scott@max.u.washington.edu (10/16/89)
Can a 286 machine run OS/2? If so, then what is the difference in buying a 20Mhz 286 machine than a 20Mhz 386 machine, in terms of capabilities? Can a 10Mhz 8088 run OS/2? Any comments will be appreciated.... Scott
zech@leadsv.UUCP (Bill Zech) (10/17/89)
In article <8595@max.u.washington.edu>, scott@max.u.washington.edu writes: > > > Can a 286 machine run OS/2? Absolutely. > If so, then what is the difference in buying a 20Mhz 286 machine > than a 20Mhz 386 machine, in terms of capabilities? Nothing at all, except maybe some speed. > > Can a 10Mhz 8088 run OS/2? > No. OS/2 requires the protected mode available only in 80286 and above. > Any comments will be appreciated.... OS/2 is and will be a dog until it is ported to the '386 architecture. -Bill
campbell@redsox.bsw.com (Larry Campbell) (10/17/89)
In article <8595@max.u.washington.edu> scott@max.u.washington.edu writes:
-Can a 286 machine run OS/2?
Yes.
-If so, then what is the difference in buying a 20Mhz 286 machine
-than a 20Mhz 386 machine, in terms of capabilities?
The 386 can run a real operating system (UNIX); the 286 can't (well, it
can, but it's not pretty). Also the 386 will be faster.
-Can a 10Mhz 8088 run OS/2?
No way.
--
Larry Campbell The Boston Software Works, Inc.
campbell@bsw.com 120 Fulton Street
wjh12!redsox!campbell Boston, MA 02146madd@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Jim Frost) (10/17/89)
In article <8243@leadsv.UUCP> zech@leadsv.UUCP (Bill Zech) writes: |In article <8595@max.u.washington.edu>, scott@max.u.washington.edu writes: |> If so, then what is the difference in buying a 20Mhz 286 machine |> than a 20Mhz 386 machine, in terms of capabilities? | |Nothing at all, except maybe some speed. Not true. The 286 runs OS/2 but the 386 runs UNIX and several 8088 virtual machine packages in addition to OS/2. If you have the choice, get an 80386 or 80386SX over an 80286. The additional capabilities are worth any extra money. If you can afford it, get an 80386 over an 80386SX, there can be large performance differences. It would be unwise to deterimine which hardware to get by whether OS/2 runs on it or not. Consider other options, they may extend the life of your hardware considerably. jim frost software tool & die madd@std.com
rob@prism.TMC.COM (10/18/89)
Minor correction - >> If so, then what is the difference in buying a 20Mhz 286 machine >> than a 20Mhz 386 machine, in terms of capabilities? > Nothing at all, except maybe some speed. There's a fair (and growing) amount of 386 specific software that won't run on a 286. Windows-386 and Desqview-386 are two examples. Whether there's a difference between the 286 and 386 depends on whether you'll want to run such software now or in the future. >> Any comments will be appreciated.... > OS/2 is and will be a dog until it is ported to the '386 architecture. Agreed. But I fear that as long as IBM has a minicomputer line to protect, it might be a long wait. Though there's been no official announcement of OS/2-386 yet, the 'unofficial' release date (mentioned periodically by Bill Gates in speeches and interviews) keeps getting pushed back. We'll be lucky to see it before 1991.
zech@leadsv.UUCP (Bill Zech) (10/20/89)
In article <40611@bu-cs.BU.EDU>, madd@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Jim Frost) writes: > In article <8243@leadsv.UUCP> zech@leadsv.UUCP (Bill Zech) writes: > |In article <8595@max.u.washington.edu>, scott@max.u.washington.edu writes: > |> If so, then what is the difference in buying a 20Mhz 286 machine > |> than a 20Mhz 386 machine, in terms of capabilities? > | > |Nothing at all, except maybe some speed. > > Not true. The 286 runs OS/2 but the 386 runs UNIX and several 8088 > virtual machine packages in addition to OS/2. If you have the choice, > get an 80386 or 80386SX over an 80286. The additional capabilities > are worth any extra money. If you can afford it, get an 80386 over an > 80386SX, there can be large performance differences. > True, the '386 does lots of other stuff. I assumed the writer was referring to OS/2 abilities, which for now doesn't deal with the '386 capabilities beyond speeding up the protected mode - to - read mode switch. I run Windows/386 all the time, and it provides lots of benefits over straight DOS for some things, and is better than OS/2 right now, since it runs mutiple DOS "boxes," which in Window's case are separate Virtual Machines as compared to OS/2 running DOS stuff in real mode. -Bill
cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca (Stephen M. Dunn) (10/25/89)
In article <8595@max.u.washington.edu> scott@max.u.washington.edu writes:
$Can a 286 machine run OS/2?
Yes. OS/2 is an 80286 operating system.
$If so, then what is the difference in buying a 20Mhz 286 machine
$than a 20Mhz 386 machine, in terms of capabilities?
The 386 is quite a bit faster at a given clock rate than the 286. Also,
there is software on the market which requires a 386. Not too much at the
moment, but there will likely be more showing up as time goes on.
$Can a 10Mhz 8088 run OS/2?
Nope, since it's an 80286 O/S. You need an 80286 or better to run OS/2.
--
Stephen M. Dunn cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca
<std_disclaimer.h> = "\nI'm only an undergraduate!!!\n";
**************************************************************************
... but I'm too full to swallow my pride ...davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.COM (Wm E Davidsen Jr) (10/25/89)
In article <2545289F.25729@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca>, cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca (Stephen M. Dunn) writes: | The 386 is quite a bit faster at a given clock rate than the 286. This does not agree with published measurements or any I've taken. Usually a 286 at the same clock speed is a few percent faster. This assumes using DOS and 8088 instruction set. | | Also, | there is software on the market which requires a 386. Not too much at the | moment, but there will likely be more showing up as time goes on. True. -- bill davidsen (davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM -or- uunet!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen) "The world is filled with fools. They blindly follow their so-called 'reason' in the face of the church and common sense. Any fool can see that the world is flat!" - anon