Also new in 1.1 is read-only NTFS support, and while they are being pretty cautious about promoting it, apparently it even works with the latest Windows XP NTFS partitions as long as they aren't encrypted or compressed. The SIO 2K version 2.00 serial port drivers are back, but this time they are the default COM port drivers. These drivers have a long and well-earned reputation for performance. Scitech Display Doctor Special Edition is also back, and this time they are the default video drivers.
The version reviewed here is the new eComStation 1.1 Entry which is based on MCP 2 (Warp 4.52.) Unlike eComStation 1.0, this time Serenity has unbundled the applications in order to bring the base price of eCS into line with its competition. This is a big plus for those of us who already have these applications, however if you don't have Smartsuite (http://www.os2ezine.com/20010416/ssintro.html), or if you want to do scanning or run X applications, the eComStation 1.1 Application Pack (not yet available) is a pretty good deal. The application pack includes:
The rumor department says that the Application pack will also include Acrobat 4.05, Flash 5 and Java 1.41 from Innotek. I'll be very interested to see what other goodies appear in the final product.
Also available as an option is the eComStation 1.1 Multi Processor Pack which provides up to 64-way SMP support. If you were wondering about support for Hyperthreading, the docs say that people have had success with Intel Xeon 4 HT machines, provided the machine's BIOS reports multiple physical processors. Nice!
IBM's Web Browser based on Mozilla is back in its latest incarnation, as is Flash 4. eWorkPlace (a WPS enhancement based on XWorkPlace (http://www.xworkplace.org/proj_xwp.html)) eConnect (ISDNPM (http://www.isdnpm.de/home.htm)) and Desktop-On-Call Version 4 are also in the package.
If you are running an eCS network, there is also the new eComStation Server Edition. It includes SMP, the Application pack, and a special Server pack based on Warp Server for eBusiness which includes a domain controller, authenticator, replicator, and RIPL Server.
The giant registration code I had so much trouble with last time has been improved. Although the key is now a whopping 128 digits, they've broken it into manageable chunks and at least in the one I have, they've eliminated easily confusable digits. Also fixed is that when you're entering the code, it won't let you continue until you get it right. Unlike last time, I had the good fortune to have a diskette drive on the test system, so I just had it read the code from a floppy disk. If you don't have a floppy, you can also put the code on the hard disk before the install and read it in from there.
The version I reviewed included the old IBM multimedia installer which provided a long list of new options to choose from. The final version shipped with an automatic multimedia installer, so you won't ever see this. For some reason my WinTV wouldn't work with the provided drivers. I commented out the WinTV lines from CONFIG.SYS for now, I'll have to install the drivers I was using before when I want to get that working again. eCS 1.1 doesn't include automatic sound card driver installation so I had to download and install the SoundBlaster Live! drivers from Netlabs. Apparently an automated sound card installer is in the works.
Network installation was pretty painless, it accepted my driver disk, and I had TCP/IP and NetBIOS running immediately.
Printers and other last-minute installer items are a lot prettier this time around, and run smoothly.
I was a little disappointed to see that FAT32 support is not included in the package, fortunately there are some excellent drivers available from Netlabs (http://fat32.netlabs.org/).
Once you figure this out however, the widgets are very cool and you'll quickly find yourself adding far too many of them to the eCenter.
I like that the active programs display in the bar as little buttons so you can switch to them quickly like in Windows. Where this is a net usability gain, it is offset by having to select "Desktop" from the eCS "start" button menu before you can select the programs you want to start. I could certainly live with the eCS menu being a little taller if it saved me that extra mouse click every time I wanted to start a program.
Of particular note with eCenter is the Run dialog. It has all the options you could want, but the thing I like best about it is that it keeps a listbox of the programs you have run previously so you don't have to type it in or browse if you've ever run it before. Nice.
When you select an application from the eCenter, you are instantly taken to the correct desktop. Nice.
The only hangup I found with this feature is that occasionally it just doesn't work. I haven't found a reason for it so far, but sometimes after boot it just will not let me use any other desktop than the one I am on. The bulk of the time however, it is very nice.
Q: Can I install on top of Warp 4? MCP1? MCP2? WSeB?
SRVCOMMENT =
(notice there is nothing after the = sign), either remove that
line or replace it with:
SRVCOMMENT = This is my computer
or else the peer installer will fail.
A: Not recommended or supported. If you would like to attempt to
upgrade an existing installation despite this warning, please note
the following:
Q: Can I install on top of eCS 1.0? Will I be able to continue using
the bonus applications?
A: In general, the same warning applies as is in the case of
installing on top of other existing versions of OS/2 (see the section above).
However, we have received reports of successes of installing eCS 1.1 on
top of eCS 1.0 (provided you rename the existing eCS directory prior to
installation).
Before starting, you will need to perform the same steps listed
above in section Pre_3.
Yikes! As someone who has upgraded OS/2 a number of times, this is pretty disappointing. I don't relish the thought of a wipe and reinstall or trying to manually migrate everything. Checking with the folks at Serenity I was told that it "should" work with Warp 4 and eCS 1.0, but that with the flexibility and configurability of OS/2 that there was always the possibility of a failure and because of that, they couldn't make upgrades "officially supported." They also told me that a migrated CONFIG.SYS will be present on the upgraded system, but that it won't be active due to the possibility of problems with it.
If you haven't used eCS before, or have a new computer in mind, go for it! The installation is a lot smoother,
it is based on the latest OS/2 base, works straight-away installing on modern hardware, offers a number of handy
new features, is prettier overall than eCS 1.0, and at $199 it is competitive with other choices.
Robert Basler is the president of
Aurora Systems, Inc. (http://www.aurora-systems.com)
and has been a dedicated OS/2 user since he tired of rebooting Windows 3.1 twenty times a day.
He spends what free time he can manage travelling the world. Photo was taken at Franz Josef
glacier, New Zealand.
This article is courtesy of www.os2ezine.com. You can view it online at http://www.os2ezine.com/20030416/page_2.html.