OS/2 Professional/OS2PRO194.ISO/os2/info/press/os21ga.ann

Text File | 1993-06-20 | 8KB | 165 lines

IBM INTRODUCES OS/2 2.1 WITH NEW ADVANCED FUNCTION,
IMPROVING THE INDUSTRY'S PROVEN 32-BIT OPERATING SYSTEM

May 18, 1993

IBM's Personal Software Products (PSP) division today introduced
OS/2* Version 2.1, an enhanced version of the industry's leading
32-bit operating system for Intel-based personal computers that
offers customers new levels of function and performance while
providing businesses with a proven and reliable client/server
platform.

OS/2 2.1 has support for Windows** 3.1 applications, 32-bit
graphics, built-in multimedia features and longer battery life
for mobile PC platforms.  It also is more powerful and faster
than version 2.0.  All the capabilities of this award-winning
operating system -- including the built-in ability to run DOS,
Windows and OS/2 applications -- are available for the first
time on CD-ROM.

"OS/2 2.1 is a proven, tested operating system that provides
the stability and application protection a business needs when
its valuable information assets are implemented in client/server
environments," said Leland R. Reiswig Jr., president, Personal
Software Products.  "With today's announcements for OS/2, the
world's best 32-bit PC operating system just got better.  It
offers the power of the future and offers it today."

Reiswig added, "With IBM's experience in managing and
supporting enterprise computing, its industrial-strength
technology and a portfolio of client/server products that run on
OS/2, we are uniquely positioned to provide tested, stable
solutions for a customer's client/server needs."

The Momentum Continues

OS/2 momentum continues to build.  Since OS/2 2.0 became
available 14 months ago, more than two million copies have been
shipped.  More than 1,200 industry applications have been
developed, and major vendors such as Lotus, WordPerfect and
Computer Associates are releasing new 32-bit OS/2 versions of
their major products in response to customer demand.  AST,
Computer Associates, Information Builders Inc., Lotus and
WordPerfect today joined IBM by making announcements in support
of OS/2.

More than 100 OEMs are bundling, pre-loading or distributing
OS/2.  In addition, OS/2 has won 13 awards for technological
excellence from industry trade publications.

"A large number of customers have invested in exciting new
hardware that provides high performance and graphics
capabilities," said John Patrick, vice president, sales &
marketing, PSP.  "OS/2 provides a way for those users to step up
to an operating system that can exploit this advanced technology
and gain a seamless environment to run all of their DOS, Windows
and OS/2 applications."

Patrick added, "OS/2 is particularly attractive to users of
Windows 3.1.  They can continue to run these applications while
gaining additional benefits not possible with DOS and Windows,
such as pre-emptive multitasking."

Product Enhancements

OS/2 2.1 runs DOS, Windows and OS/2 applications better than
ever before, including support for Windows 3.1 applications with
performance comparable to Windows 3.1 applications running
natively.  OS/2 2.1 also enables a user to start up other
applications from within a Windows session running in OS/2.

In addition, Adobe Type Manager** Level 2.5 fonts are shipped
with OS/2 2.1, as are the Windows 3.1 File Manager, True Type
fonts, and selected applets.

The 32-bit graphics subsystem provides enhanced performance for
32-bit applications. Improved Palette Manager function provides
developers with access to more than 256 colors to provide
clearer and brighter images.

Seamless 32-bit display drivers improve the range of graphics
support in OS/2 2.1 to include SVGA, 8514/A, XGA, XGA-2 , and
VGA display adapters.  The SVGA drivers support  popular
industry chipsets from ATI, Cirrus Logic, Headland, Trident,
Tseng and Western Digital.

IBM's Multimedia Presentation Manager/2 (MMPM/2) is included
with OS/2 2.1, giving users unparalleled multimedia capability
as part of the base operating system.  MMPM/2 has been enhanced
in OS/2 2.1 to play digital motion video in software at 30
frames per second, with no motion video hardware required.
MMPM/2 provides system sounds on the Workplace Shell*, an audio
recording and editing applet, and an easy-to-use applet for
playing CD-ROMs.

MMPM/2 also provides a rich set of multimedia programming
interfaces, enabling users to create a new breed of OS/2
multimedia applications.  MMPM/2 supports MIDI, WAV and CD/XA
industry standard file formats, and includes device drivers for
Media Vision's Pro Audio Spectrum** 16 card, Creative Lab's
Sound Blaster** family of cards, and IBM's M-Audio card.

OS/2 2.1 contains enabling code to support industry-standard
PCMCIA 2.0 service specifications for credit-card sized adapter
cards.  OS/2 is the first operating system to ship this new
standard for mobile PC technology in the base product.  With
this support, users can dynamically hot-plug cards, meaning
cards with drivers that support OS/2 2.1 can be inserted or
removed while the computer is powered on.  In addition, the
industry-standard Advanced Power Management (APM) feature of
OS/2 2.1 helps reduce power consumption and extend the battery
life of portable PCs. This feature is enabled automatically when
OS/2 2.1 is installed on a system that supports the APM standard.

OS/2 2.1 supports more than 260 printers, including the newest,
highest-speed printers, such as the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet** 4
and DeskJet** 500 series; Epson and Epson compatible printers;
LaserJet compatibles and postscript printers.

OS/2 2.1 supports SCSI CD-ROM drives, including drives from CD
Technology, Hitachi, IBM, NEC, Panasonic, Sony, Texel, and
Toshiba.  These will work in combination with adapters from
Adaptec, DPT, Future Domain and IBM.

Complete Client/Server Solutions

With products from PSP, other IBM lines of business, business
partners and software vendors, customers are offered a complete
client/server solution.  Among the offerings are Lotus Notes**
and cc:Mail for workgroup computing and electronic mail;
DATABASE 2* for OS/2 (DB2/2)* for relational database
management; Distributed Database Connection Services/2 for
low-cost relational database connectivity; Communications
Manager/2 for managing communications connectivity; Information
Management System (IMS)/2 and Customer Information Control
System (CICS)/2* for client/server transaction processing, and
PC Support/400 for file and print sharing with IBM AS/400*
midrange systems.

All these IBM offerings bring robust, industrial strength large
system technology -- the integrity, security, and ability to
backup and recover data -- to the client/server environment
running OS/2.

Pricing & Availability

OS/2 2.1 will be generally available June 14 at a list price of
$249.  A 90-day promotional offering of $99 for CD-ROM versions
and $119 for diskette versions is available to users who order
an upgrade through PSP's toll free number -- 1-800-3IBM-OS2 . In
addition, OS/2 users who upgrade to 2.1 will receive a $30
rebate by filling out a coupon in the 2.1 box and mailing it
with the first page of their 2.0 manual.  Additional savings are
available if OS/2 2.1 is purchased through IBM business partners.


*    Indicates trademark or registered trademark of the
     International Business Machines Corp.

**   Indicates trademark of the following companies: Microsoft
     Corp. (Windows); Adobe Systems, Inc. (Adobe Type
     Manager); Media Vision, Inc. (Pro Audio Spectrum);
     Creative Labs, Inc. (Sound Blaster); Hewlett-Packard
     (LaserJet, DeskJet); Lotus Development Corp. (Notes).