From: tanith@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Michael D Kretzer)
Subject: Re: Some questions about OS/2......
Originator: tanith@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
Reply-To: tanith@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 14:58:02 GMT

From article <1992Apr15.023800.67016@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu>, by ry01@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (ROBERT YUNG):
> 1) Does it have a disk cache? I currently use Super-pckwik. Can I use that? If
> not, will there be an update?

Yes, it has a disk cache, with several options like 'lazy write' and such...
also, if you switch over to HPFS on your drives totally, you will find disk
operations running several times faster than on FAT drives.

> 2) Can I have a CLI box on screen so I can do simple stuff like "copy *.xyz"
> without having to click like crazy?

Try the new WPS shell and see what you think of it :)

> 3) Does DOS boxes support ANSI?

Yes
 
> 4) Is there a screen blanker? Will the one with Super-Pckwik work?

A screen blanking option is given on the desktop...not as nice as say 'After
Dark', but it works...
 
> 5) How do I unfrag HSFS drives?

I can almost bet you won't need to.  I've used HPFS drives since HPFS has
been in existence and have found little if any fragmentation at all (only
on our network server which has exceedingly HEAVY disk usage).  If you still
want to, currently the Gammatech utilities will do the job for you (but I
seriously doubt you will use an unfrag utility very much, if at all).

> 6) Can I resize windows without resizing the application? ie: I want to only
> see a portion of a program, so I shrink the window until the unwanted areas
> are covered up.

This has more to do with how the application was programmed than a function
of the operating system...it depends on what program you're operating.  
Text mode sessions run in a window behave in this way, and a few PM programs
also (but not many)...for most programs, this behavior isn't preferable,
though...

> 7) Do Dos boxes support UMB?

Yes...there is an option to turn on/off UMB support...

> 8) If a DOS/WINDOW program crashes, how do I quit it?

Several ways...one way being just to press CTRL+ESC in the crashed program,
(which will open the task list window), pop up the menu for the errant 
DOS/window and select (close).  (there is a single key for closing, I believe,
but I don't do it very often, so I just use the menu *grin*)

> 9) Can I enlarge an application on screen? Like a magnifying glass. Great for
> Ultima Underworld if possible! Just have the playing field on screen.

No direct operating system support, but you can run the program in a DOS
window and use any of the popular shareware FAT BITS programs to do just 
this very thing...

> 10) Is there an icon editor?

Yes.

> 11) What's the average size of the swap file? Or what's the swap-file size
> ratio with memory amount?

It varies according to memory size/amount of memory you're using, and you 
can turn swapping totally off, or set minimum/maximum limits for the swap
file.

> 13) Can I redirect the deleted-file directory to any drive I want? How about a
> Ram drive? Is that bad? Also, can I undelete????

Yes, you can undelete AND you can redirect the deleted-file directory to any
drive you want (even a RAM drive)...the undelete feature works by just
copying files out of the deleted directory (works much more reliably than
Norton-like undelete schemes...if the file is there, you can undelete it,
period).  If you don't wish to retain deleted files after power offs, then
placing deleted files in a RAM drive is OK, but I don't know why you would
want to use valuable RAM space just for that (unless you have 16MB+ of
memory or something)

> 14) Mouse support in Dos windows?

Yes

> 15) Can I run different resolution programs in different windows? If yes, then
> if I had OS2 in 1024X758, I can run any program as long as their resolution is
> equal or less. Right?

Depending on the display driver, but if you run a 2.0-specific display driver,
yes, in most cases...

> 16) Multi/Ulti-media support?

Announced to come out in June...not currently in the GA release...

> 17) Dos games work? [TOP PRIORITY :-) ]

Most do...all of the ones I've tried...

> 19) Cool hologram like Dos 5's? BTW, how's the box?

No, but who cares?  The box is frighteningly dull/common, but again, who
cares? :)

> 20) Manuals????? REAL ONES I MEAN. Not online ones. I hate reading manuals
> from the screen!

A few manuals are included, mostly of the installation/getting started variety.
You can buy manuals in book form, if that's your preference, plus it won't
be too long before third-party books come out which will be great book-format
manuals and etc.  I personally prefer the online ones myself, the ones 
included with OS/2 are more extensive than DOS online manuals, but then again,
there are quite a few flaws in the current ones (mostly minor).  But this
is a matter of personal preference, mostly...some people HAVE to have a
book, not matter what! :)  And yes, you can purchase them separately, if you
wish...

> 23) Can I diskcopy in ONE pass now????

Yes...but then again, you've been able to do this since 1.0 :)

> 24) Is it too buggy to get know???

No...it's still has a few weak areas (tell me any operating system that 
doesn't?), but for $50 you certainly can't go wrong trying it out...and
I can almost bet you will like it...

> 25) Is there an easy and quick way to switch between full screen DOS or
> Windows? [For those with small screens :-( ]

Yes...for DOS sessions pressing ALT+HOME will switch you between full-screen
and windowed.  Windows programs are a bit different, since they have always
had 'small screen' problems...you can't get away from that besides
double-clicking on the title bar to make the window full screen...

> 26) How's IBM's big-fix policy? Free maintainence disks?

Free...you can call their BBS to download (or call Compuserve...a lot of
patches make it to the net), or walk over to your local IBM rep and pick 
up bug fixes...
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc