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OS/2 Help File
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1994-03-12
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43KB
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202 lines
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. About The Guide ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Hitchhikers Guide To OS/2
Issue #2
Published On 3/11/94
This guide is meant to give a concise report on current
OS/2 events. Any and all contents are solely my opinion. If you
don't agree with them run around the net and delete every copy
you can find. Otherwise sue me, but all I have is a 2400 baud
modem and a bunch of credit card bills. Anyone is welcome to the
latter :). Read on and I hope you enjoy another issue of the
HitchHiker's Guide To OS/2.
Any Comments Regarding The Guide or monetary donations can
be directed to:
sdudas@austin.onu.edu
Steve Dudas.
Special Thanks go to Dr. V. Phaniraj for letting me know
that wp2ipf/2 exists.
In you haven't guessed that is what this is done with.
Thanks to Kim Kruse Hansen for the great job he has done with
this application.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Here and Now ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Hitchhikers Guide To OS/2
Topic #1 The CSD.
Well it's been here for about two weeks, and while I have heard about a
number of problems, I have not experienced any of them. A few people have
complained that their swap file grows very large and does not shrink properly.
Some have suggested that OS/2 may be operating correctly, but I seem to
remember the same problem when running OS/2 2.0 GA code. There was a fix for
it then and I would look for another fix soon.
On the subject of 2.11 fixes, it should be noted that IBM will most likely
NOT update any of the CSD disks. Rather, they will release small patches to be
applied to 2.11 code. So if you are thinking about waiting to download it,
don't.
Topic #2 Filemanager /2
This pretty wicked filemanager that I reviewed in the last issue has been
updated AGAIN to 1.34. Does this guy have a life? Just kidding.. keep up the
good work! Again, I have not had a chance to try the new version, but send me
your thoughts anyways.
Topic #3 Multiple Message Queues
Ms. Dimpfel, director of Personal Operating Systems Software for IBM, said
that Multiple Message Queues will not be implemented in OS/2 in the near
future. Apparently OS/2 is too heavily structured around a serialized input
queue and IBM is really not sure how to change the queue over to a MMQ setup.
While this may disappoint many of you, she also noted that IBM is working on
a solution to the problem of entire system hangs when an application locks the
queue. It should also be stated that WorkPlace OS was written from the ground
up with Multiple Message Queues. So be patient. :)
Topic #4 Chicago
MicroSoft does it again. Like always they are way off schedule. A beta
that was supposed to ship this month has been moved back to "June at the
earliest". Apparently they are finding it harder than they thought to build a
32-bit OS. Go figure. I personally think that the March beta was on a
DoubleSpaced drive that crashed. :*)
Also MicroSoft "revised" the system requirements for Chicago. According to
Microsoft you will need a 386-25 with 4 megs of RAM as a minimum, but they
recommend that you have a 486DX33 with 8 megs of RAM. Hmm whatever happened
to Chicago + Win31 apps running quickly in 4 megs??? Oh well that's okay OS/2
2.11 can run decently on a 486-25SX with 6 megs of RAM. Maybe the boys in
Redmond will be calling IBM support for programming tips when the next Chicago
beta is due in June.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. SoftViews ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Hitchhikers Guide To OS/2
This Weeks review goes to Hazel 1.2a and the new DTC drivers.
Written by Golden G. Richard III, Hazel is a very nice PM address book.
Its very simple and very easy to use. I also downloaded a program called
Rolodex 2.5 to make a comparison but there is none. Rolodex loses hands down.
Rolodex is an extremely slow and bulky program. It is not well organized and
rather difficult to use. I was able to start Hazel right up, and within 10
mins. I had a pretty good working knowledge of the program. I spent over half
an hour with Rolodex and only learned how to delete anything that I entered,
mind you I was trying to save the new entries at the time. Both programs, like
all shareware reviewed here, can be found on ftp-os2.cdrom.com in the /pub/os2
directory.
DTC Driver Review Written By E. Larry Lidz
Well, I just got a Beta Copy of DTC's OS/2.x driver for the DTC3270VL
SCSI-2 Controller.. It (along with beta drivers for the rest of their
controllers) is on their BBS. What does this mean for DTC users? First, the
main difference seems to be the volume of the disk access -- my hard drive now
only accesses about 1/4 the time it did before, and I doubt that I would be
able to hear it at all if I didn't have the case to my computer off. Second,
there is a noticeable speed increase. This comes about since OS/2 is no longer
required to send all Disk Access commands through the System BIOS, a
time-consuming procedure to say the least! Lastly, of course, is the ability
to have SCSI devices on the controller. I haven't tested this, since my only
SCSI device is my hard drive, but at least theoretically, it should allow for
people to hook up CD-Roms (like the new Nec Quadruple speeds that are due out
later this week or so) to their DTC SCSI Controllers, and have them be
accessible under OS/2. To get the DTC controllers, call their BBS, the number
is in your DTC manual. If there is enough demand, I might submit the 3270
driver to ftp.cdrom.com (the IDE drivers are already there.) Just let me know
through Mr. Dudas ( Mharmless) if you are interested. I wonder if this means
that DTC has changed their long-held opinion that "OS/2 is a dead operating
system"?
- Ea (ellidz@midway.uchicago.edu) [E. Larry Lidz]
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. TechnoWatch ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Hitchhikers Guide To OS/2
The day has arrived, this coming Monday (3/14/94), Apple will be releasing
the first PowerPC for sale to the general public. From the demos, it appears
that the PowerPC 601 averages about two to three times the speed on a Pentium.
Now we all get to spend the next ten months waiting for WorkPlace OS to arrive
for the PowerPC. It will be a very long wait indeed.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. OS/2 Tips ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Hitchhikers Guide To OS/2
Here is a very easy way to change an icon. Using your drive Icon open a
subfolder which contains a number of icons. Such as icons from one of the many
icon files you can download from ftp-os2.cdrom.com. Once open, you will see
each icon as a separate graphic. Next open the settings of the program whose
icon you would like to change, and click on "general". A picture of the
current icon will appear in the settings box. Now just drag the new icon over
and drop it over the picture of the current icon. Instantly the change takes
effect.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Trivia Question ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Hitchhikers Guide To OS/2
What language did Niklaus Wirth help develop for the IBM 704 computer?
Answer to last Issues Trivia Question:
The machine that Pascal invented was given to Queen Christina of Sweden in
1650. After that the machine was apparently lost.
And to answer the bonus: He discovered the properties of the Cycloid Curve.
Yes I know these are hard... but stop by the library and look it up! Who
knows, you may learn something.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. DESKTOP CONTEST!!! ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Okay folks heres your chance to show off! We are going to have a friendly
little desktop contest. Send all entries in a dcc send it to me, or contact me
via e-mail to make some arrangements. I will start the contest off by showing
off my desktop. :)
FYI: one of the easiest ways to get a nice .bmp of your desktop is to use
PmJpeg 1.5 and its desktop capture option.
P.S. My desktop won't be entered for obvious reasons. :*)
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. How To Submit an Article ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
The Hitchhikers Guide To OS/2
Please Include the following Information in all submissions.
1) Your full name( No nicks for you ircers)
2) email-address
3) Date article was completed on.
4) A ONE sentence summary of the article.
5) Articles must be in a zipped file. The text should
be contained in a single ASCII text file. All
graphics should be in the .bmp format and may be in
256 colors. About 300 x 300 is a good size.
** I am unable to return any copies of articles sent to me **