OS/2 Advantages List
Here's a list of OS/2 advantages compiled from several sources, including a similar list by Stephen M. Smith (smsmith@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu). While I've tried to eliminate errors and duplications in previous lists, I'll appreciate suggestions for improvements.
(CLI=Command Line Interface; GUI=Graphic User Interface; VDM=Virtual DOS Machine)
- Preemptively multitasks, i.e., this op. sys. allocates CPU time to apps based on user-selectable priorities.
- Protects apps from overwriting or crashing one another.
- Provides at least 633k of RAM to each DOS app.
- Offers over 700k of RAM to each DOS app in CGA/Mono mode.
- Offers 16M XMS, 32M EMS, and 512M DPMI to each DOS app.
- Manages memory without 3rd party managers like QEMM and 386Max.
- Runs DOS, Windows 2.0-3.0, and both 16 and 32 bit OS/2 apps.
- Runs DR DOS, 4DOS, Desqview, CP/M, Minix, or any other real mode op. sys. in each VDM.
- Offers each VDM its own device drivers, config.sys, and autoexec.bat.
- Offers up to 240 VDM's.
- Offers choice of GUI, CLI in a window, or CLI without GUI loaded.
- Automatically distinguishes DOS, Windows, and OS/2 apps when invoked from the command line, and runs them.
- Allows background starting of programs from the command line.
- Allows simultaneous or conditional starting of programs from the command line (e.g., 2nd program starts if 1st program fails).
- Offers detailed help from the command line.
- Recalls command lines (for the OS/2 CLI) without use of a TSR.
- Offers 1 pass DISKCOPY from the command line.
- Can use the CLI to move files and directories without first copying and then deleting them.
- Offers over 100 lines for scroll back in CLI windows (mode co80,102).
- Offers huge fonts in full screen text mode sessions (mode co40,12) for visually impaired.
- Offers disabled users "sticky keys" for one finger operation.
- Reliably supports background communication and printing.
- Prints output correctly from programs running concurrently.
- Offers the powerful REXX batch language meeting SAA standards.
- Allows the wildcard '*' at any point in a word, even in DOS sessions.
- Keeps a first-in-first-out wastebasket of deleted files for latter recovery.
- Uses extended attributes for files, programs, and directories.
- Uses Installable File Systems, either FAT or HPFS.
- With HPFS, speeds disk access by reducing head motion.
- With HPFS, avoids fragmenting of files.
- With HPFS, saves disk space with 512 byte clusters.
- With HPFS, applies hot fixes when encountering bad sectors.
- With HPFS, supports hard disks up to 512 GB in size.
- Has built in 387 emulation.
- Offers extensive system diagnostics for trouble shooting.
- Buffers the 16550A UART in DOS sessions.
- Uses threads.
- Uses semaphores.
- Uses named pipes, with output to DOS, Windows, and OS/2 apps.
- Allows 32 bit apps without needing a 32 bit/16 bit translation layer.
- Uses the watchdog timer in 32 bit bus motherboards.
- Runs detached processes.
- Allows use of two free 32 bit C compilers, one with debugger and one with C++, and a free 32 bit Fortran compiler (claimed to halve run time).
- Allows booting from an extended partition.
- Allows user to choose op. sys. at bootup, using Boot Manager.
- Allows user to change op. sys. from the command line, using Dual Boot.
- Allows boot-from-disk games.
- Includes "applets" and games, e.g. chess playable over networks.
- Reliably starts apps or batch files at scheduled times, using the included Alarms applet.
- Offers scalable, industry standard typefaces in Windows and OS/2 applications, without purchasing an additional utility.
- Can restrict or set times for printing.
- Can include custom header sheets with print jobs.
- Allows a 768x1024 portrait mode for the desktop, using a Trident adapter.
- Allows "pan and scan" video drivers (e.g., Tridents 800x600x256 virtual desktop driver) to create a large virtual desktop which scrolls both horizontally and vertically with mouse movement.
- Scrolls the desktop, without needing additional utilities.
- Offers different color schemes for each window, border, background, buttons, text bars, etc.
- Offers different fonts in each pull-down menu, icons, text bars, etc.
- Offers different pictures or solid colors for the background in each folder.
- Allows user created color schemes to be dragged and dropped at any time on any window or folder.
- Allows user to select border width of each window.
- Can restore the original desktop (icons, fonts, windows, colors, etc.) at bootup if desired.
- Allows icons directly on the desktop.
- Allows shadow objects, so changing one changes all.
- Resizes DOS graphics in VDM windows.
- Can "explode" and "implode" windows when opening and closing them, a la the Mac.
- Allows use of icons before other icons in the same window have finished displaying.
- Allows selection of several icons with a single mouse click, and then a single action on them all.
- Creates files and directories via drag and drop.
- Allows dragging and dropping folders into other folders.
- Allows making folders into "work areas", so that closing one closes all its files and programs.
- At boot, automatically restarts apps and restores desktop to their state at last shutdown.
- Automatically updates icons when files and directories are moved.
- Changes window lists and status bars to show which executable is running within each VDM.
- Retains mouse access to desktop from within each windowed VDM.
- Alters the look of icons when programs are started and folders opened.
- Save the keyboard state (e.g. NumLock) for each application.
- All past upgrades and CSD's have been free.
- Comes with a 30 day money-back satisfaction guarantee.
- Comes with a 90 day money-back compatibility guarantee.
- Comes with 60 days of toll-free technical support.
Please send me your suggestions for additions, deletions, or corrections for future listings.