Nekochan Net

For a while I have been waiting to find a system to install my copy of IBM's OS/2 2.1 Operating system on. One thing is certain it needs to be AT and there can't be any new hardware. This limits me down to older brand systems like packard bell and compaq, two systems which seem to be really popular in my parts. I also looked into going genuine and getting a PS/2 system but they strangely dissapeared form here in the last two years. My attemp at running it on my laptop shows that it has a very limited selection of drivers and all cd support needs to be SCSI.

In your opinion, would you recommend I just search for an ibm to use or use a clone?

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<-------- A very happy forum member.

One word: Ebay
Get At least Warp 4. You'd need something like a 486 machine to run 2.1. Warp 4 is faster and supports much more hardware.

Erm, I kinda wanted an older system to play with.
Ebay it is though.

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<-------- A very happy forum member.

The novelty wear off factory of OS/2 2 is pretty fast--it was great at the time, cutting edge but but by today's standards it really is kinda cruddy and you'll be frustrated pretty fast.

You got a point there.
That and it's hard to find OS/2 software.

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<-------- A very happy forum member.

Its easy to find OS/2 software; its hard to find software that runs on OS/2 2

http://hobbes.nmsu.edu

seven and a half gigabytes (loosely measured)

good information :

http://pages.prodigy.net/michaln/history

Leave it to hamei.

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<-------- A very happy forum member.

Get all the service packs you think you'll need now, since OS/2 support is being discontinued and I'm not sure if this means IBM will pull all the OS/2 stuff or not.

I thought the pulled the plug on OS/2 support years ago?

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<-------- A very happy forum member.

That's what the toady press would like you to believe No worry about fixpacks, they're on Hobbes and elsewhere. Plus OS/2 isn't really dead, it's being sold by Serenity as eComStation. Not sure what the inner workings are there but the serene principal is a long-time IBM-er.

If you want something really rare, try for this :

http://pages.prodigy.net/michaln/histor ... index.html

*whistles*
That's a gem.

I just wanted OS/2 so I can kill three birds with one stone:

-one computer
-run DOS
-Run windows 3.1 (included in my copy)
-run OS/2
This is also the only old operating system I have where hardware that's listed as compatible I actualy own so I don't have to look for the drivers.

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<-------- A very happy forum member.

I know about Hobbes
What I was saying was that apps that run on an OS/2 that old are hard to find.

As best I understand it was Serenity took over development of Warp 4.52 and renamed it eComstation. While Serenity is the primary developer, they also have the help of IBM and a few others.

Also I as I understand it the high cost of eComstation is because IBM charges Serenity a hefty royalty for each copy sold. You know Serenity would love to sell eComstation for $99 if they could.

Hmm. 2.1 isn't actually that old. In fact, you can use many drivers from Warp in v 2.1. I would bet that almost all current OS/2 applications would run in 2.1 - tho going to 2.11 would be preferable. Same system, just some fixes.


Yup And the reason IBM prices are high is that IBM gets to pay Microsoft a royalty on most copies of OS/2. Hard to believe just how screwed up IBM was in the eighties and early nineties. It'll be interesting to see if SGI can pull out of their dive the way IBM managed to. Doesn't look like it so far tho

Serenity is now pushing virtual machines. IBM really loves that technology, and they're good at it.

http://serenityvirtual.com/index.php

http://www.ubersoft.net/d/20050718.html

http://www.ubersoft.net/d/20050721.html

Irix == OS/2 ?

(Definitely worth a look here, pentiium - some very interesting history

http://pages.prodigy.net/michaln/histor ... index.html )