OS/2 & eComStation Resources

Why OS/2? | eComStation — Viable Upgrade Path | Information Available on this OS/2 Site

Why OS/2?

Back in 2003, Isaac Leung asked, "If I were starting all over again today, would I still choose OS/2?"

This is a good question, particularly if you assume, like many, that OS/2 is dead. However, unlike Windows, OS/2 was extremely stable and significant numbers continue to use it where reliability is more important than flash.

For example, I received a call for help from a manufacturing company when they discovered that a OS/2 Warp-based communications computer failed after running for over 10 years without needing servicing (or being noticed). I couldn't imagine Windows running for 10 months without problems for the IT staff, never mind 10 years!

OS/2 Turns 25

OS/2 turned 25 in 2012. It failed to gain dominance, not because it was inferior, but because it was ahead of its time. It contained features that were years ahead of software pending at the time (DOS was the primary operating system). Yet, OS/2 continues to be used in places you'd never suspect.

OS/2 Discontinued by IBM

Effectively IBM has stopped selling and supporting OS/2. End of Standard Support for OS/2 Warp was December 31, 2006.

I believe that the combined sophistication of this software and the typical users that continues to create unheard-of loyalty to a product that has been removed from production.

The Open Source Petition Letter to IBM

The second OS2 petition to get IBM to release OS/2 into Open Source can help renew OS/2 in the way that Netscape's Mozilla paved the way for the Firefox and Thunderbird programs to gain such wide acceptance. More here.

eComStation— A Viable Upgrade Path

eComStation is a viable upgrade path for those wishing to continue to use OS/2-based applications and can be installed on current hardware. Newer versions of eCS will provide even better support for the types of hardware available today.

Move to eComStation Recommended

I'd recommend eComStation as a more practical method of updating and maintaining your OS/2 platform.

However, if you continue to run OS/2 Warp 3 or 4 (or earlier), you may find the Archived Resources on this site useful.

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Information Available on this OS/2 Site

Current Information

The following pages contain the more current information on this site (and are listed on the navigation index to the left):

Archived Information

A significant portion of the information about OS/2 has disappeared from the Web. It is hoped that the remaining pages hosted on this site (listed in the Archived OS/2 Resources page) continue to have value for those running legacy OS/2 software and hardware.

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