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eComStation 1.1 Entry Edition Review
Gentu writes "OSNews reviews the latest incarnation of the legendary OS/2, eComStation 1.1 Entry Edition. The product was released less than a month ago, after a 1.5 years gap of the original 1.0 eCS version. The Serenity Systems guy seems to have overhaul the installation procedure, but not always with the best results."
I loved OS/2 (although I never tried Warp 4) back in the day. I stopped using it only when it was apparent that it was dead; but I have always had it in my mind that it was a really great OS (and compared to what was available at the time, it really was).
I installed eCS recently to revel in the computing bliss that was OS/2, only to find out that what was cool 8 years ago, isn't all that cool anymore. Oh well.
I loved OS/2 like no other os. OS/2 truely let me choose what i want out of my os.
:)
I could rip the gui off and install a 3rd party shell manager, i could install a command line shell/task switcher, i could extend the desktop, i could replace system objects and i could use modular file systems and much much more. It was just a "theme" or hack, it was extending the framework.. something unique even to this day!
Sure back in the 2.0 and 2.11 days running Windows Apps was an extra bonus, but i didn't bother with it other then saying "cool".
I was too busy bugging Mustang software to port wildcat! pro over, after they failed i jumped ship to PcBoard 15 and then eventually adopted synchronet all of which ran beautifully under OS/2 and still let me play my Sierra Games, surf the web and listen to my S3M's, MOD's and watch my future crew demos and chat online..
OS/2 Replaced DESQview 386 & Qemm as a stable and very nice MULTITASKING os. I was sure as hell glad when i finally got a CDROM as pushing floppies during install sucked ass. I had to upgrade to 16 megs of memory, but back then that was alot cheaper then pilling up multiple computers and running netware!!
But the golden era started when OS/2 Connect Came out. OS/2 connect taught me what networking was about. OS/2 connect gave me my first run into the world of TCP/IP, Netbios, and netware (had to install the OS/2 netware client to join up with my other machines for playing Doom!) I was able to run my BBS and have a 19.2 modem connection to the internet and it all worked through the magic SIO comm driver replacements. Runnning DOS doors, IRC chats, Usenet gateways and UUCP feeds, i was the baddest 15 year old running an BBS/ISP.
Not to mention i was a part of TeamOS/2, getting free shirts, visiting conferences and getting published in books! Remember those OS/2 unleashed books? I'm there
Everything started to peak at OS/2 warp 3.0.. for a while there was even 3rd party software at the store. Object desktop was showing the power of object oriented desktop and the gui/workplace shell and days were looking good.
Then came... OS/2 Warp 4.0 with its 179.00+ upgrade and 299.00 base fee.. NT 4.0 was now out and pushing for...uhm.. FREE on any PC you bought that day.. basically putting the nail in the coffin.
I ran OS/2 warp 4.0 for a while longer and then switched to Linux and NT myself.. Linux was finally coming of age and after being the first BBS in houston to offer linux for download i (12 floppies mang) i chose to convert myself.
BBS Scene died, had to spend more time in school, got a job and ended up working my way up through the internet world and now work as an oracle guru..
funny how OS/2 started it all for me. Nice to see some of that still alive. Visit OS2.org and say high! There is even a port of Wine to run windows apps emulated/native on OS/2 and much much more..
amazingly, driver support is still doing well. IBM *STILL* sells OS/2.. its just called "WorkPlace OS" now.
ROCK SOLID memory management is the KEY. I work for a very LARGE bank and we've got rights to the source code and LONG term contracts with IBM for support. It hooks in with Z/OS Linux on IBM mainframe hardware as if it was made for it :)
Native SNA connecticity doesn't hurt either.
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
Last I knew, Nortel Norstar NAMs (Network Access Modules) ran OS/2. We got a new one within the last year or so and it had OS/2 just like our other one did from before. Further testament to OS/2 is the fact that these NAMs don't have power switches and are typically installed without mouse/keyboard/monitor. It is understood that you simply yank the power cord to power them off, plug it back in to turn them on, and the things just keep ticking.
WTF is it so damned hard for the Open Source community to come up with something like the WPS, which is arguably the most efficient interface in existence...and it ran FINE on a 486 with 8MB of ram???
Nautilus? Give me a fscking break!
I grew up on OS/2 (well, after moving up from an old Sony SMC-70 and a variety of 8088s and 286s). I loved it's GUI. (yes, even without stable virtual desktops) It was just about the only thing that would handle our old P75's aging graphics card gracefully at anything other than 800x600. (sadly, we now use that box as a monitorless linux printserver and no longer have OS/2 installed anywhere else in this house)
Even now that I have happily switched over to Linux and KDE, I find that there's one feature that OS/2 got right, and that I still miss: right-click-drag.
It had the rmb handle dragging, leaving the lmb free for selection, which came in handy when I wanted to select a group of icons that weren't all in a convenient rectangle without having to move my hand to the keyboard and repeatedly click. It was nice when I wanted to select alot of email messages quickly in PMMail. I didn't have to use shift+click or ctrl+click. All I had to do was hold the left button and swipe over the icons that I wanted highlighted. Emelfm, the file manager I use, comes close to this with its chord/middle-click drag, but it just isn't the same.
heh... This much nostalgia in someone of my age can't be good...
I've read Grocklaw. BoycottNovell, you're no Grocklaw
Corparates, who actually buy operating systems and support.
o .phtml
Its amazing how a corparate OS was reviewed by the reviewer. At one point, I expected he would bitch about "game" support etc.
Wake up guys. That is NOT an OS to use at home. Allthough it can be used, its not the purpose of it.
Its name "eCom" lights a clue? Its for e-commerce etc. Well, read this "spec" and decide yourself how bad it was reviewed.
http://www.ecomstation.com/product_inf
I am a win2k professional user, I don't even think to migrate to that OS, since its not RIGHT for my user profile. But it doesn't give me right to say "its dead". I'd sound funny to IT pros, thats all. Sorry to say (I know this post will be at -1 or something, so nvm), Novell isn't right for home too. So, if you don't see it running on your friends house, it doesn't mean "its dead" too.
Also "Don't install to mission critical machines since it disables dual boot"? Oh give me a break... That guy is paid to review?
anyway, -1 me now...