Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!microsoft!alistair
From: alistair@microsoft.UUCP (Alistair BANKS)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2
Subject: Re: OS/2 platforms
Message-ID: <55645@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 4 Jul 90 21:54:50 GMT
References: <1489@abvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: alistair@microsoft.UUCP (Alistair BANKS)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 41

In article <1489@abvax.UUCP> reh@icd.ab.com (Robert E. Hodge) writes:
>
> I've recently heard two rumors on this subject: first, that
>OS/2 2.0 will be the last version of OS/2 that will support 
>machines based on the 80286 processor.
> The second rumor was that OS/2 2.0 will be the first version
>that WILL NOT support the 80286.

OS/2, Version 2.0 will require a 386 or 486 based computer. This has
been announced and is public knowledge. No statement has been made about
any 'last version' for the 286, all we have said is that Version 2.0
requires a 386/486 because it uses three features which do not exist
on the 286.

Namely:
  Virtual x86 support, for Multiple Virtual Dos machines
  Paged Memory, for improved Virtual Memory performance
  32-bit 'flat' adressing, for improved portability of code, simplicity 
    and speed.

The market is clearly asking us to provide features which require a 386/486
and that is where we are concentrating our efforts at present. We will
revisit the need for further 286 versions of os2, but os2 2.0 is the
most important at this time.

OS/2, 1.21 which is shipping very shortly from all major PC vendors, is
a very rich, stable and complete 286 operating system with the majority of
printers in use today supported with drivers which support downloadable 
fonts, font cartridges and other model-unique features and they
have been proved to work with the 53 Presentation Manager applications
available today. OS/2 1.21 will remain useful on 286 computers after
2.0 is available for 386/486 machines.

Pre-release versions of OS/2 2.0, for developers of 32-bit OS/2 
applications, are available today. This month we are shipping a major 
update which provides a very stable platform for developers - stable 
enough for our own developers to use to develop os2 2.0 itself.

Alistair Banks
OS/2 Group
Microsoft