WarpX - The future with OS/2 Warp
Article Info | |
---|---|
Author | John Martin Alfredsson |
Date | 1999-04-08 |
OS Version | OS/2 Warp |
Companion File | N/A |
Source | Archived |

An unofficial page with rumors of the future for OS/2. Most things discussed are rumors and may never surface.
April 8, 1999
- Long time since last update. (Apr. 8)
- I have undergone surgery so other things than OS/2 has been on my mind lately. But please keep sending me comments and rumors. Your input is what keeps me updating this site.
- Titan. (Apr. 8)
- Rumor is that there will be a "fat" OS/2 client with the code name "Titan".
- On the other hand
- -(. (Apr. 8)
- "I met with the General Manager of the OS/2 / Java Division and a senior technical advisor to the GM only last week. At this time there is no discussion on a new revision of Warp ( Warp 5) that would include additional functionality and features. The highly debated topic of the aurora client is a discussion point only and does not represent any business plan at the development level."
- More rumors (Apr. 8)
- "Will that be an Aurora-based client? And when do you expect it?"
- "Yes and no idea when."
- No importance (Apr. 8)
- From Warpcast:
- "The European Lotus management seems to be convinced. Pierre van Beneden, general manager of Lotus Development EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), confirmed that the discussion on the R5-client wasn't finished yet. He said that the opinion was different in the USA, however,because OS/2 had no importance there anymore."
January 27, 1999
- The OS/2 source code has moved ! (Jan. 27)
- I'm told that (IBM internal) NFS access to the OS/2 source code is terminated since there code is being moved to a secure server.
- This is due to that an "outside vendor" is gaining access to the code...
- DVD in 1999 (Jan. 27)
- In 1999 IBM has decided to release two items on the road to a complete DVD support. The following things are funded are development have started. A device driver to read and write(!) to a DVD drive. And a UDF (Universal Data File System) FS driver.
- But, not funded in 1999 was/is support for streaming data with video/audio playback nor any multimedia support in the OS. Lets hope some thirdparty force jumps in and helps us out.
- NO OS/2 - NO IBM (Dec. 12)
- Apparently, some big IBM customers (internal rumors says a certain large bank -Deutsche Bank or Bank of South Africa) have stated that if they do move to Windows NT, they aren't going to use IBM.
- That is, a move from IBM+DB2+MQSeries+IBM PC+IBM Consulting and Services to Microsoft Windows NT+SQL Server+ Backoffice+Compaq PC and somone else's consulting and services. This apparently have made IBM release the following internal memo: Preparing IBM's OS/2 Customers for e-business.
December 12, 1998
- Aurora FAQ gone (Dec. 12)
I have removed the Aurora FAQ form my site. There are two reasons. The first is that I don't have the time to update it and the second is that Aurora is in beta. You can learn much more about Aurora by using it (if you have the beta) or reading mailinglists/newsgroups. However, you will still find Aurora news and rumors on this page.
- Corporate client (Dec. 12)
- "When IBM says that their corporate customers don't want a fat client, they are lying. SOME of IBM's customers don't want a fat client, but many do. I work for one of IBM's 'enterprise customers' and we want a fat client. IBM just doesn't want to make a Warp 5 fat client."
October 23, 1998
- Warp 5 client (Oct. 23)
- The following comments are not mine. They have been sent to me by people wishing to be anonymous:
- "At this point there may or may not be a Warp 5 client. It has not been finally decided yet. But things are looking good. .."
- "If IBM do deliver a fat client the GUI will have Netscape 4.x partly integrated. Not as much as Windows98 but more than it currently is."
- "There have been two obstacles for a new fat client. The first obstacle has been Jeff Smith. He was the manager of OS/2 and basically he wanted to kill the fat client since he didn't see it as profitable.
- However, a few days ago Jeff Smith was given what was called a "promotion" but in reality, it was a demotion. This is good for the fat client since he was one of the obstacles.
- The second obstacle to a new fat client was that IBM had many development projects in scheduled for 1998. As big as they are, IBM only has a limited development budget for all their projects. However, Warp will have much less :competition for development money in 1999. In fact, it is quite likely that there will be development dollars for a fat client in."
- "I think the activity the OS/2 community has put forward has helped the case for a new fat client. IBM typically states publicly that they don't give a shit about end users, but I think the pre-order campaign for Warp 5 fat client has helped. Remember, IBM only understands money."
- "I think that if we keep the pressure going, we will have a new fat client. So it is very important right now to keep up the work and the heat."
- Note. I don't automatic share the views on Jeff Smith and I welcome him to counter this.
- IB survey vs. 21warp (Oct. 23)
We are after the same goal ! We want IBM to release a new Warp client. Indelible Blue tries to influence IBM from inside while 21warp works from the outside. Please support both campaigns and understand that while the means might be different the goal is the same.
- Ever shrinking Aurora target (Oct. 23)
- IBM tries to market their new baby but at the same time they limit its target audience, just read this:
- "Consolidate and migrate to other IBM server platforms as scalability requirements dictate. OS/2 Warp server is positioned as a Tier 2 server."
- Don't think for a moment that Aurora could not be more scalable.
- IBM is deliberately downplaying scalability for Aurora since they rather sell AIX or AS/400 solutions.
- LVM over the network ? (Oct. 23)
- "The newly enhanced server also sports Logical Volume Management, which allows network administrators to balance file requirements across a network without having to take the server down."
- "The new Logical Volume Manager, borrowed from IBM's AIX operating system, is designed to work hand-in-hand with the Journaled File System, making it easier for administrators to look across a network of different hard drives and view them as a single drive."
- I'm not sure what this means but to me it looks like LVM could "bind" together disks on separate machines.
- WSOD 2.0 (Oct. 23)
- Will NOT contain Win32 client support. This is planned for the next release planned to be released in conjunction with Aurora. WSOD 2.0 will add RIPL via TCP/IP and better ways for administrators to configure the clients. But as IBM says, get WSOD 2.0 now and you will get a free update to the next version in 1999.
- WSOD 3.0 (Oct. 23)
- WILL contain Win32 client support. You will be able to manage Win32 client images (Windows 9x/NT) in much the same way you manage DOS/Windows 3.1 and OS/2 clients now. There is also this statement:
- "The 32-bit Windows OS (operating system) and applications will be run on top of the OS/2 kernel on the OS/2 Warp Server, according to the IBM exec."
- This might be an misunderstanding but I'm also told that Citrix and IBM are planning enhanced support for OS/2.
- Aurora Named. (Oct. 23)
- OS/2 Warp Server for e-business is the official name of Aurora, the next version of Warp Server. Read more in my Aurora FAQ.
- VisualAge REXX. (Oct. 23)
- Is supposedly under development. Its is to be to be a cross between Visual BASIC and VisualAge C++ but using Object REXX as development language.
- WebSphere Application Server 1.1. (Oct. 23)
- Is the name of the webserver part of Aurora. It now includes the popular Apache 1.3.1 Web Server. That is: no Lotus GO and no Domino...
- WebSphere (1.0) is already available for several other IBM platforms.