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OS/2 Shareware BBS: 14 Text
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1995-11-29
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OS/2 Warp Connect, Windows 95 and NT
A Brief Comparison
Evaluating an operating system is more than just comparing features
(see chart below). Other critical areas that need to be considered as
part of the evaluation are:
*Reliability
*Usability
*Productivity
*Openness
*Value
*Support
Reliability:
Is the operating system stable, reliable, and proven (battle tested)?
With OS/2 Warp, you receive the benefits of a full 32-bit, robust,
preemptive multitasking operating system. OS/2 has been trusted to run
most of the banking industry's automatic cash machines, controls cash
registers in fast food chains and department stores, and makes
reservations on the busiest airline systems. OS/2 runs major sporting
events like the Olympics and Indianapolis 500. Judicial systems, police
departments, prisons and the nations railway system all rely heavily
on OS/2. As part of the world's business fabric, these are situations
where downtime cannot be tolerated. Don't your own time and work
efforts warrant the same considerations?
Windows 95 is version 1.0 of a new operating system. Wayne Rush's
Windows 95 article in the September 1995 Windows NT magazine cautioned,
"It's a complete rewrite of a product that was none too stable to begin
with." Industry analysts and the trade press, including Gartner and
InfoWorld have advised readers to wait for a more stable release before
attempting to use Windows 95. InfoWorld's summation was, "We don't think
it's a report card that justifies handing over your companys legacy --
all of the applications that you have bought and built over the
years -- to the little OS tyke just yet."
Usability:
Is the user interface consistent and easy to use, with drag-and-drop
functions to simplify common tasks?
OS/2 provides a consistent user interface across laptops, desktops, LAN
servers and symmetrical multiprocessing systems. Integrated object
technology provides uniform drag-and-drop capability. Among OS/2's
ease-of-use features are work-area folders, shadow duplicate icons, the
toolbar for one-button application launch, long file names and
right-mouse-button context menus. The consistent user interface combined
with the numerous ease-of-use features minimize learning time and
support costs while maximizing productivity.
OS/2 Warp's on-line documentation and help includes a unique self-
guided tutorial having features such as a practice option with a skill
level setting to allow more experienced users to select "expert" and
continue to build their expertise. Migration is simplified for
Windows 3.x users by a button that shows the comparable feature in
Windows 3.x. In Windows 95, once you get past the "Start" button,
there are many inconsistencies that can cause confusion and even data
loss. S. Ryan and Lisa Stapleton's InfoWorld product review, August
21, 1995 observed, "Unfortunately, the Windows 95 interface is plagued
by serious inconsistencies." Windows NT still has the Windows 3.x
Graphical User Interface (GUI) with all of the usability issues that
lead Microsoft to recommend Windows 95 instead of NT where ease-of-use
is an issue. Microsoft has announced that the NT user interface will
not be upgraded until second quarter 1996, at which time additional
training will be required for current users.
Productivity:
Can you run multiple DOS, Windows 3.x and 32-bit applications at the
same time in a crash-protected environment? Does the solution
maximize communication and collaboration among workers within and
across organizations and companies?
OS/2 Warp can run legacy Windows 3.x 16-bit applications. To run Windows
applications under OS/2 Warp you must have the following installed on
your system 1)the version of OS/2 Warp that includes Windows application
support or 2)the version of OS/2 Warp that uses your existing Windows
plus Windows 3.x., as well as native OS/2 applications in a
multitasking, multithreading and crash protected environment. Lotus
Notes Express is shipped with OS/2 Warp Connect, providing easy entry
into the Lotus Notes environment. The synergy between OS/2 Warp and
Lotus Notes will enhance collaboration and communication, increasing
productivity, and directly contributing to the bottom line.
Windows 95 will not run any applications in a preemptive multitasking
mode when 16-bit applications are present. Besides affecting
performance, this inability to multitask with legacy applications
present can lead to other problems such as communication programs
timing out and a file transfer or fax aborting.
Openness:
Are open, industry standards incorporated in the operating system. Is
the solution architected to support a heterogeneous computer
environment?
IBM is committed to open solutions based on industry standards. OS/2
Warp supports:
*Open Software Foundation's (OSF) Distributed Computing Environment
(DCE) is a network service standard for interoperability.
*Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) with over 500
industry wide members is the basis for IBM's System Object Model
(SOM) and Distributed SOM (DSOM).
*Desktop Management Taskforce's (DMTF) Desktop Management Interface
(DMI), provides asset management across most of the industry's
leading hardware and software manufacturers.
*OpenDoc, a cross-platform compound document architecture based on SOM
and supported by Adobe, Apple, Novell, Taligent and WordPerfect.
Microsoft products are built on proprietary technologies and interfaces
that are owned and controlled by Microsoft. The result limits the
integration of components from a range of suppliers into a Microsoft
client/server environment, leaving the organization quickly locked
into a single vendor solution.
Value
Is your current investment in hardware, software, applications and
training protected?
OS/2 Warp's paradigm is downward compatibility vs. the Microsoft
paradigm of planned obsolescence. Additionally, OS/2 Warp ships with
the BonusPak of OS/2 exploitative, full-function applications that
allow a user to be productive immediately out of the box.
The Windows 95 sales kit states, "To get the full benefits of
preemptive multitasking requires exclusive use of 32-bit Windows-based
programs such as those bearing the Designed for Windows 95 logo."
Every major upgrade in the Windows environment has required a
corresponding upgrade in applications, and Windows 95 is no different.
Support
Will the support meet your requirements for Availability, Quality and
Cost?
OS/2 Warp has IBM's award-winning, world-class, worldwide support. OS/2
Warp Connect's AskPSP feature is like having your own help desk that
answers common questions about OS/2 and other IBM products.
Microsoft has implemented a complex, multi-tiered program with various
levels of support, priority and associated fees, including 900 numbers
and 800 numbers. A user even has to call different numbers dependent
on which component of Windows 95 is to be addressed!
Look Beyond the Media Blitz for Proven Benefits
OS/2 Warp's benefits were summed up by Eric Grevstad in the September
1995 Computer Shopper, "A time-tested, bargain-priced,
elegantly-interfaced, Internet-savvy, rock-solid 32-bit operating
system."
Don't be bullied by marketing blitz. An operating system choice is not
a fashion statement. Getting your work done as quickly as possible
means that all of the applications you are dependent on run in the
most productive and least intrusive manner. Do you want to trust your
productivity to version 1.0 of an operating system that requires version
1.0 applications to exploit it?
InfoWorld's Readers Choice award to OS/2 Warp was followed by PC
Magazine's special edition of their annual readers survey in July 1995.
The results, based on responses from users, showed, "Just as in last
year's survey, OS/2 was the only operating system that scored for
overall satisfaction significantly better than average." This is an
assessment from the user community, many of whom depend on their
personal computers to provide their livelihood. It is not the results
of a $200 million advertising campaign. Bill Laberis, Editor and
chief for PC Week observed in the August 7, 1995 edition, "No other
company has IBM's cradle-to-grave pedigree when it comes to offering a
total enterprise package, and that means balancing pure product
expertise with service, support and integration. OS/2 is part of that
strategy. Besides it works."
Feature and Function Comparisons
User Interface OS/2 Warp Windows Windows
Connect 95 NT
Work-area Folders Yes No No
Integrated Object Model Yes No No
Toolbar for ease of use Yes Yes (1) No
One-Button Appl Launch Yes Yes No
Drag-and-drop fax Yes Yes No
Drag-and-Drop Deletion Yes No No
Object Type Templates Yes No No
Architecture
32-bit Kernel Yes Yes Yes
32-bit Windows management Yes No (2) Yes
32-bit Graphics Subsystem Yes No (3) Yes
Preemptive Multitasking
- DOS Applications Yes Yes Yes
- Win16 Applications Yes No Yes
- Mixed 16/32-bit Applications Yes No (4) Yes
Multiple Protected Win16 VDMs Yes No (5) Yes
Crash Protection Yes No (6) Yes
Plug-and-Play PlayAtWill Yes No
PCMCIA Yes Yes Yes (7)
Multimedia Support
32-bit audio/video playback Yes Yes Yes
Photo CD Support Yes No No
MPEG Support Yes No Yes
Autodesk Animation Yes No No
Video Conferencing Yes No No
Application
Word Processor Yes No No
Spreadsheet Yes No No
Database Yes No No
Personal Information Manager Yes No No
fax Yes Yes No
Peer e-mail Yes Yes Yes
Connectivity
Internet Access Yes via MSN No
- FTP Yes No No
- Telnet Yes No No
- Gopher Yes No No
- Web Explorer Yes No No
- News Reader Yes No No
NetWare 4.x Directory Services Yes No No
3270 Emulation AttachPak No No
APPC AttachPak No No
Peer Net - User Level Security Yes No Yes
Remote access Yes Yes Yes
TCP/IP LAN & Remote use simultaneously Yes No No
(1)Taskbar with less function than Toolbar (2)USER is 16-bit non-
reentrant code (3)approx. 50% of GDI calls are serviced by 16-bit
non-reentrant code (4)WIN16 MUTEX prohibits access to USER & portions
of GDI when a 16-bit application is executing. (5)All 16-bit Windows
apps share a single address space. (6)Key operating system parts (USER
& GDI) share same system VDM as 16-bit Windows applications. (7)No
hot-plug support
Disclaimer
The information contained in this document represents the current view
of IBM Corporation on the issues discussed at the date of publication.
Because IBM must respond to changing market conditions, it should not
be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of IBM. All information,
claims, references and comparisons related to Windows 95 in this
document are based upon non-confidential information currently
available as of the date of publication. This document is for
informational purposes only. IBM makes no warranties, expressed or
implied, in this document.
Copyright 1995 IBM Corporation, All Rights Reserved.
OS/2 is a registered trademark of International Business Machines
Corporation.
Lotus and Lotus Notes are registered trademarks of Lotus Development
Corporation.
Microsoft is a registered trademark and Windows is a trademark of
Microsoft, Inc.