[p_ing]

> 32-bit apps, which IBM introduced with OS/2 2.0, were never supported.

This was obviously due to the divorce, but also that the Cruiser API wasn't finalized.

> Our initial OS/2 API set centers around the evolving 32-bit Cruiser, or OS/2 2.0 API set. (The design of Cruiser APIs is being done in parallel with the NT OS/2 design.)

...

> Given the nature of OS/2 design (the joint development agreement), we have had little success in influencing the design of the 2.0 APIs so that they are portable and reasonable to implement on non-x86 systems.

[skissane]

I’d love to read the document you are quoting - is it publicly available anywhere?

[p_ing]

Yep - https://computernewb.com/~lily/files/Documents/NTDesignWorkb...

[skissane]

Thanks… I see that’s the NT Design Workbook that shipped as part of the WRK.

Interestingly it does mention 32-bit OS/2 API support (Dos32* APIs). I’m not sure if this was just a plan never implemented or if they did implement it but pulled it out before shipping NT 3.1.

I now realise Microsoft did ship a beta SDK for OS/2 2.0 - but the last Microsoft pre-release of OS/2 2.0 is missing a lot of stuff compared to the final IBM OS/2 release - most notably the Workplace Shell (WPS). IBM originally planned to ship WPS as part of OfficeVision for OS/2 and only moved it into the core OS/2 product rather late in the 2.0 development cycle.