Article: Is IBM considering an OS/2 redo?

2010-04-13 23:05:12 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [Martin Iturbide, www.os2world.com]

Posted by Martin Iturbide - Monday, 12 April 2010

"I found this article on the internet. It is dated April 12 of 2010.

If it is a April's Joke is is very cruel one for us ;)

http://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/

Should IBM consider a return of OS/2?

"A systems integrator close to the computing giant swears there's a move afoot inside IBM to reintroduce the operating system -- revered by some, reviled by many --before it faded out more than 10 years ago. He has heard this from inside Big Blue itself...."

Article by Barbara Darrow.

Discussion of the topic on the forum of www.os2world.com

No free slots at Warpstock Europe 2010

2010-04-08 10:47:14 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

WSE2007 -- 23 presentations, WSE2008 -- 22 presentations, WSE2009 -- 21 presentations, Warpstock Europe 2010 = 14 presentations are listed..

eCo Software was going show 3 presentations at WSE2010:

• Discussion of eComStation future
• Discussion of new libraries for developers of eComStation applications
• Demonstration of new applications and utilities for eComStation

We apologize for the problems, no free slots for our presentations

• we are not going pay for the participation (the right to make the presentation, not registration) in the conference (this is the first case when you should pay for this in the history of Warpstock Europe)
• no free slots for OS/2-related reports (although 1/3 of presentations don't relate to OS/2 directly)

We are searching for other users which were rejected and can't make the presentation to discuss the problem.

How to contact Warpstock Europe organizers: * Contact page * CC: Presentations -> e-mail of Presentation manager

Exchange reviews of software to voucher

2010-04-04 00:59:24 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

To stimulate the sellings of eCS software, eCo Shop offers vouchers to russian users which can write small reviews of eComStation software.

It's important to generate more screenshots of eComStation to flood the Internet with the pictures of eComStation desktop. This is the only way to promote eComStation today.

Mix of eComStation news

2010-04-03 19:43:12 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

eComStation news in short:

Mensys published the newsletter related to eComStation 2.0 GA, it's planned to release it at Warpstock Europe 2010 Warpstock Europe 2010

 
(for developers) DevCon bits - the developers can post the results of experiments with API, troubles with functions and possible solutions.

 
Here is fun story about old OS/2 computer (RUS):

• 256 comments -- nnm.ru
• 21 comments -- juick.com

 
www.os2world.com is celebrating 10 years!

 
One more movie at ecomstation.TV

 
Areas of eComStation usage:

• Digital Modelrailroading
• Radio Amateurs, the HAM/2s

 
We have disabled several thousand of spam messages in Articles section

New products for eComStation

2010-04-02 11:44:54 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

A) Pay attention to:

• You can register at Warpstock Europe 2010 via Mensys, buy WSE2009 DVD
• Paul Smedley released DVD for developers os2ports.smedley.info
• More and more users switch to SSD disks, there are some reports in Hardware database

B) Shareware programs were updated:

• Emperoar TV 2.05
• MCP2/Rus
• PMView/Rus 3.61
• etc

We expect release of 2-3 new products for eComStation during the spring.

Week of All-in-one PCs

2010-04-02 02:05:41 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

eComStation should work on any PC (326 reports). You can install it on old model from 90-th or modern computer loaded with ACPI.

The next week is dedicated to collection of info about compatible/non-compatible all-in-one desktop PCs.

Our database contains 0 records.

Post reports via web-form.

Make a surpise to your friend - install eComStation on his All-in-one computer.

Paul Smedley: APRIL FOOLS: Site closure

2010-04-02 00:28:51 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

We delayed the publication of the message: "Sadly I have come to the decision to close this site effective April 30, 2010. The last five years of providing ports of open source software for OS/2 and eComStation have been a blast, however I feel it's time to move on, so I will be switching all my systems over to linux. Thanks for all the support over the years!! Paul." (source, there were no remarks that it's a joke during the 1-st april)

Paul Smedley is a famous porter of applications and tools from Linux to eComStation, (read more)

DevCon: new File Open Dialog - update your applications

2010-03-30 15:45:49 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [Dmitry A.Steklenev, DevCon]

New PM controls for developers of applications

• New library includes: WC_DIRTREE and WC_FILEVIEW. This PM-controls may be used in applications to select directory and/or file. All heavy operations are performed in separate threads. Call FOCInitialize() before usage of the controls.
• The control elements notify owner about state changes via WM_CONTROL message.
• The elements support d'n'd operation (as source).
• You can force change of directory, create/remove directories, rename files and directories using special messages. Moreover, the developers of applications can send messages to sort the contents of container, request list of selected files and directories.
• Both control elements can work in conjuction: the changes in directory tree influence on container with files and vice versa.

Replacement of System File Open Dialog

(under construction)

• The main goal of the project - replace system file open dialog with new one based on new PM controls.
• New dialog may be resized, users can change sorting, size of sub-windows. All parameters are saved and restored automatically.
• New dialog is fully compatible with old system dialog: if you are going call new FOC then use FOCFILEDLG structure (instead of FILEDLG), instead of functions WinFileDlg, WinDefFileDlgProc, WinFreeFileDlgList use: FOCFileDlg, FOCDefFileDlgProc and FOCFreeFileDlgList

Dialog for directory selection

• New dialog is based on WC_DIRTEE control. The interface is similar to the interface of FOC, API: FOCSelectDir, FOCDefSelectDirProc and FOCSELDIR structure.

Current plan of work:

• create WC_PREVIEW control, include it to file open dialog.
• full support of d'n'd.
• we should update external view one more time.

Join testing:

Download FOC library and test samples: DevCon site

Let's test:

• compatibility with different file systems
• browse directories with huge quantity of files

Please send the results of testing via web-form

Translate applications to your language

2010-03-27 00:29:31 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

How to make system useful for new users? how to increase the comfort of work? It's necessary localize more applications

New projects for standalone developers

2010-03-24 18:04:40 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

eCo Software is generating small tasks for standalone developers so everybody can influence on eComStation development.

New tasks:

• make clips about eComStation and applications
• create utility aimed to collect information about monitors (EDID)
• create some disk utilities

(We published more than 100 tasks)

Warpstock Europe 2010 -- calculate the advantages

2010-03-24 15:05:25 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

Warpstock Europe 2010 is coming (May 14 to 16, 2010, Trier, Germany)

You are right, the cost of the trip to Trier may be very high for you. 300 EURO.. 500 EURO.. 1000 EURO.. or more.

What is the reason to spend so much money?

A. Are you going make a presentation?

The conference is a good chance to

• demonstrate your applications to the users
• present success story of eComStation usage;
• share your libraries with other developers;
• learn new eComStation technologies and share the knowledge with other developers;
• present own concept of OS development;
• inform developers which software and drivers should be created;

B. Moreover, the visit of the conference gives you:

• Networking
  • You are meeting with other users and developers from different countries, different cultures;
  • If you are a developer, then you are meeting with your clients. Ask them what do they need;
  • Meet the users from your city and region. The conference may help you create Local User Group;
  • Get fresh news and secret information when chatting.
• Income/experience
  • The visit of Germany is good for your experience, you can see how german people are working, why they are so productive.
  • You are collecting information what is the trend of OS/2 development. This helps you safe the efforts and don't spend then time to fake goals after return to home.
  • If you are a designer then watch the design of german houses, clothes, banners
  • Improve your english(/deutch/dutch), no need to buy tutorials of english language
  • You are mobilizing while preparing for the conference. You are generating more ideas, more code while preparing for D-Day.
  • Present your program to sell it
• Vacations
  • If you don't have a report then interpret the trip as short vacations

Full list of conferences

History of eComStation

2010-03-20 13:53:52 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

eComStation is ~ 10 years old

We have updated the history of eComStation. (russian language). New facts are marked with blue circle.

Help us to collect more facts:

• Which innovations were implemented in IBM OS/2 Warp?
• Which office suites (and when) were available for OS/2 and eComStation?

OS/2 in compulenta.ru news

2010-03-20 00:36:46 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

it's fun that russian compulenta.ru online news server used the picture with OS/2 in the news related to future Windows OS :)

Here is the original article,

Spring mix of eComStation news

2010-03-19 15:02:09 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

Misc news about eComStation:

 
1) We have found the photo of IBM OS/2 Warp 3 developers (October 11, 1994) in Facebook.

 
2) Strange screenshot in the internet: www.engadget.com (thx Sergey Posokhov)

 
3) We are ready to publish your story "Why do I use eComStation"

 
4) eComStation TV - added links to movies:

• IBM's first homepage on the Web

 
5) DevCon bits - collection of troubles and solutions for developers: forum

 
6) The users are discussing the coming conferences Warpstock Europe 2010 (Germany) and Warpstock 2010 (USA). You can find the discussions in misc forums: what to discuss during the conference, what to release for this event.

 
7) KO Myung-Hun started the porting of VLC media player.

Bootable OS/2 USB flashdisk

2010-03-18 00:37:32 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

You can download the image of Bootable OS/2 USB flashdisk from the site: http://ecomstation.ru/usbboot

Please send testimonials and results of testing присылайте via web-form (please mention, can we publish your report? can we mention your name?).

?

The bootable USB flash disk is aimed to repair the PC, to test eComStation on new hardware, to aggregate system information. We invite 1-2 people to the project "Bootable eComStation USB flashdisk".

You can send the ideas, how to improve the bootable image via web-form - we will add the ideas to the queue of ideas (please mention, can we mention your name?)

ATTENTION: Read before writing the image to USB flash disk:

• do this ONLY if you know how to use DFSee program, else you can damage the data on your harddrive.
• If you have several eComStation computers, then write the image from the PC which doesn't contain important data.

Some users have lost their harddisks after experiments with flash disks.

eComStation PC: Week of TV/FM tuners

2010-03-14 02:31:37 -- Eugene Gorbunoff [ecomstation.ru]

The next week is dedicated to TV/FM tuners compatible with eComStation. There are some popular TV players:

• T&V HappyPlayer
• Emperoar TV

Here is the list of tested models: 28 models. Add new reports or comment reports posted by other users.

Homepage of eComStation PC