Blonde Guy enthusastically supports Arca Noae's distribution of IBM's OS/2 Warp operating system. ArcaOS is the best distribution of OS/2 ever.
Here is a non-comprehensive list of limitations.
As a background for the limitations of ArcaOS, here is a message to resellers from Arca Noae.
Hi, all...
I wanted to clarify a few points, as we all have to deal with dissatisfied customers from time to time. Generally, this dissatisfaction stems from unrealistic expectations on the part of the customer. Such unrealistic expectations may be:
The ArcaOS EULA, defines a 90-day warranty period for the software (Section 1), and the limited warranty is further defined in Section 10, as the ability to return the software to the distributor for replacement or at the distributor's option, a refund *if* a defect is found to be present in the Product (emphasis added).
Section 10 further states that the software is provided "as is," and that no warranties are made, whether express or implied, including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
We all know that OS/2 will not run on every single personal computer ever produced. If a customer complained that his MacBook Pro would not run ArcaOS, none of us would hesitate to tell him that we would not expect ArcaOS to run on such a system. Likewise, if a customer claimed that his ARM-powered tablet would not run it, we would not be surprised.
So why is it that when a customer attempts to run ArcaOS on a system with an untested storage device (m.2) or on a UEFI system with a barely functional CSM, we hesitate to tell him that his hardware is obviously not compatible, and FOR THAT THERE IS NO WARRANTY, AS THIS IS NOT A DEFECT?
For those who might need a refresher, a defect is a failure of the software to function on hardware on which it has been tested and has functioned previously *or* a failure to function on hardware where it is reasonably *expected* to function.
We cannot reasonably expect ArcaOS to function on hardware which does not provide a modicum of support for what our existing drivers expect. This is not a defect, but a current design limitation. This is a not a returnable event. This is not a software defect to be addressed within the 90-day warranty period.
Further, Arca Noae's position regarding software return is that downloading of a personalized ISO is equivalent to tearing open the shrinkwrap on physical media. Doing this implies acceptance of the terms of the EULA. Can any of us imagine someone returning a retail copy of MS Windows because it would not install on a MacBook Pro? What would Microsoft's position be?
Please do your best to manage your customers' expectations. Much as we do not want to "apologize before a performance," people who inquire as to the compatibility of ArcaOS with their existing hardware should be advised of OS/2's current limitations and perhaps directed to some of the good user-to-user forums we have available. While we at Arca Noae will do all we can to help advise users as to the suitability of their existing hardware, WE CANNOT AND DO NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY INCOMPATIBILITY WITH ARCAOS WHICH MAY ARISE DURING OR AFTER INSTALLATION OF THE OPERATING SYSTEM.
There is no "evaluation version" of ArcaOS. No "live CD" exists. Our license with IBM is clear (and yes, we did ask about the possibility of free evaluation licenses and were flatly told "no"). Every ArcaOS license which goes out from Arca Noae includes a license of MCP2 for which Arca Noae has paid a stated price to IBM. Period. There is no provision to return licenses to stock once issued. Licenses may be transferred between owners, and this is covered in Section 9 of the EULA. We suggest that if any of you want to provide such a transfer service (even for an additional fee), you may certainly offer this to your customers.
Transfer of a personalized ISO to another party does not indicate that Arca Noae will then personalize a new ISO (with original content) for the transferee. Rather, when the included support period has expired and a support and maintenance subscription is requested by the new licensee, that subscription will be issued in the new licensee's name. In addition, a standard media refresh (5.0.1, for example, when 5.0 was the version transferred) would be made in the new licensee's name. To effect a license transfer, please submit details to Arca Noae of the original order, the new licensee name, address, and email, and the date of transfer (a transfer of license only transfers the remaining period of time on the originally included warranty and support).
Finally, regarding Arca Noae's timeliness in resolving tickets:
We at Arca Noae are committed to providing the best level of service possible given the small size of our staff and prevailing resources. As stated, commercial licensees are given priority support over personal licensees. Thus, if we have a dozen tickets opened by commercial licensees, and 50 tickets opened by personal licensees, *regardless the timing of the opening of such tickets*, the resolution of tickets for commercial licensees will *always* take precedence. Naturally, there will be times when these ticket resolutions overlap or when the resolution of one ticket (perhaps for a personal licensee) will be required in order to resolve an issue for a commercial licensee, and in such cases, the first licensee's issue may be resolved ahead of the commercial licensee.
It should also not be unexpected for some tickets to require weeks or even months to be resolved, and there is no guaranty that *any* ticket will be resolved. We do our best. For issues where we cannot recreate the conditions of the failure, resolution may take considerably longer (none of our engineers currently have m.2 devices, for example). Arca Noae makes no claim to be willing or able to purchase every piece of supposedly incompatible equipment, nor do we blanketly accept receipt of such hardware, even as donation. Thus, while our stated goal is to make OS/2 (ArcaOS) run on as wide a range of modern hardware as possible, we make no claim as to when we will add support for currently unsupported devices or whether we will, at all. Our position is that if someone wants to run ArcaOS, and if ArcaOS does not run on his current hardware, he obtain suitable hardware for ArcaOS, and not expect Arca Noae to make ArcaOS magically work for him.
Here is a link to the Arca Noae system requirements.
ArcaOS 5.0 system requirements
Volume discounts are available for orders larger than 25 licenses, and apply to regular and sale prices for ArcaOS 5.0 Commercial edition.
Blonde Guy may sell to any customer worldwide except where prohibited by applicable laws, and excluding the following countries: Abu Dhabi, Algeria, Bahrain, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican, Republic, Dubai, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Kuwait, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia.
After you buy ArcaOS, your continued use of the Arca Noae website is dependent on your Support and Maintenance Subscription. This is a summary of what happens when a subscription expires:
Arca Noae Drivers and Software is intended to upgrade eComStation and IBM OS/2 Warp 4. ArcaOS Support and Maintenance is a subscription to receive updates and minor operating system releases.
In addition, any content available as part of the Drivers & Software subscription is also available as part of the ArcaOS Support & Maintenance subscription.
ArcaOS personal comes with a six month Support and Maintenance subscription. ArcaOS commercial comes with a twelve month subscription. In addition, commercial ArcaOS support provides:
Priority response to trouble tickets. Note that this is not a promise of a faster resolution to a specific issue, but when Arca Noae five or six tickets opened around the same time, commercial tickets are read and acknowledged, first.
On the staff mailing list (think of this as the large open space in a physical office), Arca Noae service personel discuss tickets by number (personal and commercial). They identify commercial tickets in our opening statements in such discussions. They discuss tickets this way where they feel they would benefit from group input, rather than making the ticket a discussion forum in and of itself.
Arca Noae has weekly staff meetings via IRC. These meetings typically run half a day or more. Item 1 on each week's agenda of at least a dozen different topics is commercial tickets, followed by discussion of all tickets (personal and commercial). This further prioritizes input for commercial tickets requiring more than one "head" to resolve or at least strategize as to the best way to troubleshoot a given problem.
More information is available from Arca Noae at the following link:
https://www.arcanoae.com/faq/