
Description
Stacker Version 4 for OS/2
On-the-fly disk compression
Artisoft LANtastic for OS/2
Peer-to-peer networking
DeScribe Version 5 for OS/2
Word processing/publishing
Athena Mesa for OS/2
Object-oriented spreadsheet
AIM/SDS Galactic Civilizations for OS/2
Action-strategy game
Hockware VisPro C/C++ for OS/2
Rapid building of compiled C/C++ applications
IBM Antivirus for OS/2
DOS/Windows virus detection and elimination
IBM OS/2 LAN Server 4
State-of-the-art network operating system
Wolfram Mathematica for OS/2
Equation solving, mathematical computation
Borland C++ Version 2 for OS/2
C/C++ compiler, including OWL
Lotus Smartsuite ValuePak
Enhancements to application suite
Dux SimCity for OS/2
Urban planning game
Other vendors expect to ship major new OS/2 Warp applications later this year, including Corel Office (including Corel Draw 6) from Corel Systems, Macromedia's Director (for multimedia presentations), games such as Doom and SimCity 2000, and even the first home "edutainment" CD-ROM title from CBS and IBM.
Independent estimates now put the OS/2 installed base at over eight million users. At the time of this writing, OS/2 Warp ranks as the top selling PC software in the marketplace.
The IBM Independent Vendor League offices have moved. For general information on the IVL, contact Lucy Darbisi at 203-452-7704 or by FAX at 203-268-1075. For product accreditation and support please call Gail Ostrow at 203-384-9996 or FAX 203-368-6379. The Independent Vendor League supports OS/2 Warp consultants, book authors, trainers, and other professionals.
(1.0) Fundamentals
The following questions are addressed in this section:
(1.1) What is OS/2 Warp?
OS/2 Warp is an advanced operating system for PCs with an 80386 processor or better. It was developed by IBM as the successor to DOS, the operating system developed for the original IBM PC.
OS/2 started as a joint project between IBM and Microsoft in the mid 1980s and was first released in late 1987 (at that time designed for the IBM PC/AT and other 80286-based systems). Microsoft was a public and vocal supporter of OS/2 for years, issuing several of its own releases and promoting OS/2 application development. Bill Gates, for example, stated that, "...OS/2 is the platform of the '90s." However, OS/2 versions from 1.3 onward have been the responsibility of IBM.
OS/2 Warp was designed from the ground up with preemptive multitasking and multithreading in mind. "Preemptive multitasking" means that the operating system is responsible for allocating processor time to the one or more applications which are running. (Cooperative multitasking, as found in Microsoft Windows or the Macintosh's System 7, requires that each application surrender the processor after a certain amount of time. If one application refuses to yield, all the other applications stop running.) "Multithreading" means that programs can start subtasks which will then be executed by the operating system in the background. For example, a word processor may create a separate thread (subtask) to handle printing or saving to disk. When the user asks the word processor to perform one of these tasks, the word processor creates a new thread and control returns to the word processor (and the user) immediately. The subtask is executed by the operating system in the background. The user is then free to ask the word processor to perform another task without waiting for the thread to complete. Applications which utilitize multithreading can be much more responsive to the user.
OS/2 Warp also protects applications from one another (a single misbehaved program will not typically disrupt the entire system), supports all addressable physical RAM, and supplies virtual memory to applications as requested, breaking DOS's 640K barrier.
An OS/2 Warp demonstration diskette (which will run on any PC with VGA or better, and DOS or OS/2) is available from IBM by calling 800-3-IBM-OS2. The OS/2 Warp demo diskette may also be downloaded; see (3.2) Shareware and Freeware Sources.
(1.2) Differences Between Versions
What are the differences between versions?
- IBM OS/2 Warp, Version 3 is the newest and most advanced version of OS/2 ever created. This release is aimed squarely at the rapidly growing home and small business software market. Yet, in addressing the concerns of these demanding consumers, it offers significant advantages to the large number of traditional IBM and OS/2 users, including those in big businesses and government. A few of the enhancements include a BonusPak of full fledged applications (including one button access to the Internet), the LaunchPad, many more device drivers, and significant performance improvements. Please see (0.4) Special Report on OS/2 Warp for more information.
- IBM OS/2 Version 2.1 is the previous release of OS/2, which added Windows 3.1 compatibility, multimedia support (including software motion video), and more device drivers. With Version 2.1 IBM ended the practice of including extra features in its own, preinstalled versions of OS/2 that were not found in the off-the-shelf package. OS/2 2.1x and OS/2 for Windows propelled OS/2 into the mainstream PC marketplace. The latest Service Pak for OS/2 2.1 is level 06300.
- IBM OS/2 Version 2.0 is the first release of OS/2 which will run only on machines with an 80386SX processor or better. With this release IBM started developing OS/2 (and its Intel and non-Intel-based successors) independently but continued to involve third party PC manufacturers in its testing. Improvements included an object-oriented Workplace Shell (WPS); a multiple operating system boot mechanism; better DOS and Windows support [see (1.3) DOS and Windows Compatibility]; new 32-bit programming interfaces; support for more than 16 MB of physical RAM [see (2.6) More Than 16 MB RAM]; and more third party device drivers. OS/2 1.x applications, unmodified, still run under OS/2 2.0 (and later).
- IBM OS/2 Version 1.3 is the last release of OS/2 to operate on PCs with 80286 CPUs. This version introduced built-in Adobe Type Manager (ATM) [see (5.5) Adobe Type Manager], providing scalable typefaces for screen and printer. Procedures Language/2 (REXX), a powerful batch-oriented programming language, became a part of Standard Edition with this release. [See (5.11) REXX.] (A few vendors are shipping Microsoft OS/2 Version 1.3, but Microsoft has ceded all OS/2 development to IBM.)
- OS/2 Version 1.2 was the first to incorporate the High Performance File System (HPFS) [see (1.5) High Performance File System]. With this release IBM OS/2 added a dual boot mechanism and IBM Extended Edition [see (3.10) Extended Services] introduced REXX.
- OS/2 Version 1.1 was the first to include the Presentation Manager (PM) GUI/API. Microsoft OEM versions added a dual boot mechanism with this release.
- OS/2 Version 1.0, introduced in late 1987, was the first release of OS/2. Task switching was accomplished using a character-based shell and limited DOS compatibility was provided.
Versions of OS/2 from 2.1 on have been made available in two packages: one containing built-in Windows code to run Windows applications (sometimes called the "with Win-OS/2" or "full" package) and the other which can use an existing copy of Windows (optional) to run Windows applications (the "for Windows" or "without Win-OS/2" package).
(1.3) DOS and Windows Compatibility
How good is OS/2 Warp's DOS and Windows compatibility?
OS/2 1.x [see (1.2) Differences Between Versions] justifiably earned a reputation for poor DOS compatibility. Since it was hampered by the 80286, it could not run more than one DOS application at a time.
The situation changed dramatically with OS/2 2.0, and OS/2 Warp adds further refinements. OS/2 Warp Version 3 preemptively multitasks DOS and Windows (standard and enhanced mode, including Win32s) applications in separate, protected sessions.
OS/2 Warp provides a complete DOS emulation equivalent to DOS 5.0 or later. The operating system can provide each DOS application with up to 32 MB of EMS 4.0 (expanded memory), 16 MB of XMS 2.0 (extended memory), and/or 512 MB of DPMI 0.95 (DOS Protected Mode Interface extended memory), all from its pool of physical and/or virtual memory (meaning you do not have to have as much RAM in your system as your applications request). These limits are in addition to the up to 730K free conventional memory supplied to each DOS application, even after mouse and network drivers [see (3.8) Networking Products] are loaded. As in DOS 5.0 or later, DOS code and device drivers may be loaded into high memory. A 386 memory manager like QEMM is not needed -- these features are provided by OS/2 Warp directly.
The DOS emulation allows customization of device driver sets -- each DOS application shares a systemwide CONFIG.SYS and the equivalent of its own CONFIG.SYS. Also, there is a systemwide AUTOEXEC.BAT file; however, batch commands particular to each DOS application can be invoked using separate, application-specific AUTOEXEC.BAT files. And many DOS Settings are provided to fine tune [see (5.6) Performance Tuning] each DOS/Windows application's behavior (e.g. IDLE_SENSITIVITY and SESSION_PRIORITY). Most of the popular DOS/Windows applications on your hard disk will be migrated automatically when you install OS/2 Warp, so that program icons will be set up for them. Applications which are automatically recognized include over 250 of the most popular DOS, Windows, and OS/2 games.
In addition, OS/2 Warp will boot one or more specific versions of DOS in separate sessions, to assist in running particularly difficult applications (e.g. DOS networks, MSCDEX and CD-ROM drivers). So, for example, it is possible to multitask DOS 3.3, DOS 4.0, DOS 5.0, DOS 6.0, DOS 6.2, PC-DOS 6.3, DR-DOS, OS/2 Warp's DOS, and Desqview running atop DOS, all in separate sessions, either windowed or full screen, all with the same and/or separate device drivers, TSRs, environment variables, etc. DOS boot images may be stored on a hard disk. These procedures are described in the online Command Reference (under VMDISK), Master Help Index, and in the printed manual. [See also (5.9) Specific DOS Sessions.]
Standard graphics modes [generally up to VGA resolutions; see (2.2) SuperVGA Support] are supported in DOS windows, as are selectable text mode fonts. Cut/paste to/from windowed DOS applications is supported (to/from other DOS, OS/2, and Windows applications), including graphics cut/paste. Theoretically, OS/2 Warp can run up to 240 simultaneous DOS/Windows sessions; the practical maximum depends on your PC's performance.
OS/2 Warp will, in fact, run virtually all DOS applications in existence, including notorious ones such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, Wing Commander, Maple, MatLab (Version 3.5k or later), AutoCAD (Release 12 requires maintenance version C2 or later), and others. Those that do not run generally fall into the following categories:
1. Programs that use Virtual Control Program Interface (VCPI) memory extenders or other extenders which require direct access to 80386 control registers. Since such applications are also all but incompatible with Windows, most vendors have updates for DPMI compatibility; 2. Applications which attempt to directly address the physical sectors of an OS/2 managed nonremoveable hard disk drive. Such programs include UnErase in Norton Utilities [see (3.4) Disk Utilities]. Fortunately OS/2 Warp has a built-in UnDelete feature which is more robust than Norton's approach. (Consult the online Command Reference for information on how to enable UNDELETE); 3. Timing sensitive DOS applications. Certain DOS programs that generate digitized sound through the PC's internal speaker may have distorted sound. High speed, real time data collection may be compromised. These problems can often be minimized or even eliminated using OS/2 Warp's DOS Settings, including the SESSION_PRIORITY setting. 4. Certain DOS programming debuggers. DOS applications running under OS/2 Warp are not permitted to access debug registers DR0-DR7 from a DOS session. Also, DOS debuggers will not be able to set hardware breakpoints, and all read/write operations to debug registers in virtual 8086 mode will be ignored.
See (3.12) Backup Software for information on OS/2 backup issues.
DOS-based disk caching software is not required since OS/2 Warp includes a built-in, highly configurable, efficient disk cache (available even for CD-ROMs). See the online Command Reference for details.
DOS programs running under OS/2 Warp are extremely fast. A single DOS application (no other applications open) running full screen under OS/2 Warp typically achieves 95-97% of the performance it would have under native DOS. If the DOS application accesses the hard disk frequently, such as with database software, it can actually operate up to several times faster than it would if running under native DOS.
If pure DOS is absolutely required, OS/2 Warp includes a utility called the Boot Manager. The Boot Manager can provide a listing of all the operating systems available on the system and will allow selection of any one at startup, with a default after timeout. The OS/2 DualBoot method (to switch between DOS and OS/2 only) is still available as well. Consult the printed OS/2 Warp manual for instructions on how to use Boot Manager or DualBoot. Note that OS/2 Warp need not be installed on Drive C -- it can reside on other volumes [see (4.3) Hard Disk Partitioning].
Compatibility with Windows, a popular DOS extender, is provided by either Win-OS/2, an environment based on Microsoft's Windows source code, or by an actual copy of Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11, Windows for Workgroups 3.1, or Windows for Workgroups 3.11. See (1.2) Differences Between Versions for details. OS/2 Warp supports Windows 3.x enhanced mode (including Win32s) and standard mode applications, either on a full screen Windows desktop (with the familiar Program Manager and one or more Windows applications) or "seamlessly," alongside OS/2 applications on the Workplace Shell desktop. "Seamless" operation is available with all video drivers that ship with OS/2 Warp (VGA or better). [See (2.2) SuperVGA Support.]
Several icon conversion utilities can convert Windows icons for use by the OS/2 Icon Editor and/or OS/2-specific programs [see (3.2) Shareware and Freeware Sources]. (No conversion is necessary if the icons are to be used with Windows programs running under OS/2 Warp.)
OS/2 Warp directly provides all Windows enhanced mode features save one: support for Windows virtual drivers (VxD). Services provided by WINMEM32.DLL and Win32s are supported. See (0.4) Special Report on OS/2 Warp for more information.
Windows applications are well integrated into the overall OS/2 Workplace Shell environment with DDE and Clipboard hooks, and OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) is supported among Windows applications. Adobe Type Manager [see (5.5) Adobe Type Manager] comes with OS/2 Warp (for both OS/2 and Windows applications), and TrueType fonts still work fine with Windows applications. Windows screen (for a full screen desktop) and printer device drivers will work under Win-OS/2 [see (2.2) SuperVGA Support]. Such notorious Windows applications as Word, Norton Desktop (save portions described above), Toolbook, and After Dark work fine under Win-OS/2. Even applications which rely on the Windows Multimedia Extensions (supplied as part of Windows and Win-OS/2) operate without trouble. [See (3.6) Multimedia for information on the OS/2 multimedia extensions, MMPM/2.] Even the Windows applets run just fine.
OS/2 Warp's Windows support (called Win-OS/2) departs from plain Microsoft Windows in that it allows more than one Windows desktop and can preemptively (rather than cooperatively) multitask Windows applications in separate, robust, protected sessions, at the user's option. Also, both DOS and OS/2 applications can be started from the Win-OS/2 Program Manager.
In short, OS/2 Warp is generally regarded as the most DOS and Windows compatible among the new crop of 32-bit operating systems (NT included). It is also generally regarded as a better DOS multitasker than Desqview.
(1.4) Availability and Cost of OS/2 Warp
Where can I buy OS/2 Warp, and how much does it cost?
In the United States IBM OS/2 Warp Version 3 is available directly from IBM by calling 800-3-IBM-OS2. Call for the latest information on pricing -- promotional pricing may be in effect. Both diskette (3.5 inch media) and CD-ROM versions are available. The CD-ROM version contains diskette images (so you can create a set of installation diskettes from the CD-ROM) as well as extra multimedia and Kodak Photo CD files. Express shipping is provided with all orders placed through this toll free number.
IBM part numbers are as follows:
Part No.
Product
83G8100
OS/2 Warp Version 3 (3.5)
83G8102
OS/2 Warp Version 3 (CD)
83G8103
OS/2 Warp Version 3 (ALC)
83G8700
OS/2 Warp with Win-OS/2 (3.5)
83G8701
OS/2 Warp with Win-OS/2 (CD)
83G8702
OS/2 Warp with Win-OS/2 (ALC)
83G8708
OS/2 Warp with Win-OS/2 Upgrade (3.5)
83G8709
OS/2 Warp with Win-OS/2 Upgrade (CD)
83G8710
OS/2 Warp with Win-OS/2 Upgrade (ALC)
Upgrade packages are designed to upgrade OS/2 2.1 or 2.11. "ALC" means Additional License Certificate, in other words simply a license card (without manuals or media) representing the right to use OS/2 Warp on an additional PC.
OS/2 Warp is now available from almost any software dealer (including Corporate Software, Egghead, Software Etc., and many others). Software dealer pricing is lower than that available directly from IBM -- often $10 or $20 lower.
OS/2 Warp costs about the same as Microsoft Windows for DOS and roughly one fifth to one third as much as the base (not to mention server) versions of Windows NT, NeXTStep, Solaris, and UnixWare.
In Canada phone 800-465-1234 to order. In the U.K. phone the OS/2 Solution Centre at 0285-655888 or IBM at 0256-841818 or 0800-919-929. In all countries, any IBM software dealer or office can fulfill your OS/2 Warp order. Pricing varies from country to country.
IBM is trying to make OS/2 Warp available everywhere DOS is purchased. If your dealer does not stock OS/2 Warp, take your business elsewhere (and explain why). IBM bundles OS/2 Warp with most new PCs, and several other vendors, including AST, Compaq, Everex, Northgate, ALR, Unisys, Dell, Ariel Design, Vobis, Escom, Toshiba, Osbourne, and Tangent, will either preload OS/2 Warp automatically or by request.
IBM offers two money back guarantees in the U.S.: a 30-day, no questions asked, money back guarantee, and a 90-day compatibility guarantee [see (2.1) Hardware Requirements].
If you intend to purchase many copies (usually over 100) of any IBM software product (including OS/2 Warp), be sure to ask your software dealer or IBM representative about VALU agreements. Using VALU, you can save significant amounts of money on your software purchases and benefit from special promotions.
In many countries outside the United States, a fully functioning 45-day trial version of OS/2 Warp on CD-ROM is available through PC oriented magazines, computer shows, dealers, and other outlets.
(1.5) High Performance File System (HPFS)
Why should I use HPFS? What does it offer me? Does it work with DOS?
HPFS is an installable file system (IFS) provided with OS/2 Warp which may optionally be used instead of (or alongside) the standard DOS-style FAT (File Allocation Table) file system. HPFS offers long file names (up to 254 characters including the path, greatly exceeding the "8 dot 3" limit in DOS's FAT file system), contiguous storage of extended attributes (without the EA DATA. SF file used by FAT), resistance to file fragmentation, improved media error handling, smaller cluster size, support for larger file storage devices (up to 512 GB), and speedier disk operation, particularly on large hard disks, on systems with more than 6 MB of RAM. HPFS is not case sensitive, although it does preserve case in file names.
However, HPFS is not currently supported on removeable media, although some programs (e.g. BACKUP) preserve long file names on such FAT disks. Also, native DOS cannot access a HPFS partition without a special utility. However, DOS/Windows sessions running under OS/2 can use all files that conform to the "8 dot 3" naming conventions, even if they are stored on HPFS volumes. (FAT is not required for compatibility with DOS and Windows applications running under OS/2 Warp.)
Note that PowerQuest has released Partition Magic, a utility which can convert the DOS FAT file system to OS/2 HPFS on-the-fly, leaving all your files intact. Partition Magic also allows you (free space permitting) to repartition your hard disk without destroying any files. This utility can save an enormous amount of time in managing your hard disks. Contact your favorite OS/2 Warp software dealer to order Partition Magic.
(1.6) Why Choose OS/2 Warp?
Why should I choose OS/2 Warp over its competitors?
There are many products which compete with OS/2 Warp, at least to some extent. Before comparing OS/2 Warp with those products, it is important to understand what strengths OS/2 Warp brings to the table.
OS/2 Warp requires a PC with a 386SX (or better) and preferably 6 MB of RAM (or more). If you do not have the hardware required to run OS/2 Warp (and cannot conveniently upgrade), other choices should be considered. However, OS/2 Warp is considered by far the "lightest" (in terms of resource requirements) of all the new crop of 32-bit operating systems (which includes Microsoft NT, NeXTStep, Novell UnixWare, and Solaris). Furthermore, IBM has made great strides in reducing the amount of memory required by OS/2 Warp. A PC which is well-equipped to run Windows for DOS is also well-equipped to run OS/2 Warp.
OS/2 Warp is based on a stable, proven design (which started with OS/2 1.0, introduced in 1987). Today's OS/2 Warp barely resembles Version 1.0, yet applications written for that version still run under OS/2 Warp, unmodified. OS/2 1.x found ready markets in so-called "mission critical" applications, including automatic teller machines for banking, point-of-sale systems, process control and factory automation, network software, and more. Other operating systems (particularly NT) have not had the benefit of a long period of testing and reliable operation.
As noted in (1.3) DOS and Windows Compatibility, OS/2 Warp is generally acknowledged to be the most DOS and Windows compatible 32-bit operating system on the market. OS/2 Warp users have access to the broad range of software written for these environments (in addition to the growing library of native OS/2 Warp software) without sacrificing compatibility or performance. Again, this ability stands in contrast to the mediocre DOS and Windows compatibility (and performance) found in such operating systems as NT, NeXTStep, Solaris, UnixWare, Linux, and others. NT, for example, cannot tolerate most DOS device drivers, has no specific DOS session features, and will not run DOS graphics applications in windows on the desktop. (NT also does not include any support for PCMCIA cards or Advanced Power Management, so common in notebook computers.) IBM calls OS/2 Warp "the integrating platform" because it actually lends functionality to all applications, even if you only run DOS and Windows programs.
Currently DOS (with or without Windows) is the most common operating environment on PCs (with OS/2 Warp in second place and closing the gap). OS/2 Warp provides several advantages over plain DOS/Windows, such as:
- Preemptive multitasking. OS/2 Warp can run more than one application at the same time, and no application can ever take all the CPU attention away from the other tasks. Downloading files, formatting diskettes, printing, mathematically intensive tasks, and other computer-hogging jobs can run reliably, in the background, freeing your computer so you can work more effectively and save time.
- Multithreading. OS/2 Warp applications can be written to use threads (also known as subtasks). Threads also run in the background so that an application never stops responding to your input. For example, with the DeScribe word processor's multithreaded printing, you can tell the application to print the file then immediately make another revision, without waiting for the document to even spool to the print queue.
- Enhanced Configurability. Your DOS applications, for example, can have individually tailored CONFIG.SYS settings -- no rebooting required. So, if you want to play that game of Wing Commander, you do not have to get rid of your TSRs and network drivers beforehand.
- Crash Protection. Every application running under OS/2 Warp is isolated from all the other applications. If one application decides to write to random areas of memory, OS/2 Warp will promptly notify you of the offense. All your other applications continue to run, unharmed. Neither DOS nor Windows offer such complete protection. For example, if you have a Windows application which likes to crash (cause a GPF error), OS/2 Warp can run it in a separate Win-OS/2 session. If the application self destructs, all your other DOS, Windows, and OS/2 Warp applications which may be running never miss a beat. No operating system is totally crash proof, but OS/2 Warp is widely considered to be extremely reliable, both because of its design and because of its maturity.
- Workplace Shell. Literally millions of dollars are spent on Windows desktop replacements and accessories (such as Norton Desktop, PC Tools, and so on). If you do not like the Windows Program Manager and File Manager (still available under OS/2 Warp), OS/2 Warp's Workplace Shell is worthy of your attention. Folders can be nested. Objects (including files) can have long names (so you don't have to remember what "Y6EDGQTR.ILK" means). Your desktop is almost infinitely customizable: every folder can have a different color or background, for example. And consistency is maintained throughout the Workplace Shell. Want to print a file? Drag it to the printer object. Fax it? Drag it to the Fax object. Open it? Drag it to an application program object. Delete it? Drag it to the Shredder.
- Access to OS/2 Warp Applications. There's only one way to add OS/2 Warp applications to your PC: add OS/2 Warp. Many of these applications are not available for any other operating system. For example, Watcom's VX-REXX and HockWare's VisPro/REXX let you create fully graphical applications in no time flat. (VX-REXX recently won PC Magazine's Editor's Choice award.) Lotus cc:Mail for OS/2, which takes full advantage of the Workplace Shell, makes e-mail simple. IBM's Ultimedia Builder/2, Workplace/2, and Manager/2 are the best multimedia authoring tools available anywhere, better than anything for Windows, says PC Magazine. And you can only play Galactic Civilizations for OS/2, the Number 1 PC game according to a recent Internet list, when you're running OS/2. OS/2 Warp allows you to run the largest library of 32-bit applications available for the PC.
OS/2 Warp costs less (much less) than its competitors. OS/2 Warp is a best seller and continues to gain ground on plain DOS/Windows, meaning application developers and hardware manufacturers take notice (most recently Corel Systems and Toshiba). OS/2 Warp is likely to be the most popular operating system on PowerPC systems. OS/2 Warp coexists peacefully with your existing DOS/Windows setup (using either DualBoot or Boot Manager), so you can make the switch at your own pace. OS/2 Warp continues to capture industry awards. Most recently, Windows Magazine named OS/2 to its Top 100 list. And, for the second straight year, OS/2 won Overall Product of the Year from the readers of Infoworld. (OS/2 also earned Infoworld's Software Product of the Year and the Interoperability Award. In fact, OS/2, with three of the highest awards all to itself, was the only product to win more than one award.) As an OS/2 Warp user, you'll be joining the over eight million OS/2ers around the world who are experiencing a new level of performance when they use their PCs.
But shouldn't I wait for Windows95 ("Chicago")?
Most industry observers believe that Chicago (Windows95) will not be available until far into 1995. In other words, Microsoft is promising a product which will offer some of OS/2 Warp's features at some point in the future. Even if you think you are interested in Chicago, OS/2 Warp will not suddenly render your PC unable to run it. So why not upgrade to OS/2 Warp in the meantime?
Yet there are several good reasons why you may not be making that upgrade. First, like most first releases, Chicago will suffer from its share of bugs. It will take a considerable amount of time (and expense) to solve these problems. Second, OS/2 Warp is by no means standing still. By the time Chicago is released, OS/2 Warp could possibly enjoy another upgrade. (The time between new releases of OS/2 has been averaging about 14 months. The last major Windows update, Version 3.1, was introduced in April, 1992.) In other words, it will have features (such as support for Symmetric Multiprocessing and the PowerPC) that are not even contemplated for Chicago. Or, in still other words, vaporware (software which does not yet exist) always sounds more appealing than real software on the surface, because software vendors can make whatever claims they like.
Chicago will not support any OS/2 Warp applications (whose number is only growing with time). On the other hand, OS/2 Warp now supports the Win32s programming interface for 32-bit Windows applications. The resource requirements for Chicago will increase over Windows 3.1 (at the same time IBM has fine tuned OS/2 Warp to use less memory and perform better) -- at best Chicago will demand a PC no less powerful than that demanded by OS/2 Warp.
Byte and Windows Sources have pointed to some architectural problems with Chicago. These publications have cited Chicago's pervasive use of 16-bit subsystems (which will cause "thunking," i.e. a performance hit for calls made by 32-bit applications), failure to protect 16-bit Windows applications from crashing the entire system (which OS/2 Warp already prevents), and the 16-bit locking mechanism (which means that 16-bit Windows applications will not be preempted by Chicago, possibly resulting in hung background file transfers, poor multimedia performance, and other problems, even for 32-bit applications). Moreover, reportedly all video and network device drivers for Windows 3.1 must be rewritten to work with Chicago. A recently published book, "Undocumented Windows95," even suggests that new 32-bit Windows applications may still depend on real mode vestiges from ordinary DOS.
Finally, Microsoft made similar promises (on the overwhelming success to be achieved by NT and Windows for Workgroups, most recently). These promises have not come to pass. It is far from certain whether Chicago will satisfy the marketplace.
For a concise, researched, official view of OS/2 Warp when compared to the as-yet-unreleased Windows95, IBM has published a whitepaper which is available from online services such as CompuServe and the Internet.
(2.0) Hardware
The following questions are addressed in this section:
(2.1) Hardware Requirements
What hardware do I need to run IBM OS/2 Warp? Do I need a PS/2?
You need any ISA (AT bus), EISA, VESA LocalBus, PCI, or Microchannel PC compatible with at least an 80386SX CPU, 4 MB (6 MB or more strongly recommended) of RAM, an 80 MB or larger hard disk (with 20-70 MB free, depending on which features you wish to install), a supported video adapter (CGA, EGA, VGA, SuperVGA, 8514/A, XGA, or third party driver) with appropriate display (VGA or better strongly recommended), and a high density 3.5 inch diskette drive for installation. A mouse or other pointing device is strongly recommended. Allow extra RAM and hard disk space for OS/2-based networking [see (3.8) Networking Products], Extended Services [see (3.10) Extended Services], and/or extra system loads (i.e. an extraordinary number of large applications running simultaneously). When calculating hard disk space requirements, subtract space occupied by files already on the hard disk which are functionally included in OS/2 Warp and may be deleted, e.g. DOS, a 386 memory manager, Adobe Type Manager [see (5.5) Adobe Type Manager] with base typefaces, etc.
The performance of OS/2 Warp itself will not be increased appreciably with the addition of a math coprocessor. However, certain applications may benefit.
The Workplace Shell (WPS) will not operate with the Monochrome Display Adapter or the Hercules Monochrome Graphics Adapter. Usually the WPS will fail to work with monochrome EGA. However, some EGA adapters (e.g. Paradise Monochrome EGA Card, ATI EGA Wonder) will emulate all color EGA modes on TTL monochrome monitors and, thus, will work with the WPS.
The following dual monitor configurations are supported: VGA (or most SuperVGA) with Monochrome Display Adapter (not Hercules), 8514/A with VGA, XGA with VGA, and XGA with one or more other XGA. A secondary monitor is most often used with code debuggers that explicitly support such configurations. The Workplace Shell desktop is currently shown only on the primary display (except for the STB MVP-2 and MVP-4 ISA and Microchannel display adapters which do support the Workplace Shell desktop spanning multiple monitors -- contact STB at 214-234-8750 or FAX 214-234-1306 for more information; and the Double Edge video card from Nth Graphics, phone 800-624-7552).
OS/2 Warp specifically supports hard drive adapters which conform to the Western Digital chipset interface standard (nearly all MFM, RLL, IDE, and ESDI adapters) and Adaptec, Future Domain, DPT, BusLogic, MediaVision/Trantor, and IBM SCSI adapters. [True OS/2 Warp drivers for most SCSI adapters, e.g. Always, Trantor, Rancho, Procomp, Corel Systems, Seagate, Mylex, CE Infosys, Ciprico, NCR, and others are available directly from the adapter manufacturers or from (3.2) Shareware and Freeware Sources.] In addition, "generic" INT13 support is provided for all other hard disk adapters. This "generic" support even embraces such devices as Iomega's Bernoulli and SyQuest's removeable media products (but for best results contact Iomega or SyQuest for an OS/2 Warp driver).
OS/2 Warp driver support is available for nearly all CD-ROM drives. The list below describes the drivers included with OS/2 Warp. If your CD-ROM drive is not on the list, it is in all likelihood a close cousin (or follow-on model) to one of the CD-ROM drives on the list, and OS/2 Warp will automatically recognize it using the closest match. Be sure to ask the manufacturer of your CD-ROM drive for advice if OS/2 Warp is not recognizing it.
* CD Technology
o T3301
o T3401
* Chinon
o 431
o 435
o 535
* Compaq
o Dual Speed
* Creative Labs
o OmniCD
* Hitachi
o 1650S
o 1750S
o 3650
o 1950S
o 3750
o 6750
* IBM
o CD-ROM I
o CD-ROM II
o Enhanced CD-ROM II
o ISA
* Mitsumi
o CRMC-LU002S
o CRMC-LU005S
o CRMC-FX001
o CRMC-FX001D
o CRMC-FX001DE
* NEC
o Intersect 25
o Intersect 36
o Intersect 37
o Intersect 72
o Intersect 73
o Intersect 74
o Intersect 82
o Intersect 83
o Intersect 84
o MultiSpin 4Xe
o MultiSpin 4Xi
o MultiSpin 3Xe
o MultiSpin 3Xi
o MultiSpin 3Xp
o MultiSpin 38
o MultiSpin 74-1
o MultiSpin 84-1
o 2vi
o 260
* Panasonic
o 501
o LK-MC501S
o 521
o 522
o 523
o 562
o 563
* Philips
o LMS CM-205
o LMS CM-225
o LMS CM-205MS
o LMS CM-206
o LMS CM-225MS
o LMS CM-226
o LMS CM-215
o LMS CM-207
* Pioneer
o DRM-600
o DRM-604X
* Plextor
o DM-3028
o DM-5028
o 4PLEX
* Sony
o CDU-31A
o CDU-33A
o CDU-7305
o CDU-7405
o CDU-531
o CDU-535
o CDU-6150
o CDU-6201
o CDU-6205
o CDU-6251
o CDU-7201
o CDU-7205
o CDU-55D
o CDU-55E
o 541
o 561
o 6211
o 7211
o 7811
o 6111
* Tandy
o CDR-1000
* Texel
o 3021
o 5021
o 3024
o 3028
o 5024
o 5028
* Toshiba
o 3201
o 3301
o 3401
o 4101
* Wearnes
o CDD-120
Most IDE CD-ROM drives are also supported. For CD-ROM drives that use their own adapter cards (that are not attached to SCSI adapters), you may need to know which interrupt (IRQ), DMA channel (if any), and port addresses are used by the CD-ROM adapter in order to correctly configure OS/2 Warp. Please consult the printed OS/2 Warp manual for guidance.
OS/2 Warp's CD-ROM support includes audio, ISO 9660/High Sierra, CD-ROM/XA, and Kodak Photo CD (including multisession) compatibility for those CD-ROM drives which support these standards. An OS/2 Warp CD-ROM device driver automatically provides CD-ROM services to DOS and Windows applications running under OS/2 Warp. In other words, you do not need to load DOS CD-ROM device drivers when you are running OS/2 Warp. However, in the unlikely event you cannot locate an OS/2 Warp driver for your CD-ROM drive, you may use the DOS CD-ROM device drivers in a specific DOS session [see (5.9) Specific DOS Sessions for details].
OS/2 Warp drivers for some non-SCSI Hitachi CD-ROM models are available by calling either Laser Resources (800-535-2737) or Proline (415-692-5262); ask for CDREXT5D. Storage Devices offers OS/2 drivers for its parallel port attached peripherals, including its CD-ROM drive.
See (2.3) Printer Support for information on OS/2 printer and plotter compatibility.
OS/2 Warp is explicitly supported on non-IBM PC compatibles. IBM is offering a money back compatibility guarantee in the U.S. Should OS/2 Warp fail to work on your compatible within the first 90 days of use, and should IBM be unable to fix the problem, your purchase price will be refunded. To date over 2000 non-IBM models have been tested in IBM's own labs.
(2.2) SuperVGA Support
Will OS/2 Warp work with my SuperVGA adapter?
Consult the OS/2 Warp printed manual for complete information on SuperVGA support.
OS/2 Warp contains built-in 256 (or more) color drivers for most SuperVGA adapters based on the following chipsets:
* ATI
o 28800
o Mach 8
o Mach 16
o Mach 32
* Cirrus Logic
o 5422
o 5424
o 5426
o 5428
o 5430
o 5434
* Headland Technology
o HT209
* IBM
o VGA 256c
* S3
o 864
o 86C801
o 86C805
o 86C928
* Trident Microsystems
o TVGA 8900C
* Tseng Laboratories
o ET4000
o ET4000/W32
o ET4000/W32p
o ET4000/W32i
* Weitek
o Power 9000
o Power 9100
* Western Digital
o 90C24
o 90C31
o 90C33
o 90C11
o 90C30
These chipsets are used in the vast majority of SuperVGA adapters. OS/2 Warp also supplies "generic" SuperVGA support for other chipsets (such as Chips & Technologies and Realtek) which allows full screen DOS and Windows applications to run in SuperVGA modes, but OS/2's Workplace Shell runs in VGA resolution. If a high resolution driver for your SuperVGA card is not included with OS/2 Warp, contact the video card manufacturer for the correct driver. Many drivers included with OS/2 Warp support HiColor (65,536 colors) and even TrueColor (16 million colors) modes if you have enough video memory.
Some SuperVGA adapters (notably ATI's Vantage and Ultra lines) are 8514/A hardware compatible and will function in 1024x768 256 color mode with OS/2's built-in 8514/A driver.
Regular Windows 3.1 display drivers may be used for the full screen Win-OS/2 desktop. To install a Windows 3.1 display driver under Win-OS/2, simply replace the fdisplay= entry in the SYSTEM.INI file with the name of the Windows .DRV file supplied by the vendor, and copy the .DRV file to the Win-OS/2 SYSTEM directory. Note that you may have to use the EXPAND program supplied with Windows or Win-OS/2 to decompress the vendor's .DRV file.
Settings for your SuperVGA display are controlled from the System object in your System Setup folder (which is located inside the OS/2 System folder). There you can change video modes and even set the refresh rates for those modes according to your monitor's capabilities.
(2.3) Printer Support
Will OS/2 Warp work with my printer?
OS/2 Warp includes support for the following printers (partial list; see below):
* AST
o TurboLaser
* Agfa
o Matrix ChromaScript
o Compugraphic 9400PS
o Compugraphic 400PS
* Apple
o LaserWriter II NT
o LaserWriter II NTX
o LaserWriter Plus
o LaserWriter
* Brother
o HJ-100i
o HJ-400
o HL-10PS
o HL-10DPS
o HL-10V
o HL-10h
o HL-1260
o HL-4PS
o HL-4V
o HL-630
o HL-631
o HL-641
o HL-645
o HL-655M
o HL-660
o HL-6
o HL-6V
o HL-8PS
o HS-1PS
o HS-1PS2
o M-1309
o M-1324
o M-1809
o M-1824L
o M-1909
o M-1924L
o M-4309
* Compaq
o Pagemarq 15
o Pagemarq 20
* Citizen
o PN48
* ColorMaster Plus
o 6603
o 6613
o 6613XF
* Colormate
o PS
* Dataproducts
o LZR-1260
o LZR-2665
* Digital
o DECcolorwriter 1000
o LN03R ScriptPrinter
o LPS PrintServer 40
* Epson
o AP-2250
o AP-3250
o AP-3260
o AP-5000
o AP-5500
o ActionLaser 1000
o ActionLaser 1500
o ActionLaser 1600
o ActionLaser II
o DFX-5000
o DFX-8000
o EPL-7000
o EPL-7500
o EPL-8000
o EX-1000
o EX-800
o FX-1050
o FX-1170
o FX-286e
o FX-850
o FX-870
o Generic 24 pin
o Generic 48 pin
o Generic 9 pin
o Generic ESC2P
o JX-80
o LQ-1010
o LQ-1050
o LQ-1070
o LQ-1170
o LQ-150
o LQ-2500
o LQ-2550
o LQ-500
o LQ-510
o LQ-570
o LQ-850
o LQ-860
o LQ-870
o LQ-950
o LX-800
o LX-810
o MX-80
o Stylus 300 Inkjet
o Stylus 800 Inkjet
o Stylus Color Inkjet
* Generic Postscript printer
* Hewlett-Packard
o 7470A Plotter
o 7475A Plotter
o 7550A Plotter
o 7580A Plotter
o 7580B Plotter
o 7585A Plotter
o 7585B Plotter
o 7586B Plotter
o Color LaserJet PS
o Color LaserJet
o ColorPro
o DesignJet 200
o DesignJet 220
o DesignJet 600
o DesignJet 650C
o DeskJet 1200C
o DeskJet 310
o DeskJet 320
o DeskJet 500
o DeskJet 500C
o DeskJet 510
o DeskJet 520
o DeskJet 540
o DeskJet 550C
o DeskJet 560C
o DeskJet Plus
o DeskJet Portable
o DeskJet (Original)
o DraftMaster I
o DraftMaster II
o DraftMaster MX
o DraftMaster RX
o DraftMaster SX
o DraftPro
o LaserJet 2000
o LaserJet 4 Plus
o LaserJet 4
o LaserJet 4M
o LaserJet 4M Plus
o LaserJet 4L
o LaserJet 4ML
o LaserJet 4MP
o LaserJet 4MV
o LaserJet 4P
o LaserJet 4Si MX
o LaserJet 4Si
o LaserJet 4V
o LaserJet 500 Plus
o LaserJet Classic
o LaserJet IID
o LaserJet III
o LaserJet IIID
o LaserJet IIIP
o LaserJet IIISi
o LaserJet IIP Plus
o LaserJet IIP
o LaserJet Plus
o LaserJet II
o PaintJet XL HP-GL/2
o PaintJet XL300
o PaintJet XL
o PaintJet
* IBM/Lexmark
o 2380
o 2381
o 2390
o 2391
o 3816
o 4019 LaserPrinter
o 4029 LaserPrinter
o 4037 LaserPrinter
o 4039 LaserPrinter
o 4070 IJ
o 4072 ExecJet
o 4076 ExecJet II
o 4079 Color Jetprinter
o 4201 Proprinter II
o 4201 Proprinter III
o 4201 Proprinter
o 4202 Proprinter IIXL
o 4202 Proprinter IIIXL
o 4202 Proprinter XL
o 4207 Proprinter X24
o 4207 Proprinter X24E
o 4208 Proprinter XL24
o 4208 Proprinter XL24E
o 4216-031
o 4224
o 4226 Model 302
o 5183 Portable Printer
o 5201 Quietwriter II
o 5202 Quietwriter III
o 5204 Quickwriter
o 6180 Plotter
o 6182 Plotter
o 6184 Plotter
o 6186 Plotter
o 7371 Plotter
o 7372 Plotter
o 7374 Plotter
o 7375 Plotter
o Personal Page Printer II
o Personal Page Printer
o 4047
o 4076 Color
o WinWriter 600
* IBM Null (Plain Text/Daisy Wheel)
* Kyocera
o F-1000
o F-1000A
o F-2000A
o F-2200S
o F-3000A
o F-3300
o F-5000
o F-5000A
o F-800
o F-800A
o F-820
o FS-1500
o FS-1500A
o FS-1550
o FS-1550A
o FS-3500
o FS-3500A
o FS-400
o FS-400A
o FS-5500
o FS-5500A
o FS-850
o FS-850A
o P-2000
o Q-8010
* Linotronic
o 100
o 200
o 300
o 500
* NEC
o Colormate PS/40
o Colormate PS/80
o LC-890
o Silentwriter 1097
o Silentwriter 95
o Silentwriter 95f
o Silentwriter 97
o Silentwriter S62P
o Silentwriter LC 890XL
o Silentwriter2 290
o Silentwriter2 Model 90
* Okidata
o OL830-PS
o OL840-PS
o OL850-PS
o OL870
o ML-192
o ML-193
o ML-320
o ML-321
o ML-3410
o ML-380
o ML-390
o ML-391
o ML-393
o ML-395
o ML-395B
o ML-520
o ML-521
o ML-590
o ML-591
* Olivetti
o LP-5000
* Panasonic
o KX-P1123
o KX-P1124
o KX-P1124i
o KX-P1150
o KX-P1180
o KX-P1191
o KX-P1624
o KX-P1654
o KX-P1695
o KX-P2023
o KX-P2123
o KX-P2124
o KX-P2130
o KX-P2135
o KX-P2180
o KX-P2624
o KX-P3123
o KX-P3124
o KX-P3624
o KX-P4400
o KX-P4401
o KX-P4410
o KX-P4420
o KX-P4430
o KX-P4440
o KX-P4450
o KX-P4450i
o KX-P4451
o KX-P4455
o KX-P5400
o KX-P5410
* Phaser
o Phaser Card (Postscript)
* QMS
o 1060 Level 2
o 1660 Level 2
o 1725 Print System
o 2025 Print System
o 3225 Print System
o 420 Print System
o 4525 Print System
o 860 Print System
o 860 Plus Print System
o ColorScript 100 Model 10
o ColorScript 100 Model 30
o ColorScript 100 Model 30si
o ColorScript 100
o ColorScript 210
o ColorScript 230
o ColorScript Laser 1000
o IS X320T
o Magicolor Laser Printer
o PS 1500
o PS 1700
o PS 2000
o PS 2200
o PS 2210
o PS 2220
o PS 410
o PS 800 Plus
o PS 800
o PS 810 Turbo
o PS 810
o PS 815 MR
o PS 815
o PS 820 Turbo
o PS 820
o PS 825 MR
o PS 825
* Qume
o ScripTEN
* Seiko
o ColorPoint PS Model 4
o ColorPoint PS Model 14
o ColorPoint PSN Model 14
o ColorPoint PSN Model 4
o ColorPoint2 PSF
o Personal ColorPoint PS
o Personal ColorPoint PSE
o Professional ColorPoint PSH
* Star
o LS-5 EX
o LS-5
o LS-5TT
o NX-1001
o NX-1040R
o NX-1500
o NX-2415
o NX-2420R
o NX-2430
o SJ-144
o SJ-48
o XB-2420
o XB-2425
o XR-1020
o XR-1520
* Texas Instruments
o MicroWriter
o OmniLaser 2108
o OmniLaser 2115
o MicroLaser PS
o MicroLaser Pro 600
o MicroLaser XL PS
o MicroLaser 16 Turbo
o MicroLaser 6 Turbo
o MicroLaser 9 Turbo
o MicroMarc Color
o MicroWriter PS
* Tektronix
o Phaser 200J
o Phaser 200e
o Phaser 200i
o Phaser 220J
o Phaser 220e
o Phaser 220i
o Phaser 300J
o Phaser 300i
o Phaser 440
o Phaser 480
o Phaser 480J
o Phaser II PX
o Phaser II PXe
o Phaser II PXi
o Phaser II PXiJ
o Phaser III PXi
o Phaser III PXiJ
o Phaser IISD
o Phaser IISDJ
o Phaser IISDX
o Phaser PX
o Phaser PXi
* Varityper
o VT-600
* Wang
o LCS15 FontPlus
o LCS15
The above list is abbreviated; certain models are not listed. If your printer is not listed, consult both the OS/2 Warp printed manual and your printer's manual to see if your printer emulates one of the above models. For example, the Canon BubbleJet Model BJ-10e printer works well with the IBM 4070 IJ driver.
IBM, NEC, Canon, and other printer manufacturers have OS/2 Warp drivers for their printers available for download from BBSes. Contact your printer's manufacturer for assistance. These downloadable drivers include older IBM models (such as the IBM 5152 Graphics Printer and 5201 Quietwriter I), NEC dot matrix printers, and Canon laser and BubbleJet printers. The IBM/Lexmark BBS can be reached at 606-232-5653.
DOS and Windows printer drivers continue to work for DOS and Windows applications. Use the Win-OS/2 Control Panel to install Windows printer drivers for use with OS/2 Warp.
Printer Troubleshooting for OS/2 Warp
If you are experiencing trouble printing, be sure to consult the "Printing in OS/2" online document (located in your Information folder) and the OS/2 Warp printed manual for assistance. Common problems are usually solved using one of the following methods:
1. If you are using a Postscript printer, and you are having difficulty printing with Windows applications, particularly over a network, try adding the following line to the Postscript section of your WIN.INI file:
CtrlD=0 2. If you experience slow printing, or if you see a long series of repeated characters (or garbage) appearing in your printed documents, try editing your CONFIG.SYS file using any text editor (such as the OS/2 System Editor or Enhanced Editor). Locate the line BASEDEV=PRINT01.SYS and add the parameter /IRQ so that the line reads BASEDEV=PRINT01.SYS /IRQ. Shutdown and restart your system for the change to take effect. This change will not affect printing over a network and it does not apply to Microchannel systems. 3. Make sure that your printer port is properly configured, at the correct port address for LPT1 (or LPT2, if used), and that your printer port is generating the correct interrupt (IRQ), and that no other adapter in your PC is using the same port address or interrupt. See (4.1) Installation for details. 4. Make sure that the cable to your printer is properly shielded, grounded, has all 25 pins wired, and that it does not extend more than 15 feet or 5 meters. Ideally the cable should be no more than 6 feet or 2 meters in length. 5. To improve performance when printing from DOS or Windows applications, configure your application to print to LPT1.OS2 (or LPT2.OS2 for printer port 2). (WordPerfect for DOS benefits greatly after making this change.) Use the application's "print to file" feature, if necessary. For Windows applications, use the Win-OS/2 Control Panel to route printer output to LPT1.OS2.
(2.4) COM3 and COM4 Support
Can I use COM3 and COM4 in OS/2 Warp?
COM3 and COM4 are supported on most PS/2s without any additional effort. On ISA, EISA, PCI, and VESA LocalBus machines, some additions are required to CONFIG.SYS. Using a text editor, include "(port number, base address, interrupt number)" parameters next to the COM.SYS filename. One example:
DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\COM.SYS (3,3E8,5) (4,2E8,10)
Parameters for COM1 and COM2 need not be included (unless they are somehow nonstandard). OS/2 Warp must end up with sequentially numbered logical COM ports, if possible. For example, if (physical) port two is not installed but port three or port four is installed, start numbering using (2,...) in the DEVICE lines. See the OS/2 Warp printed manual and the online Command Reference for more information. If these efforts fail, try the SIO drivers [available from (3.2) Shareware and Freeware Sources]. Note that IRQ 2 is actually redirected to IRQ 9 on the AT bus, so use (...,...,9) in the above COM.SYS settings if your serial port is set to use IRQ 2.
AT bus COM ports cannot be used at the same time if they share interrupts because of bus design limitations (cf. "Under the Hood: How Interrupts Work," Byte, February, 1992). An adapter which provides more flexibility in interrupt selection [e.g. the 16-bit model from STB; see (2.5) Specific Hardware Recommendations] may prove helpful. Also, PolyCom, a replacement driver available from (3.2) Shareware and Freeware Sources, supports up to eight ports with the right hardware (Xenix-compatible multiport adapters).
"Smart" (coprocessor controlled) multiport communication adapters should be used when installing more than four ports. Such an adapter will work with OS/2 if the manufacturer has written an appropriate driver. Examples include:
Company
Telephone Number
IBM (ARTIC)
(800) PS2-2227
Digiboard
(612) 943-9020
Stargate
(216) 349-1860
Arnet
(615) 834-8000
Computone
(404) 475-2725
Comtrol
(612) 631-7654
CTC Systems
(415) 966-1688
Equinox
(305) 255-3500
I-Concepts
(214) 956-7770
Specialix
(408) 378-7919
Stallion
(408) 395-5775
Quatech
(216) 434-3154
(2.5) Specific Hardware Recommendations
Are there any specific hardware recommendations?
Here are some of the peripherals and adapters that are particularly well suited to OS/2 Warp. Use these recommendations as general guidelines for adding peripherals to your OS/2 Warp PC. When you buy a new PC, remember to ask for OS/2 Warp preloaded. When you purchase a new add-on for your PC, remember to ask about OS/2 Warp drivers and compatibility.
* Sound cards. There are many excellent sound cards on the market for OS/2 Warp. Two of the best are the IBM Audiovation (available for both AT bus and Microchannel) and the Creative Labs SoundBlaster 16 SCSI-2. This model SoundBlaster includes a built-in SCSI port for CD-ROM drives, tape backup devices, etc., and OS/2 Warp's built-in Adaptec 152x SCSI driver will work with the card. OS/2 Warp also includes the correct SoundBlaster audio driver. An OS/2 Warp driver diskette for the Audiovation adapter is available either with the card or from the IBM PC Company BBS at 919-517-0001. * 16550AFN Buffered UART Serial Port Adapters. Improves high speed serial communications performance. Price: $35 for a two port adapter from Zero-One Networking (phone 800-255-4101 or 714-693-0808). Ask about adapters with parallel ports. * Four Port 16550AFN Buffered UART Serial Adapter. The STB 4-COM adapter is available for $110 delivered by calling 800-735-5266 Ext. 64 (or 919-286-1502 Ext. 40). The 16-bit STB adapter provides four buffered serial ports, each with an independently selectable interrupt and address. IRQs above 7 are supported for each port. Up to two of these adapters may be installed in the same system (for up to eight buffered serial ports). Four six inch 8-pin DIN to DB9 male converter cables are supplied. Fifteen month manufacturer's warranty and free technical support from STB. * CD-ROM Drives. True SCSI-2 CD-ROM drives (double speed or better) are preferred over other CD-ROM drives. They are easier to configure, perform better, and can be easily transferred to another PC (particularly portable, external drives). They can also be more easily attached to many notebook computers. The SoundBlaster 16 SCSI-2 adapter, mentioned above, can provide the SCSI port for a CD-ROM drive. * SuperVGA cards. A wide variety of SuperVGA cards work well with OS/2 Warp. Many users find that cards based on the S3 chipsets are among the most compatible and represent the best values. * RAM (Memory). Your first choice when you wish to upgrade your PC to enhance the performance of OS/2 Warp. Choose good quality, name brand memory, and make sure that parity checking is included. (Some new PCs are attempting to get by with non-parity RAM. To ensure that all your memory is operating correctly, parity checked RAM is preferred. In fact, many higher end systems, especially servers, use error correcting memory for reliability.) * Hard Disk Drives. For a PC with one or two hard disks, each 512 MB or less in size, IDE hard disks represent the best value. They are inexpensive, and they perform well. However, SCSI hard disks with a good quality OS/2 Warp compatible SCSI adapter are generally a better choice when you have more than one hard disk in your PC and/or you wish to use hard disks larger than about 512 MB in size. SCSI also provides the opportunity to add tape backup, CD-ROM, and other devices. Caching hard disk adapters are generally useful only after you have added main memory (RAM) to the PC itself. * Tape Backup Devices. Cheap tape drives (which attach to your PC's diskette controller quite often) are quite tempting, and they work well under OS/2 Warp with backup software such as IBM's DualStor and MSR's BackMaster. However, a SCSI tape drive (such as a 4 mm DAT drive) is now only a little more expensive. Each 4 mm cartridge can hold 2 GB of data (uncompressed) or more. With hard disks growing larger and larger, you may wish to invest in a high capacity tape drive. * Processor/Motherboard. If you need to save money, save it by getting a system with a less powerful processor. OS/2 Warp will benefit most from adding main memory (RAM), and generally least from upgrading the processor. Since OS/2 Warp multitasks so well, the need for raw speed is usually less. (If you use another operating system, where you spend time waiting for tasks to complete, and where you cannot put tasks in the background and still get other work done, you can imagine that a faster processor would be of greater benefit.) However, make sure that your PC's motherboard contains an OverDrive socket, and preferably one that supports symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) and the Intel MPS 1.1 standard. That is, a system into which you can place a second processor chip and have both processors run at the same time. If you then run OS/2 for SMP, which supports two or more processors, you have a much more powerful system should you choose to upgrade. Also, the more processor cache memory you can afford in your PC, the better. However, if you can find a system which also uses so-called interleaved memory, OS/2 Warp will benefit tremendously. Many systems designed as servers use faster interleaved memory. * Notebook Computers. The critical factor when choosing a notebook computer for OS/2 Warp is support for PCMCIA card slots. Most notebooks are now supported, but be sure to check ahead of time. If your notebook computer is not listed in OS/2 Warp's list of PCMCIA drivers, choose either the closest match (in terms of manufacturer) or try each, one by one, in turn. Midwestern Micro notebooks, for example, appear to work well with OS/2 Warp's AST PowerExec PCMCIA driver. Toshiba now preloads OS/2 Warp on its notebooks, on request, and all IBM Thinkpads will ship with OS/2 Warp preloaded. * Network Adapters. Any network adapter with an "IBM LAN Server" or "IBM OS/2 NDIS" driver (usually supplied on a diskette with the card) will work fine with OS/2 Warp. Ethernet (especially 10BaseT) is a popular choice for PC networking. IBM, 3Com, Cabletron, Intel, and SMC are some of the most popular brands. However, many large companies have upgraded their Token Ring networks to 16 Mbps, so if you are looking for a good value for a small network, 4 Mbps IBM Token Ring adapters for both AT bus and Microchannel are inexpensive and thoroughly standardized. Setting up a small OS/2 Warp network with Artisoft's LANtastic for OS/2? Try an IBM MAU (Multistation Access Unit), as many Token Ring cards as you need (used 4 Mbps cards are under $50), and cables. Look in the back pages of LAN Times, The Processor, PC Week, and other publications which are read by larger corporate computer users, and you'll see great bargains on good quality networking products. See (3.8) Networking Products for some more advice.
(2.6) More Than 16 MB RAM
Can I use more than 16 MB of RAM?
OS/2 Warp will address all the RAM in your system. If the BIOS recognizes the memory, OS/2 Warp will find it and use it.
However, on certain systems the RAM beyond the 16 MB boundary may be used as a fast swap area. OS/2 Warp relies on its swap file, SWAPPER.DAT, to hold code and data which cannot fit into real memory (i.e. to provide virtual memory). If the swap file (and applications) can only be accessed via a hard disk adapter which uses 24-bit DMA for disk access (e.g. the Adaptec 154x series), then the system must move code and data below the 16 MB boundary before it can write it to disk. This "double move" is costly (in terms of performance), and often OS/2 Warp will merely use all the RAM above the 16 MB boundary as a fast swap area (before writing to disk) to avoid the problem. It is up to the hard disk adapter driver, however, to decide how to handle this situation.
Only AT bus adapters are limited to 24-bit DMA. Microchannel, EISA, VESA LocalBus, and other 32-bit adapters are not so limited. Moreover, only a select few AT bus hard disk adapters utilize DMA. Nearly all MFM, RLL, ESDI, and IDE adapters, and most SCSI adapters, do not use DMA for disk access.
Suffice it to say that, regardless of your present hardware, OS/2 Warp will take advantage of it as best it can. However, if you are planning new hardware purchases, you may wish to take this particular hardware design limitation into account. Specifically, if you plan to install more than 16 MB of RAM in your system, either choose a 32-bit hard disk adapter (Microchannel or PCI, for example) or choose an AT bus adapter which does not utilize DMA for disk access (a standard IDE adapter, an Adaptec 152x series SCSI adapter, or a Future Domain SCSI adapter, for example). The performance trade-off is highly system dependent, however. You may find that even DMA adapters such as the Adaptec 154x series outperform the alternatives in certain cases.
(2.7) Device Driver List
What device drivers are available that aren't included with OS/2 Warp?
Here is a list of a few of the device drivers (and their common filenames) available from (3.2) Shareware and Freeware Sources. New and updated OS/2 Warp device drivers are being released almost every day, so use this list only as a rough guide. If you do not see the driver you need listed, you may be able to use one of OS/2 Warp's built-in drivers or a "generic" driver. If you develop PC hardware, and wish to create an OS/2 Warp driver, contact the IBM Developer Connection (800-6-DEVCON in the United States, for example) to obtain the OS/2 Device Driver Development Kit.
* 3Com Etherlink III: 3C5X9.ZIP * 8255 PIO Adapter: 2.ZIP * Allied Telesis AT-1700T Ethernet: 17LANOS2.ZIP * Alpha Research SCSI: SCSIOS.ZIP * Always 7048 CD-ROM: AL7048.ZIP * Always AL-7000 SCSI: IN2000.ZIP * Always IN-2000 SCSI: ALIN2OS2.ZIP * AMI SCSI: AMI0OS2.ZIP * Apple CD-150/Sony CDU-8002 CD-ROM: CD-150.ZIP * Appoint Gliffic Plus: GLIFF1.ZIP * ARNET SmartPort Plus: ARNETOS2.ZIP * Artpad (Pen for OS/2): ARTPAD.ZIP * Aztech 268-01 CD-ROM: AZT268-1.ZIP * Aztech 268-03 CD-ROM: AZT268I.ZIP * Beethoven Superspin CDD-110 CD-ROM: WEARNES.ZIP * Boca Vortek: OS21_VR.ZIP * Boca Voyager: VOYOS2.ZIP * Calcomp (Pen for OS/2): CALCMP.ZIP * Canon BubbleJet printers: BJOS2.ZIP * Canon Laser printers: CANLBP.ZIP * CE-Infosys SCSI: CEI5630.ZIP * Chinon 431, 435, 535 CD-ROM: CHINON.ZIP * Chips & Technologies video: C&T643.ZIP * Compaq Concerto (Pen for OS/2): CNCRTO.ZIP * Conner IDE hard disks (automatic power down): CONNER.ZIP * Cornerstone and ImageAccelerator: IAOS2102.ZIP * Cyrix 486DLC Cache Enabler: CYRIX.ZIP * Diamond Stealth 64: 8OS21.ZIP * Diamond Viper VLB video: OS2102.ZIP * Digiboard PC/X: 594M.ZIP * Digiboard PC/X, MC/X: 309K.ZIP * Digiboard driver for IBM LAN Distance: 1142A.ZIP * Dolphin 8000 AT CD-ROM: DOLAT001.ZIP * DTC 2290 EISA IDE: 32EIDE2.ZIP * DTC SCSI: DTCSCSI.ZIP * DTC VESA LocalBus IDE: 32EIDE.ZIP * Generic 800x600-16 video: SVGA16.ZIP * Goldstar R400/R420 CD-ROM: GSCD4X.ZIP * Gravis Ultrasound: GUSOS202.ZIP * Hercules Dynamite: DYNAMITE.ZIP * Hercules Graphite: AGX1596.ZIP * IBM 4/10 GB 4 mm DAT: IBM410.ZIP * IBM Image Adapter/A: IAAOS2.ZIP * IBM Infrared Wireless LAN Adapter: IRLAN.ZIP * IBM LANStreamer: DB12.ZIP * IBM MWave DSP: OS_2D.ZIP * IBM PS/2 Model 95 Info Panel: PS2INF.ZIP * IBM Token Ring Busmaster: IBMTRBMO.ZIP * Inmos Transputer: TRANSP.ZIP * Iomega Bernoulli: BERN231.ZIP * Logitech MouseMan/Sensa: L_MS_OS2.ZIP * Matrox MGA II+ video: MATROX12.ZIP * Microsolutions Backpack CD-ROM: BPCDOS2.ZIP * Miro 10SD, 20SD, ERGO video: MISD111.ZIP * Miro 20SV, 40SV, ERGO video: MISV101.ZIP * Mozart audio: MOZART06.ZIP * NCR 53C810 SCSI: NCR810.ZIP * NCR video: NCROS215.ZIP * NEC 260 IDE CD-ROM: NEC260.ZIP * NEC Pinwriter printers: NECPIN.ZIP * NET-420C Ethernet: NET420C.ZIP * Novell NE-2000 Ethernet: LSNE2.ZIP * Number 9 GXE, GXE64, GXE64P: 64OS2.ZIP * Number 9 Trio: TRIOOS2.ZIP * PC Speaker (MMPM/2): SPKRDD22.ZIP * Pentium Workaround (For Flawed CPU): 586NPX.ZIP * Promise IDE: OS2DRV11.ZIP * QLogic SCSI: QL10OS.ZIP * RACAL Interlan NI5210 Ethernet: NI5210O.ZIP * RACAL Interlan NI9210 Ethernet: S12963.ZIP * Reveal/AZI audio: SCROS2.ZIP * Seagate ST-01/ST-02 SCSI: ST01_102.ZIP * Sixgraph Wizard 900 video: P9OS2140.ZIP * SPEA Mirage P-64 video: MIRAGEP.ZIP * Spider Black Widow: BWPOS2.ZIP * Spider SC-100E Ethernet: S12960.ZIP * STB Express PCI video: EXPOS2.ZIP * SummaSketch II: SUMMA.ZIP * Teac CD-55 CD-ROM: CD55OS.ZIP * TEKRAM DC-800B SCSI: TEKRAM.ZIP * TEKRAM IDE Caching controller: DC620OS2.ZIP * Texas Instruments TI-4000 Quickport mouse: OS2MICE.ZIP * Trantor SCSI: OS2-TSL6.ZIP * Trident 9440 video: OS2_9440.ZIP * V-7 Mercury video: OSMIP202.ZIP * V-7 Mirage video: OSMIR202.ZIP * Wacom (Pen for OS/2): WACOMD.ZIP * Wearnes DD110/Orchid CDS3110 CD-ROM: CDD110.ZIP * Weitek P9x00 video: P9X00HI.ZIP * Western Digital/SMC Ethercard Plus: EOO215.ZIP