What is GBU? ---- It is no secret that many people have had less than wonderful experiences getting OS/2 to work with sub-standard computer hardware. This document is an attempt to minimize these problems in the future. It can be used as a shopping list, or to compare against your machine to find if other people using the same hardware have had similar problems. As is the case with any document of this type, it can only be helpful if it is supported by the potential users. This means that enough people must send in enough messages that a representative sample of the available hardware gets listed. Please email me new submissions. New versions will be posted as additions are made to the list. Feel free to upload this document to any ftp site, BBS, or online service that does not already have it, or that has an older version of it. ==== 80 column marker - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | ==== Detailed Description ---- Since many of the problems people have had with OS/2 stem from semi-compatible PC hardware, I will maintain a live document of computer hardware with respect to its performance with OS/2. I will make this document available by uploading it to a local ibmNET BBS, ftp-os2.nmsu.edu, and ftp-os2.cdrom.com. It will be distributed both as a viewable INF file and as clear text. Please send me messages about any hardware experiences you want to share. In particular I am looking for information on motherboards, video cards, multi-I/O cards, SCSI controllers, floppy drives, hard drives, CD-ROM drives, printers, modems, mice, track balls, graphics tablets, multi-serial port cards, and any other hardware you have had good, bad, or ugly experiences with. The definitions I am using are: GOOD hardware that caused no known problems, software drivers were available in shrink wrap either with OS/2 or with the hardware, or drivers were freely available on BBSs. BAD hardware that has proved to be incompatible with OS/2 due to excessive numbers of trap messages, or OS/2 drivers do not exist. The hardware might still work in DOS or Windows sessions with appropriate drivers. UGLY hardware that has had problems which could be corrected only after some serious work (changing jumpers doesn't qualify as serious), the available drivers take advantage of only some of the features of the hardware, only beta level (or worse) drivers exist, or the hardware works only in a "compatibility mode". If there are several messages with conflicting votes for a piece of hardware, it will automatically be placed in this category. The specific information I need includes: type of hardware (mother board, video card, etc.), the manufacturer, model number, chip set, serial number range (if it matters), version of OS/2 used to test the hardware, and a vote on Good, Bad, or Ugly, with a specific problem report or glowing recommendation, and any caveats regarding the GBU vote. To decide which category your submission fits in, ask yourself if you would recommend this hardware to someone who does not have any DOS or Windows programs. I may change the GBU designation based on the comments or caveats if they point to a different designation using the guidelines above. Any script files or chunks of code supplied with a submission can be included as a footnote. Cross references to other submissions will be maintained as hypertext links. If you wish to refute a previous category for a piece of hardware, please provide adequate documentation that the hardware should change from one category to another. It is almost impossible to promote something from Bad to Good directly without said hardware spending at least one release of GBU in Ugly. Likewise for the opposite (less likely) demotion. Please send messages directly to me via Internet or the networked IBM BBS based in Canada. On the (Canada) IBM BBS, send messages to John Altstadt. Private messages may be sent via the Ibm.Bbsmsg forum or uploaded as files with a note to the sysop to forward the file to me. On Internet, send messages to altstadt@mprgate.mpr.ca. To reduce the time required to generate a new edition of GBU, I prefer that messages are sent to me in IPF format, as I can just cut & paste them into the source files, and then bang out a new version quickly. If this is a problem for you, then send them in ASCII format and I will do the appropriate conversion. These panels show example text that you would be replacing highlighted this way. Not all fields will make sense for all hardware categories. The examples given are for hardware that does not exist. ==== IPF Source Format Example. Select this window, press to copy this text to the clipboard, then press to paste it into your editor. ---- Category: CD-ROM drive GBU rating: good :p.---- :hp8. :dl break=all tsize=3. :dt.:hp2.Type:ehp2. :dd.SCSI-2 interface, octuple speed :dt.:hp2.Manufacturer:ehp2. :dd.Toshisonic :dt.:hp2.Model Number:ehp2. :dd.XJ-9/4000 :dt.:hp2.Chip Set:ehp2. :dd.Fish &. Chips :dt.:hp2.Comments:ehp2. :dd.Driver included with OS/2. Uses 25 disk cartridges. :dt.:hp2.Caveats:ehp2. :dd.The drive will overheat and melt the CD-ROM after 50 milliseconds if the liquid helium coolant hose is disconnected. :edl. :dl compact tsize=18.:dthd.:hp2.OS/2 Version:ehp2.:ddhd.:hp2.Rated by:ehp2. :dt.Warp 5.0 :dd.altstadt@mprgate.mpr.ca - good :edl. :ehp8. ==== ASCII Source Format Example. Select this window, press to copy this text to the clipboard, then press to paste it into your editor. ---- Category: CD-ROM drive GBU rating: good Type: SCSI-2 interface, octuple speed Manufacturer: Toshisonic Model Number: XJ-9/4000 Chip Set: Fish & Chips Comments: Driver included with OS/2. Uses 25 disk cartridges. Caveats: The drive will overheat and melt the CD-ROM after 50 milliseconds if the liquid helium coolant hose is disconnected. OS/2 version: Warp 5.0 Rated by: altstadt@mprgate.mpr.ca - good ==== Other Sources of Help ---- Check for the following documents on BBSs, Internet archive sites, Usenet news groups, and WWW sites. PCMTAB.ZIP IBM's list of 3rd party hardware that has passed compatibility tests with OS/2. This is an excellent list, but each entry is limited to the information that can be contained on a single line. Information on equipment that has failed the standard set of tests is not included. Much of the list covers complete systems as supplied to IBM by the various clone manufacturers, so it would be a good resource for people about to purchase a new system. Patrick Duffy's PCI Lists Patrick Duffy posts three lists to the Usenet news group comp.os.os2.misc every Monday. These lists cover PCI bus based motherboards, video cards, and SCSI controller cards. FAQxxx.ZIP The FAQ maintained by Timothy Sipples contains some tips regarding hardware and OS/2 in general. http://pclt.cis.yale.edu/pclt/default.htm The PC Lube and Tune site has general information on the PC architecture. ---- This is a list of anonymous ftp sites mentioned elsewhere in this document. creative.creaf.com drivers and software for Creative Labs cards ftp-boi.external.hp.com drivers for Hewlett-Packard printers ftp-os2.cdrom.com, ftp.cdrom.com collection of OS/2 shareware, freeware, and information ftp-os2.nmsu.edu collection of OS/2 shareware, freeware, and information microsoft.com Windows drivers, mscdex ==== What's New? ---- Good CD-ROM drives: NEC, Wearnes Good Hard Disks: Seagate Ugly Hard Disks: Quantum, Seagate Good IDE cards: Boca Research Good I/O cards: ZyXEL Good Keyboards: NorthGate update Ugly Magneto Optical drives: Fujitsu upgraded Good Modems: US Robotics, Zoom update Good Monitors: KFC, Panasonic, ViewSonic Good Motherboards: Asus Bad Motherboards: J-Bond Good Pointers: Logitech update, Mouse Systems Ugly Printers: Hewlett-Packard Good Tape drives: Archive Good Video cards: Cardex Ugly Video cards: Diamond ==== Good Audio cards ---- Type 8-bit mono card Manufacturer CPS Model Number Soundblaster Junior Caveats Does work only with recent Soundblaster drivers. The CD audio connector has to be changed from 1234 to 2143 for use with a Mitsumi FX001D CD-ROM drive OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 marc_van-woerkom@ac3.maus.de - good ---- Type 16 bit stereo with SCSI-2 port Manufacturer Creative Labs Model Number Sound Blaster 16 SCSI-2 Chip Set Creative CT174x Comments Drivers supplied on MMPM diskettes. The card comes with DOS and Windows drivers and software. New drivers for DOS, Windows, and OS/2 are available via anonymous ftp from Creative Labs at creative.creaf.com. The DOS drivers will let you change the IRQ and DMA channels, so the card can be set for IRQ10 under OS/2 and Windows, while older DOS programs can use IRQ 2, 5, and 7 inside a BAT file wrapper. OS/2 will allow DOS programs to change the IRQ on the fly. See the Good SCSI Controller cards section for more info. Caveats The SB16 cards are known for hiss, clicks, and pops when playing 8-bit wav files. Some of the system sounds skip the first chunk of the file, but sound correct when using the Audio Player. The updated drivers from Creative Labs solve these problems. OS/2 will allow DOS programs to change the card IRQ on the fly, which has potential for serious problems. OS/2 Version Rated by 2.11 altstadt@mprgate.mpr.ca - good ---- Type 8-bit FM synthesis card Manufacturer Creative Labs Model Number SoundBlaster "Value Edition" Chip Set Creative Labs Comments Very minimal card, but works fine. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Manufacturer MediaVision Model Number Pro Audio Spectrum-16 Basic Comments Requires 3rd party drivers for OS/2 2.1GA. Readily available. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 jim.royer@nmebbs.org - good ==== Sound Blaster 16 BAT file ---- Save the following as the file AUD.BAT, edit to change the paths and default IRQ as appropriate, and execute as AUD 5 (for example) to change the SoundBlaster to use IRQ5 under DOS. @echo off if '2' == '%1%' goto valid if '5' == '%1%' goto valid if '7' == '%1%' goto valid if '10' == '%1%' goto valid SET BLASTER=A220 I10 D1 H5 P330 T6 goto continue :valid SET BLASTER=A220 I%1 D1 H5 P330 T6 :continue SET SOUND=D:\SB16 D:\SB16\SB16SET /R /Q /M:220 /VOC:220 /CD:220 /MIDI:220 /LINE:220 /TREBLE:0 D:\SB16\SBCONFIG.EXE /S echo BLASTER=%BLASTER% ---- Ugly Audio cards ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Bad Audio cards ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good CD-ROM drives ---- Type AT-BUS, double-speed Manufacturer Mitsumi Model Number FX 001 D Comments Good and cheap Double Speed successor of the LU-Drive; driver kit available on various BBSes (mitfx.zip; 17131 bytes). Includes MMPM/2-Support (CD-Player). Easy to install. Can use upper interrupts (10,11) or software polling. Caveats I had to change the audio connector from 1234 to 2143 to connect to to my soundblaster clone. This may not be a problem mit other Soundcards No OS/2 drivers shipped with the drive, To install OS/2 from CD-ROM you need to change the first boot disk (explained in the mitfx.zip-archive). OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 marc_van-woerkom@ac3.maus.de - good < 3.0 Pascal.Gienger@uni-konstanz.de - GOOD ---- Type proprietary interface Manufacturer Mitsumi Model Number LU005 Comments Driver available from the usual sources. Caddyless. Caveats Can't install OS/2 from CD-ROM unless you've modified the OS/2 installation disks to include the driver. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type SCSI-1 interface, double speed Manufacturer NEC Model Number CDR-84 Comments Driver included with OS/2. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type SCSI-2, triple speed, caddy Manufacturer NEC (?) Model Number CDR 510 Comments OEM version of NEC 3Xi. Cdthru says that the drive tops out at 401 kbytes/sec. OS/2 2.1 GA and later recognize the drive as either an NEC Multi-Spin or as an NEC 3Xx right out of the box. Caveats There are rumors that NEC doesn't support OEM drives in any way, and is even hostile to people that buy such drives. OS/2 Version Rated by 2.10, 2.11 altstadt@mprgate.mpr.ca - good ---- Type SCSI-II, double speed Manufacturer Plextor (formerly TEXEL) Model Number DM3028 Comments Driver included with OS/2 (use the Texel 3024 driver). Uses caddies. Self-cleaning lens mechanism. Software eject. Caveats Does not support digital transfer on audio-CD's OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 paltiel@cnj.digex.net - good < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type proprietary interface Manufacturer Reveal (Panasonic) Model Number CD-620 (Panasonic CR-563b) Comments Requires SBCD2.ADD or SBCD2PAN.ADD drivers to operate in OS/2 2.1 GA. Fully supported under OS/2 2.11. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 jim.royer@nmebbs.org - good ---- Type SCSI interface Manufacturer Toshiba Model Number 3401 Comments Driver included with OS/2. Uses caddies. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type SCSI Interface, double speed Manufacturer Toshiba Model Number 4101 Comments Driver included with OS/2. Caddyless OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 reinhard@ifki50.informatik.fh-muenchen.de - good ---- Type IDE interface, double speed Manufacturer Wearnes Model Number CDD-110 Chip Set Philips Comments Includes interface card and DOS drivers. Caddyless Caveats Sony OEM drive but it doesn't work with the Sony drivers. OS/2 drivers are available at Hobbes: /2_1/drivers/wearnes.zip OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 peterpv@ice2.utwente.nl - good ==== Ugly CD-ROM drives ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Bad CD-ROM drives ---- Type Proprietary interface. Manufacturer Optics Storage Model Number Dolphin 8000AT Comments Includes interface card & DOS drivers. Cadyless. Caveats From what I can tell the drive is a Sony OEM. However, no drivers for OS/2 can be found nor do the current Sony drivers work with the card. However, the DOS drivers provided do load in a DOS box if only someone can find a MSCDEX.EXE that will access the drive from a DOS box. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 sandman@netcom.com - ugly ==== Good Flopticals ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Ugly Flopticals ---- Type SCSI-II Manufacturer Insite Model Number Unknown (Only one revision, known) Comments Driver support from 3rd party (Corel via CorelSCSI), reads and writes 1.44MB, 720K, 21MB 3-1/2" floppies, reads normal floppies at 2-3 times speed of a normal 3-1/2" drive Caveats Software conflict with MMPM/2's system sounds, incorrectly formats 21MB flopticals, unable to format any media from OS/2 WPS, format created by OS/2 version of CorelSCSI unrecognizable by DOS based floptical drivers, unable to change size of floptical software cache, accessing drive locks WPS OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 paltiel@cnj.digex.net - ugly ==== Bad Flopticals ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good Hard Disks ---- Type 513MB IDE HD Manufacturer Fujitsu Model Number M2624T Comments Very fast, durable, reliable, 5-year replacement warranty OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 fredng@io.org - good ---- Type Fast SCSI-II, 340MB Manufacturer Seagate Model Number ST3390N Comments Audible high-pitched whine; makes loud popping noises when powered on or off. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type 340MB IDE HD Manufacturer Western Digital Model Number Caviar 2340 Comments Fast, reliable OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 fredng@io.org - good ==== Ugly Hard Disks ---- Type SCSI-II (?), 540MB Manufacturer Quantum Model Number LPS540S Comments When used with a PCI-bus NCR chipset on a J-Bond or Asus motherboard, OS/2 2.1 refuses to boot from the hard disk unless the /!SN option is specified in the OS2CAM.ADD driver. OS/2 2.99 Warp Beta II will boot, but there's a 45-second delay during boot (operation is normal after bootup). Functions corectly when used with an UltraStor 34F VLB SCSI controller on a Diamond FastBus VLB motherboard with either OS/2 2.1 or OS/2 2.99 Warp Beta II. Caveats In above OS/2 2.1 scenario with NCR SCSI chipset, the boot partition was occasionally WIPED OUT (OS/2 identified it as unformatted and gave error messages when access was attempted). OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - ugly ---- Type SCSI-2 interface, 220 Meg Manufacturer Seagate Model Number ST3283N Comments Overall, the performance of the drive is actually quite good. I've had few problems with the drive itself, by itself. Caveats It intensely dislikes other SCSI devices. It uses weird termination, which throws off the entire SCSI chain. You will only get three devices working, for example, by terminating every device in the chain. Needless to say, troubleshooting is an absolute nightmare. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 jcarmack@phoenix.sas.muohio.edu ==== Bad Hard Disks ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good IDE cards ---- Type ISA bus, with floppy controller Manufacturer Boca Research, Inc. Model Number IDE002 Chip Set GoldStar Caveats Tested for floppy controller only; IDE adapter disabled. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type ISA IDE Controller Manufacturer Western Digital Comments Not very fast, but rock solid OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 fredng@io.org - good ==== Ugly IDE cards ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Bad IDE cards ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good I/O cards ---- Type serial/parallel/game port Manufacturer Kentech Chip Set 74LS series parts Comments jumper selections for COM ports at 1/3 and 2/4, jumper selections to put PRT at 1/2, one UART is socketed OS/2 Version Rated by 2.0 - 2.11 altstadt@mprgate.mpr.ca - good ---- Type 2S/1P/1G card Manufacturer ZyXEL Model Number I/O 16550-1 Chip Set One 16450, one 16550 UART for serial ports Comments In contrast to fredng@io.org's account, my card has a GoldStar 16450 and a Startech 16550. Still works fine, though. Caveats Game port can't be disabled. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ==== Ugly I/O cards ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Bad I/O cards ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good Keyboards ---- Manufacturer Focus Model Number FK6000 OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Manufacturer Fujitsu Model Number FKB4700 Comments full use of grey keys Caveats keyboard driver would trap in version 2.0 GA + SP OS/2 Version Rated by 2.0 - 2.11 altstadt@mprgate.mpr.ca - good ---- Manufacturer Keytronics Model Number E03601Q Comments full use of grey keys OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 jim.royer@nmebbs.org - good ---- Manufacturer Monterey Model Number K104 OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type 101-key Manufacturer NMB Technologies Model Number RT101+ Comments Sold as CompUSA "generic" keyboard; above manufacturer taken from label on keyboard, and does not appear on display shelf box. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type 101-key Enhanced Manufacturer NorthGate Model Number OmniKey/101 Comments Great tactile feeling, persistent to my abuse (I don't type, I pound on my keyboard hard!), even better than IBM keyboards! [fredng] Unusual keyboard layout, especially around cursor keys. Light but "clicky" feel. [rsmith] OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 fredng@io.org - good < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ==== Ugly Keyboards ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Bad Keyboards ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good Magneto Optical drives ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Ugly Magneto Optical drives ---- Type 3.5", SCSI Interface Manufacturer Fujitsu Model Number M2511A Comments OS/2 recognizes it's there, but thinks it's a 2.88MB floppy drive. I've been unable to get it to work better, but haven't tried too hard, either. [rsmith] Tested with an Adaptec AHA1542CF SCSI adapter. OS/2 recognizes that the M.O. drive it's there, but the WPS format utility apparently thinks it's a 2.88MB floppy drive. However a properly FAT formatted cartridge is obtained nonetheless. Adaptec SCSI drivers included with OS/2. Available also at ftp-os2.nmsu.edu. [marziani] Caveats Only FAT seems supported. No HPFS for 128MB cartridges. Not all (i.e. very few) SCSI adapters and their respective OS/2 drivers seem to support this unit. Adaptec 1542CF works fine. [marziani] OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - bad < 3.0 marziani@vaxfe.fe.infn.it - good ==== Bad Magneto Optical drives ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good Modems ---- Type external Manufacturer AT&T Paradyne Model Number Dataport Chip set AT&T Comments Flawless operation with both ZOC and Fax/PM Caveats Does not come with OS/2 software. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type 14.4k Fax Modem Manufacturer US Robotics Model Number 14,400 Fax Modem Comments Supported by virtually all communication programs, inexpensive, reliable, although not a screamer in performance OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 fredng@io.org - good ---- Type internal v.32bis (14,400 bps) fax-modem Manufacturer US Robotics Model Number Sportster Chip Set 80186 with DSPs Comments User should change the default settings, since it's set up for COM3 with an IRQ shared with COM1. Includes built-in 16550 UART. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type 14.4 Fax/Modem 16550UART ISA (internal) Manufacturer Zoom Model Number VFP V.32bis Chip Set Rockwell 14.4Kbps Comments 20 Mhz controller and v.32bix data pump on board. 16550UART. MNP 5 and v.42bis. Group III, Class 1 and 2 Fax (V.17). Selectable port settings at (COM/IRQ): 1/4, 2/3, 3/4, 4/3, 3/2, 4/2, 3/5, 4/5 through jumpers. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 davmp@alumni.caltech.edu - good ---- Type external Manufacturer ZyXEL Model Number U-1496E Chip set 68000 cpu & TI DSPs Comments Flawless operation with many DOS, Windows, and OS/2 programs Caveats Some versions of ZyXEL's Z-Fax DOS software don't run under OS/2; does not come with OS/2 software. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ==== Ugly Modems ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Bad Modems ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good Monitors ---- Type 15" SVGA Manufacturer KFC Model Number 1511 Comments Handles 30-60KHz horizontal, 50-90Hz vertical -- enough for 1024x768 at 70Hz but not (quite) 1280x1024 at 70Hz. Manual controls. Caveats First two units I received were defective; the third seems OK. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type 15" Multisync, supports up to 1280x1024 Manufacturer MAG Model Number MX-15H (MX-15F in U.S.), 1992 model Comments Microprocessor-based Multi-freq. monitor, 100MHz bandwidth OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 fredng@io.org - good ---- Type 14" SVGA Manufacturer Panasonic Model Number C1381 Comments Can (barely) handle 640x480, 72Hz or 800x600, 60Hz. Manual controls. Adequate, but not recommended for a new system. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type 17" SVGA Manufacturer ViewSonic Model Number 17G OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ==== Ugly Monitors ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Bad Monitors ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good Motherboards ---- Type 486 (any type) EISA/VLB, 486DX2-66, DX2-50, DX-50 Manufacturer AIR Model Number 486EI Chip Set SiS, AMI BIOS Comments VERY solid board. Personally tested with no problems using DX50 and DX2-66. Takes nifty new 72-pin SIMMs. [greck] Very stable from day one. No problems running OS/2 2.11, or 2.99. Uses 72-SIMMs. Good Docs [jaycee] Caveats Only 5 of 8 EISA slots are master-capable. [greck] Memory bank configurations are limited above 16M(28M). [jaycee] OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 greck@catt.ncsu.edu - good < 3.0 jaycee@emh.osan.af.mil - good ---- Type 486DX/50, ISA Manufacturer Amptron Chip Set Opti, AMI BIOS, 08/30/91, 256K (20ns) RAM Cache Comments The system has been used extensively (at least 16 hours a day, sometimes on for a week or so without resetting), and yet is still operating with extreme stability Caveats Never used with more than 16MB of RAM OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 fredng@io.org - good ---- Type 486 CPU, PCI bus Manufacturer Asus Model Number SP3G; motherboard revision 1.8 Chip Set Intel Saturn II (revision 4), 82420ZX; NCR 53c810 SCSI controller; Award flash BIOS version 4.50G Comments Includes on-board SCSI, IDE, 2.88MB floppy, two 16550 UART serial, and parallel ports. Uses 72-pin SIMMs in pairs. Has 3 PCI and 4 ISA slots (1 shared slot). Takes 486DX, DX2, and DX4; and Pentium Overdrive CPUs. Includes "green" features (only work with Intel CPUs). Comes with OS/2 drivers for the SCSI port. Caveats This board reportedly doesn't work with AMD 486DXL-series CPUs, but does work with AMD 486DX-series CPUs, as well as Intel and Cyrix CPUs. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type ISA/VLB Multi-speed Intel Chip Manufacturer BioStar Model Number 1433/50AEA-V Chip Set AMI Comments 2 VL Bus slots. 6 ISA. 8 32-pin SIMM slots. No ZIF socket. Came with 256K cache. I run mine with an Intel 486DX-66 and 16MB of 70ns RAM - no problems. CMOS settings (and jumpers if I remember right) for setting of clock speed. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 davmp@alumni.caltech.edu - good ---- Manufacturer generic clone, Intel 386DX20 Model Number ECS 386/32, ISA Bus Chip Set C&T 8230, 1991 AMI BIOS, no cache Comments With 8 MB RAM, 2 IDE drives on generic ctrlr, VGA Mono. Just goes to show how primitive a system can still run OS/2 acceptably. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rwh@gov.on.ca - good ---- Model Number EISA486P, ME009 Chip Set HiNT, AMI BIOS, EISA/VLB OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Model Number G486HVL Chip Set HiNT Caesar, AMI BIOS, "Super ISA"/VLB Caveats "Super ISA" is a subset of EISA; most EISA boards work, but not all. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type 486DX2-66 EISA/VLB Manufacturer Gigabyte Model Number GA-486TA Chip Set SIS,AMI BIOS, 256K (20ns) Cache, upto 128M (standard SIMMS) Comments The system has been extremely stable. Caveats Not tested with more than 32MB. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 reinhard@ifki50.informatik.fh-muenchen.de - good ---- Manufacturer Silicon Star, Intel 486DX33 Model Number AV433, ISA/VL bus Chip Set SIS, AMI BIOS, 06/06/92, 256 K external cache Comments One known problem (the Pentium APAR) corrected in CSD 2.11. Caveats Not tested with more than 16 Meg of RAM. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 jim.royer@nmebbs.org - good ---- Manufacturer generic Taiwan clone, Intel 486DX33 Model Number Rev D2 486SC-P, June 1991, ISA bus Chip Set Symphony, AMI BIOS, 07/07/91, 128 K external cache Comments The system has been extremely stable. Caveats Not tested with more than 8 Meg of RAM. OS/2 Version Rated by 2.0 - 2.11 altstadt@mprgate.mpr.ca - good ==== Ugly Motherboards ---- Manufacturer Diamond Model Number FastBus VLB, Flash EPROM revision 1.2I Chip Set Chips & Technologies with Diamond-modified C&T BIOS Comments Problems with speed of QIC-80 backup unit when UltraStor SCSI controller installed. Also some bugs in BIOS. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - ugly ---- Manufacturer Unknown Model Number Laser 9000 Chip Set Unichip U4800 with Ami BIOS, 256K external cache Comments Machine operates with AMD 486DX40 CPU run at 50MHZ, jumper selectable CPU speed, otherwise very stable Caveats System hangs and occasionally reboots when Mediavision PAS-16 uses 16-bit DMA channels, sometimes displays errors about not finding basic ROMS during 16-bit DMA induced reboot, PAS-16 sometimes works flawlessly if there is no hang on system boot-up. Not tested with more than 16MB of ram. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 paltiel@cnj.digex.net - ugly ==== Bad Motherboards ---- Type 486 CPU, PCI bus Manufacturer J-Bond Model Number PCI400C-A Chip Set Intel Saturn I (revision 2), 82420TX; NCR 53c810 SCSI controller; Phoenix BIOS Comments Manufacturer attempted to blame drivers for the below problem, but changing to the IBMINT13.I13 driver doesn't help. Has 3 PCI and 5 ISA slots (1 shared). Comes with OS/2 drivers for the SCSI port. Caveats Board occasionally crashes when doing SCSI I/O. Disabling the external cache seems to fix this. This is a known Saturn revision 2 bug. As of 9/27/94, J-Bond doesn't use the fixed (Saturn II, revision 4) chipsets. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - BAD ---- Type 486DX2-66, DX2-50, DX-50 Manufacturer Micronics Model Number EISA-VL-Bus (Part #09-173-05 Rev A) Chip Set Intel / Pheonix BIOS Comments Very unstable from day one. Manufacturer support was poor (they refused to call me back, said it was OS/2 and not their board, would not provide RMA for return of Board for them to test; even after I offered to pay for the testing and shipping to and from, etc). Continous Trap 000D, 000E, and 0002 when I was able to even get it to load. Used built-in controllers, even worse. Used 3 different video boards, 2 different HDD/FDD boards, 8 differnt HDD, 4 different FDD, 3 different CPUs, 8 different SIMMs (56Meg, same manufacturer, one of their reccomeded ones and Part #), etc. The only thing I didn't change was the MB itself (even changed the cache). Spent 4 months on this board, over 225 reloads before giving up (PC mag gave this board a #1 reccomendation). Fair Docs P.S. ALL of the hardware used works fine on another MB and my current MB! Some of the problems I am sure are also attributable to the BIOS and not the MB. Caveats When, for the short time periods, it was running it ran like a champ (Better than the AIR I currently use). Fast, clean, crisp. REALLY wish this board worked. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 jaycee@emh.osan.af.mil - bad ==== Good Multi I/O cards ---- Type VLBus Manufacturer AIR Model Number Q-Access Chip Set Adaptec Comments Supports 2 IDE, 2 Floppy (up to 1.44 MB), SCSI-II, 2 ser, 1 LPT. Included disk contains required drivers (replacements for OS/2's AHA154x.ADD). With ver 1.0 BIOS, COM ports will not work under OS/2. Problem fixed with V1.01 BIOS. Caveats ASIC emulates a 16450 and cannot be replaced by 16550 OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 jim.royer@nmebbs.org - good ---- Type VESA LB IDE Controller with Multi-Functional I/O Manufacturer Data Technology Corporation (DTC) Model Number DTC 2278VL Comments IDE controller with 2 serial, 1 parallel and 1 game port. Jumper configurable ports, IRQ's, addresses, enable/disable feature. OS/2 2.x drivers available on DTC BBS and found on ftp.cdrom.com. Caveats 16450 UART. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 gsteckma@sdcc15.UCSD.EDU - good ---- Manufacturer GoldStar Model Number IDE Plus-V3, December 1991, ISA BUS Chip Set GoldStar Comments jumper selections for primary, secondary, and disabled floppy and hard drives, jumper selection to disable game port, jumper selections to put COM ports at 1/3 and 2/4, jumper selections to put PRT port at 1/2, jumper selections to put COM and PRT ports at IRQ3, 4, 5, 7, 9, jumper selections to disable COM and PRT ports Caveats ASIC emulates a 16450 and cannot be replaced by 16550 OS/2 Version Rated by 2.0 - 2.11 altstadt@mprgate.mpr.ca - good ---- Manufacturer StarGATE Model Number One Slot combination multiport board, ISA BUS Revision Unknown (Not first revision, known) Comments 4 COM and 3 PRT ports, jumper selections to put COM ports at {4,3,3,3}, {4,3,4,3,}, {4,3,12,15}, {4 AND 3 - with interrupt sharing}, PRT ports at {7,5,5} and {7,7,5}, jumper selections to disable individual interrupts and addresses Caveats Unable to get PRT3 to work under OS/2 2.1GA OS/2 Version Rated by 2.1 paltiel@cnj.digex.net - good ---- Manufacturer ZyXEL Model Number I/O 16550-1, ISA Bus Chip Set HM82C11C, NS16550AFN (National Semiconductor 16550AFN, the real McCoy), HM83450 (16450 clone) Comments Jumper selections for COM ports at 1/3 and 2/4, jumper selections to put PRT at 1/2, both UART chips are socketed. One game port (two can be supported through a "Y" adapter cable). Highly recommended. Caveats Extremely hard to find (my friends have been trying for eight months to no avail) OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 fredng@io.org - good ==== Ugly Multi I/O cards ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Bad Multi I/O cards ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good Notebooks ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Ugly Notebooks ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Bad Notebooks ---- Manufacturer Compaq Model Number Contura 4/25, 4/25c Chip Set Compaq AVGA Comments No drivers for AVGA display adapter (640x480x256) OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 marc@igwe1.vub.ac.be ==== Good Pointers ---- Type mouse Manufacturer CompuDyne (CompUSA house brand) Model Number Serial 3-button mouse Comments OS/2 doesn't automatically identify the mouse type when set to 3-button mode, and it's inactive until installation is complete, but it IS supported by OS/2's drivers. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type Joystick Manufacturer Gravis Model Number GamePad Comments 4-button game pad permits greater control in games like DOOM and Mortal Kombat Caveats [Strictly speaking, this should not be listed under "good" since OS/2 does not support joysticks, but where else can it go? - ed.] OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 fredng@io.org - good ---- Type mouse Manufacturer Logitech Model Number MouseMan, Serial-MousePort, M-CJ13-9F Comments the serial pointing device drivers supplied with OS/2 recognize that it is a 3 button mouse, although the middle button is unused OS/2 Version Rated by 2.0 - 2.11 altstadt@mprgate.mpr.ca - good ---- Type Serial 3-button Mouse Manufacturer Logitech Model Number First Mouse Comments Works great with OS/2 mouse driver. Very reliable, mine is 2.5 years old and has had zero problems. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 walgate@umr.edu - good ---- Type trackball Manufacturer Mouse Systems Model Number Trackball II, GK-T321 Comments Full support in OS/2 2.1 OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 jim.royer@nmebbs.org - good ---- Type Optical Mouse Manufacturer Mouse Systems Model Number Optical Mouse, M411 Comments OS/2 recognizes the mouse out of the box, never needs cleaning Caveats Mouse must be held perpendicular to pad or screen movement will be jerky OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 paltiel@cnj.digex.net - good ---- Type 3-button optical mouse Manufacturer Mouse Systems Model Number PC Mouse, 403533-001 Comments The mouse is inoperative during OS/2 installation, but becomes active after installation is complete. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type mouse Manufacturer Z-Nix Model Number Serial 2-button mouse Comments OS/2 recognizes the mouse out of the box. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ==== Ugly Pointers ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Bad Pointers ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good Printers ---- Type Bubble Jet Manufacturer Canon Model Number BJ-200 Comments Drivers are available through BBS and Internet. Caveats Printing is almost as good as in MS-DOS/Windows, but not quite. Drivers are being worked on to improve performance. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 walgate@umr.edu - good ---- Type color ink jet Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard Model Number DeskJet 1200C Comments Latest HP drivers available from ftp-boi.external.hp.com; these drivers support color printing from OS/2 applications. Caveats Printer may run out of memory when printing large color images. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type laser Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard Model Number LaserJet 4L Comments Latest HP drivers available from ftp-boi.external.hp.com. Printer is supported directly by OS/2 out of the box. Caveats Printer jams more frequently than it should. Jams intensify if double-sided (two-pass) printing is attempted from a program which supports this (such as DeScribe). OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type 4PPM PCL5 laser printer Manufacturer Hewlett Packard Model Number LaserJet 4P Comments HP quality, 600 dpi, Excellent printer drivers (4P drivers in 2.11) by IBM OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 fredng@io.org - good ---- Type printer switchbox: automatic 1-computer/4-printer or 4-computer/1-printer Manufacturer Computer Accessories (CompUSA house brand?) Comments Works in 4-computer/1-printer mode with no special drivers or hardware (except for extra cables) Caveats Not tested in 1-computer/4-printer mode under OS/2; comes with DOS driver software for this, so functionality for this is uncertain. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ==== Ugly Printers ---- Type Bubble Jet, portable Manufacturer Canon Model Number BJ-10ex Comments Driver is not included with OS/2 nor is one available for this model. However, it can be used in IBM Proprinter emulation of 180X180 dpi for OS/2 apps with poor results. Dos and Windows printing works fine for the printer in native 360X360 dpi mode. A driver is supplied with OS/2.1 GA, you use the IBM4070IJ driver! This gives you access to all functions and resolutions of this printer!! OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 walgate@umr.edu - bad < 3.0 rwalford@mogul.apana.org.au - good ---- Manufacturer Epson Model Number Stylus 800 Comments excellent resolution in printing words Caveats OS/2 driver does not support high resolution (360x360dpi) graphics modes. Use a MSWindows or DOS based program with appropriate drivers to print complex graphics or high resolution CAD art. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 mhinkle@NMSU.Edu - good ---- Type B&W ink jet Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard Model Number DeskJet 500 Caveats Margin problems -- depending upon the program, the top margin is from 0" to 0.5" too small, and the bottom margin is correspondingly too large. If it weren't for this, I'd call the printer "good," but this problem can be very obnoxious in some situations. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - ugly ---- Type Ink Jet Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard Model Number DeskJet 520 Comments Successor to DeskJet 500; capable of 300x600 resolution (but see below) Caveats OS/2 printer drivers don't support the 520's 300x600 resolution, only the 500's 300x300 resolution. They also have margins problems with many applications (see comments on DJ500). OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Manufacturer Hewlett Packard Model Number PaintJet Comments Contains instructions on cleaning, priming, and testing inside printer's chassis on plastic coated quick-ref sheet Caveats OS/2 driver does a bad job at dithering color images, leaving colors too dark, digital on/off switch does not automatically turn printer on when power is supplied, external power supply required for use OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 paltiel@cnj.digex.net - good ==== Bad Printers ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good Scanners ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Ugly Scanners ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Bad Scanners ---- Type hand Manufacturer Reveal (Mustek) Model Number HS150, 400 DPI Grayscale Comments Not directly supported by OS/2. Works well in OS2 DOS or Win session. Uses it's own interface adapter which requires an IRQ. (5-12 supported) OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 jim.royer@nmebbs.org ==== Good SCSI Controller cards ---- Manufacturer Adaptec Model Number 1542C, ISA BUS Chip Set Adaptec Comments Very reliable with OS/2 drivers, but not as fast as most VLB or EISA controllers. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type EISA bus-mastering SCSI-2 host adapter Manufacturer Adaptec Model Number 2740/2742/2742T Chip Set Adaptec Comments PhaseEngine(tm) coprocessor (support scatter/gather, tagged queueing, etc.) really speeds along IO. The T version has two SCSI bussed (up to 14 devices). Uses new 50-pin high-density connector. OS/2 drivers in box work great. Caveats No cache. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 greck@catt.ncsu.edu - good ---- Type VLB Host Adapter Manufacturer Adaptec Model Number AHA-2842VL Chip Set Adaptec, PhaseEngine Comments OS/2 drivers included in the card's box. Seems to work fine. [rsmith] Very stable from day one. Worked great! Just plugged it in and it ran. Great Docs and on OS/2. Drivers enclosed. Built-in BIOS support for a lot of SCSI devices (too many to list), eliminating the need for additional drivers for CDROM, HP scanners, etc. Very configurable too!!! If all cards were this easy you wouldn't GBU!!! [jaycee] Caveats Installing OS/2 from a SCSI-based CD-ROM with this controller may require adding the drivers to the OS/2 boot disk and deleting one or two unneeded drivers. [rsmith] To the people and designers of this board, stupendous!!!! Cant think of any others. [jaycee] OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good < 3.0 jaycee@emh.osan.af.mil - good ---- Type ISA SCSI-2 with sound capabilities Manufacturer Creative Model Number Sound Blaster 16 SCSI-2 Chip Set Adaptec AIC-6360L Comments OS/2 recognizes the card as an Adaptec 1510/1520 and installs the appropriate drivers. People have reported a 1 Meg/sec transfer rate using hard drives with this card. The card comes with DOS and Windows drivers and software. See the Good Audio cards section for more info. Caveats MSCDEX is not included on the diskettes supplied with the card, so if you want to use a CD-ROM with the card under DOS, you will have to obtain mscdex via anonymous ftp from microsoft.com, or other sources. OS/2 Version Rated by 2.11 altstadt@mprgate.mpr.ca - good ---- Manufacturer UltraStor Model Number 34F, VLB Chip Set UltraStor Comments Reliable and fast. OS/2 drivers come with card, but may be old; newer drivers available from the usual sources. Does NOT include a floppy port. Caveats Older cards have an outdated EPROM that causes OS/2 to crash sporadically. This ROM has a sticker with a number ending in -005, and should be replaced with a -006 EPROM. UltraStor will ship a new EPROM free of charge if needed. If installing OS/2 from a SCSI-based CD-ROM, will need to modify the OS/2 installation disks to include the UltraStor driver. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ==== Ugly SCSI Controller cards ---- Type Fast SCSI-II, Floppy controller, ISA Bus Manufacturer Future Domain Model Number TMC-1680 (SVP Package) Chip Set Bios v3.2 Comments Driver included with OS/2. Updated drivers available from Hobbes FTP or Future Domain. Jumpered settings for:  IRQ's 3,5(d),10,11,12,14,15  Memory Address' C800,CA00(d),CE00,DE00  I/O Address' 0140(d),0150, 0160,0170  Floppy On(d)/Off Has Micro DB50 connector (SCSI-II connector) Caveats Will not boot OS/2 v2.1, or Warp Beta I/II, off SCSI drive if set to IRQ 15, yet will happily run and access these drives if booted off of IDE drive. (Will boot DOS/Windows, Win NT, Win 95 Beta at IRQ 15.) IRQ14 and IRQ5 both allow OS/2 to boot off SCSI drive. Others not tested. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 davmp@alumni.caltech.edu - ugly ==== Bad SCSI Controller cards ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good Tape drives ---- Type SCSI-based DC-6xxx drive (250MB max. capacity uncompressed) Manufacturer Archive Model Number Viper 2150S Comments Works fine with UltraStor 34F using ASPI driver for GTAK 2.12b. Not tested with other software. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type SCSI-based DC-6xxx drive (500MB uncompressed) Manufacturer Archive (now bought by Conner; advertized as either) Model Number Viper 2525S Comments Works fine with GTAK 2.40. Can read & write Viper 2150S tapes. Tested with UltraStor 34F (works fine) and NCR controller on J-Bond PCI motherboard (works fine, except for crashes due to Saturn chipset bug on motherboard) and NCR controller on Asus SP3G motherboard (works fine). OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type QIC-80, floppy interface Manufacturer Colorado Memory System Model Number Jumbo 250MB Comments Works great with Fastback Plus for OS/2 and BackMaster, with optional higher performance dedicated controller cards available. Caveats Bundled DOS and Windows software don't work under OS/2, and no OS/2 backup program is included. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 fredng@io.org - good ---- Type QIC-80, floppy interface Manufacturer Conner Model Number TapeStor 250 Comments Previously sold as Archive XL-80. QIC-80 tape format. BackMaster works with it quite well on four tested machines. Caveats Does not come with OS/2 backup software. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ==== Ugly Tape drives ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Bad Tape drives ---- Nothing supplied in this category. ==== Good Video cards ---- Manufacturer Cardinal Model Number VGA700, 1991, ISA BUS Chip Set Tseng ET4000, 1 Meg RAM Comments Completely supported by drivers supplied with OS/2, need to use the supplied DOS support tools to set up refresh rates before running SVGA ON. Caveats quite slow OS/2 Version Rated by 2.0 - 2.11 altstadt@mprgate.mpr.ca - good ---- Type PCI bus accelerator Manufacturer Cardex Model Number Challenger Chip Set ET4000/W32p Comments Includes drivers for OS/2 2.x; Warp beta II includes TrueColor support for this board. Comes with 1MB of RAM upgradeable to 2MB OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Manufacturer Cirrus Logic Model Number CL5426 Chip Set Cirrus Logic 5426 Comments Drivers come with OS/2, but more recent and faster drivers are available by ftp and from BBSes. Caveats More recent drivers give some people installation problems. Had to re-install old seamless Windows drivers to get them to work on this system. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type VLB Manufacturer Diamond Model Number Viper VLB w/2MB Chip Set Weitek P9000 Comments Stable from day one. Their driver supports all resolutions I can think of and is available via Internet or their BBS. Zero Wait State is dis/enable/able. Also VGA (IRQ2) is dis/enable/able. Good Docs Caveats Only works with 2.1, 2.11, Feringi, or Warp, not anything earlier. Instructions on how to use it with Feringi or Warp is not included with the VLB drivers but can be obtained from the PCI driver. Due its built in drivers some games won't run or require special configurations to run (SimCity 2000, Empire Deluxe) OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 jaycee@emh.osan.af.mil - good ---- Manufacturer miro Model Number miroCRYSTAL 8S Chip Set S3 805 (VL-Bus) Comments Don't use the video drivers from S3 (version 2.2) as their WinOS/2 drivers don't work with this card. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 seidel3@wrcs1.urz.uni-wuppertal.de - good ---- Type VLB Manufacturer Number Nine Computer Corporation Model Number #9GXE Level 11 and #9GXE Level 12 Chip Set S3 928 Comments very fast, upto 76Hz refresh rate at a resolution of 1280x1024, runs with manifacturer drivers and IBM S3 drivers. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 reinhard@ifki50.informatik.fh-muenchen.de - good ---- Manufacturer Orchid Model Number Fahrenheit 1280/VLB Chip Set S3-805 (?) Comments Drivers come with some recent OS/2 package; are available from usual sources for other packages. Caveats Beta-level S3 drivers from IBM crashed one machine when installing; final S3_16M drivers gave no problems. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Manufacturer STB Model Number Evolution, 1991, ISA BUS Chip Set Cirrus Logic GD-5428, 1 Meg RAM Comments Requires 3rd party drivers for use under OS/2 2.1. Directly supported under OS/2 2.11. Caveats quite slow OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 jim.royer@nmebbs.org - good ---- Manufacturer "Color Designer" (generic) Model Number ?? VL-bus Chip Set Tseng ET4000, 1 Meg RAM Comments Completely supported by drivers supplied with OS/2, need to use the supplied DOS support tools to set up refresh rates before running SVGA ON. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ---- Type VLB accelerated Manufacturer generic Model Number ???? Chip Set Tseng ET4000/W32I Comments OS/2 drivers included in the card's box (available on ftp.cdrom.com, too). Installation went smoothly, but drivers not as feature-laden as S3 drivers. Fast card (similar to Orchid S3-805 cards in this respect). OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 rsmith@psych.colorado.edu - good ==== Ugly Video cards ---- Type Graphics accelerator Manufacturer ATI Model Number Graphics Ultra, ISA Bus, 1MB VRAM Chip Set ATI mach8 Comments Although the drivers for mach32 and mach64 are pretty good, the one for mach8 is not worth the hassle to install it. It simply screws up the DOS sessions. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 fredng@io.org - ugly ---- Manufacturer Diamond Model Number Stealth 32 VLB Chip Set Tseng ET4000W Comments These boards are prone to conflicts with other devices in your system. In a few installations, I've had no trouble getting them to run; in others, nothing would get them to work. They're really hit-or-miss. OS/2 drivers are included in the box. In talking to the guy that puts together most of our systems, he said that the Diamond Stealth 32 seems to have the most problems with motherboards using the SSI chipset. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 bobdehn@mprcamnl.wr.usgs.gov ==== Bad Video cards ---- Manufacturer INFOTEL Model Number Ultra DS600 Chip Set S3 801 Comments This board is a duplicate of the STB Powergraph board, and evidently the architecture of these boards uses an external clock that OS/2 cannot support. 1) no seamless windows, 2) cannot start DOS windows (but can windowize a FS DOS session), and 3) no background processing to FS windows. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 CGaylord@vt.edu - bad ---- Manufacturer Prostar (taiwan) Chip Set OTI-087 (Oak Technology) Comments Does not work for DOS window or MS window in super VGA - Video sync problems. Caveats OK with OS/2 windows. OK in VGA mode. OS/2 Version Rated by < 3.0 g-fulford@adfa.edu.au - bad ==== Publication History ---- Ver Date Release Notes 1.00 94/04/25 Initial release. 1.01 94/05/10 Removed graphics characters, added notebooks, floptical drives. 1.02 94/07/07 1.03 94/09/18 Added IDE controllers, hard disks, and monitors. Changed rodents to pointers. Removed file sizes from history since it was a pain to maintain. 1.04 94/09/24 Discovered the alphabet. 1.05 94/10/02 1.06 94/11/05 Changed introductory text. Added What's New section, pointers to other sources of help, and OS/2 version numbers.