IBM to bury OS/2

IBM will stop selling the OS/2 operating system at year's end, marking an end of an era for Big Blue.

IBM, which made the announcement this week, said it will discontinue OS/2 products by Dec. 23 and withdraw standard support for OS/2-related products as of Dec. 31, 2006.

Support for OS/2 will only be available under a service contract after 2006.

"We're making official what has been going on for quite some time," said Steve Eisenstadt, an IBM spokesman. "We haven't released a new version of OS/2 in nine years."

Big Blue is directing its OS/2 customers to switch to the Linux OS.

OS/2, which debuted in April 1987, struggled to gain the wide acceptance that Microsoft's Windows enjoyed. While OS/2 may have been considered technically superior to Microsoft's early versions of Windows, the operating system failed to prosper due to a lack of applications written for it.

Concerns about the future of OS/2 arose at least three years ago.

OS/2, which was the first Intel-based 32-bit multitasking operating system aimed at the PC market, currently has fewer than 80 customers that hold more than 10 licenses, Eisenstadt said.

[AuriRahimzadeh]

Open Source OS/2

OS/2 was a great operating system, even though its installers left much to be desired. Open-sourcing OS/2 may give it a good life of its own. The memory and process protection was awesome. Thanks for a good run, IBM.

---
Seen my book, Geek My Ride? http://www.GeekMyRide.net

[CharlesRovira]

The 'popularity' was coerced from OEMs.

That's what the anti-trust trial determined.

The consumer was never involved.

[JonyR]

Bury OS/2?

They would need to exhume it first...

This Article Appears To Be Misleading!

>>>"On Tuesday, IBM formally announced that it would cease marketing OS/2 at the end of next year.

This might cause wry amusement among the operating system's remaining enthusiasts, who maintain that IBM really never started marketing OS/2 in the first place.>>>". So reads another version of this IBM statement about its plans for the OS/2 Operating System from another independent news source: http://www.theregister.com/2005/07/15/os2_dead_again/

The way this CNET News article appears to be written is in the same tone as what can be expected to come from the same group from Redmond (FEAR, UNCERTAINTY and DOUBT (FUD)) who quite recently settled with IBM for its role in disrupting the OS/2 momentum in the marketplace during its implementation in the 90's. As laws of motion states -- "an object will continue in that state of motion perpetually unless acted on by another force." Given this understanding, it will appear then that their was a conspiracy to "kill" and "bury" OS/2 some ten years or so ago. For those who are not aware OS/2 's after life (if the conspirators can succeed) is already secured in eComStation. (see link: http://www.ecomstation.com/ ).

As for the discontinuance of support for OS/2... does anyone think that after the "death" announcement of OS/2 some ten years ago that it will be quite easy for Windows or Linux to displace OS/2 "in the twilight world of embedded networking systems, where OS/2 has lived on" then they should think again! How many times have someone gone had problems when ever they use an ATM or US General Elections Voting Machines? From an international perspective the logical choice of Operating System would be the one that the Russians would recommend. After all, they finished 2nd and 3rd respectively in that competition as we all know so they should at least know what they are talking about -- don't you think?

Strange enough, since the period of time of the "conspiracy" to bury OS/2 it continues to live on after all these years-- Long Live OS/2!

[PCCRomeo]

No wonder it isn't popular..

"We haven't released a new version of OS/2 in nine years.".....Maybe had they updated it, like Microsoft has atleast done with Windows, it would be more popular. You don't see us still using Windows 95 do you??

This Is What IBM Actually Said About OS/2!

Contrary to the headline (IBM to bury OS/2) and the contents of this article... this is what was announced by IBM -- "Effective December 31, 2006, IBM will withdraw standard support for the following products licensed under the IBM International Program License Agreement. Fee-based service offerings will continue to be available. These offerings will provide support beyond December 31, 2006, via a services contract. For information about the extended support offering, contact your IBM representative." Read it all here: http://www-306.ibm.com/fcgi-bin/common/ssi/ssialias?infotype=an&subtype=ca&appname=Demonstration&htmlfid=897/ENUS905-163

[evilspam]

Open Source OS/2 Petition to IBM

Everybody that is interest can sign the Petition to Open Source OS/2 that will be sent to IBM.
http://www.os2world.com/petition

[evilspam]

OS/2 Warp Server for e-business released on 1999

Thats strange. OS/2 Warp Server for e-business was released on 1999.

Convenience Pack 2 (OS/2 Warp 4.52 and OS/2 Warp Server for e-business 4.52) was released on April 2002.

That IBMer that made that statements was on crack.

The Funny Thing About This IBM's Position On OS/2 Is!

>>>"Fee-based service offerings will continue to be available. These offerings will provide support beyond December 31, 2006, via a services contract.>>>". Questions, Questions, Questions for IBM -- How can a product be "buried" and yet in its after-life offer services for it -- isn't that really funny! OS/2; in future OS/3 (Warp 5) is a an "IDEA" supported by mind-share (brain power)... it was not OS/2 that sold the PC Business to Lenovo -- it was IBM. Lest we forget the evolving Sarbanes-Oxley Act with regards to technical compliance?

If anything, those who are in a dream world to see an OS/2 "Funeral" should mind there "economics". Since neither the Windows/Office nor the Lamp Stack can at this time deliver on the coversion of Internal Rate of Return (IRR) to Economic Rate of Return (ERR) functionalities when conducting an international project evaluation. Have we heard from the (OS/2 Loving) Russians as yet -- they were the 2nd and 3rd place winners in the not so long ago held international inter-collegiate computer competition!

Companies may fade away but "IDEAS" and "PHILOSOPHIES" live on for ever.

We Have Only Just Begun: Long live OS/2 -- Enter OS/3 (Warp 5)(Third Generation) and IBM Workplace with ERR (Killer) Functionalities.