I have just finished reading Mastering OS/2 Warp, The OS/2 Warp Bible by Peter Dyson. No, I didn't read it word by word but I did cover a very large number of the 1245 pages. I skipped a few sections that were devoted to topics I either wasn't interested in (IBM Works) or didn't have time for just now (OS/2 REXX programming). While I did skim these sections quickly to make sure the book's general consistency was maintained along with the overall quality, I can't honestly say that I read every word.

Let me start with the easy part and say that this is a very good book. If you use OS/2 Warp or are considering moving there (either from DOS/Windows/Win95 or from earlier versions of OS/2), I would wholeheartedly recommend getting a copy of The Warp Bible. I found it to be well written and very comprehensive in it's coverage of Warp. Twelve hundred pages may sound daunting but this book is well laid out and information can be located easily and quickly even if you don't read it cover to cover. I especially liked the way the author highlights certain sections as "Notes", "Tips", "Warnings" or "Instant Expert" information. Notes give definitions or explanations of topics that might not be immediately obvious. Tips are used to show how things could be done in different ways and perhaps make things easier. Warnings are fairly self-explanatory. The Instant Expert sections contain some of the more interesting information. These tidbits provide advanced or undocumented information that is very useful even to a long time OS/2 user.

The information in the book is provided factually and stays as far away as possible from the "My OS is better than your OS" rhetoric. Each section is well laid out and the overall flow of the book is very good. There is an excellent section on the CONFIG.SYS file which explains how OS/2 processes the file and which lines and drivers are processed in what order. There is another very good section on WinOS2 and the various DOS/Windows settings. The definitions here are clear and easily understood.

I did find two small items that were incorrect but these are obviously a result of changes made after the book went to press. Specifically, Dyson reports that you cannot access the "Retrieve Software Updates" feature unless you connect to Advantis (this was originally the case in late betas but IBM changed their mind and opened access to everyone when Warp went GA). He also states that you cannot have a LAN and SLIP (dial up) TCP/IP connection at the same time (this was also true with IBM TCP/IP v2.0 but changed with the release of TCP/IP v3.0 which is available and ships as part of OS/2 Warp Connect). These are both very minor and cannot be blamed on the author (I mention them here only for clarification/informational purposes).

The Internet section focuses mainly on connecting via the IBM Advantis service but does give good coverage to the major TCP/IP applets that are included in OS/2 Warp (UltiMail, NewsReader/2, Gopher, WebExplorer, Telnet, TN3270, and FTP-PM as well as command line utilities like Finger, FTP and Ping). There are other sections on FaxWorks, HyperAccess (terminal program), CIM (CompuServe access program), IBM Works, Person to Person and MMPM/2 (Warp Multimedia support).

If you are a beginning to mid level OS/2 user or are considering installing OS/2 Warp on your computer, you would do well to acquire a copy of this book. In addition to being an excellent source of OS/2 Warp information, it also includes the Hobbes CD-ROM which John Dvorak (well known computer industry personality) described as "the best of the best... [there are]". The CD itself is chock full of OS/2 software (shareware, freeware, IBM EWS) direct from the hobbes.nmsu.edu FTP site. And if that's not enough, there is also a full OS/2 Command Reference section and Appendices on OS/2 Resources, Advanced OS/2 installation techniques (CID) and OS/2 hardware compatibility.

The price tag on the copy I have says $55.00. The binding on the book itself says $39.99 (US). Either way, this is a great book and well worth the investment.

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