The purpose of this section is to provide a forum for our readers to voice their opinions and thoughts on issues related to OS/2. If you have an observation, concern, gripe or compliment regarding something, please feel free to send them to the OS/2 CONNECT editor for inclusion in this section, at: Title & Publisher or complete the form at the bottom of this page.
The opinions expressed in this section are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editor or publisher of OS/2 CONNECT. NOTE: Letters may be edited for inappropriate or offensive language.
I am currently using OS/2 Warp version 3. I have gone from running a mixture of 802.3 and 802.2 to strictly 802.2. After "unbinding" the last Novell Server from 802.3 I could no longer log my OS/2 system on to the network. Once I rebound the network to the 802.3 I could then logon to the network. What could be going on here?
I would appreciate any help with this matter.
EDITOR's NOTE: Any user or consultant with expertise in Novell Server and OS/2 is encouraged to contact Mark directly.
I just visited your web site for the first time off a link from the OS/2 Supersite. I must say I enjoyed the speed of the server, the content snd the editorial. I am just a home user and business user of OS/2, not into games and the like. I am also quite anti-Microsoft/Intel, upgrade every six month mentality.
Thanks for the refreshing viewpoints; If I could only get a version of Quicken for OS/2......
EDITOR's NOTE: Thanks for your note. If you like Quicken, be sure to check out Spitfire Software'a InCharge accounting software for OS/2 at: http://rampages.onramp.net/~landeck
I am fairly new to the OS/2 community, having only had experience with Warp 3 since about '94, prior to that, I was a DOS command line junkie. However, we run Warp Connect now on all machines, and I have successfully set up a peer network at work. The GUI's were new to me, as well as Windows 3.1, so I had a lot to learn. I have worked as an embedded systems designer since the seventies, and write a lot of dedicated code for controllers.
I am truly impressed with the functionality of OS/2 for both DOS and Windows based apps. I run a P60 here at the office, and have a CAD program (Zuken-Redac's CadStar) which requires two dongles on the parallel port, it installed and works just fine! Seems that almost every app that I have installed, except those written by the MAKERS of Windows, installed from my desktop without a hitch. These include several versions of CorelDraw, Cougar Mountain Accounting, INtuit Turbo-Tax, Quattro Pro, to name a few. But just try and install Excel! If I hadn't had Boot Mgr in place, and four hours on the phone with MS over three occasions, it would never had worked. They actually sent me a second set of disks (720k), and had me reinstall Win 3.1! I personally think that the programs MS write, know that other operating systems are present, or they use undocumented functions that are not well behaved. Well, enough of this, I could talk for hours...
OS/2 software is not something that one picks up off the shelf of the nearest computer store but it is still very much available. Electronic purchasing and downloading of software via the Internet is becoming increasingly more important especially with increasing connection speeds.
It would be nice if more ISV's that offer their software for electronic purchasing also offer their manuals for download in PDF format. Electronic sales are sales just like packaged sales, and these customers deserve the same information as well, considering that the cost is the same.
There is a lot of OS/2 software out there and with OS/2 users scattered so much over the globe, electronic sales could contribute to software sales more significantly, if handled in with more care and consideration in this regard.
When the Pll processors made the scene I decided it was time to give my trusty ValuePoint DX2-66 to my grandson and upgrade to a new machine that might also last five years. I wanted an IBM 300XL 6588, which I got. But, they (IBM) would not ship it preloaded with OS2-4. I finally got it anyway from CDW with Windows NT4.0 stuffed into a 410mb partition. I left NT there but had to boot from OS/2 floppies to rearrange the SCSI hard drive and install Warp 4 myself. The only reason I did not trash NT 4 is because IBM threw Lotus SmartSuite '97 into the deal. Lotus is software worth throwing 1/2 gig of drive space at.
But, to this day, I can't figure out why IBM was not more than happy to go a little tiny bit out of their way to preload a machine for a happy OS/2 camper. I have never, ever owned a MS operating system. My first PC was an Amiga 1000, which I dearly loved. The transition to OS/2 2.0 was a snap. I even asked for Lotus SS 97 for OS/2 and was turned down. Their answer was it was a matter of demand. Hardly a satisfactory reply to an earnest request. So, I did it all myself in the good American way.
Your March editorial states:
What IBM has done to this product borders on criminal negligence. One cannot help but think there is a conspiracy to destroy OS/2 in favor of Microsoft by senior IBM executives (payola perhaps?). Some people would accuse me of being paranoid. Maybe so, but if OS/2 is to survive it will require inspired leadership from the vendor,
The "payola perhaps" cheap shot is uncalled for and, frankly, evidence of either (1) paranoia or (2) stupidity.
This kind of "OS/2 Advocacy" I have come to expect from the likes of "The OS/2 Guy" and the cast of invented characters at "Warp City" and "Chauvet & Company." It's not what I expected from you. I'm embarrassed by your comment.
EDITOR's NOTE: Many thanks for your comments. It is unfortunate if the comments offended you but I do not apologize for them. I know of many people who are unhappy with Win95, yet IBM is content with keeping OS/2 on the sidelines. There is something horribly wrong when a vastly superior product loses out to an inferior one. I smell a rat.
I too beleive from my experience with OS that OS/2 is a better product. I have suggested it from time to time for solutions to others. I have talked with some of the IBM sales and marketing members, questioning why they failed and raised the white flag. The question is how to we, the rank and file, speak loud enough to get Big Lou to hear us. I am both frustrated and amazed at what IBM has done or not done to promote OS/2. They could not have marketed OS/2 any worse than if they had hired Microsoft to perform the marketing for OS/2.
A loyal follower who has faith.
Just maybe there is a conspiracy.... but of a different sort. On my home page I have an article called "Rope a Dope." Just like Ali fighting a weak fight, hoping for the referee to penalize his opponent, is it possible that IBM decided to let MS have a free hand on the desktop, in hopes that the DOJ would find it necessary to intervene? I can only hope that IBM is really that clever.
If not, then we must resign ourselves to the fact that IBM is not going to help us. We must then "fish or cut bait." Frankly, I'm tired of yelling at IBM for being IBM. IBM is the IBM we all love to hate, but we are allowing our level of frustration to get the better of us.
We need to focus attention on the things we can do, like the new SOHO scheme that Brad Wardell is working on, as well as Team OS/2's new registration initiative. We should have lowered our expectations -- and frustrations -- about IBM long ago. It's counterproductive to focus on a problem (the vendor) that is just not going to go away.
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