ArcaOS 5.1.2 (based on OS/2 Warp 4.52) now available

A 1990s office star just walked back into the party in a fresh outfit, and the crowd is brutally divided. ArcaOS 5.1.2, a modernized version of IBM’s old OS/2 system, now runs on today’s computers, doesn’t track you, and is proudly spying-free… but it’ll cost you about $139. Cue the drama.

One camp is basically yelling, “Who is this even for?” User koutakun calls it a “borderline useless OS” with a tiny fanbase and a big price tag, wondering why anyone would pay more than a video game for an operating system that time forgot. Another jumps in with the classic retro flex: rcleveng gushes that it’s “super amazing” they keep it working on new hardware, remembering seeing OS/2 crash on an ATM like some cursed museum exhibit.

Then comes the armchair architect angle: fithisux drops the hot take that they “could have rebuilt it” on a different base and made it 64‑bit, basically accusing the devs of thinking too small. Meanwhile, natas rolls up like the nostalgic hero, praising ArcaOS for not spying, being stable, and bringing back “the joys of old-school computing.” And for everyone going, “But what does it look like?” vlod just posts the screenshots link like, “Do your own homework.” This isn’t just a software update; it’s a full-on culture clash between security‑minded retro nerds and people asking, “Why are we resurrecting grandma’s PC?”