As a long-time OS/2 user, I want to make two points.
First, this does NOT mean the death of OS/2, or of the client. You can STILL buy OS/2 Warp 4, and it STILL works great. I won't waste your time touting the benefits of OS/2 Warp 4, but they do exist. I'm perfectly happy with my three computers at home running OS/2 Warp, and I know of a lot of cool software that's being developed and will be relaesed over the next six months (and beyond). In fact, I'm not even sure I'd buy Warp 5 if it did come out. If I did, it'd be mostly to show my support.
Second, even if Stardock did come out with a Warp 5 (or whatever they'd call it) client, it would be more for marketing than technology. Any Warp 5 client created would be based on the Warp 5 server, and the only thing that would be different between Warp 4 and Warp 5 is the addition of SMP support. Considering that only 1% (at most) of computers out there have SMP support, it wouldn't help much. There would be no real new technology in Warp 5. There won't be any support for Windows 95 apps or anything major like that. Anyone could take Warp 4 today and create a CD that installs XFree86, EMX, Gimp, Star Office, Object Desktop, and whatever else is currently available, and it would be identical to Stardock's Warp 5.
Why? Stardock, since they won't have the OS/2 source code, can only do so much (i.e. nothing). And if IBM releeased a new client instead, they WOULDN'T add any new features that don't already exist in Warp 5 server.
So in the end, 99% of everyone who uses Warp 4 and has downloaded the standard add-ons is already running Warp 5.
No, it just means that IBM won't release a Warp 5 client. You can still buy and use Warp 4 (like many of us do), and it still works great.
Frankly, the Warp 5 client from Stardock or IBM would have been more of a marketing deal than a technology deal. It would have some of the features of the server, but the only one of importance would be SMP support. Other than that, it'd be just like Warp 4.
I know this is off-topic, but to answer the question, IBM doesn't exactly provide stellar support for home users. You're much better off relying on the support of fellow OS/2 users. IBM does still provide updates and bug fixes for OS/2 for free, though, but they tend to be geared towards the needs of their big corporate clients. For instance, USB keyboard support is way more important than USB scanner support, so OS/2 has the former but not the latter.
However, that won't stop hundreds of us from attending Warpstock '99 next month, right after the Atlanta Linux Showcase.
There are rumors of Stardock taking over a small-user version of the OS/2 client. We'll know for sure this weekend. You can keep track of the OS/2 world by visiting WarpCast
Knuth, now 61, hopes to finish the book around 2003 -- though "that's probably slipped by a year or two," he admits. It could be a decade or two into the next millennium before he completes the set.
Given the average lifespan of most famous computer scientists, I'd say our beloved Mr. Knuth will be dead before he finishes Volume 4, let alone Volume 5 (will there be a 5?)
People complain that the Windows 9x kernel is buggy, but considering that it runs everything from ancient DOS games to 32 bit applications, it's a miracle it runs at all.
I hate to break this to you, but OS/2 Warp also runs everything from ancient DOS apps to 32-bit applications. But, it runs DOS apps and Windows 3.1 apps much better than Windows (any version) does, and it runs 32-bit OS/2 apps as well as some 32-bit Windows apps. It can run multiple DOS and Windows apps simultaneously without the performance impact you experience with Windows - I can format a floppy under DOS, compile with a DOS compiler, print from a DOS app, and download a file, all at the same time. It also runs XFree86 and has several Unix apps ported to it.
All this, and it's a hundred times more stable than Windows. In other words, you should not be surprised that Windows runs at all. Every OS/2 user knows that it's possible to for an operating system to do all that Windows does (and more) and still be stable.
There are many more systems out there that are tested under OS/2 than under Linux. OS/2 has been around longer than Linux, and large companies use OS/2 a lot more than they use Linux. And since OS/2 has a similar HW support problem that Linux does, one easy way to weed out the non-Linux compatible systems is to look for those that are fully supported by OS/2.
After all, that's why some OS/2 users do. They buy systems with Linux preloaded, delete Linux and install OS/2. They get a system with more cross-platform support, and they don't pay the MS tax.
IBM Thinkpads are known for their OS/2 compatibility. Not all of them, mind you. You can't even install OS/2 on the 570 series, for instance. But there are a number of Thinkpads that officially support OS/2.
I personally purchased an older Toshiba laptop from http://www.usedlaptops.com/. Since Linux and OS/2 run better on older hardware than Windows does, you can get more bang for the buck with older systems.
For everyone attending the Atlanta Linux Showcase, you might also be interested in attending Warpstock '99 which is the weekend after the ALS and it's also in Atlanta. It's a great week for people interested in alternate operating systems!!!
The OS/2 version has been out for a while, although the current stable release is 1.02 (1.1x is still being worked on). For more information, check out http://www.netlabs.org/gimp/index.html.
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As for getting a copy of OS/2, there are plenty of options. Visit http://www.os2ss.com/Information/NewUser s/.
First, this does NOT mean the death of OS/2, or of the client. You can STILL buy OS/2 Warp 4, and it STILL works great. I won't waste your time touting the benefits of OS/2 Warp 4, but they do exist. I'm perfectly happy with my three computers at home running OS/2 Warp, and I know of a lot of cool software that's being developed and will be relaesed over the next six months (and beyond). In fact, I'm not even sure I'd buy Warp 5 if it did come out. If I did, it'd be mostly to show my support.
Second, even if Stardock did come out with a Warp 5 (or whatever they'd call it) client, it would be more for marketing than technology. Any Warp 5 client created would be based on the Warp 5 server, and the only thing that would be different between Warp 4 and Warp 5 is the addition of SMP support. Considering that only 1% (at most) of computers out there have SMP support, it wouldn't help much. There would be no real new technology in Warp 5. There won't be any support for Windows 95 apps or anything major like that. Anyone could take Warp 4 today and create a CD that installs XFree86, EMX, Gimp, Star Office, Object Desktop, and whatever else is currently available, and it would be identical to Stardock's Warp 5.
Why? Stardock, since they won't have the OS/2 source code, can only do so much (i.e. nothing). And if IBM releeased a new client instead, they WOULDN'T add any new features that don't already exist in Warp 5 server.
So in the end, 99% of everyone who uses Warp 4 and has downloaded the standard add-ons is already running Warp 5.
Frankly, the Warp 5 client from Stardock or IBM would have been more of a marketing deal than a technology deal. It would have some of the features of the server, but the only one of importance would be SMP support. Other than that, it'd be just like Warp 4.
However, that won't stop hundreds of us from attending Warpstock '99 next month, right after the Atlanta Linux Showcase.
There are rumors of Stardock taking over a small-user version of the OS/2 client. We'll know for sure this weekend. You can keep track of the OS/2 world by visiting WarpCast
Given the average lifespan of most famous computer scientists, I'd say our beloved Mr. Knuth will be dead before he finishes Volume 4, let alone Volume 5 (will there be a 5?)
I hate to break this to you, but OS/2 Warp also runs everything from ancient DOS apps to 32-bit applications. But, it runs DOS apps and Windows 3.1 apps much better than Windows (any version) does, and it runs 32-bit OS/2 apps as well as some 32-bit Windows apps. It can run multiple DOS and Windows apps simultaneously without the performance impact you experience with Windows - I can format a floppy under DOS, compile with a DOS compiler, print from a DOS app, and download a file, all at the same time. It also runs XFree86 and has several Unix apps ported to it.
All this, and it's a hundred times more stable than Windows. In other words, you should not be surprised that Windows runs at all. Every OS/2 user knows that it's possible to for an operating system to do all that Windows does (and more) and still be stable.
After all, that's why some OS/2 users do. They buy systems with Linux preloaded, delete Linux and install OS/2. They get a system with more cross-platform support, and they don't pay the MS tax.
IBM Thinkpads are known for their OS/2 compatibility. Not all of them, mind you. You can't even install OS/2 on the 570 series, for instance. But there are a number of Thinkpads that officially support OS/2.
I personally purchased an older Toshiba laptop from http://www.usedlaptops.com/. Since Linux and OS/2 run better on older hardware than Windows does, you can get more bang for the buck with older systems.
For everyone attending the Atlanta Linux Showcase, you might also be interested in attending Warpstock '99 which is the weekend after the ALS and it's also in Atlanta. It's a great week for people interested in alternate operating systems!!!
The OS/2 version has been out for a while, although the current stable release is 1.02 (1.1x is still being worked on). For more information, check out http://www.netlabs.org/gimp/index.html.