Microsoft OS/2(TM) Offers Significant New Functionality for Personal Computers and Integrated Graphical User Interface

Redmond, WA -- April 2, 1987 -- Microsoft Corporation's new operating system product, Microsoft Operating System/2(TM) (MS OS/2(TM)), is an advanced single-user, multi-tasking operating system for personal computers.

MS OS/2 provides a built-in graphical user interface, the MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager, as the standard user interface to the system. MS OS/2 provides full support for protected mode operation of 80286 and 80386 personal computers, allowing applications to take advantage of up to 16M bytes of real memory or 1 gigabyte of virtual memory on 80286-based machines compared to the current real-mode limitation of 640K bytes under the MS-DOS(R) operating system.

MS OS/2 consists of the operating system kernel and the Windows presentation manager, which provides a standard graphical user interface and graphical applications services for MS OS/2. MS OS/2 can run most existing applications designed for MS-DOS.

Among some of the sophisticated new capabilities of the operating system, MS OS/2 provides a sophisticated priority-based pre-emptive multitasking environment which is supported by a comprehensive set of inter-task communication capabilities. This allows new applications to be designed as a closely cooperating set of tasks which can provide the user, running new applications, with improved system efficiency and background processing capabilities. This allows, for example, a spreadsheet application to carry out recalculation simultaneously with user input, or the processing of multiple concurrent database queries.

MS OS/2 also provides a new application interface which isolates applications from low-level hardware differences between machines running MS OS/2. Applications can be developed that are compatible across all machines running MS OS/2. This interface will also be consistent with future releases of MS OS/2 designed to take advantage of the additional capabilities of the 80386 processor.

The MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager, derived from the current Microsoft(R) Windows product, provides a graphical user interface and a device- independent graphical application environment. The visual appearance of the MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager is based on the use of multiple overlapping application display windows. A new release of Microsoft Windows for MS-DOS personal computers, planned for release in the third quarter of 1987, will adopt the same visual interface, providing users with a consistent graphical user interface across Microsoft's single-user operating system product line.

MS OS/2 will be licensed to Microsoft's existing OEM customers. Phased release of MS OS/2 to OEM customers will begin in the fourth quarter of 1987.  Versions of MS OS/2 can be provided, by these customers, for existing machines, such as the IBM(R) PC AT(R), as well as new 80286 and 80386 systems. Microsoft anticipates that MS OS/2 will be generally available to end users in 1988.

Microsoft plans to begin shipment on August 1 of the MS OS/2 Software Development Kit. The Software Development Kit will contain pre-release versions of the MS OS/2 system kernel, technical specifications for the MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager, and MS OS/2 LAN Manager, language compilers, and other software tools necessary for developers to begin design and development of applications for MS OS/2. The Software Development Kit will be regularly updated by Microsoft.

Microsoft Operating System/2(TM) Product Information

Introduction

Microsoft Operating System/2 (MS OS/2(TM)) is Microsoft's next generation operating system for IBM(R) personal computers and compatible machines. MS OS/2 comprises the operating system kernel and the Windows presentation manager. The Windows presentation manager provides the graphical user interface and graphical application services for MS OS/2.

Product Features

MS OS/2 is an advanced single-user multi-tasking operating system for 80286 and 80386-based personal computers. MS OS/2 supports both real and protected mode operation of the 286 and 386 processors. This allows the user to run both existing applications designed for the current MS-DOS(R) operating system, and new protected mode applications designed specifically for MS OS/2. The new protected mode applications can exploit the advanced features of MS OS/2 including:

MS OS/2 is fully defined by the specifications included within the Microsoft OS/2 Software Development Kit, which also includes MS OS/2 itself and a comprehensive set of MS OS/2 application development tools. The Software Development Kit is scheduled for general release to application developers in August 1987, and will be accompanied by a series of training seminars to be held in the USA, Europe and Japan.

The operating system component of MS OS/2 is planned for final release to OEMs in the fourth quarter of 1987. Microsoft anticipates that it will be generally available to end-users in 1988. The Windows presentation manager is planned for release to OEMs in the first half of 1988. In the interim period, an OEM customer has the option of providing a character-based user interface to end-users. This interface will be part of the first release of MS OS/2.

Product Background

Microsoft Operating System/2 was jointly developed by IBM and Microsoft and is the first product to be announced under the Microsoft/IBM Joint Development Agreement. Many leading manufacturers of personal computers have expressed an interest in licensing the product.

Product Q & A

What personal computers does it run on?

The product is designed to run on any 80286 or 80386-based personal computer. As is the case with MS-DOS, the product is sold only through PC manufacturers (OEMs) who adapt, test and market the product for their machines.

The recommended system configuration is 1.5 mb of RAM and a hard disk. To use the Windows presentation manager, a display and adapter capable of producing graphics is required.

Why is this product important?

MS OS/2 provides the platform for the next generation of personal computer applications software. It delivers the full capabilities of the hardware technology to the application developer and thus to the end-user. In addition, the built in graphical subsystem -- the MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager -- provides exciting new possibilities in the design of these applications. There are also new capabilities which can be exploited by network applications.

Why is the Windows presentation manager such an important part of MS OS/2?

The provision of a standard graphical user interface is an important feature of MS OS/2. Also the provision of a standard graphics environment within the operating system, together with the hardware capable of supporting that environment with excellent performance, will enable applications developers to concentrate upon designing and implementing high performance, high function applications while relying upon the operating system for sophisticated interaction with the user. We believe this will result in some exciting and productive advances in the applications products which are available to the end-user.

Is the Windows presentation manager required or is it optional?

The Windows presentation manager is the graphical user interface designed by Microsoft for the operating system.

When will there be a 80386 specific version of MS OS/2?

This product runs on both 80286 and 80386-based PCs. A version that takes advantage of some of the unique 80386 features such as 32-bit linear address space, demand paging, and 8086 virtual machine support is forthcoming. No date has been established for its release.

Why did you choose to provide a 286 version of MS OS/2 first? Would it not be better to have targeted the 386?

Although there has been a lot of recent publicity associated with the 386, 286-based PCs have already achieved significant market acceptance. It is important to provide a version of MS OS/2 to those users and to allow application developers to provide new protected mode products to that installed base of machines. We do expect that, over time, 386-based machines will enjoy the largest market share, but this will take at least two to three years to happen. Providing a version of MS OS/2 for 286-based machines first meets the current needs of the developers and the end-users. A later version which fully exploits the 386 will be provided in a timeframe consistent with market needs.

How quickly do you expect end-users to begin using MS OS/2 after it is released?

This depends almost entirely upon the availability of applications software for MS OS/2. In the short term there are unlikely to be very many users converting to MS OS/2, but as new applications become available, we expect MS OS/2 to be attractive to many end users.

Some developers seem to have little interest in the 286, but prefer the 386.  Will this slow down the availability of applications for MS OS/2?

No. The MS OS/2 application program interface (API) will be consistent between 286 and 386 implementations. A developer can design and implement protected mode applications for the 286 which will run immediately on 386-based machines. The great majority of this effort would be needed for a 386 only application anyway, so we expect developers to begin with a 286 implementation and later on look at incorporating 386 specific improvements to their products.

For more information contact:

Microsoft Corporation
Marty Taucher/Kathryn Hinsch
(206) 882-8080

The Waggener Group
Pam Edstrom/Collins Hemingway
(503) 245-0905

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