-- .-. .-----. .---. ---------------------------------------------------- | |N | | | |Y | O |PINION : MY VIEW ON COMPUTERS AND THE FUTURE -- `-' `-'-'-' `---' ---------------------------------------------------- Trends in Operating Systems for the Future Gregory Lam June, 1996 The world of personal computing has reached another threshold in the never-ending dance of technological advances. As computer hardware becomes more advanced, consumer demands increase and application software becomes better. However, what actually lies in the horizon of future personal computing? To get a glimpse of what might be in store, one must examine the enhanced features in the software foundation of the computer, the operating system. The operating system(OS), or platform, acts like a janitor, traffic cop and secretary at the same time by monitoring the flow of programs, data and information. By analyzing current cutting-edge innovations, features and design ideology, one can catch a glimpse of what is to come. One of the most "intuitive, but fun" operating systems out in the market today is the Operating System/2, by IBM Corporation. Operating System/2, usually referred to as OS/2, is one of the first of the newer, slicker operating systems out today optimized for today's applications and hardware such as Apple's Mac OS, Microsoft Windows 95, and the high-end Unix/XWindows. OS/2 is currently up to version 3.0, introduced in August 1994 and nicknamed "Warp", with an upgrade codenamed "Merlin" slated for late 1996. First of all, an operating system for the future will invariably have a graphical user interface(GUI). A successful GUI is aesthetically pleasing, highly configurable, can be navigated using a mouse and consists of icons and windows and other illustrated objects which one can manipulate to accomplish tasks in an orderly, efficient manner. However, a well-designed OS must also have easy access to a command-line interpreter, such as DOS where one can get "down and dirty" into the bowels of their system for maintenance. For example, OS/2 Warp has a GUI called the Workplace Shell where one can customize everything from startup options to desktop colours and utilizes a convenient "object-oriented drag and drop" interface. Every object in sight yields a pop-up options menu with a right mouse-click. The screen, aka desktop, sports the button-studded LaunchPad which allows one to load their most frequently used programs and files. One can even download images from the Internet by simply dragging a picture off a webpage and onto the desktop. The anticipated OS/2 Merlin extends the ease-of-use philosophy even further with an improved LaunchPad with system status meters called WarpCentre, and voice recognition capabilities called IBM VoiceType, where one can vocally tell his/her computer what to do and even dictate letters. However, should an user wish to perform tasks within a DOS-like environment, a click on the LaunchPad will instantly bring up the OS/2 Window, a window with a DOS prompt. Another feature a good OS should have is user-friendly help. With the advent of more and more technology neophytes purchasing computers, new users are seeking a guiding hand which can lead them in the right direction. OS/2 is quite lacking in this area, unfortunately, as OS/2's help is often vague, fragmented and technical. A good example would be the Macintosh System 7.5's AppleGuide, a tutorial which guides users one step at a time on a variety of tasks. What makes OS/2 and Unix so powerful is its multitasking and multithreading abilities. Called preemptive multitasking, this can increase productivity by allowing the computer to do more than one thing at once. As an incredible example of this, one can be typing a document, printing another and downloading a file simultaneously in OS/2 Warp. Furthermore, OS/2's preemptive multitasking makes OS/2 extremely stable and "decidedly more robust" than other operating systems because it cocoons each program in spaces in memory called virtual machines(VM). In other words, should a program misbehave and crash, the rest of the system usually escapes unscathed. Another plus is OS/2 Warp's abundant scripting options. Scripting allows users to automate repetitive tasks with the touch of a few keys. Along with the traditional DOS batch files, Warp has ObjectREXX, a highly-flexible, universally- compatible scripting language. Warp also lets folders act as work areas. Open or close a folder, and Warp will automatically open or close all folders and applications running within it like an opening and closing three-ring binder. A quickly-emerging trend is increased computer connectivity. Humans have a generally tendency to communicate and socialize, and networks allow people to swap information and pool resources. Consultant Kevin Linfield predicts that "the future of OS/2 is in networking environments." Two variations of OS/2, Warp Connect and the newly introduced Warp Server 4.0, offer local area network(LAN) support for IBM, Microsoft and Novell, as well as advanced options for coordinating networked systems. More importantly, OS/2 Warp comes packaged with built-in Internet access and utilities such as the Usenet newsgroup reader NewsReader/2 and the World Wide Web browser WebExplorer and access to TCP/IP, PPP and SLIP network protocols. Because of multitasking, networking becomes all the more powerful. For example, one can read mail online while 'surfing' the Web, or be two places on the Internet at the same time by running two WebExplorer sessions. IBM was the first to incorporate the Internet into its operating system; PC Magazine gave OS/2 an Award for Technical Excellence for being "the first to stake out this vital new technology." Consumers will also expect an operating system which can manage data files effectively. A good example would be OS/2's HPFS, or High Performance File System. Like a spectacled librarian, HPFS sorts files and places them neatly on the drives, decreasing data corruption and increasing loading speeds. Another soon-to-be-common feature would be Plug and Play (PnP). Plug and Play is a new standard where the operating system automatically detects, sets up and installs the moment an user plugs in a new circuit board or device, like a modem or a hard drive. Both Windows 95 and OS/2 support this feature, which will eliminate many installation pains currently common with computer users. Of course, it is the small, miscellaneous niceties of an operating platform is what will win users over in the future. One important consideration is an OS's performance. One user excitedly stated Warp is "lightning-fast...this version runs faster on a 4MB [megabytes of RAM equipped] machine than OS/2 2.1 running on a 8MB machine." Another perk is OS/2's cross-platform compatibility; one can effortlessly run OS/2, Windows and DOS programs side by side. OS/2, among others also support long filenames. For example, one can name a file "Letter to my Supervisor, May '96.Lam" instead of just "LETTER96.LAM". IBM also bundles a dozen free software programs, called the BonusPak, which range from multimedia players to a fax program to a spreadsheet. Currently, despite being constantly eclipsed by Microsoft's marketing strategies, OS/2 continues being the staple of major corporations everywhere such as CP Rail, CIBC, Royal Bank and the US Navy. By researching OS inclinations, I believe I can get a good idea of what future computing has in store for us. Since I plan to work in a computer career, this information is invaluable for my job prospects and possible future corporate decisions on changing technologies. The world also must be prepared for the next generation of systems which will ultimately catapult society into the information age, and the 21st century. Such operating systems, designed to be operated and interconnected around the globe, will affect the daily lives of everyone on this planet and change how we manage data forever. Despite its faults, OS/2 has been on the leading edge of this technology through its innovative features and design ingenuity. This trend is expected to continue with the next OS/2, OS/2 Merlin. Columnist Larry Seltzer confirms that "the new technology Merlin offers is impressive." Because of this, it is a perfect example of what the personal computer operating system of the future will be. [imo] Bibliography Bennett, Graeme. "Showdown at the OS Corral." The Computer Paper. March 1995, pp. 38-44, 67-68. Linfield, Kevin. "OS/2 means business." Toronto Computes!. March 1996, pp. 28-29. Linfield, Kevin. "Alive & Kicking." Toronto Computes!. February 1996, pp. 76. Linfield, Kevin. "Bravo, IBM!" Toronto Computes!. January 1996, pp. 79. Linfield, Kevin. "OS/2 Warp Server Version 4 Announcement." Toronto Computes!. April 1996, pp. 16. Miller, Michael J. "12th Annual Technical Excellence Awards." PC Magazine. 19 December 1995, pp. 120. Miranda, Lou. "Report from an OS/2 devotee." PCWorld Magazine. August 1995, pp. 96. Strong, Duncan. "New OS/2 Beta Turns Heads At Spring Comdex." OS/2 News. June 1994 supplement. Seltzer, Larry. PC Magazine Trends Online: IBM Reveals Details of New, Improved OS/2. [computer file.] Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, 23 April, 1996. IBM Corporation. OS/2 2.2.1: Using the Operating System. May 1993. IBM Corporation. OS/2 Warp Version 3. 1994. (C)opyright Gregory Lam, All rights reserved. You are allowed to copy this document sans charge on the condition none of it is altered or used without proper bibliographical references. === G R E G O R Y L A M ============================= Fight the CDA! ==== -=Toronto, Ontario=- {~._.~} ("*_*") gregory.lam@ablelink.org ___/|___\_______ ( Y ) ( v ) am535@torfree.net ( /-\_____\___/-\) ()~*~:()():~%~() quanta@sizone.org ======\_/o--------\_/======(_)-(_)==(_)-(_)===============================