Because this monumental tome appeared in 1992, it does not reflect some of the activity in the OS/2 2.0 field since the appearance of the new system in May of that year. Likewise, it gives no indication that OS/2 2.1 is now available.

The book consists of five distinct parts, plus an introduction and an index. The introduction indicates the importance of the new system and explains how the book should be useful to novice and expert alike. It is left to Part 1, “Getting Started,” to explain the origins of and need for a system such as OS/2 2.0. The waters here are slightly muddy because of the original collaboration between Microsoft and IBM in the development of the new system and because of the split that left final development to IBM. In essence, the need was twofold: first because MS-DOS is out of date in that it does not support the new 80386 and 80486 generation of 32-bit computers, and second because it lacks the multitasking ability so necessary if graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are to work efficiently. Microsoft Windows attempts to remedy some of the latter problems, but does little to overcome the 640K memory barrier implicit in MS-DOS. All of these points are covered well in the first chapter of this part of the book. The remaining three chapters explain how the new system can be used with or without the Workplace Shell (GUI), how LAN functionality is incorporated into the system, and how the components of the system are set up and used. Some of this material will bore the expert but will be useful for the novice.

Part 2, “Doing Business with OS/2,” starts with a chapter on the “applets” supplied with the program. These include a simple calculator, a “sticky pad” reminder facility, a simple notepad, a spreadsheet, an elementary database suitable for addresses or phone numbers, a terminal program, and a charting program. With the exception of the chart facility, PMChart, all of the explanations are adequate. For PMChart, they are not: this program is difficult to use and, at least in my version of the program, did not work properly. If the authors had better luck, it would have been nice to have their advice.

Important features of the application pack are the two editors, System and Enhanced. Here again, more detail would have been useful. For example, the enhanced editor has an option for justification. This option does not work, and some discussion would have been useful. Finally, entertainment applets--reversi, scramble, solitaire, jigsaw  puzzle,  chess, and cat and mouse--are briefly described. The authors evidently prefer solitaire. I would have chosen the excellent chess example with a three-dimensional presentation and movement using the mouse to pick up and move the pieces.

OS/2 2.0 can run both MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows programs. The best way of doing this is the subject of chapters 6 and 7. Numerous examples and helpful hints are included. Chapter 8, “A Sampling of OS/2 Applications,” enumerates some of the commercial programs for OS/2 2.0 available at the time of publication. The list is small and not at all representative of what is available now. Chapter9, “Working Smarter with OS/2,” is an introduction to networking and is expanded in chapter10, “Connectivity.” The material in these chapters forms an excellent introduction to network topology and, in particular, to Ethernet and token ring systems.

Part 3, “Using OS/2’s Power,” starts with two useful chapters on command line operation and on system optimization. Of particular use is the material that explains how to recover functionality after a total system crash. Fortunately, I have not had this experience, but two colleagues had to do a complete re-installation, something the book would have helped them avoid. Finally, a long chapter discusses the IBM batch processing language REXX/2. This material is readable and contains a number of useful examples of the complicated sort of batch file that OS/2 makes possible.

Part 4 consists of two appendices. The first covers the installation of OS/2 2.0. It might have been more useful at the start of the book; the primitive IBM installation manuals supplied with OS/2 2.0 do little to ease the way for experts or novices. The second appendix is a listing of available OS/2 2.0 software.

Finally, Part 5 is a complete command reference for the system. This material is particularly welcome because none is provided by IBM.

The book has no bibliography, but the index is comprehensive. This well-written and well-produced book contains valuable information. The claim of the authors that the material is suitable for novices and experts is justified and, if OS/2 2.0 is to be used in a teaching environment, the book can be recommended without reservation.