Paul Marwick wrote in a message to Bat Lang:

 PM> Anyhow, I've just completed an extensive review of OS/2 file
 PM> managers. The results will be on my Web site within the next
 PM> couple of weeks (just being proof-read and having graphics
 PM> added).

 PM> OS/2 Commander was one of the programs that I tried. I liked
 PM> it a good deal, but found a number of annoying bugs (failure
 PM> handing files with long filenames and FILES.BBS entries,

OS/2 Commander doesn't seem to have a problem with long filenames here, or
FILES.BBS entries?  What kind of problems, maybe I'm missing something.
He will display file descriptions in the other window from a FILES.BBS _or_ a
4OS2 description file, they both work here as described?

 PM> failure to read most self-extracting archives, 

Which file manager handles more self-extracting archives?  Most file managers
don't handle them at all, in fact most don't handle regular archives let alone 
self-extracting ones.

 PM> odd behaviour after viewing files within archives,

I've noticed no problems here after viewing files within archives at all?  I
did notice a problem with his built in editor, in that if doing a search for a 
string, after the first hit, and edit, the second hit doesn't let you edit
correctly.  The only other bug I've noticed is when using hot keys to change
directories, or the wcd program he developed, you may have to move up or down
a directory before OS2C will work on highlighted files, somehow the new
directory is not fully registered, although it shows the files correctly.  

I've been using OS2C for years, and thats about the only two "bugs" I've
noticed, both are very minor.  I generally don't use his editor anyway, and he 
doesn't really expect you to use his, he allows 2 other external editors plus
his assigned to hot keys, so that one is a non-problem.  

 PM> Having got no replies at all from the author, I wasn't prepared 
 PM> to register it.

Yes, I don't know what happened to Wolfgang, but I do know if I only used
software where I could contact the author, I wouldn't use much stuff.  He was
at one time very supportive and responsive, and posted in this echo.  He has
always been an extremly pro OS/2 man, one of us actually.  He seems to have
gone from the scene, but I'd bet money he is not in Windows land.  He's either 
sick, dead, busy, lost interest or went to Unix since IBM has been doing it's
best to kill OS/2 since 95.  That is the only reason I'd consider FC/2 over
OS2C.  There have been several FC/2 releases since I last looked at it though, 
it may have caught up to Commander by now.

 PM> I looked at a number of other options as well. Including MC.
 PM> While MC is very like OS/2 commander (text-mode, exteneded
 PM> Norton Commander clone), its fairly painful to set up (and
 PM> the docs aren't real clear on what has to be done either..).
 PM> The fact that its free helps, but not enough...

I've looked at most of the ones you mentioned, and all were horrible compared
to OS2C and FC/2.  MC wasn't anything like OS2C when I looked at it.  I
probably would go with FC/2 simply because it is very close to OS2C in
features and is still actively being developed.  

                                              Jack 
--- timEd/2-B11