DH> Is the 32-bit command interpreter specific to OS/2 v4.0? 

No.  It isn't part of any OS/2 release at all.

 DH> I tried the DATE /N command with OS/2 v3.0 (FP 40 and 32-bit CMD.EXE 
 DH> file) [...]

No you didn't.

OS/2 converted from 16 bits to 32 bits in stages, with various pieces going
32-bit in each new version from OS/2 version 2.0 to OS/2 version 3.0.  The
fact that the conversion was staged is perfectly acceptable, of course; but
some parts IBM has never got around to converting at all.  Even in OS/2 Warp 4 
with the latest fixpacks many parts are still 16-bit.  The fact that IBM never 
pulled its finger out and completed the job is one of the things that I find
irritating about IBM.

CMD is one of those parts.  The 16-bit CMD.EXE that is supplied with OS/2 Warp 
4 is pretty much the same 16-bit CMD.EXE that was supplied with OS/2 version
1.0.  IBM doesn't even have the excuse (that it has with other programs) that
CMD.EXE has to be a Family Mode program and so has to remain 16-bit for VDM
compatibility.

So when you run a text-mode session in OS/2 Warp 4, you are still running the
16-bit command interpreter.

If you don't like such 16-bit vestiges, this would be another reason why you
have something to look forward to.

 ¯ JdeBP ®

--- FleetStreet 1.22 NR
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