What is OS/2?
What is OS/2?...OS/2 is a 32 bit, preemptively multitasking Operating System (OS) for IBM PCs and compatibles.
Some of the Major Features of OS/2
- Low System Requirements: IBM designed OS/2 with scalability in mind. OS/2 can run on any 386 or higher system
with at least 8Mb of RAM and 200Mb of hard drive space.
- Ability to run More applications: Because of OS/2's backwards compatibility you can run more applications on
OS/2 today than any other PC OS. 95% of all Win3.x and DOS software will run on OS/2 right out of the box and
many of the most popular Unix applications have been ported to OS/2. Despite what many think, there are thousands
of quality native OS/2 programs available for users who want to take full advantage of OS/2's power. OS/2 can also
run several different versions of DOS and Windows. One of the biggest advantages that OS/2 has over other OSs is
the ability to run applications from each of these different OSs concurrently.
- Full Preemptive Multitasking: OS/2, not the applications, controls how much processor time each program gets. This
means that users won't have to worry about a "resource hog" tying up the system, and they can continue doing their
work. Users can also select exactly how much processor time they want to allocate to each program.
- Memory Virtualization: Because of OS/2's excellent memory virtualization users can run applications that they
normally would not be able to because of memory restrictions. As an example, users can run applications that would
normally use up 32Mbs of RAM on a 16Mb system.
- Crash Protection: OS/2 protects each program in it's own "virtual machine". This gives the user the ability to run
misbehaved applications without having to worry about crashing the system or other programs. If the system does
crash, chances are that the user will be able to recover some or all of their data.
- High Performance File System: OS/2's file system is called HPFS. HPFS eliminates all of the problems associated
with the FAT or "DOS" file system. HPFS uses disk space more efficiently that Fat, has built in long file names,
eliminates the need for defragmentation of the partition, and is fully 32 bit. All these features help HPFS to be a
more efficient file system than any version of FAT. In addition OS/2 fully supports the FAT file system for all your
shared applications and data.
- Complete Networking Support: OS/2 has support for all industry standard networking protocols. OS/2 allows
unlimited connections to other systems in a peer network, perfect for the home or small office. OS/2 also comes with
a full line of networking management tools and applications, such as Netscape, Java, FTP, Telnet3270, Ultimail
(Email), and Newsreader/2 (Usenet). Users can also run their favorite DOS or Win3x networking applications.
- Device Driver Support: It is well known that in the past OS/2 has had problems with device driver support for
hardware. IBM recognized this problem and has worked extensively with hardware manufacturers to correct it. IBM
now includes a CD devoted to device drivers with OS/2 and is continuously supporting manufacturers in ensuring
that new hardware has OS/2 drivers.
- Workplace Shell: OS/2's interface is called the Workplace Shell or WPS for short. The WPS is a fully object
oriented interface. This means that work can be done more efficiently, no more need to perform gymnastics with the
mouse just to copy a file. Just drag & drop.
OS/2 Information on the Internet
OS/2, HPFS, and the IBM logo are trademarks of IBM Corporation. Windows, Windows95, and Windows NT are trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation. All
other trademarks are property of their respective organizations. This page is ©1997-HUGOS2 & was created by member: Jason R. Stefanovich
for the 29 & 30-Oct-1997 Oceanic Computer Expo at Neil Blaisdell
Center. Click here for more
about The Hawaii Users Group for OS/2...Note: This page may
look different than our flyer because it's a webpage.