OS/2 FAQ List: User's Edition (4 Apr 94)

(1.2) Differences Between Versions

What are the differences between versions?

 o IBM OS/2 Version 2.1 is the latest release of OS/2, offering Windows 
   3.1 compatibility, multimedia support (including software motion 
   video), and more device drivers.  With Version 2.1 IBM has ended the 
   practice of including extra features in its own, preinstalled versions 
   of OS/2 2.0 that were not found in the off-the-shelf package.  See 
   (0.4) Special Report on OS/2 for Windows for details on the new, lower 
   cost member of the OS/2 2.1 family.

 o IBM OS/2 Version 2.0 is the first release of OS/2 which will run only 
   on machines with an 80386SX processor or better.  With this release IBM 
   started developing OS/2 (and its Intel and non-Intel-based successors) 
   independently but continued to involve third party PC manufacturers in 
   its testing.  Improvements included an object-oriented Workplace Shell 
   (WPS); a multiple operating system boot mechanism; better DOS and 
   Windows support [See (1.3) DOS and Windows Compatibility]; new 32-bit 
   programming interfaces; support for more than 16 MB of physical RAM 
   [See (2.6) More Than 16 MB RAM]; and more third party device drivers. 
    OS/2 1.x applications, unmodified, still run under OS/2 2.0.

 o IBM OS/2 Version 1.3 is the last release of OS/2 to operate on PCs with 
   80286 CPUs.  This version introduced built-in Adobe Type Manager (ATM) 
   [See (5.5) Adobe Type Manager], providing scalable typefaces for screen 
   and printer.  Procedures Language/2 (REXX), a powerful batch-oriented 
   programming language, became a part of Standard Edition with this 
   release.  [See (5.11) REXX.]  (A few OEMs are shipping Microsoft OS/2 
   Version 1.3, but Microsoft has ceded all OS/2 development to IBM.)

 o OS/2 Version 1.2 was the first to incorporate the High Performance File 
   System (HPFS) [See (1.5) High Performance File System].  With this 
   release IBM OS/2 added a dual boot mechanism and IBM Extended Edition 
   [See (3.10) Extended Services] introduced REXX.

 o OS/2 Version 1.1 was the first to include the Presentation Manager (PM) 
   GUI/API.  Microsoft OEM versions added a dual boot mechanism with this 
   release.

 o OS/2 Version 1.0, introduced in late 1987, was the first release of 
   OS/2.  Task switching was accomplished using a character-based shell 
   and limited DOS compatibility was provided.

 Related information:

 (0.4)  Special Report on OS/2 for Windows 
 (1.1)  What is OS/2?
 (1.3)  DOS and Windows Compatibility 
 (2.6)  More Than 16 MB RAM 
 (3.10) Extended Services 
 (5.5)  Adobe Type Manager 
 (5.11) REXX

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