eCS 1.1-RC1 was released as an ISO to all who have pre-ordered version 1.1 of OS/2 eComStation. The company behind eCS, Serenity Systems, are now focusing on pushing it to GA status.
Serenity Systems Readies eComStation 1.1
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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This is good. I am excited about this OS. Looks like Windows and I am sure it is as easy to use as Windows
But it’s OS/2
Hehe, yeah it is
but it’s got a task bar like the one from Windows and you use the task bar to switch between running programs! That’s what it matters 
.. there are still lots of OS/2 systems in use out there.
German banks for example still have such systems running.
I wonder really if it will vanish in the next 10 years.
Regards,
Marc
…in trying it out and playing with it – however, the price I saw was way too expensive – something like over $350 US! Anyone know of a cheaper method? Perhaps eBay?
This does look interesting…
I’m too tired to cut through the marketting crap right now (being midnight and all) however it almost looks like they are pushing it as a multi-user system, offering remote desktops…
If that is so, can you say “Bye-bye Windows 2000 Server?” We’re talking thin-client servers that can run the Windows apps that people cannot live without, yet running under a more stable operating system! (Provided you can get the drivers!)
I *do* find it funny that some of us are running around, trying to free ourselves from the X Windowing System (did I say it right?), yet they are pushing the fact that they are adding an X Server to OS/2!
Also, has anyone looked at the specs of HobLink’s X11? OS/2 version http://www.hob.de/www_us/produkte/connect/X11-OS2.htm or alternatively http://www.hob.de/www_us/produkte/connect/x11.htm
It looks quite interesting. Might be worth taking a look at the evaluation version, no? Anyone had any experience with it?
(To be honest, I hadn’t heard of HobLink before this!) 😉
Any file sharing program would probably get it to you free of charge. 🙂
What is the point in any of this? If IBM had got OS/2 right in 1994 (before the shameless Windows95 hype) we could have had pre-emptive multitasking and all of those great features years ago and we would have been spared 98, ME, NT, 2000 and XP. As things stand now, OS/2 is a waste of time.
I think they where about to introduce an entry level version of eComStation (without Lotus SmartSuite 1.7) at a much lower price.
The point is that OS/2 is still widely used around the world. Where IBM may choose to let the user base wither, up steps a company to the plate willing to make money by supporting that client base.
Doesn’t really take much thought to figure it out.
Serenity Systems may or may not be trying to attract new users, but that is really not the issue.
The main point is that the current OS/2 userbase is still getting supported.
IBM DID get OS/2 right in 1994. I used OS/2 2.11 and OS/2 Warp 3 (the original one) long before Windows 95. I had it running on my 8MB 486-66, and it was awesome! IBM’s screw-up was their marketing. OS/2 was then, and is still to this day, superior to ANY Windows OS.
The coolest thing I did with OS/2 was run 32 Windows 3.1 apps at the same time. It really impressed my boss 🙂
Now that would be worth investigating! I have wanted to run OS/2 again for a long time. My problem, like most others, is drivers (or lack of therefore).
For now, I’m totally OS X, Linux and FreeBSD at my house.
Actually you would be surprised at what is supported. There will be a demo version very soon(based on eCS 1.1), therefore you can try with buying and see if your stuff is compatible.
Ok, I admit it, I LOVE OS/2, ever have since version 3.0 (Which I purchased when I was at University at a great academic price), but I fear ONE thing… Drivers, I esp. want accelerated OpenGL drivers for whatever OS I choose to run, and it took long enough to get nVidia to support FreeBSD, so i’m not too hopefull about it under eCS (It may be called that, but it’ll always be OS/2 to me).
Also, price… Asking the sort of price Serenity Systems are for eCS is no incentive to even begin to investigate it, I realize that with each copy of eCS sold, IBM are possibly taking quite a nice whack of any profits, but they are pricing themselves out of the market here.
Good grief, bring out a home edition thats not suited to the millionaries club!
eCs uses a light version of SciTech Display Doctor for OS/2 which at last count supported nearly 180 chipsets and users can easily upgrade to SciTech SNAP Graphics to gain access to advanced features such as multi-head, Zoom, custom Modes and more. IMHO that makes for pretty good support at least at the graphics level;)
Congratulations Serenity!
New pricing makes it very affordable for previous warp 4 owners. I think $99 upgrade But no xcelerated opengl for eCS!
http://www.ecomstation.com/gallery/
Some of the user-submitted desktop shots are pretty interesting.
After looking at a few of those screens I was thinking wow…”it sure looks like BeOS Icons”…. then I was like “it sure looks like X11…”
anyway I wish i could afford eCS I have yet to try out OS/2.
Look it’s got a taskbar!
http://www.ecomstation.com/gallery/index.php?g=eComStation_1.0/user…
That’s not eComStation. It’s OS/2 Warp 4 running with a user installed taskbar-like program(it’s on hobbes). Notice the window widgets and desktop icons are old.
The new eCS 1.1 sports a new WarpCenter replacement. =)