IBM developed the OS/2 operating system in response to several changes in the microcomputing environment. Users demanded the ability to use more sophisticated programs on microcomputers; these programs required more memory and power than was available on DOS-based computers. Users also wanted a friendlier interface to the operating system, the ability to perform more than one task at a time, and the ability to connect and share processing with other computers. DOS-based systems were limited in all of these respects. For example, although DOS systems could be made to function as a node on a LAN (with the addition of a LAN card), they were still unable to share processing with other computers on the network.
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