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OS/2 2.0 found sealed at value village.


mehguy

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I found it today and I had to pick it up. How much is it worth?

 

I have used OS/2 since OS/2 2.1 Beta. eCommerce Station (eComStation ) is currently still supported, and OS/2 Warp 4 can be used for an upgrade..

 

OS/2 2.0 was the first 32 Bit version of OS/2, it came bundled with Micro-Soft Windows 3.0. ( and according to legend, since IBM has access to the Source Code, recompiled the Windows 3.0 Source with the Watcom 'C/C++' Compiler, and achieved a 10% Speed Increase )

 

It had quite a few limitation, mainly lack of Hardware Support from 3rd Party Vendors and was particular about what hardware it was running on..

 

I have seen a few eBay Auctions, but I don't remember them selling.. It appears the current Asking Price is $40.00 to $55.00 ( USD ), with one posted at $250.00!!! I doubt very much they will get that much, for any of them.

 

As an interesting side note, There are some Auctions for the OS/2 2.1 Demo Disk, like this one:

IBM OS/2 Version 2.1 - CD-ROM PROMO COPY WITH OS/2 WARP DEMO DISKETTE

 

These are NOT WARP, ( which is version 3 or 4 ), but were a version of OS/2 2.1, bundled without Windows 3.1, because IBM gave these Demos away, for Free... I have a half dozen of these tucked away, somewhere....

 

I would estimate $10.00 to $20.00 even though still sealed.. OS/2 has a limited following, and not much public awareness..

MarkO

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I have used OS/2 since OS/2 2.1 Beta. eCommerce Station (eComStation ) is currently still supported, and OS/2 Warp 4 can be used for an upgrade..

 

OS/2 2.0 was the first 32 Bit version of OS/2, it came bundled with Micro-Soft Windows 3.0. ( and according to legend, since IBM has access to the Source Code, recompiled the Windows 3.0 Source with the Watcom 'C/C++' Compiler, and achieved a 10% Speed Increase )

 

It had quite a few limitation, mainly lack of Hardware Support from 3rd Party Vendors and was particular about what hardware it was running on..

 

I have seen a few eBay Auctions, but I don't remember them selling.. It appears the current Asking Price is $40.00 to $55.00 ( USD ), with one posted at $250.00!!! I doubt very much they will get that much, for any of them.

 

As an interesting side note, There are some Auctions for the OS/2 2.1 Demo Disk, like this one:

IBM OS/2 Version 2.1 - CD-ROM PROMO COPY WITH OS/2 WARP DEMO DISKETTE

 

These are NOT WARP, ( which is version 3 or 4 ), but were a version of OS/2 2.1, bundled without Windows 3.1, because IBM gave these Demos away, for Free... I have a half dozen of these tucked away, somewhere....

 

I would estimate $10.00 to $20.00 even though still sealed.. OS/2 has a limited following, and not much public awareness..

MarkO

would anyone really want to buy it?

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would anyone really want to buy it?

 

 

An OS/2 collector... For memorabilia..

 

Unlike Windows, OS/2 is very backward compatible.. Network Drivers built for Warp 3.0 run fine on eComStation. I would guess that just about anything written to run on OS/2 2.0, will still run on eComStation... Which means that you don't need to keep an OS/2 2.0 system around to Run that One Application..

 

MarkO

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An OS/2 collector... For memorabilia..

 

Unlike Windows, OS/2 is very backward compatible.. Network Drivers built for Warp 3.0 run fine on eComStation. I would guess that just about anything written to run on OS/2 2.0, will still run on eComStation... Which means that you don't need to keep an OS/2 2.0 system around to Run that One Application..

 

MarkO

Where can I sell this thing? Kijiji? Craigslist?

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Where can I sell this thing? Kijiji? Craigslist?

 

 

Start there... But the Audience for this item is very limited... I would expect eBay or AmiBay would be more relevant to your intended audience.. I have never tried AmiBay, but have bought many things on eBay.

 

MarkO

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Was the newer version of OS/2 Warp compatible with any newer 95+ version of Windows?

 

I had a industrial/manufacturing machine... can't remember what the model was, but it was built by IBM and was used for controlling robots or some kind of infrastructure. It was a long grey case... shaped like a Twinkie actually, had a gigantic vent in the front with a huge foam air filter and a massive fan in the front and ports in the back. I can't remember what it was... Pentium III maybe?

 

Anyway, it had OS/2 Warp on it, ran well, but somewhat slow. I remember I could read DOS/compatible disks, but couldn't actually run any Windows 95+ software on it.

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Was the newer version of OS/2 Warp compatible with any newer 95+ version of Windows?

Kind of....

 

IBM had access to the Windows 3.0 and 3,1 Source Code, ( maybe even older versions too, but OS/2 1.xx didn't try to have any Windows compatibility, just PC/MS-DOS ) but not Windows 95 or later.. Lotus, then part of IBM, IIRC developed some Libraries for OS/2 to let Windows 32 Apps run on OS/2. These were further enhanced with the Linux WINE Source Code. I have an IBM Redbook around somewhere with this information... I believe the current version of eComStation ships with that support, so that some Win32 Apps will run directly on OS/2. Probabley not .NET stuff, but basic MFC Apps.. I remember running the Music Player WinAmp on OS/2

 

[rant]Actually, my Pet Peeves with Micro-Soft started with the Tier-One, OEM Windows 95 Licensing. The IBM PC Company wanted to bundle Windows 95 and OS/2 Warp 3 Connect as a Dual Boot, like they had been doing with Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and OS/2 ( Warp 3 Connect, IIRC ). Micro-Soft told them Windows 95 or Nothing... Years Later, ( 2003-2004 IIRC ) Microsoft paid IBM $813 Million ( USD ) for Unfair Marketing Practices.. By then of course, everyone who didn't chose Linux or BSD, ( or OS/2 ) was on to Windows XP, which has been fairly stable as an OS, in regards to Up Time, and Hardware/Software support..

 

Personally I have found Windows 2000 fairly stable too, but Windows ME was like Windows 8 and Windows 95, well... It was Version 1.0 of the 32 Bit Graphic Shell on MS-DOS.. Version 2.0 ( Windows 98 ) was much better and Stable, and supported USB. Windows NT 3.1/3.50/3.51 was Version 1.0 of True 32 Bit, but Windows NT 4.0, was really Windows 3.51 with the Windows 95 Interface, so I consider it NT Version 1.1.

 

OS/2 was much more particular about Hardware than Windows, but Warp 3.0 or Warp 4.0 were much more stable than Windows NT 3.xx or 4.00. Meaning that there was less Compatible Hardware available, like if it required a Special Driver. Basic Things like Keyboards, Mice, Parallel/Serial Ports were fine, it was Video Cards, Network Cards and optimized Hard Drive Controllers that were more difficult to locate.[/rant]

 

I had a industrial/manufacturing machine... can't remember what the model was, but it was built by IBM and was used for controlling robots or some kind of infrastructure. It was a long grey case... shaped like a Twinkie actually, had a gigantic vent in the front with a huge foam air filter and a massive fan in the front and ports in the back. I can't remember what it was... Pentium III maybe?

 

Anyway, it had OS/2 Warp on it, ran well, but somewhat slow. I remember I could read DOS/compatible disks, but couldn't actually run any Windows 95+ software on it.

OS/2 2.00 through 4.00 have many parts that are 16 Bit, for compatibility with OS/2 1.x, especially the lower level stuff, but over the versions, the critical parts were rewritten for 32 bit.. The Graphic Subsystem was one of them.

 

For the Most Part, on the same hardware, Windows 95/98 will run the fastest, but its a 32 Bit Shell on 16 Bit MS-DOS.

OS/2 Warp ( 3.0 or 4.0 ) will run a bit Slower, but has True, Preemptive Multi-Tasking, and really is a lot more stable.

Windows NT 3.51/4.0 is slower yet, suffered with Stability problems, and even some Windows Applications wouldn't run on it, some of the ones being designed for Windows 3.x and Windows 95 and 98.

 

I have some various stories I have picked up over the years, some First Hand, some I have read about, detailing Micro-Soft's OS verses the rest... It has been a long and tedious road.... And I still don't find Micro-Soft's OS to be as long term stable as, Novel Netware, IBM's OS/2, Linux, or BSD ( Open BSD being my choice ).

 

The problem is, until the last 5 years, most all the Development Software for Embedded systems, was only available on Windows.. Now you can get the Arudino Development on Win/Mac/Linux, as well at Microchip's MPLAB X, and with the GCC compilers being Multi-Host, eCos, FreeRTOS and others means your not tied to Windows anymore..

 

MarkO

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OS/2 is interesting cause its both dos and windows compatible, but it doesnt work the same, if you have its limited list of hardware that had drivers for it its well worth it just for messing around and its acutally a nice OS once you get used to it

In 1992, I was developing a Windows 3.1 DLL and kept crashing my Windows 3,1 machine, ( 80486DX2-66, 16MB RAM ). My boss had a Beta copy of OS/2 2.1.. So I installed that.. And WOW.. I could format a floppy disk while doing other stuff.. I could used the Borland 3.1 Compiler and develop the DLL without Crashing the WHOLE Machine, ( well I did twice, but I killed Windows 3.1 under OS/2 Dozens of times, while making that DLL.. ). I liked OS/2 so much, when it was released, I went out and Bought the Release Version..

 

After that I bought Version 3 and Version 4 as well..

 

MarkO

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Kind of....

 

IBM had access to the Windows 3.0 and 3,1 Source Code, ( maybe even older versions too, but OS/2 1.xx didn't try to have any Windows compatibility, just PC/MS-DOS ) but not Windows 95 or later.. Lotus, then part of IBM, IIRC developed some Libraries for OS/2 to let Windows 32 Apps run on OS/2. These were further enhanced with the Linux WINE Source Code. I have an IBM Redbook around somewhere with this information... I believe the current version of eComStation ships with that support, so that some Win32 Apps will run directly on OS/2. Probabley not .NET stuff, but basic MFC Apps.. I remember running the Music Player WinAmp on OS/2

 

 

OS/2 2.00 through 4.00 have many parts that are 16 Bit, for compatibility with OS/2 1.x, especially the lower level stuff, but over the versions, the critical parts were rewritten for 32 bit.. The Graphic Subsystem was one of them.

 

For the Most Part, on the same hardware, Windows 95/98 will run the fastest, but its a 32 Bit Shell on 16 Bit MS-DOS.

OS/2 Warp ( 3.0 or 4.0 ) will run a bit Slower, but has True, Preemptive Multi-Tasking, and really is a lot more stable.

Windows NT 3.51/4.0 is slower yet, suffered with Stability problems, and even some Windows Applications wouldn't run on it, some of the ones being designed for Windows 3.x and Windows 95 and 98.

 

I have some various stories I have picked up over the years, some First Hand, some I have read about, detailing Micro-Soft's OS verses the rest... It has been a long and tedious road.... And I still don't find Micro-Soft's OS to be as long term stable as, Novel Netware, IBM's OS/2, Linux, or BSD ( Open BSD being my choice ).

 

The problem is, until the last 5 years, most all the Development Software for Embedded systems, was only available on Windows.. Now you can get the Arudino Development on Win/Mac/Linux, as well at Microchip's MPLAB X, and with the GCC compilers being Multi-Host, eCos, FreeRTOS and others means your not tied to Windows anymore..

 

MarkO

 

 

 

You know what's frustrating? Windows... since perhaps the Windows XP, has become so sterile... I don't know what it is, but it just doesn't seem to be that innovative anymore. But that's not even the best way to explain it because Windows 95 was innovative and it took me a while to warm up to it. It just seems like back in the early 90s, you had so many more options... Mac OS, Windows 3.0/3.1, GeoWorks, OS/2, Linux, or just plain DOS... but those were the most common ones at least. Now... you basically have some flavor of Linux, Windows (Vista/7/8 are all the same kernel), and Mac OS.

 

Computers just aren't that exciting and "new" anymore.. even when they're brand new.

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Played with os/2 warp i had installed on a ibm ps/2 system. Worked nice, but i didn't have other software for it.

Also loved playing with beos. Bought the retail version back then. Wished it had more supporters, because it was lightyears ahead of other os's of the day.

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I found it today and I had to pick it up. How much is it worth?

 

 

Where can I sell this thing? Kijiji? Craigslist?

 

 

Ummm ... what? First you 'had to pick it up' and now you want to sell it? Why did you even bother getting it in the first place? Just hoping to make a quick buck?

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Ummm ... what? First you 'had to pick it up' and now you want to sell it? Why did you even bother getting it in the first place? Just hoping to make a quick buck?

 

That's my guess.

 

Neat piece of history to be sure, but sealed does not always equate to profits.

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