OS/2
 | This article is a work in progress. …well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editors’ notes. |
| OS/2-tan | |
| |
| Character Information | |
|---|---|
| Common Names | OS/2-tan |
| Other Names | Operating System/2, OS/2 Warp, Merlin |
| Faction | Anti$oft Coalition (leader) |
| Lineage | x86 DOS? |
| Rival(s) | The Windows Family, especially NT-tan and 95-tan. |
| Appearance | |
| Height | 171 cm (5'7") |
| Hair Color | blue with white streaks |
| Eye Color | blue |
| Weapon(s) | phaser gun, prehensile hair |
| Design | |
| First Appearance | Aug 2006[1] |
| Technical Information | |
| System Personified | OS/2 |
| Developer(s) | Microsoft, IBM |
| Debut | circa 1987 |
| Latest release | v. 4.5.2 (Dec 2001) |
Technical details
OS/2 was released in 1987, the result of a joint venture between IBM and Microsoft. While the collaboration was initially harmonious, the popularity of Windows 3.0 (1990) and subsequent sidelining of OS/2 caused the two companies to go their separate ways. IBM continued to develop OS/2 throughout the 90s, while MS took many design cues from OS/2 in the development of Windows NT (and 95 to a lesser degree).
Ultimately, OS/2 was vastly outsold by Windows, and lost the last of its support from IBM at the end of 2006. However, it is still used in some mission-critical systems and has a devoted following.
Character details
Physical
OS/2-tan is represented as a mature woman with light skin, blue eyes typically rendered with catlike slit pupils, and rimless, rectangular glasses. She wears a purple Starfleet uniform[2], C badge[3], blue skirt, sheer tights, black knee-boots and a belt with a stylized depiction of the 5-colored OS/2 logo. She carries a phaser.[4]
Her hair is medium blue with light blue or silver streaks. Its length nearly equals her own height, and has the unique ability to move on its own and assist OS/2-tan with multitasking.[5][6] It's been depicted in six and a half ponytails,[7] or loose.[8]
Personality
Optimistic and studious in her early years, a lifetime of betrayal has left OS/2-tan bitter and volatile, with a reputation for being ruthlessness.[9]
She is a natural organizer. Beneath her hardened exterior, she yearns for her long-lost family. Her softer side is exposed by her deep bonds of loyalty to her friends.[10]
Family and relationships
Windows Family
In OSC fanon, OS/2-tan is the stepsister to the DOS-based Windows-tans and NT-tan's sister.[11] She's deeply protective toward Windows 1.0-tan and 2.0-tan, but despises the Windows-tans otherwise,[12] blaming them for both hers and her beloved stepsisters' misfortunes. She carries a particularly strong vendetta against 95-tan and NT-tan.
RISC OS-tan
RISC OS-tan is OS/2-tan's closest confidant and right-hand woman in the Antisoft Coalition. OS/2-tan has unrequited crush on her, but doesn't say anything about it.[13][14]
eComStation-tan
eComStation-tan is OS/2-tan's self-professed, adoptive little sister, although her exact family is unknown so she may be biologically related to OS/2.[15] While OS/2-tan pins her hopes on eCS-tan as a successor,[16] OS/2 was initially offput by eCS-tan's cheerful personality, but came to warm up to her.[17]She has never officially recruited her into the A$C, fearful that she'll repeat her own mistakes, ending up jaded and broken. Still, this doesn't dissuade eCS-tan from joining in on their many schemes.
History and background
OS/2-tan was born to the Microsoft-IBM Family during when the two companies were cooperating. It was a cloistered but happy childhood as she had everything she needed, but saw or dealt with few other OS-tans in the market outside of her immediate family.[18]
Although she was a nice girl, she was trained to be the operating system of the future, making her come off at times as overconfident and arrogant. When Windows 2.0-tan was born, she took pity on who she thought would be the last Windows ever created, and looked after her like an overprotective sister. The two girls grew close to each other,[19] even exchanging promises to stay with each other no matter what.[20] Her happy childhood started to fall apart with the event of Windows 3.1-tan (then Windows 3.0-tan) birth. 3.1-tan's success and rumors of collusion with other entities to create NT-tan were what led to the Microsoft-IBM Family breaking up.[21]
After the family breakup, she was trained by IBM to be a mean and efficient fighter. While their methods were effective, they were also mercilessly spartan and she was left sheltered even while the Windows-tans were quickly expanding their horizons. She took the loss of her family hard, but was still loyal to her company. She hoped that in defeating the Windows line, the victor could decide the rules; hence, she intended to fight in order to reunite with her family.[22] During the OS Wars, OS/2-tan got the chance to face off against 95-tan. The battle that ensued was long and hard, and although OS/2-tan almost succeeded, she was sabotaged, resulting in 95-tan's victory.[23]
This loss, plus her company's growing indifference, isolation and watching the world fall in love with the Windows-tans drove her mad with vengeance. Since she was still too loyal to take out her frustrations on IBM, she focused all of it on her foes.[24] Using funds from her involvement in finance,[25] she founded and leads the Anti$oft Coalition with the hope of vanquishing the Windows Family for the injustices caused to her and others.
Even though OS/2-tan was effectively abandoned by her company in 2006, she has not given up her ambitions and will continue them into the foreseeable future.
Notes
- Her backstory was drafted before OS/2's last support was dropped, one alternate interpretation is that after that happened, she would grow to come to terms with the past, and abandon her vendettas even though it would be among the most emotionally painful things she has done; in the process though, she won't need to keep her successor at a distance, and over time would also gain the trust of the friendlier and more forgiving Windows-tans before eventually reconciling with old rivals. [26]
Fanworks
References
- ↑ OS/2 Warp-tan & RISC OS-tan
- ↑ More specifically the Starfleet uniform from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. This is a reference to OS/2's extensive Star Trek themeing, IBM going as far as hiring actors from Star Trek to demonstrate OS/2 Warp.
- ↑ The C on her badge mathematically means greater than the speed of light and can be interpreted as warp speed.
- ↑ Chibi OS2 and RISC OS
- ↑ In her introductory post, C-Chan says it's meant to "illustrate her superior multithreading capabilities."
- ↑ "Her long hair has a life of its own, and can branch out into several "threads" like an octopus that independently handle different tasks. Very useful at the office, and gives her an added advantage in fights -- but unlike eCS-tan who can generate many more threads, OS/2-tan is limited to the mass of her hair."
- ↑ "There are 6 and a half ponytails total, each representing all Star Trek series released to date. (FYI, the half is for Star Trek: Enterprise.)"
- ↑ CLUB PIC - OS2 Portraiture
- ↑ "With a bitter and volatile temperament, anyone ignorant of ways to safely approach her would be best advised to avoid her."
- ↑ OS-tan Annex Project "At the moment she is cold and professional, and not particularly friendly unless you're a user or a Star Trek fan (based on the old version names). Deep inside, however, she is still a natural-born leader and very considerate (leftover traits from her childhood)."
- ↑ "Any similarities to the Windows NT's are purely intentional. While she's only the half-sister of the original Windows -tans, it's suspected that her relationship to the NT -tans runs a little deeper."
- ↑ "she hates the Windows-tans with a vengeance and does everything in her power to torment them."
- ↑ According to 'word of god'.
- ↑ OS-tans on a Ship
- ↑ Comment on Sketchbook pg. 4: "she's actually OS/2-sama's SELF-PROCLAIMED little sister, and just follows her idol around . . . However, I did leave that fact a bit open-ended in case a future sappy story COULD prove that she really IS OS/2-tan's biological little sister, or maybe even a daughter . . . and if that were to happen, OS/2-tan's character would change almost overnight, as she'd finally stop living in the past and be a little more mindful of her own little family she has now
- ↑ "she represents OS/2-tan's last [realistic hope for any form of succession"]
- ↑ OS-tan Annex Project "eCS-tan isn't a member of the A$C, but instead is OS/2-tan's self-proclaimed biggest fan and little sister. OS/2-tan has always been put off by the young girl's energy, cheerfulness and clinginess to her, but admires her powers and her great potential. She slowly but surely warms up to eCS-tan, and slowly discovers additional secrets about her."
- ↑ OS-tan Annex Project "OS/2-tan was born during the era when Microsoft (M$) and IBM were still cooperating. It was a cloistered childhood -- she had everything she needed, but saw or dealt with few other OS-tans in the market outside of her immediate family: Windows 1.0-tan, MSDOS-tan, PCDOS-tan, Xenix-tan."
- ↑ OS-tan Annex Project "OS/2-tan was trained from the start to be the operating system of the future -- although she was a nice girl, she would at times come off as a little overconfident and arrogant. When Windows 2.0-tan was born, for example, OS/2-tan took pity on what she thought would be the "last Windows" ever created, and looked after her like an overprotective step sister. Soon both would become genuinely friendly though."
- ↑ OS-tan Families: "Both of them exchange promises to look after one another, and always be together to the end."
- ↑ OS-tan Annex Project "Naturally, 3.0-tan's birth and rumors of M$'s secret collaborations with non-IBM entities (to create NT), were . . . what broke up the family. I will leave the cause of the breakup ambiguous -- but rather than say that IBM betrayed M$ or M$ betrayed IBM, I'm convinced that it was purely intentional."
- ↑ "OS/2-tan would take the loss of her family hard, but was still firmly loyal to her company. Plus it was her hope that in defeating the WIndows line, the victor could decide the rules,... hence, she would fight in order to get her family back."
- ↑ "It was during the so-called "OS Wars" of the mid 90's that she finally got a chance to face off against the Windows champion (95-tan) -- the battle that ensued was long and hard, and although OS/2-tan almost succeeded, her company accidentally(?) sabotaged her effort, handing the victory to 95-tan."
- ↑ "This loss + IBM's growing indifference to her + watching the world fall in love with (in her mind) devious OS-tans + her own lonely life, are what begin to drive her a bit insane and vengeful. Since she was still too loyal to take out her frustrations on IBM, she focused all of it on the Windows-tans."
- ↑ "she does get funding for it by brokering various "financial assets" (e.g. automated teller machines)."
- ↑ "In a potential story idea, it's shortly after IBM discontinues her (12/31/2006) that events lead her to discover the truth behind IBM's own treachery. The truth is naturally devastating, but also liberating especially now that she has friends and "family" (eCS) by her to support her. After that, her personality and vengefulness softens considerably."