IBM Corp’s personal software products unit is readying a version of its OS/2 Warp operating system for Network Computers, hoping to tap into its installed base of Warp users and terminal emulation base. IBM is going to put a browser and Java virtual machine on top of the Warp kernel. IBM and Netscape Communications Corp’s Navio division are said to be working on a version of Navigator for this purpose. IBM’s current plan is to use Network Computing Devices Inc’s operating system in the Network Stations it supplies for IBM. IBM is planning to scoop out the so-called Workplace shell interface that ships with the regular Warp as it’s too fat for the skinny client world. The system should also be capable of running Windows applications on Network computers without resorting to Citrix System Inc’s ICA software, though it’s not yet clear how. The Personal Software Products people, based in Austin, Texas, said it is talking to the Network Computer division, but doesn’t yet have any alpha, let alone beta code to offer yet. The Network Computer division didn’t return our calls. Meantime, the company will announce support for Java 1.0.2 or the regular OS/2 Warp later this month. IBM reckons OS/2 Warp was the first operating system to support the Java language.
