old IBM Aptiva and OS/2 Warp

[DereX888]

I have old IBM Aptiva 2168-M70 that someone 'polluted' at some moment in time with Win98, while originally it came with OS/2 Warp Connect or 4.0 (dont remember) and DOS (or Win3.11 - Im not sure now).
I spent lot of time on the phone to IBM US (and Canada) trying to obtain the "restore" discs for this computer, but sadly nothing can be done, or so they say, and some idiots at IBM didn't even knew OS/2 is their own IBM's product (! seriously).
Anyone out here who can help? Original discs (if you don't need them anymore) or copies are fine with me, I am an original owner of the product, registered at IBM ages ago, so it is not any piracy - I just didnt made any software backups when I should have, and now theyre gone...

[TaoTeWingChun]

As a former IBMer myself, the best advice I have for you is - try ebay!!!

I know exactly the system you have, I've had one myself, and yes, it was WARP 3.0 with built-in Windowss 3.11 booting capability - sort of Windows within OS/2, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, I've tossed those discs out long ago, but you may find them somewhere else, don't give up.

IBM has long since abandoned pronouncing "Oh Ess Two", so I wouldn't even bother with that route any more.

I wish you all the best of luck in your searches. And I promise, if I find the old OS/2 Warp diskettes/CD-ROM, I will be more than happy to donate them to you!

Best Wishes for a fruitful search!

Cheers!

TTWC

[DereX888]

TaoTeWingChun - thanx!
Yes, Im 'monitoring' ebay and some usenet groups too
(so far only annoying offers of latest OS/2 commercial release aka eCommStation have found me lol)

(btw - cool nickname )

[thevoelk]

Try www.oldsoftware.com. They have a revolving inventory, so you may have to ask them to put you on a list if/when it becomes available. That is a good question you sort of asked, is it piracy if you are registered and you download the same version since the owner can't/won't give you a replacement?

[DereX888]

Try www.oldsoftware.com. They have a revolving inventory, so you may have to ask them to put you on a list if/when it becomes available. That is a good question you sort of asked, is it piracy if you are registered and you download the same version since the owner can't/won't give you a replacement?

Thx for another tip, I will try there.

As for the OT:
To be honest I don't give a shite is it nowaday considered a piracy or not. When I bought this computer I've paid for software as well. And I say again: I have paid for software, that means I bought the rights to use the software's code for my entire lifetime, and it was NOT limited to the single copy of the code on the physical disks or discs that were handed to me at the time of purchase. Thats what "buying a software" used to mean at the time of purchase (pre-DMCA-crap times). If the current laws/DMCA/copyrights/whatever say it is otherwise - it would only mean that the law is wrong or it had been (further) corrupted, therefore I won't comply with it, and I urge YOU to not comply with bad laws either!
After all we (the mankind) had millions of wrong laws over the times, and if people wouldn't stood up against them but have been just always complying and obeying them - we still would have slavery for instance
So let's not stretch this OT here anymore, as I truly don't really give a damn is it piracy or not in the eye of corpocracy laws.