Microsoft Operating System/2™ With Windows Presentation Manager Provides Foundation for Next Generation of Personal Computer Industry
REDMOND, WA • April 2, 1987 • Microsoft Corporation today announced Microsoft Operating System/2 (MS OS/2™), a new personal computer system operating system. MS OS/2 is planned for phased release to OEM manufacturers beginning in the fourth quarter of 1987. Designed and developed specifically to harness the capabilities of personal computers based upon the Intel® 80286 and 80386 microprocessors, MS OS/2 provides significant new benefits to personal computer application software developers and end-users.
MS OS/2, a multi-tasking operating system which allows applications software to use up to 16 Mb of memory on 80286 and 80386-based personal computers, can be adapted for use on most personal computers based on the 80286 and 80386 processors, including the IBM® PC AT and other popular systems in use today. The MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager is an integral part of the MS OS/2 product, providing a sophisticated graphical user interface to the MS OS/2 system. The MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager is derived from the existing Microsoft® Windows product developed and marketed by Microsoft for the current generation of IBM personal computers and compatible machines.
The MS OS/2 product is the first to be announced as the result of the Joint Development Agreement announced by IBM and Microsoft in August 1985. Microsoft will be offering MS OS/2, including the MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager, to all its existing OEM customers.
"Microsoft Operating System/2 provides the foundation for the next phase of exciting growth in the personal computer industry," said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. "Microsoft is committed to providing outstanding systems software products to the personal computer industry. MS OS/2 will be the platform upon which the next 1000 exciting personal computer applications software products are built. In particular, our commitment to the power of the graphical user interface has been realized with the announcement of the MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager and the new IBM Personal System/2™ series. We believe that these machines represent a new standard in personal computer graphics capabilities which will drive the software industry toward the creation of incredible new graphics-based applications software products."
Microsoft products to support MS OS/2 local area network systems and applications software developers
In a series of related announcements, Microsoft announced the Microsoft Operating System/2 LAN Manager, a high-performance local area networking software product. The MS OS/2 LAN Manager enables personal computers running either MS OS/2 or MS-DOS® to be connected together on a local area network. Any machine in the network can function as either a server or a workstation.
Microsoft also announced that it plans to begin distribution of the MS OS/2 Software Development Kit (SDK) on August 1. The MS OS/2 SDK includes pre-release software and full product specifications for MS OS/2. This will enable applications developers and other hardware and software developers to begin design and development of products for the MS OS/2 environment in advance of general end-user availability of the MS OS/2 product. The MS OS/2 SDK will include a pre-release version of MS OS/2 and a comprehensive set of software development tools. Microsoft will be providing a high level of support for the MS OS/2 SDK product using the Microsoft Direct Information Access Line (DIAL) electronic mail support service. In addition, users of the MS OS/2 SDK will receive regular software updates and credit for attendance at technical training seminars given by Microsoft personnel.
New version of Microsoft Windows to provide bridge to MS OS/2
Microsoft also announced today a new version of Microsoft Windows for MS-DOS. To be made available in the third quarter of 1987, Microsoft Windows version 2.0 has a number of new features, including significantly improved performance and full utilization of expanded memory features. This MS-DOS version of Windows will run existing Windows applications and will present users with the same visual interface used by the Microsoft OS/2 Windows presentation manager. This interface is based upon the use of overlapping windows rather than the tiling technique used in the current release of Microsoft Windows. The incorporation of the MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager user interface into Microsoft Windows version 2.0 will provide a consistent interface between the current MS-DOS generation of personal computers and future systems based on MS OS/2.
New version of Microsoft MS-DOS to enhance installed base of personal computers
Separately, Microsoft also announced a new version of the MS-DOS operating system™ version 3.3, which provides improved performance and increased hard-disk storage capability for MS-DOS personal computers. "Microsoft is committed both to providing significant enhancements to the current generation of operating systems technology, and to introducing revolutionary new products, such as MS OS/2. MS-DOS version 3.3 is part of Microsoft's ongoing effort to improve our current products," said Gates.
Microsoft products support new IBM Personal System/2 series
Microsoft also announced that it will be releasing updated versions of its existing MS-DOS-based applications software, Microsoft Windows and Microsoft XENIX® products to take advantage of the new IBM Personal System/2 series. Microsoft will also be supporting the new IBM Personal System/2 with versions of the Microsoft Mouse, the most popular pointing device in use on personal computers today.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ "MSFT") develops, markets and supports a wide range of software for business and professional use, including operating systems, languages and application programs as well as books and hardware for the microcomputer marketplace.
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Microsoft, MS-DOS, XENIX and the Microsoft logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Microsoft Operating System/2 and MS OS/2 are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Personal System/2 is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
Product Information
Microsoft OS/2 Windows Presentation Manager
Introduction
The Windows presentation manager is the graphical user-interface component of Microsoft Operating System/2™.
Product Features
The Windows presentation manager provides a windowed graphical user interface to MS OS/2™ users. It replaces the MS OS/2 command line interface with a full function user shell. This shell features:
In addition to providing these capabilities, the MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager also provides a powerful application environment for software developers. Applications written to make use of this environment can take advantage of:
Product background
The Microsoft® OS/2 Windows presentation manager is an evolution of the Microsoft Windows product first released in November 1985. Microsoft Windows is supported by all the leading personal computer manufacturers. Over 850,000 copies of it have been sold since its first release.
Microsoft is developing the OS/2 Windows presentation manager with IBM® under the auspices of the IBM/Microsoft Joint Development Agreement.
Product Q & A
When will the MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager be available?
Alpha test versions of the software will be available late this year. This software will be provided to purchasers of the MS OS/2 Software Development Kit. Although final release dates are determined by our OEM customers, we expect that the product will be available in 1988.
How will the MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager be distributed?
The Windows presentation manager is an integral part of Microsoft Operating System/2. It will be available through OEM customers as a component of MS OS/2.
How different is it from Microsoft Windows?
The Windows presentation manager and Microsoft Windows version 2.0 have very similar user interfaces. The Application Programming Interface and Device Driver Interface have changed to accommodate the protected mode features of MS OS/2, to improve the graphics library, and to standardize on coding conventions.
Why did you change the user interface?
Since the original release of Microsoft Windows, we have been asked by many OEMs and ISVs to make changes in the user interface. Overlapped windows have been a very common request.
The keyboard interface of Windows has been changed to better accommodate the needs of MS OS/2 and the new User Shell and to provide keyboard shortcuts to most menu and dialog box items.
Why did you change the programming interface?
The MS OS/2 platform is a new environment for software developers. To take advantage of its new features, existing software will have to be modified. For this reason, we thought it a convenient time to make some changes to the Windows programming interface as well.
Many of the Windows API changes are to standardize on coding practices. Windows routines will use the same practices used by the kernel components of MS OS/2. Other changes are required by the new graphics library. This has substantially greater functionality and a different architecture; it requires a different programming interface. Finally, some changes are dictated by the protected mode nature of MS OS/2.
How difficult will it be to modify current Microsoft Windows applications to run under the MS OS/2 Windows presentation manager?
Most of the required modifications will be trivial. For example, the names of the API calls will have to be changed. Because the graphics library has changed, applications which make heavy use of graphics will require the most changes.
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Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Microsoft Operating System/2 and MS OS/2 are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.