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This section of my website is devoted to the OS/2 operating system. Use the sidebar to access the various topics.

If you don't know what OS/2 is, or why I have webspace dedicated to it, read on...

OS/2 Information

OS/2 is a 32-bit operating system for x86 personal computers. It was jointly designed by IBM and Microsoft to be the successor to DOS. However, the two companies had a falling-out, and Microsoft left the project in the early 1990s (developing Windows NT instead). IBM has continued the product on its own since then.

Contrary to popular perception, OS/2 is neither dead nor obsolete. In the mid-1990s, IBM decided to stop marketing it to end users, but it continued to be widely used in large businesses (especially banks and insurance companies) for many years. At the end of 2005, IBM officially stopped retail sales of OS/2, but continues to provide some support and periodic updates to existing enterprise customers. OS/2 is used, much more widely than most people think, in a number of dedicated applications. And it continues life here and there as an all-purpose computing platform, albeit for a rather limited number of end users.

OS/2 is a fast, efficient, and generally reliable operating system. In terms of its features and functionality, it probably lies somewhere between Windows NT and Windows 2000 (depending on the version and options installed), but smaller, faster, and more resource-efficient.

Compared to other PC operating systems, OS/2's strengths include:

  • Flexible object-oriented user interface (the critically acclaimed "Workplace Shell").
  • Smooth multi-tasking and especially multi-threading.
  • Relatively modest hardware requirements.
  • Modular and customizable.
  • Not vulnerable to Windows virii, worms, hacks, or spyware.

And its disadvantages include:

  • User interface takes a lot of getting used to (new users typically hate it at first), and is showing its age in some respects.
  • Less software available than some other platforms (support for running Windows programs is very limited).
  • Device driver support can be spotty, so you have to choose your hardware with some care.
  • Tends to lag a couple of years behind in support for emerging hardware standards (e.g. FireWire, ACPI support still under development).
  • If you're not a large corporation (and sometimes even if you are), actually buying a copy can be a pain... and forget about getting support from IBM. (However, see next paragraph.)

You can buy OS/2 direct from IBM, at least in some countries, but it's an awkward process. However, a special targeted-for-retail version of OS/2 (with some added consumer-oriented features) named eComStation is available from Serenity Systems (an IBM licensed OEM partner).

There are many OS/2 resources available on the web, if you want to learn more. Some of the better ones include:

(C) Alexander Taylor   -   last updated 2008-03-18