From: sip1@ellis.uchicago.edu (Timothy F. Sipples)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: OS/2 2.0 Release: First Impressions
Date: 8 Apr 92 22:36:38 GMT
Reply-To: sip1@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: Dept. of Econ., Univ. of Chicago

I have had the opportunity to work with the OS/2 2.0 shrinkwrapped
copy for some time now, and, overall, the product looks great.  It has
been extremely stable -- no unexpected crashes -- and relatively bug
free.

[Machine: AMD386-40, 64K cache, 4 MB RAM (128K lost to unavoidable
system use), DTC 7287 RLL FD/HD adapter, Microscience HH-1120 RLL hard
drive, 5.25 inch and 3.5 inch high density floppy disk drives, Trident
8900C SuperVGA adapter with 512K memory, Wyse multi-I/O card (two
serial, one parallel), Logitech C7 serial mouse, LaserJet IIP, IBM
Enhanced 101 key keyboard.]

There are, however, a few rough edges.  First the installation was a
bit tricky.  Apparently OS/2 2.0 did not like my 100% HPFS OS/2 1.3
hard disk.  I ended up going back to a low level format and allowing
OS/2 2.0 to reformat the hard disk.

This problem may have been due to my own lack of research.  Do not
attempt to use HPFS on a 4 MB machine.  You'll thrash like crazy.  I'm
about to spring for another 4 MB (since I like HPFS) to solve the
problem.  IBM's own "product considerations" make this point clear, so
I suppose it's my fault.

As a result, OS/2 2.0 is quite slow on my machine.  I think if I
dropped down to FAT I'd have fewer speed-related problems.

I still get a strange noise from the hard disk when I boot up.  It is
about a second of a grating or whining noise -- quite strange.  Any
idea if that is normal?

Apparently OS/2 2.0 does not yet recognize hard disks with more than
1024 cylinders (at least on my machine).  I have left sector
translation enabled.

The Workplace Shell is quite nice -- they've really done a great job
cleaning it up.  No obvious flaws here (that I've found thus far).  I
even like the default icons and colors (though both are endlessly
configurable).

The SuperVGA support is not quite there yet.  I tried using the SVGA
program, per instructions.  When ON (and after a shutdown, as
instructed), the screen slows down quite a bit, and there are odd
"snow" markings like the old CGA snow.  This area needs some work
still.

I haven't had time to experiment with the Windows support yet.  Too
much thrashing to get anything meaningful done.  I'm also having
trouble with the DDE Agent and Clipboard as they come up, which,
again, I suspect is the HPFS+4 MB machine problem.

All my former applications seem to be working fine (save Microsoft
Word for Presentation Manager; but I knew that; anyone have the
replacement DLL for that?).  And while I haven't done much work yet
with the DOS sessions, so far so good.  I downloaded the shareware
program Telix to test it -- no problems.  The shareware CShow program
also works fine (save for the SuperVGA problems described above).
Framework III 1.1 worked well full screen with one exception: the
mouse seemed to move only slightly for a rather large movement.  I
think I know where to look to fix this problem -- more when I know more.

No floppy performance problems that I could determine.  The README
mentions a fix for a slight floppy problem which is available for
download from IBM, but I haven't looked into it yet.

Selecting "Logitech Mouse" upon installation now properly recognizes
my C7 model mouse (the one that powers up in Mouse Systems PC Mouse
mode).  Works well.  Now I can change the FAQ List on that.

On my 100% HPFS setup the installation program dropped a DISKCACHE
line into CONFIG.SYS.  That probably shouldn't happen -- one doesn't
need a FAT cache with all HPFS.

I haven't tried any printing yet.

Nor have I tried the Trident drivers.

Lotus 1-2-3/G, JPI Modula-2, and a few other applications got cursory
look overs.  Seem to work fine.

Modem communications (at least at 4800 bps) seem to work quite well,
even without a 16550A UART, even in my memory constrained environment.

The letters "U" and "V" are too similar on screen (in VIO windows) for
my taste.

More to come when I know more.

T.F.S.
-- 
Timothy F. Sipples       Keeper of the OS/2 Frequently Asked Questions
sip1@ellis.uchicago.edu  List, available via anonymous ftp from
Dept. of Economics       128.123.35.151, directory pub/os2/faq, or via
Univ. of Chicago  60637  netmail from LISTSERV@BLEKUL11.BITNET.