IBM’s OS/2 Needs Time to Mature

Release of a new operating system is indeed a major event. Such a system is the program that tells the computer how to perform basic operations. Most importantly, it helps determine how the user will interact with the computer.

And perhaps the most heralded new operating system ever has finally arrived. IBM’s Operating System/2, or “OS/2,” is available after nearly a year and a half of anticipation and hype.

Actually, a preliminary version of OS/2 hit the market about a year ago, but I didn’t bother requesting a review copy until last month, when IBM released Version 1.1. That’s the version which some say is IBM’s response to the success of the Apple Macintosh. It includes the “Presentation Manager,” which gives the IBM personal computer some of the attributes of the Macintosh. The new operating system is available from IBM dealers for $395.

The original IBM PC operating system, called “DOS,” for “disk operating system,” was released in 1981. It is also known as “MS-DOS”--the “MS” stands for Microsoft, the company that developed the operating system for IBM and IBM-compatible makers. OS/2 was also developed by Microsoft and, like DOS, will be available for IBM-compatible machines from other companies.

OS/2 is a “multi-tasking” operating system that allows you to run several programs at once. And the Presentation Manager, which works with OS/2, allows those programs to run within windows on the screen. Presentation Manager has a so-called “graphical” user interface. Text can appear in a variety of type styles and sizes, and you can easily mix text and graphics.

If you have more than one program running, you can switch between programs by pointing to the appropriate window. Also, as an option to typing commands, users can make choices by pointing to menu items with a hand-held pointing device, called a mouse.

To use OS/2, you’ll need a machine that is equipped with an Intel 80286 or 80386 central processing unit chip, or CPU, and at least two megabytes of main memory. Microsoft Chairman William Gates recommends at least four megabytes of memory to take advantage of future OS/2 software.

The majority of IBM PCs and compatibles in use today have slower and less powerful CPUs that are not able to run OS/2. And it’s rare to find a PC with more than one megabyte of main memory. Of course, you can buy extra hardware to upgrade just about any PC to run OS/2 if you’re willing to spend some money.

For my evaluation of OS/2, IBM lent me a Personal System/2 Model 70 with 12 megabytes of main memory and 80 megabytes of disk storage. It’s an awesome machine but with a suggested retail price of more than $15,000, I’m not about to buy it.

The OS/2 version I tested comes on four 1.44 megabyte disks. That’s nearly six megabytes of disk space just for the operating system and related files. Loading OS/2 on the machine, however, is easy. Step-by-step instructions appear on the screen.

There are more than 600 pages of instruction, but, blessedly, IBM included an easy-to-follow 160-page getting started guide.

When using OS/2 you have the option of working in an environment that looks just like DOS, or you can use the Presentation Manager. When using the manager, your computer is instantly transformed into an entirely different animal. You enter commands by using a mouse to select options from an on-screen menu.

Every program that runs under the Presentation Manager has a similar interface, making it easy to learn new software once you get the hang of it.

Like the Mac, Presentation Manager makes it possible to move data from one program to another. You use the mouse to highlight text, numbers or graphics and copy the information into an area of memory called the clipboard so that you can later “paste” it into another program.

Commands, such as starting programs, printing and formatting disks are handled within special Presentation Manager menus that pop-up as windows on your screen. One set of menus, called “the file system,” displays all the programs on your disk. You run a program by pointing to it with the mouse. Another menu, called “Start Programs,” can be customized to list only those programs you use regularly.

If you want to run regular DOS applications, you can do so by selecting a DOS icon. That brings you to an area of OS/2 known as the “DOS Compatibility Box.” The graphic interface goes away and you are taken to a full screen where you can run most DOS applications. You are able to switch back and forth between a DOS application and the Presentation Manager at any time.

If you’ve used a Macintosh, you have a general idea of how Presentation Manager works. If you’ve used Microsoft Windows, you have an even better idea. Although Presentation Manager has some enhancements, compared to Windows, the two environments look a lot alike.

Microsoft, which developed both Windows and OS/2, hoped to inspire software developers to write programs for Windows and later for OS/2. Windows doesn’t require as much hardware power as OS/2, but it does require the machine to display graphics.

For a limited time, Presentation Manager is being shipped with a free copy of SideKick from Borland International. SideKick includes a limited word processing program, a calendar program, a time manager and a phone dialer. The word processor is rudimentary, but I was able to use it to write this column.

Microsoft and IBM have put a lot of pressure on software companies to write OS/2 applications and some excellent programs will, no doubt, be along within a few months. But unless you’re a software developer or a user who likes to be on the leading edge of technology, you’re better off saving your money until those applications come along.

If you want a graphic user interface now, get a Macintosh or try Microsoft Windows. The Macintosh, which has been around for nearly five years, plays host to hundreds of programs. There are a growing number of Windows programs including software for word processing, spreadsheet, desktop publishing, communications and a graphics. Eventually, OS/2 and the Presentation Manager will make sense for users, but not yet. Give it a chance to age awhile.

Computer File welcomes readers’ comments but regrets that the authors cannot respond individually to letters. Write to Lawrence J. Magid, 1641 North First St., Suite 160, San Jose, Calif. 95112, or contact the L. Magid account on the MCI electronic mail system.