The Hitchhiker's Guide To OS/2 - Issue 9
The HitchHiker's Guide To OS/2
About the Guide
The Hitchhiker's Guide To OS/2
Issue #9
Published On 1/06/95
This guide is meant to give a concise report on current OS/2 events. Any and all contents are solely my opinion or the opinion of the noted author. Read on and I hope you enjoy another issue of The HitchHiker's Guide To OS/2.
Any comments regarding the guide can be directed to:
Steve Dudas
sdudas@austin.onu.edu
Special Thanks go to Dr. V. Phaniraj for letting me know about wp2ipf/2.
Which is the program that makes this publication possible.
Thanks to Kim Kruse Hansen for the great job he has done with this application.
Copies of the HHGOS2 will be available for anonymous ftp from hobbes.nmsu.edu
look in /os2/incoming/hhgos2#.zip
every other Saturday for a new release or look in /os2/32bit/info/newsltr/hhgos2_#.zip For back issues.
The .zip file will contain both a .txt and the .inf version of the HHGOS2.
OS/2 In the NEWS
Warp Sales Figures!!
Last Count IBM has shipped almost 800,000 copies of OS/2 WARP!!
Warp has also risen to #2 on the software best selller list.
#1 is a tax package not made by Microsoft.
Canon BubbleJet Drivers
Canon has released a new revision of its bubblejet series drivers for OS/2. The new drivers support the following printers:
BJ-100,BJ-200,BJ-200e,BJ-230,BJC-600,BJC-600e,BJC-800,BJC-820, and the BJC-4000.
These drivers apparently support 24-bit truecolor for the models which support color as well being full 32-bit drivers. The only feedback I have had is positive so if your thinking about a new printer maybe it should be a Canon.
Warp APAR List
IBM has published a list of APARs (I.E. Known bugs in Warp) I have included this list in the zipfile that this issue of the HHGOS2 came in. If you click on the bug, a full summary of the problem and any known workarounds or patches will be listed.
New Colorado Backup software
HP has released a much improved version of its Colorado backup software for OS/2. The new version is fully 32-bit, supports HPFS, FAT, long filenames, compressed drives, and a host of small improvements. The list price is only $69.95.
Watcom C++ 10.0a
Watcom is still running its special to get the full compiler with online documentation for $199. If you are a student they will drop that price to $99.
Warning: When I installed Watcom onto Warp, Watcom tore up my config.sys pretty bad, in fact the desktop would not even appear with the new config.sys. Using Alt-F1 sequence I restored my config.sys and found that Watcom had put its path additions at the BEGINING of the path statement, which Warp did not like. Once I cut and pasted the statements a bit everything worked great!
OS/2 SoftWare Review
This Issue's Review Goes to: IBM CAD / 3X
IBM CAD / 3X is a very handy tool, although it is not just another CAD program. CAD 3X comes with OS/2 PM, Text, and DOS, versions. My testing used the PM version and I found CAD 3X to be a very powerfull tool. CAD 3X's power however does not lie in 4000 functions or a manual requiring a CD-ROM, rather its simplicity and ease of use is perhaps its most powerfull feature.
In the past I mainly used AutoCAD 10. With AutoCAD I tend to forget commands I haven't used recently since I use it rarely. In the case of CAD / 3X the commands well organized, almost as though the interface was so well thought out that using it was second nature.
I am an EE by trade and thus I do not use CAD programs all that much. Perhaps if I needed more raw power and were willing to sacrifice the time to master a program such as AutoCAD, CAD / 3X wouldn't be quite so special.
However CAD / 3X provides the best of both worlds. Enough power to do what I need, with a small enough learning curve to give me time to do it.
OS/2 NetSurfing!
This section is dedicated to bringing you information on the finest OS/2 internet resources and how to access them.
A list of Web sites, ftp sites, newsgroups and other resources which have usefull OS/2 information are listed in the OS/2 Internet Resource List.
WebExplorer 1.0
IBM has released Ver. 1.0 of the OS/2 WebExplorer. For those unfamilar, Web Exp. is a World Wide Web Explorer much like NetScape or Mosiac. The Web Exp. though is much more powerfull given its multi-threaded construction and its SOM extensions, all possible only with OS/2.
The Web explorer can be ftped from ftp.ibm.net. The file is named web.zip. The WebExplorer will work under either IAK (Internet Access Kit) provided in the Warp Bonus Pak or OS/2 TCPIP 2.0 w/ the latest CSDs applied.
OS/2 Internet Resource List
Ftp sites:
hobbes.nmsu.edu login: anonymous
USA's main repository of OS/2 shareware and ftpable information.
ftp-os2.cdrom.com login: anonymous
Mirror of hobbes, not as current but is usually faster.
ftp.ibm.net login: anonymous
One of IBM's ftp sites. Holds latest version of WebExplorer.
WWW sites:
http://venus.ee.ndsu.nodak.edu/os2
Highly current and reguarly updated source of OS/2 information. Compiled and updated by Dr. V. Phaniraj.
http://www.ibm.net
IBM's own WWW site. Contains information ranging from IBM earnings reports to an online mall.
IRC Channel:
Join #OS/2 on the Internet Relay Chat system for lively OS/2 discussions.
Read News:
comp.os.os2.*
Contains newsgroups ranging from networking to OS/2 announcements. c.o.o.announce is perhaps the best source of OS/2 news since only confirmed announcments and press releases are posted there.
NOTE: This is a quick stab at providing a basic list. If you have things to add please e-mail me at sdudas@austin.onu.edu.
OS/2 Tips and Hints
Here are a couple hints to making the most of Warp:
- When booting the computer a the letters "OS/2" will appear at the top of the screen right after your main bios screen. Hit Alt-F1 here and you will get a menu of ways to recover a damaged system.
- Hitting Ctrl-Esc-Esc will usually clear a hung message queue in Warp.
- Do Not delete the "Nowhere" subdirectories on your main C drive. Warp links things through them.
Trivia Question
Issue #8's trivia question asked who pioneered the Winchester drive technology that has made the hard drive as we know it possible.
Answer: IBM
This issues trivia question:
Linux is fast becoming a leading choice when building a low budget unix box.
Who started the Linux project and why?
How To Submit Articles
Please Include the following Information in all submissions.
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