PMView 2000: The Versatile and Fast Image Viewer and Converter.
          Version 2.10 for OS/2 and Windows now available!
                More info and Evaluation Version at:
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*********************************************************************
 
Source: Roman Stangl (Roman_Stangl@at.ibm.com)
Moderator: Trevor Smith (feedback@warpcast.com)
-------------------------------------------------------

                                  Announcing


            PC/2 - Program Commander/2 Version 2.20 for
 IBM OS/2 2.x, OS/2 WARP, WARP Srv. SMP, Aurora Presentation Manager
           Copyright (C) by Roman Stangl December, 2000

                        Version 2.20 Draft

I'm pleased to announce the public availability of PC/2 V2.20, the
latest and greatest version of this utility that started development
about 8 years ago!

You're welcome to contact me, please just remove "no-spam" from my
e-mail address above.

Where to Download:
==================

Primarily, you can get the complete package - including the complete
source code - (and some other useful stuff) via my home page:

  http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Pines/7885/ 

by following the PC/2 links.

I also try to make it available on the following major anonymous-ftp
OS/2 archives (uploads to other sites are of course welcome):

 *) Hobbes (USA): 

    Uploaded to: 
        http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/pub/incoming/ 
    with a final destination of: 
        http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/pub/os2/util/wps/
       
http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/cgi-bin/h-browse?sh=1&dir=//pub/os2/util/wps

 *) Leo (Germany):

    Uploaded to: 
        ftp://ftp.leo.org/incoming/os2/ 
    with a final destination of: 
        ftp://ftp.leo.org/pub/comp/os/os2/leo/pmtools/
        http://www.leo.org/pub/comp/os/os2/leo/pmtools/

What will you get (short version):
==================================

PC/2 is a WPS enhancement or replacement, that features a program
launcher, Virtual Desktops, Hotkey support, Sliding focus, Advanced
Marking, Dynamic Menu Selection, Environment Spaces, WIN95 key
support, QuickSwitch and SessionBar window, Hardware Panning support,
TitleBar Smarticons, Lockup and Password protection support,
Scheduler, WPS extraction and a Spooler Control Window (which enables
spooling even when running PC/2 as a WPS replacement).

Running PC/2 as the WPS replacement can save about 4 MB precious RAM,
even on well equipped machines you can notice decreased swapper size
and activity giving you a performance boost compared to running the
WPS (due to the much smaller memory requirements compared with the
WPS).

For those of you who want to know the "tricks" used in PC/2, the full
source (requires long filename support) is included, however it can
be decrypted only on the 32-bit OS/2 platform to avoid using it on
the Windows platforms.

You are allowed to freely use, enhance or redistribute this package,
if you don't strip anything, please see the online help for further 
details!

This package is provided as-is, I shall not be held liable for any 
damages!

For more detailed information, please take a look at my site at:

  http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Pines/7885/ 

or E-mail me at:

  Roman_Stangl@at.ibm.com

What will you get (long version):
=================================

PC/2 lets you become more productive using and maintaining your OS/2
based workplace because of its:
         
  - PC/2 is a tool for OS/2 Warp Clients:                            
         
    Tired of phrases like "OS/2 is for servers only", "OS/2 is a
    strategic part of the network computing strategy", ...? Sure, you
    could use PC/2 on OS/2 Warp Server (e.g. Warp Server Advanced
    (SMP) or Warp Server for e-Business) too, but PC/2 is targeted to
    enhance the operation of an OS/2 Warp based Client workstation,
    and despite of the lack of support (and likely also the lack of a
    vision to provide an alternative to the monopoly desktop OS
    almost all blindly follow like lemmings) OS/2 Warp still is a
    very powerful Client operating system you can trust to run your
    mission critial applications with! 

   - Program Launcher as WPS enhancement or replacement:             


    Tired of launching (detached) OS/2, DOS, WIN-OS2 and WPS
    applications from folders and icons that mess up your desktop?
    Then PC/2 allows you to do that from a configurable Popup Menu!
    In addition to the WPS you can also specify a hotkey, the
    position and size, priority, environment and a scheduled date. No
    more changes to CONFIG.SYS, e.g. you could even run 2 Netscape
    browsers running JAVA 1.02 and 1.1.4 runtime simultaneously! And
    you can export and import parts of the Popup Menu to and from
    files. It has never been easier to setup your Popup Menu! 

    Alternatively you can activate the Popup Menu from the keyboard,
    including the WIN-95 keys, and launch the applications from
    there! 

    And compared to the WPS (PMSHELL), PC/2 saves about 4 MB RAM,
    even on 32MB machines! 

   - Virtual Desktop:                                                


     The mess of applications windows on your Desktop drives you
     crazy? Then PC/2 is the management center that gives you backt
     control of the windows on a up to 9x9 fold Virtual Desktop,
     allowing you to switch with button clicks or simply by moving
     the pointer onto a surrounding row/column of your desktop. No
     more mess on your desktop! 

     A powerful control window, the Overview window allows you to
     manage your Virtual Desktops and the applications running on
     them easily! 

     Switching between Virtual Desktops is as easy as moving the
     mouse pointer onto the row and/or column surrounding your
     Desktop, PC/2 will 

     automagically scroll into that direction then (you can of course
     configure that a click is required). You might even define the
     to delay that operation. That is HW Panning Support implemented
     in software instead of expensive hardware! 
         
   - Sliding focus:                                                  


    You are among the people hating the need to click on windows to
    switch the focus? Activate the Sliding focus and PC/2
    automatically activates the control or window below the mouse
    pointer (as X-windows does), no more clicks to switch between
    windows! Optionally you can define that the Sliding Focus will
    occur only after a delay. 

  - Advanced Marking:                                                

    You find selection of copy and paste operations from menubars or 
    system menus inconvenient? Advanced Marking allows you copy and
    paste operations for OS/2 and DOS windows, (multiline)
    entryfields, E and EPM editor, CM/2, PC/3270, Passport/2,
    NetScape, Lotus Notes by just a few mouse clicks, no more
    inconvenient interaction with the menubars!

  - Hotkeys:                                                         

    Want to launch or swtich between applications with
    user-selectable Hotkeys? PC/2's Hotkey support allows you to
    launch and/or switch between applications with user-selected
    Hotkeys out of 108 supported combinations. The Hotkeys will be
    detected within any PM window, even OS/2 windows, just ensure
    that the Hotkey key combination isn't required to operate an 
    applications. 

  - Dynamic MenuSelection:                                           

    Want menus automatically to cascade when touching them with the
    mouse pointer? Then Dynamic MenuSelection eliminates the need to
    click on menuentries to shell into submenus! Optionally you can
    define that the Dynamic MenuSelection will occur only after a
    delay. 

  - Environment Spaces:                                              

    Tired of applications that make modifications to your CONFIG.SYS
    before being able to run? Manage your application environments
    with Environment Spaces, which most easily compares to
    environment templates! Create and combine them and add them to
    the applications of your choice, no more changes will be required
    in your CONFIG.SYS (except for device drivers)! The application
    launcher from WSOD (WorkSpace On Demand) allows an administrator
    to do the same, but from what I've seen PC/2 does that in a much
    superior and elegant way! 

    Additonally you may export and import Environment Spaces to and
    from files, making updates easy! 

  - SessionBar and QuickSwitch:                                      

    Want instant access to your applications (even when distributed
    around Virtual Desktops)? PC/2's SessionBar allows you to switch
    between

    applications (and automatically between Virtual Desktops too if
    required) from a graphical taskbar or the QuickSwitch window
    allows you to switch to the next/previous task! 

    The SessionBar automatically adjusts other windows not to cover
    it (and displays additionally the battery status on APM capable
    PCs), no more a messed up desktop and instant access to your
    applications! You can even request that the SessionBar pops up
    only if you leave the mouse pointer on a hotspot for a
    configurable time! 

    The SessionBar not only displays the running applications, but
    also a clock, an SMP capable CPU performance tracing window or
    the APM status window. You decide what to display! 

  - HW Panning Support:                                              

    Your ThinkPad's LCD display is smaller than the supported
    resolution but you're tired that your windows are larger than
    your LCD display? Then HW Panning Support ensures that windows
    won't be larger than LCD display, even when maximized! 

  - TitleBar SmartIcons:                                             

    You want instant access to close, rollup, help, ...? Then PC/2's
    TitleBar SmartIcons added to windows' titlebars are what you're
    looking for! 

  - Security:                                                        

    Want to secure access to your PC/2 configuration or lockup your
    workspace even when not using the WPS? Then PC/2's Security
    options will fit that needs!

  - Scheduler:                                                       

    You need to schedule applications? Then the Scheduler built into
    the Popup Menu allows you to schedule application launches or
    even when to Shutdown and Reboot or Power off your PC! 

  - APM Support:                                                     

    Missing APM suspend or power off support under OS/2? Then PC/2
    will fit that hole allowing you even to schedule these events
    (requires WARP 4, but unfortunately with some combination of
    hard- and software you may be out of luck)! 

  - Spooler Control window:                                          

    You are not running the WPS (PMSHELL) as your WorkPlace Shell
    process but want to control your local printers? Then PC/2
    Spooler is the management center you need!          

  - WPS extraction:                                                  

    You want to migrate your WPS objects into PC/2's Popup Menu? Just
    drag them onto WPS 2 PC/2's icon and from there into PC/2, and
    PC/2 will automagically add them to the Popup Menu! 

  - Online Automatic Update feature:                                 

    You want to be kept informed about news in general and
    enhancements to PC/2 in detail? Then the Online Automatic Update
    feature will help you to keep you informed. PC/2 will
    automagically periodically contact my site (even when you are
    behind a proxy) and look for news! That's how push technology
    should work! 

  - DLL Versioning: 

    You want to be sure PC/2 loads the correct DLLs (after you have
    upgraded from an earlier version)? Then the version check PC/2
    does for the DLL it loads will ensure you don't use outdated DLLs
    (that may be left over incorrectly from an older installation). 

  - Hang protection: 

    You want to be sure PC/2 recovers from PM SIQ (Single Input
    Queue) hangs? Then PC/2's hang protection ensures that you don't
    need to restart PC/2 after some hangs of the SIQ (done by other
    programs like e.g. Lotus Notes, Netscape to name the most
    prominent ones). PC/2 will automagically detect when one of its
    threads hangs (IMHO caused by a PM bug) due to an earlier SIQ
    hang, it will automatically kill and restart the hanging thread 
    allowing PC/2 to continue. Additionally, during the next launch
    of PC/2 it will automatically check if such hangs or other traps
    happened and will inform you to contact the author about possibly
    making fixes for that problems.

  - Windows keys: 

    You want to use the Windows keys on your keyboard under OS/2 Then
    PC/2 allows you to activate its Popup Menu with one or more of
    those keys or use it as a Hotkey to launch or switch to
    applications. 

Again, any comments (suggestions/questions/bug reports/...) are
welcome!

Warm regards from Vienna, Austria (Europe)! Roman


 
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