IBM OS/2 upgrade 'Warp' coming in October, features easy Internet connections.

Microsoft Windows Upgrade, Once Called

'Chicago, Has Been Redubbed |Windows 95'

IBM will introduce a more powerful, user-friendly version of its OS/2 operating system next month in a clear bid to capitalize on Microsoft Corp.'s delay in getting out its next version of

Although IBM has sold nearly six million copies of OS/2 since 1992, it has trailed far behind Microsoft's Windows operating system, which is being installed on an estimated 20 million new machines this year alone.

But Microsoft says its next Windows upgrade -- once code-named "Chicago" has been redubbed "Windows 95" -- and will probably not hit the street until May.

Trying to make the most of the situation, IBM says the new OS/2, code-named "Warp," will feature built-in, easy access to Internet as part of its "information superhighway" offerings in a set of BonusPak applications.

"When Warp ships, it will be the first PC operating system to deliver complete access to the Internet, the vast worldwide network that links more than 20 million users worldwide," says Wally Casey, director of marketing at IBM's personal software products division.

To "surf" the Internet, users simply click on the Internet folder, which will initiate the one-time registration process and connect them with the IBM Global Network via Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP). Warp users will get 10 free hours of connect time as an introductory offer.

IBM Global Network is managed by Advantis, a partnership formed by IBM and Sears, Roebuck & Co. Later this year, IBM will also make available to Warp users an advanced graphical web browser, called WebExplorer.

Once users log on, they will be greeted by a menu page with icons representing "the best of the net," including the popular Worldwide Web electronic information library. User can, for instance, visit the Travel Center for vacation ideas, or go to the Sports Center for the latest news on the baseball strike.

The next version of OS/2 will include TCP/IP communications software, Internet access utilities such as Gopher, FTP and Telnet, and advanced e-mail capabilities.

Besides the Internet connectivity and navigation software, the new OS/2 will include special software for two people to work simultaneously on the same document over a network. Users will also be able to capture video images and insert them into computer files.

Warp is expected to retail for less than $100, about die same as the next Windows upgrade. Bonus software also includes an array of business productivity programs like spreadsheets and word processors.

Warp has been streamlined to work on computers with four megabytes of main memory. The next two versions of Windows are expected to require eight and 16 megabytes, respectively.