OS/2 Shareware BBS: 16 Announce/16-Announce.zip/os2power.txt

Text File | 1996-07-27 | 7KB | 126 lines

Announcing: "OS/2 Power User's Reference: From OS/2 2.0 Through Warp"
   (Mark T. Chapman, McGraw-Hill; ISBN 0-07-912218-3; $44.95 USD)

Intended for the OS/2 user who's beyond the basics and wants to know how to
really put OS/2 through its paces, this book contains the answers to more than
1,000 questions both simple and complex, for all 32-bit versions of OS/2 from
2.0 and up.  In addition to the comprehensive Q&As and tips, there is a wealth
of reference information, from OS/2 hardware compatibility tables and
OS/2-related BBSes and PC User Groups, to phone numbers for OS/2 resellers
around the world and vendor technical support hotlines, to "hot" World Wide
Web home pages filled with interesting and informative information.  This is
the one to get when the "getting started" OS/2 books have run out of steam and
you are ready to become a Power User!

And if all this isn't enough, the companion CD-ROM contains more than
110MB of useful OS/2 bitmaps, device drivers, fonts, games, icons,
patches, sounds, and utilities.  Not only that, but the CD-ROM also
includes the complete book in INF format for online reading and keyword
searching.  (If you work on a corporate Help Desk, especially if you support
users of multiple versions of OS/2, then the online networkable version
of this book is perfect for you!  We use this information internally in the
IBM PC Company HelpCenter, where I work, to help answer incoming OS/2 support
calls.)

The OS/2 Power User's Reference is available from Barnes & Noble, Books a
Million, Books and More, Indelible Blue, Micro Center, Software Etc.,
university bookstores, and many other book and computer stores that carry
OS/2 books.  (Note: Some chains do not ship all books to all stores,
depending on sales history, but all stores can order these books from
their central warehouses, using the ISBN#.  As a last resort, contact
McGraw-Hill's sales department at:  800-822-8158 or 800-722-4726;
[e-mail]; http://www.mcgraw-hill.com; or
gopher.mcgraw-hill.com.)  For local Raleigh/Durham folks, I've talked the
B. Dalton bookstore in South Square Mall into carrying my book, and they'll
be displaying autographed copies in the window.  (They are very supportive
of local authors.)

Contents:
   Section I Q&As and Tips
      Overview
      Chapter 1 - Installation/Compatibility
      Chapter 2 - Configuration and Setup
      Chapter 3 - Workplace Shell/GUI
      Chapter 4 - Command Line Interface/Keyboard/PrtScr
      Chapter 5 - DOS/Windows Sessions (VDM)
      Chapter 6 - Printing and Printer Drivers
      Chapter 7 - CD-ROM, Video, and Other Device Drivers
      Chapter 8 - HPFS/FAT and Disk Drives
      Chapter 9 - Productivity Applets and Games
      Chapter 10 - Multimedia
      Chapter 11 - Applications
      Chapter 12 - Online Books
      Chapter 13 - Errors/Fixes/Maintenance Desktop
      Chapter 14 - OS/2 Preloads
      Chapter 15 - Warp BonusPak Applications
      Chapter 16 - Programmer Stuff
      Chapter 17 - Miscellaneous
      Chapter 18 - OS/2 2.11 for SMP
    Section II Compatibility Tables (on the CD-ROM only)
      Systems Supported by OS/2 (3,000+)
      SMP Systems Supported by OS/2 for SMP
      Pen-Based Computers/Tablets Supported by Pen for OS/2
      Processor/Motherboard Upgrades Supported by OS/2 (100+)
      Video Adapters/Chipsets Supported by OS/2 (300+)
      Printers/Plotters Supported by OS/2 (750+)
      Keyboard/Pointing Devices Supported by OS/2 (100+)
      SCSI Adapters Supported by OS/2 (150+)
      CD-ROM Drives Supported by OS/2 (200+)
      Tape Drives Supported by OS/2 (400+)
      PCMCIA Adapters Supported by OS/2 (200+)
      Network Adapters Compatible with OS/2 (200+)
      Multimedia/Sound Cards Supported by OS/2
      Scanners Compatible with OS/2
      Laserdisc Players Supported by OS/2
      Removable/Miscellaneous Media Supported by OS/2
    Appendix A - Sources of OS/2 and OS/2 Applications
    Appendix B - OS/2 Magazine/Newsletter/Catalog Subscriptions
    Appendix C - OS/2-Related BBS Phone Numbers (on the CD-ROM only)
    Appendix D - OS/2-Related User Groups (on the CD-ROM only)
    Appendix E - Computer Industry Acronyms (on the CD-ROM only)
    Appendix F - IBM Phone Numbers (on the CD-ROM only)
    Appendix G - Non-IBM Vendor Technical Support List (on the CD-ROM only)

In addition to having a printed version of the information for those occasions
when you don't have an OS/2 computer handy, or up and running, the companion
CD-ROM also includes more than 110MB of useful files and software including:

* The complete book, pictures and all, in an online version with keyword
  search and print capability.  The online version adds complete hardware
  compatibility lists of thousands of products certified OS/2-compatible, for
  which there wasn't room in the printed version.

* A second copy of the online book, but without the pictures.  This makes the
  book significantly smaller and quicker to open; an advantage to those with
  relatively slow processors, low memory, and/or small hard drives, as well as
  those accessing the book across a LAN.  Try the "full" version of the book
  first.  If the performance isn't to your liking then try this one.

* Nearly 1700 useful and interesting icons.  Some are replacements for
  system icons (such as drive icons that display a drive letter), others can
  be used with DOS applications that don't provide their own icons, still
  others are good for personalizing folders and other objects.

* Almost 300 .WAV audio files providing interesting and amusing sound effects
  that can be used as OS/2 system sounds.

* More than 100 Adobe Type 1 fonts, ready to be installed and used.

* Several dozen bitmaps, all using "OS/2" in some way in the images.  They are
  all eye-catching and make nice additions to your desktop.  They are divided
  into 640x480 (or smaller), 800x600, and 1024x768 sizes.  Most are in 256-color
  format, but a few use 16-bit (64K) color.

* A number of useful utilities and games, all native OS/2 apps.

* A number of device drivers for hardware not natively supported by OS/2, as
  well as a few updated drivers for those included with OS/2.

* A few patches are provided to cure problems in OS/2.

* Finally, there are several lengthy but useful text documents that explain
  how to do some things (like getting Myst to work), and .INF files that contain
  useful information, such as IBM World Wide Web and Gopher sites.

I hope this helps.  Let me know if you have any questions.  Take care.  Mark.