Users of PC-type microcomputers will be well aware of the inadequacies of the Microsoft MS-DOS operating system. It was cloned from the old CP/M Z80 system with little appreciation of the way in which the Intel chips used in the new IBM device would develop. This was inexcusable because the 32-bit 68000 series from Motorola was on the horizon with its 32-bit capability. The result of this limitation has been MS-DOS’s inability to use memory spaces in excess of 640 Kbytes or to multitask. To be fair, some third-party programs address these problems by using DOS extenders, but even the latest version, MS-DOS 6, is only a cosmetic upgrade to the original system. Several years ago IBM cooperated with Microsoft to produce OS/2 1.1, an improvement on DOS in that it incorporated a GUI interface similar to that in Microsoft Windows. This version was 16-bit only, and the design team, of which Proffit was lead programmer, turned next to a full 32-bit system, OS/2 2.0. The IBM-Microsoft partnership broke up, and OS/2 2.0 is the product of IBM.

All of this history is recounted in the first chapter of this book, which then discusses the type of hardware needed to run OS/2 2.0 and gives a general overview of the 32-bit environment and of the concept of multitasking. Next follows a chapter on installation; this information is particularly useful because of the unhelpful documentation provided by IBM and the numerous options of which the potential user of OS/2 2.0 should be aware before installation: learning later may involve a complete repeat of the process.

Chapter 3 describes the use of the extensive help system, which is available online but may be confusing to the novice. Chapter 4 gives detailed information on using the various operating modes of the system: mouse or keyboard.

The fifth chapter tours the operating details of the GUI and shows how to access drives, files, and printers. This leads naturally to chapter 6, which presents the alternative mode of operation via the command line. The expert will often find this mode of operation far more productive than the GUI. In addition, from the command line one can use the powerful batch processing system with REXX.

Chapter 7 is an in-depth account of the two main editors that come with OS/2 2.0: the System editor and the Enhanced editor. The latter is powerful and allows multiple file operation, but it seems to lack some customary word processing functions, such as full justification.

Chapter 8 contains a detailed discussion of batch files and leads naturally to the next chapters on printing and the Adobe type manager, which has had a powerful effect on multi-font presentations. Continuing with in-depth coverage of subjects touched on previously, Chapters 11 and 12 show how existing MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows 3.0 programs can run without difficulty in OS/2 2.0.

A number of small “applets” come with the new system. These include a database suitable for address and phone lists, a pocket calculator simulation that includes a tally-tape option, a terminal emulator, and a particularly good spreadsheet. OS/2 2.0 also includes a chart program, PMChart, which this book does not mention. The other applets are games. They include an ingenious jigsaw puzzle, solitaire, and chess. The last provides a good game and has numerous options, which are described in depth.

Chapter 16 gives readable and sound instructions for the selection of software for OS/2 2.0. Some unusual features of this material include advice on warranties, support, and dealer selection.

“Insiders’ Tips,” the next chapter, provides much useful information on recovery from fault conditions. This information includes comments on the idiosyncrasies of various named devices and software packages, including the DeskJet 500C, the Logitech C7 mouse, and the popular PROCOMM+ terminal program. The OS/2 2.0 system includes a provision for using an improved file system, HPFS. HPFS allows the use of long file names and is more efficient than the MS-DOS FAT system; the choice between these alternatives is not obvious, and a good discussion of the choices is provided.

Chapter 18 gives a full description of the REXX language, with both elementary and advanced examples. The main text ends with a 55-page chapter on error messages. This information is not easily available elsewhere and, by itself, makes the book invaluable. Finally, the authors provide four appendices: a command reference, a configuration file reference, a list of OS/2 system files, and advice on hardware changes. No bibliography is included, but the index is complete and helpful.

This work is one of the best, most readable, and least expensive books on OS/2 2.0 that I have seen. The reference material alone makes it a must for all classes of OS/2 users, from students to experts.