Abstract: Most distinctive of all the features of IBM's new OS/2 Version 2.0 operating system is its ability to run applications made for DOS, Windows and OS/2 simultaneously. This brings a brand new dimension to multi-tasking and, needless to say, is a very slick trick. This juggling act is also highly suited to the needs of education's multi-vendor, multi-user, multi-everything environment. Indeed, there is much about OS/22.0 that makes particular sense for an educational institution. But let's describe the basics first. * Very Briefly OS/2 Version 2.0 is a true 32-bit operating system expressly designed to take advantage of the power of the latest generation of 386SX-based and above computer systems. It can address huge amounts of chip-based memory and offers virtual memory, in which the hard disk serves as extra RAM, as well. Most impressively, it can concurrently run multiple programs along with doing other tasks, all at the same time without any perceptible decrease in performance. Power untapped is power wasted, however, so OS/2 2.0 supplies a new graphical user interface (GUI) that is elegant and highly functional. It is also thoroughly customizable. Ease of use is paramount--there is a drag-and-drop approach to just about everything. This new operating system is an integrated platform, a place where DOS, Windows and OS/2 co-exist peacefully. Further, data can easily be shared and linked between applications of all three flavors. This latter capability is of particular value in education, where collaborative work is common. Finally, OS/2 Version 2.0 is made to be a stable working environment. Preemptive multi-tasking helps keep programs from interfering with each other. And if one application crashes, it does not end other tasks or take the rest of the system down with it. * Look, Feel, Go New to Version 2.0 is a greatly enhanced GUI. Input from all kinds of users was actively solicited and then addressed in the design of the new interface--and it shows. Called the Workplace Shell, the user environment is object driven. This means that objects (or icons) represent items such as data files, printers, e-mail, applications and more. To use an object, just click on it and it acts. This is a seamless, intuitive way to work. Folders in the Workplace Shell are utilized like they are in the physical world, to organize related material. Folders can hold all types of objects--data files, programs, even other folders. Again, this lets people work in a natural, familiar way. Tweakability is also a highlight of the interface; users are given nearly unlimited powers to arrange, colorize, reduce, enlarge and otherwise tailor the electronic desktop to suit demands and desires. For students, faculty, staff and everyone else, the new interface means less time learning how to use OS/2 2.0 and more time applying it. To further aid the system's immediate usability, 25 mini-applications are already built in. These applets include personal work aids such as a calendar, notepad, calculator and to-do list; editors for text, graphics/charts, icons and simple musical tunes; utilities for finding and browsing files; and programs for basic needs such as a screen saver and locking the keyboard. Adobe Type Manager for both Windows and OS/2 environments is also included. * Notables for Education There are both major and minor features of OS/2 Version 2.0 that are especially helpful in educational computing. First and foremost, its sheer, raw processing power--via multi-tasking, multiple execution threads and a 32-bit kernel--meets the intensive computing demands of education. For example, through a technique called Virtual DOS Machines, OS/2 2.0 can actually run up to 240 separate DOS sessions, with each having access to more memory than if it were on a dedicated machine. …
Publication Year: 1992
Publication Date: 1992-06-01
Language: en
Type: article
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