Because I do not see much action in this discussion group, I thought I would post my opinions. For what it is worth, I think the best version of OS/2 is Warp 3 Connect. I started using OS/2 with version 2.0 which came with an IBM ValuePoint 6387-W98. After I registered the OS with IBM I received free upgrade diskettes for Version 2.1. When I installed v2.1 I also installed HPFS and the performance boost was dramatic. When Warp 3 was released, I upgraded again. So tip one, use HPFS not FAT.

Windows 95 was released that fall. IMHO Windows 95 was no comparison to Warp 3. Warp 3 Connect was released early in 1996. I installed it, connected our computers with a crossover cable and now we were networked. Doom (DOS Version) played especially well. My sons were extremely popular because of the networked machines.

The software I used was mostly DOS – WordPerfect 6.1 (DOS Version) and Lotus 1-2-3 V2.4 – OS/2 was touted as being a better DOS than DOS and it was. You could tweak the DOS settings (and much hints were available from the internet.) The only native OS/2 software I used was Web Crawler (Internet) and tape backup software. Tip two, tweak the DOS settings (and Windows and OS/2 as well.)

When Warp 4 came out, I again upgraded expecting an improvement. Unfortunately Warp 4 was (at least on the ValuePoint) a slower, more bloated OS. Tip three, newer is not always better.

For specs, the ValuePoint had a 486-66 chip and then a slow Pentium-60 upgrade. The hard drive was originally a 540 MB, eventually 8.4 GB. I used this setup until 2001 when I purchased my current machine – IBM IntelliStation mPro.

OS/2 ran continuously from 1995 to 2001 with no operating system problems. The hard drive did crash, but with tape backups that was not a major problem. This was in contrast with my ThinkPad (no tape backup.) The ThinkPad was also purchased in 2001 and used for travel. Last year the hard drive in the ThinkPad expired. When I went to re-install Windows 2000 Pro on the new drive I found a new problem – there is a difference between OEM and retail versions of Windows. I had a valid COA, but I could not install the OS until I found the OEM Version (problem was solved on this forum.)

I did try OS/2 on the ThinkPad, but found the screen resolutions flawed. Someday, I will try again – find all the video drivers and re-install. And when I do, I think it will be Warp 3 Connect. Windows 2000 Pro and Windows XP are equal, and maybe a little better than Warp 3 – just remember they came out five years later.

My first notebook was Thinkpad. I got it with preinstalled OS/2, ver.2.1. Then I upgraded to Warp 3. It was nice OS with one defect - it was not possible to get to the Net. If I remember well a TCP/IP pack could be extra bought, but I did not do it.

For me the first (and latest) fully usable OS/2 was Merlin. Especially for desktop PCs. But notebooks?
Thinkpads were sold with preinstalled Windows very soon. Year after year the IBM support was worse and worse. After some 4 years there were notebooks for which any special OS/2 driver did not exist. Installation was Overused word or impossible (for me ..-).
I had and have some 20 machines and was trying to install OS/2 on all of them.
But - for instance: X21 - you will not find any OS/2 driver, no installation disk. TransNote - latest tablet software was Pen for OS/2 in OS/2 2.1, ThinkScribe driver is only for Windows.

And in addition the IBM marketing. In 1997-98 Microsoft launched MS Office 97 and all my clients began to use it. What to do? Lotus 1-2-3 was not useful. There was no virtualisation software.

Yes, OS/2 was nice and evidently the best OS, ten years ago. For me it was Merlin because I do not know Warp Connect.
But as for me, I can use it only for simple tasks on desktop PC and have it installed on my machines in my collection. That is all.

“I keek a little sand in your face, no.”

Come on gang, I insulted current Windows users as being five years behind OS/2; I claimed Warp 3 Connect is better than Warp 4 and eComStation; and I wrote OS/2 is better a DOS than DOS.

Of course, anyone that has actually used OS/2 know I was right on all counts; but you would think casual readers that have never experienced OS/2 would at least post a comment questioning the veracity of my opinion piece.

Thank you to savarin for adding to the discussion (and thank you to the group for not flaming me for making such provocative and inflammatory statements.) Savarin is correct when he said drivers are the most important deficiency of OS/2 Warp. On any machine with access to proper drivers OS/2 Warp Connect will surprise, nay it will take your breath away.

As a note, Warp 3 Connect included TCP/IP on a bonus disk – it should have been labelled as Warp 3.1 (maybe even higher – the Connect part is the key.)

Oh yes, these Packs and Driver Packs .... and nothing for Thinkpads....

I bought eCS too. Ver. 1.0, 1.1, 1.2. Now I am waiting for 2.0 but I am affraid I will not live to see.

I love walking with my little dog - a dachshund. And then I sit on a park bench, open a X40, connect to the internet via UMTS/GPRS/EDGE and trade on Betfair or write mails. In my favourite Portuguese cafe I do the same, water and cakes for my dog are prepared. I like these technologies. If I could use OS/2 I would use it, trust me, RobertJohnB.

But OS/2 is able to use ASDL only, wifi is not fully solved, there are problems with many PCMCIA chips, USB, bluetooth, ... I know you know.
If you want to use OS/2 nowadays you must be very modest.
That is no attack or flame. I loved this OS and I continue to respect it.

I too am waiting for eComStation 2.0. If one had a software subscription (of which I do not ), one can get the betta of eCS 2.0. I am currently running 1.1 on my desktop and 1.2r on my Thinkpad T23. It works quite well. Even though I can not get the wifi i card to work, I can still connect to the internet via an ethernet connection. I have read of a wifi device that connects via the ethernet port and is powered by the USB connector and works with eCS.

IMO; I consider eCS to be a much improved version of OS/2 Warp.

My Thinkpad T30 has builtin wifi which is supported out of the box by the latest version of ecs 2.x. I can access public access spots with a bit of tinkering as well as use my own home wifi network. ecs suports most of the features of the T30 out of the box as well - pcmcia, sound, wifi etc.

while these thinkpads are not new you can easily pick them up from ebay fairly cheaply.

david

I am looking for an ethernet connected usb powered wifi adapter. I saw that it works with eCS at a Warpstock convention. http://www.warpstock.org . I will be checking at Froogle. http://www.froogle.com

There is a great OS/2-eCS forum at http://www.os2world.com

I've a 600x and OS/2 up to 2004 - first Warp3 connect, later Warp4 with 386HPFS from LS3.0 - no issures, never - performs great. Modem, german ISDN, LAN, Wifi... no problems. Ok, you've to take the right hardware for PCMCIA with drivers for OS/2 - CISCO + 3COM made drivers. And I think, there where drivers for IBM USB2.0 PCMCIA-cards.

X300 + eCOM-station... I want to see.

I used to use OS/2 but now I prefer eComStation.
http://www.ecomstation.com
When 2.0 comes out, I will upgrade to it.

Anyone still here? There are not too many of us OS/2 Warpers left.

Well, actually you would be able to install eCS v2.0 on a X300; graphics will be supported by the Panaroma drivers included in eCS and most new Intel wifi and nics are supported. Audio might be the tricky one; but with some luck it would work as well.

I am waiting for the final version. If you want to use these RC versions it necessary to be a owner of the Software Subscription Services. I am not.

I ran OS/2 on a IBM model 70 for almost ten years. Starting with 1.3 up to 4. In the time I had that machine, I replaced every part in it except the motherboard, and even that was superseded by a 486-33 running on a Microchannel card. At the end, it also had a 500 MB SCSI hard drive connected to another MC slot, a tape drive, 16 MB of RAM, and an 8514/a video card that used up the last slot. Warp got me on the Internet for the first time, but before that I had connected to bulletin boards and used PAKMail to connect to email. I even ran a single-line bulletin board on the mo. 70 for about a year.

Modem baud rates went from 300 to 56K during the time I used that machine.

One of the things that impressed me about OS/2 is that you could drag an entire program folder from one location to another and the OS would notice it. The program would still start from the menu.

I bought WordPerfect for OS/2 and was bitterly disappointed in it. I replaced it with Describe, and it was fine.

By the time I retired it, I was ready for something new and moved on to RedHat Linux. Thus I missed Windows 3.0 to ME and only got back to Windows when the company issued me a T21 running XP Pro.

Lamar

PS - Remember the guy with green hair? "It obliterates your software!" That was the worst tech ad until "Dude, you're getting a Dell."

Lamar

You should check out eComStation. http://www.ecomstation.com
It is an updated version of OS/2 Warp. eCS is to OS/2 what Win 95 is to Win 3.1.

I'm interested. Anybody got any idea what I should expect compatibility-wise if I spring for this for my R52? It's a pretty standard machine - integrated graphics, wifi, Pentium M @ 1.73 Ghz, 512 + 256 MB RAM. I particularly need to keep the wifi working.

The lack of a live CD for testing is not encouraging. (Or did I just miss it?)

I was a member of Team OS/2 years ago and even maintained a DOIP FAQ. I always felt that IBM abandoned the home user. I didn't abandon them, but knowing that no more support or development was coming threw cold water on our relationship. Not that IBM cared at all, of course. They were after IBM shops and individual users weren't seen as their market. (We were their failed market. I still think that "It'll obliterate your software!" was a singularly inane bit of marketing. And I still think that OS/2 could have succeeded if they continued updating it. Windows was NOT such a juggernaut back then.)

Lamar

I had to think about that for a while. Hmm... Win 95 was never a very stable OS. If eCS were as stable as Win 98 SE, that it would be far more comforting.

Lamar

I had to think about that for a while. Hmm... Win 95 was never a very stable OS. If eCS were as stable as Win 98 SE, that it would be far more comforting.

Lamar

Guys, the company has me on Windows 7 and Server 2008, so I can't play with this now. I'm sorry, but this part of the forum seems to have died anyway.

Lamar

"eCS is to OS/2 what Win 95 is to Win 3.1?????"

Is it a joke?

eCS = MCP2 + XR_C005 + JFSboot + ACPI + some minor fixes.
eCS features are avaliable for all Warp 4 users in a form of fixpacks and a number of manual package installation.
So eCS is to OS/2 what Win 3.11 is to Win 3.1 - not more.
Don't try to fool us!

i915GM works with SNAP from Scitech;
Broadcom LAN works with native OS/2 driver from Broadcom;
SoundMax works with native OS/2 driver from AD.
Cardbus works with navie OS/2 card service.
WiFi works with GenMac drivers (it is better to replace B/G or A/B/G card with older B-card to work with native driver)
Modem and fingerprint does not work.

You can download OS/2 and eCS ISOs at http://thepiratebay.org