Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ptsfa!ames!amdcad!sun!aeras!grinch!luis From: luis@grinch.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: MS-DOS 5.0 and PC/OS2 Message-ID: <243@grinch.grinch.UUCP> Date: Sat, 13-Jun-87 03:36:29 EDT Article-I.D.: grinch.243 Posted: Sat Jun 13 03:36:29 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 14-Jun-87 23:38:07 EDT References: <1534@megatest.UUCP> Reply-To: luis@grinch.UUCP (Luis Chanu) Organization: Textural Software, San Jose, CA. Lines: 99 Keywords: OS/2 Summary: OS/2... In's and Out's... In article <1534@megatest.UUCP> msodos@megatest.UUCP (Marty Sodos) writes: > >I trying to sort out the rumors pertaining to the capabilities of the >next release of MS-DOS, and the first release of PC/OS2. > >Could anyone please comment/confirm/deny the following: > > 1) PC/OS2 will not be compatible with the current applications > written for MS-DOS. I.e., if you have a copy of Lotus 123 and > wish to use the multitasking/enhanced memory capabilities of > PC/OS2, you will need a new copy. > [...] Well, I went to a presentation at San Francisco given by IBM on OS/2. OS/2 *IS* multi-tasking (as we all know), but is NOT multi-user (as you have probably guessed). I got a 'manual' from IBM all about OS/2, which explains EVERYTHING about OS/2. There are some VERY strange things in OS/2, yet some nice things too... Let me give explain a few: - NO more .BAT files (Now called .CMD files) - although they still exist in PC-DOS Compatibility mode. - NO more .COM files.. EVERYTHING is .EXE. But, if you want to give a higher priority to a file, you rename it as a .COM file. - Because of the way OS/2 handles memory, you can run a 5 Mbyte program in a machine that only has 2 Mbytes of RAM. (nice, eh?) - OS/2 has a new prompt.. It's A] , but if you do a ALT-ESC (I think that's the hot keys), you get A> which means you are in PC-DOS Compatiblility mode. - OS/2 can run multi-tasking, but NOT PC-DOS compatible. While in PC-DOS Compatible though, OS/2 tasks STILL keep running. - EGA will NOT be supported AT ALL! If you have an EGA board, it becomes a CGA board. And, in version 1.1, monochrome will NOT be supported because they are going to go to a window environment. - Currently, you can NOT kill a process. When asked how the computer will know to kill an infinite loop, they replied, "The computer will sence it, and auto-maticaly kill it." (sure it will...) - You can run up to 16 processes (15 backround, 1 foreground) at one time. - Communications PROBABLY will not work due to time slices. - AUTOEXEC.BAT is called STARTUP.CMD in OS/2. - But, AUTOEXEC.BAT will still exist for when you go into PC-DOS compatibility mode. (Nice, eh?) - If you have an IBM PC or XT with an 80286 turbo board in it, OS/2 will NOT work. - OS/2 treats an 80386 like an 80286, so no extra power is given (except for maybe speed... But that has nothing to do with OS/2) - OS/2 is compatible with PC-DOS file structure, so it can read/write to PC-DOS. - The 32 Megabyte hard disk limit is still in effect. They (IBM) said though that in version 1.1 (late 88), they would have a partitioning program to allow larger hard disks (i.e. 400+megabytes). - I asked if UNIX/XENIX could still be loaded, and their reply was,"I don't see why not. If it works under PC-DOS, it will work here!!" (sure it will!! From what I saw, I doubt it folks.. Be careful!) - Time slicing is done by defining the program in to a class and level. - Classes include: Time Critical, Regular, and Idle Time. - Each level has 32 'levels' within. - BOTH Class and level are HARD CODED, and _NOT_ user defined. - OS/2 will NOT allow drivers. You _MUST_ go through function calls. - They did this because of SAA. That way, they can port a program (source of course) strait from a PC to a mainframe, compile it, and have it work. Usually, with no editing of any sort. - In PC-DOS compatible mode, it is emulating PC-DOS 3.3. So, if it will run under PC-DOS 3.3, 'chances' are that it will run under PC-DOS compatible mode. (Notice chances in quotes... Not everything!) - LAN's are _NOT_ supported by OS/2. (You heard it right....) - Communications will NOT be supported in compatibility mode. - All INT 21H are compatible. - OS/2 supports three types of programs. - Full Functions -----------------> Works ONLY in OS/2. - Family Applications ------------> Works in BOTH OS/2 and PC-DOS. - PC-DOS Application Programs ----> Works in PC-DOS ONLY. - Currently, this is where most (99.9%) of all programs fall. - Supports Dynamic Linking. - Supports multi-terminal types. (don't ask me how) I hope that this answers all of your questions about OS/2. Please don't think that this is ALL that OS/2 has to offer, because it is not. It has some very nice features, yet some dumb ones as well (i.e. can't kill a process.. yet!). On the last day of the class, we got to ask the instructor to do things in OS/2 while we watched (over satalite), and I must say that they (so far) have quite a good job. If anyone has any questions which they would like to ask me about OS/2, I will try my best to answer them. Please leave any comments/questions to me via E-MAIL. I have only taken a course in it, and am not an expert, but I will try. I hope that I answered your question. Thank you.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luis Chanu "Live every day as if it were your last, UUCP: ihnp4!sun!aeras!grinch!luis because one day you will be right." UUCP: lll-crg!vecpyr!wjvax!grinch!luis -Benny Hill Disk-Claimer: That's not your disk, that's my disk. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------