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OS/2 Help File | 1995-12-03 | 891KB | 8,409 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. 
 ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online

This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.      ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online

With the dismantling of IBM's Team OS/2 support in Austin and the recent news
that David Barnes has decided to end his career at IBM for the greater and
grander horizons of the media world, it might seem to the casual observer that
IBM can't do anything right when it comes to OS/2's future.  Are you as puzzled
as I am about OS/2 and it's failure to capture marketplace dominance?  Over the
past several months, I have been conducting an informal, unscientific survey as
I visit with other OS/2ers on the net and there appears to be a consensus among
many of them as to the steps IBM could have taken and still can take to put
OS/2 in the driver's seat with the buying public.  I've compiled them here and
where applicable, included some of my own personal observations, as well.

Eleven things that IBM should do to make OS/2 more successful:

 1.  IBM executives need to admit to themselves that they have a really great product.

I am always surprised at how many IBM executives there are that are unaware of
the real technical excellence of OS/2 and it's superiority over other PC
operating systems in existence today.  Remember, these are the folks that are
making the decisions about OS/2 and where it's going to go in the IBM product
line.  It's almost as if they feel obligated to share the limelight with other
vendors like Microsoft, Apple and even Unix Vendors.  I get the idea that they
think David Barnes and Tim Sipples are spoofing everyone in their
demonstrations; that OS/2 really isn't that good, it's just slick salesmanship
on Barnes' and Sipples' part.  The average IBM executive doesn't use a PC.
Most have only seen OS/2 in commercials or over somebody's shoulder at the
office.  It used to be that way with middle management also, but recent
downsizing and the creation of a mobile workforce (where employees work out of
their homes and have an at-home office with a brand-new thinkpad running OS/2)
have had a dramatic educational effect on IBM middle management as well as
mobile employees at the worker-bee level.  But it's no wonder that Big Blue
doesn't get respect from the industry's bad news campaign about OS/2.  IBM
executives don't realize the bad rap OS/2 has gotten in the industry.  They are
ignorant of its superiority. What these executives should do before they get in
front of the press or a potential customer is to read the FLC (Frequently
Launched Criticisms List and the answers) and then come out charging on all 8
cylinders.  OS/2 needs no excuses.  It IS, by far, head and shoulders above
Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and Windows NT.  Microsoft has fooled a number of folks
out here and it appears sometimes that their tactics have even worked on some
IBM executives.

 2.  Get behind OS/2 application development

IBM has dragged its feet in this area since the beginning.  Taking a page out
of the Microsoft playbook, IBM needs to get into bed with as many developers as
possible.  The simple reason that there are still very few MAJOR vendors making
software for OS/2 is because these vendors find it very easy to create new
versions for Windows-based platforms.  They get a lot of help and encouragement
from Microsoft.  While some of this help and encouragement may come in the form
narrow-optioned demands from Bill Gates' company, it nonetheless gets the job
done.

IBM should dedicate a workforce of approximately 300 Systems Engineers to be on
site at developer locations, working with them to get OS/2 applications out the
door.  I don't mean hand holders - I mean people who will help write code, gen
compiles and be there when things get bogged down in the back room.  If IBM had
taken this approach when they had the opportunity in 1994 (Windows 95 was
delayed and delayed), there would today be a 32-bit function-rich version of
WordPerfect for OS/2 that would be making money for Novell. And WordPerfect
might even have been in a totally different financial position because of it
today. There'd be 32-bit Quickens and Netscapes and Map n' Go's and other OS/2
versions of popular software that their respective companies would be selling
and making money on.

ISV's haven't gotten behind application development because IBM hasn't.

 3.  Advertise applications, not nunneries

What a poor advertising campaign we've had for OS/2.  Cutesy nuns with beepers?
If IBM had advertised OS/2 as THE internet platform (which it is) when OS/2
Warp first hit the streets, there'd be a hell of a lot more interest in the
OS/2 product today because of it.  You don't sell technical excellence
(unfortunately), at least not JUST technical excellence.  You sell
applications.  OS/2, as an Internet Platform alone, is absolutely the Rolls
Royce of platforms.  But it's IBM's best-kept secret because they chose to run
those nun commercials to death and we all got entertained. Nobody heard about
OS/2's application strengths, and today the buying public only hears about the
Microsoft Network.

 4.  WANT to be Number One

It's pathetic how IBM almost seems to be distracted from success.  There are
hard times at IBM today, and that's something no one will dispute.  But hard
times are temporary if you do the right things and have a strategy to get
yourself back into the positive columns.  IBM has gotten into the positive
columns lately, but some will tell you that it has happened, not because of a
revenue increase, or because of a marketing success.  It has happened because
Jerome York (IBM CFO who just left IBM a few months ago) kept the purse strings
tied tight.  Some experts attribute IBM's current positive numbers mostly to
employee headcount reductions and subsequent related reductions occurring as
indirect as well as direct results of those employee reductions.

IBM can be number one on the desktop, in the computer room, and in the home
consumer marketplace, but it must be done with a product strategy.  OS/2 is
probably the best example of the lack of a product strategy that I can think
of.  It's unquestionably the technical superior to competing operating systems.
But can anyone define what IBM's objective is as it relates to OS/2.  It isn't
desktop superiority.  Both John M. Thompson and Lou Gerstner have made that
clear.  We've been told that the objective has something to do with server
operating system market penetration - kind of vague, but expressed in an
interview or two with these two gentlemen.   "We're not going to fight the last
war for the desktops" or something like that came from Mr. Gerstner's lips as
he was quoted in late summer, 1995.  Oh, really?  Well now that we know what
you're NOT going to do, we know you don't aspire to be NUMBER ONE in the PC
Marketplace, even though you have the superior operating system.  Which war is
it IBM will fight?  And what, for pete's sake, is the strategy going to be?
More layoffs perhaps?

 5.  Court the media (...or make them stop trashing OS/2)

Probably the biggest handicap that IBM has is its relationship with the press.
Nobody has anything nice to say these days about the media.  But as it relates
to OS/2, during the summer of 1995, we experienced the most ridiculous travesty
of truth in the media and industry press that I've ever seen.  Headlines
misquoting IBM executives, stories about OS/2 being a dead duck, testimony from
nameless consulting firms that Windows 95 was THE STANDARD just 5 days after it
became available in stores, and a marketing blitz of hundreds of millions of
dollars put IBM, already at a disadvantage with the industry press, in solitary
confinement.

What IBM needs to accept, in my estimation, is that regardless of what the
truth is, only the media can get the word out, one way or the other.  They will
print their version of the truth as they know it or as they want us to know it.
Whitepapers don't do it; seminars and business shows don't do it; advertising
doesn't do it.  These methods of information dissemination are like preaching
to the choir.  The industry press makes or breaks a product and they do it in
the headlines.

IBM simply has to change the relationship they have with the industry media.
PC Week and InfoWorld aren't suddenly going to wake up one morning doing good
things for OS/2.  Not without a strategy from IBM to accomplish this.  So just
as IBM needs a product strategy for OS/2, they also need to focus on a strategy
to put OS/2 in a positive headline for each and every major newspaper and
industry publication.

Sometimes it almost looks like IBM must have really committed some major
offense against the press in the past for which some reporters refuse to
forgive them.  And when I say that, I know I sound like a really paranoid geek,
but those of you who saw the summer marketing blitz for Windows 95 know what
I'm talking about and it isn't something imagined. It's real.  In the words of
Rodney Dangerfield, "IBM and OS/2 get no respect!"

 6.  Make OS/2 profitable

IBM today is cutting expenses. And they are cutting products from their
salesmanual that don't make money for the stockholders.  Why then, should we
expect them to continue to market the OS/2 product, which adds little or no
positive direction to their quarterly bottom line.  We should not be surprised
if they completely shut down ALL OS/2-related expense, development and
advertising and simply put the product out of its misery.

What we SHOULD be surprised at, however, is the ineptness that IBM has
displayed in NOT making OS/2 a revenue producer.  They've had years and years
to do it.  Big Blue is at fault for this and no one else.

OS/2 isn't profitable.  And it has to be to be successful with the executive
committee and ultimately the stockholders of IBM.  How does IBM accomplish
this?  Well, let's get back to the product strategy (or the lack of it).  One
specific way they could make some money on OS/2 is to adopt a strategy where
IBM becomes an OS/2 application developer themselves.  Like MicroSoft, they
could market their own suite of applications for OS/2.  I'm not talking about
those big corporate baloney applications like Communications Manager and DB2/2
(these are great applications, but they don't have a wide consumer appeal).

Microsoft makes bundles on Windows 3.1 apps.  And we know what their strategy
is for Windows 95.  They plan to make Windows 95 the heir to their current Cash
Cow, Windows 3.1.  For IBM, OS/2 doesn't occupy that high altar.  And
stockholders have a right to ask for OS/2's retirement if it can't produce a
good revenue stream.

 7.  Be an industry player that understands the industry

IBM has always played a major role in the industry.  They ARE an industry
player.  But I still see a corporation that does not listen to criticism from
the industry and take heed and make changes.  I still see a corporation that
listens to its own sources too much.  There is still too much parochial
planning, modeling, and brain-storming.  This is where IBM got into trouble
during the John Akers days.  He was so well insulated from his employees,
customers and the outside world, that it was difficult for him to get a taste
of what was really happening in the industry.  IBM executives still don't get
out in the trenches with their employees; they sometimes don't even read their
own E-Mail from the Internet and don't hear their own voicemail but get a
condensed version of it from a secretary or administrative assistant.

I don't think that this particular corporate culture aspect of IBM has changed
that much over the past few years.  Even since Lou Gerstner came on board.  The
CEO and higher-up executives are still playing the roles of corporate royalty.
They ignore the obvious about themselves and the industry; and their own
employees and customers, who are their best sources of information (with good
intentions in writing E-Mail with suggestions and ideas that get no audience).

 8.  Forget the Consent Decree

Back in the 50's and 60's IBM agreed to stop certain predatory marketing
practices.  They were big then, had a major, major piece of the data processing
industry.  This agreement was forced upon them by the US Justice Department.
After that, IBM became a player in the industry like a boxer with one arm tied
behind his back.  At first, there was no noticeable difference in market share.
In fact, IBM's percentage of the market increased for a time during the 60's as
they had several close-calls with the Justice Department again, and really
became very sensitive to their predicament.

Employees were counseled on how to act, what to say, when to shut up and, in
general, sensitized to "correct business practices" much like you'd see a dog
conditioned to stay in his yard and not run around the neighborhood.  IBM
walked away from many a fight with vendors, with difficult customers and with
competitors because of this experience with the Consent Decree and subsequent
employee training on the subject.

But those days are over.  Microsoft, the major competitor (at least where OS/2
and desktop issues are concerned) is running rough shod over the marketplace.
And this is at the expense of real technological advances (i.e OS/2).  IBM
needs to get both its hands back on its frontside again, and come out swinging.
There has been some unsuccessful legal maneuvering of late to get the consent
decree annulled.  But IBM can't wait until this happens to become a two-fisted
competitor again.

I'm not proposing that Big Blue return to its predatory practices.  I'm just
suggesting that IBM drop this High Noon way of marketing where John Bob waits
for Billy Bob to draw before he shoots the gun out of his hand.


 9.  Stop waiting for Microsoft to make a move before you do

Speaking of waiting for Billy Bob, it's amazing how IBM seems to wait for
MicroSoft to make a move before doing something themselves.  During the entire
year of 1994, IBM had a golden opportunity to make OS/2 the platform of choice
by investing time, money, material in OS/2 and OS/2 application development.
Everyone knew how important true 32-bit applications were to the future of
OS/2.  Microsoft continued to miss dates, make excuses, and then produced a
buggy Windows 95 that could sort-of multitask in late 1995.

Almost the day Win 95 was delivered MicroSoft declared itself the victor and
IBM who'd produced a real tractor-pulling, industrial-strength version of OS/2
called OS/2 Warp Connect, declared itself the loser ("we're not going to fight
the last war for the desktop").

It's frustrating and almost like being a Cub Fan to be an OS/2er these days.
Those of you who are Cub Fans will sympathize, I am sure.

10.  Don't take the OS/2 GrassRoots movement for granted.

Probably the best source of technical information about OS/2 comes from the
net, where OS/2's GrassRoots Movement is thriving (partly because of the
excellent Internet interface that OS/2 Warp presents to us).  The Team OS/2
organization is a good example of how popular OS/2 has become to the PC user community.

I honestly don't know how IBM feels about the GrassRoots.  I get mixed signals
from them.  But they shouldn't make the mistake that the GrassRoots is a bunch
of wild-eyed nerds wearing pocket-protectors.  Doctors, lawyers, retail clerks,
car wash attendants and a multitude of corporate users all claim membership in
the Team OS/2 community.

And if IBM needs evidence that OS/2 is alive and well and that the previous 9
items I have delineated here are worth implementing, all they need do is
contact one of the 10,000+ names on the Team OS/2 list and ask.  OS/2 is
everywhere. It's just not being supported properly by its vendor.


11. Change the vendor

Perhaps, in the final analysis, when all is said and done, we'll look back on
this period and see that the one thing that IBM could have done to make OS/2
Warp successful in the marketplace is to have replaced itself as the vendor.
I'm not suggesting that they turn it over to Lotus either.  Heavens NO!  I am
suggesting that the job be done by a company that really has some skin in the
game like a consortium of OS/2 software developers.  Maybe some companies like
Secant Technologies, Cawthon Software and Norloff Computer Associates would be
able to form an alliance and go after the OS/2 operating system market.  Or
maybe David Barnes and Tim Sipples could quit IBM, win the lottery and buy OS/2
from IBM.  Now wouldn't that be a dream to wake up from?

Seriously, though, I'd really like to see IBM continue to market OS/2.  I
believe Big Blue has the industry's welfare in the


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3.  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online



Probably OS/2's most puzzling aspect can be stated in just two words: Team
OS/2.  This phenomenon can only be described as unique in the annals of
computer software. Team OS/2er's number in the thousands and while there have
been a number of persons who can be identified with its success, probably the
one person today who, day after day, keeps those home fires burning for those
of us who call ourselves Team OS/2'ers is Janet Gobeille.  We caught up with
her recently for our Someone You Should Know feature in this issue of the
GrassRoots Gazette.

GrG: Janet, at long last - we get to feature you in our Gazette.

JG: Hmm... good luck making something out of all this.

GrG: That won't be difficult.  We want everyone to know more about you and Team
OS/2.  For starters - what's the official definition of Team OS/2 - I mean,
really.  How would you describe it?

JG: That's a good question.  The best description I've ever come up with is
that it consists of OS/2 enthusiasts worldwide who enjoy helping others learn
about OS/2 and help them get started.  But as far as the 'group': it's not a
user group, it's probably closer to a fan club.

GrG: What's the official count now on membership?

JG: How many members?  Tonight, the database shows 10,213.  Last year on the
first day of Fall Comdex, we hit 5,002.  So that means that Team OS/2 doubled
this year.

GrG: Wow! Take us back a few years.  How did Team OS/2 get started?

JG: Actually it got started inside IBM by Dave Whittle who, on our internal
conferencing system gave it its name.  Many of us found this operating system
during the version 2.0 beta, and wanted to help it to be a success.  Dave was a
motivater, and encouraged people to do something, not just talk about it.  I
was working in mainframe systems at the time, but helped to promote OS/2 during
my off hours. I once received a note from somebody in my building saying that
he was reading our forums, and wanted to help.  He didn't know anything about
OS/2, but he thought we were having more fun than anybody.  How true!  So if he
could help carry equipment, he would!  Isn't that great?

GrG: Yes, you see that attitude out at the business shows.  It's absolutely
amazing.  Can you tell our readers what the membership requirements are?

JG:  If you WANT to be in Team OS/2, and feel that you enjoy promoting OS/2 and
helping others, you qualify.  This is something that's developed over the past
couple years, and is generally accepted by Teamers as a 'criteria'.  IBM
doesn't own or control Team OS/2,  so we don't set requirements.  All I do is
keep a database of members as a service to Teamers, so if someone says he wants
to join, I get the info and add them.

GrG: Have you ever seen anything like this anywhere else?

JG:  Well, I guess I'd say that this isn't unlike those Amiga users or other
users of the "underdog but better quality" systems who become fiercely loyal.
Actually, now there IS a 'ClubWin' that Microsoft  started.  They decide who is
a member and last I've heard, they capped the membership at 250 members.  Not
quite an open group.  And they apparently have private conferences to discuss
'business'.  With Team OS/2, echos and conferences are open to all. In fact,
Microsoft managers have been known to post on the Fidonet TEAMOS2 echo so
Microsoft is obviously keeping an eye on it.  And  planning and discussions on
where Team OS/2 is going and what involvement IBM should or should not have is
held quite publicly.

GrG: What's it like being a spokesperson for this "fiercely loyal" group.  Any
interesting stories?

JG: Interesting stories?  Let me think... one might be the person who sent in a
note asking to be put on the Team OS/2 list.  He said his wife told him he
qualified after... they had a special anniversary dinner planned, nice night...
and he got a new Beta CD of OS/2.  She ate alone, he installed OS/2.

GrG: The cad! (we feigned shock on this one).

JG: At Atlanta this year (Comdex Spring), we started getting support calls on
our 'Comdex Hotline' (intended for exhibitors only) from people who won a copy
of OS/2 Warp at the IBM booth. By accident, our hot line number was being given
to them, and they started calling.  One afternoon, Kevin Royalty, a teamer from
Ohio who comes down to work at each Spring Comdex, picked up a call from a
person who needed help.  He and one other ended up taking the subway to the
suburbs and went out to help that person and one other while they were there.
Now THAT's above and beyond!

This year, there is a group of volunteers from Vancouver who are driving down
to come to Las Vegas.  When they heard I could use some help setting up on
Saturday, they offered to take an extra day off and come to Comdex early.
Again, amazing.

GrG: What's IBM doing these days for Team OS/2 trinkets and giveaways at
business shows.

JG: Actually, my 'trinkets' are small and not fancy.  I scrounge a lot so I can
get the most for my budget.  Actually I could probably ask for more money from
IBM, but even if I did, I'd  still squeeze every penny so we would get more for
the money.

GrG:  Okay, now... How about Janet?  What's it like to walk in your shoes for a day?

JG: Me? Gad!  Well, Austin is HOT!  No, it's actually a very nice place.  A
little batty.  It's famous for being the home of the millions of migrating bats
that live in one of our bridges downtown.  We take visitors bat-watching.  And
there's also the best BBQ that I've ever tasted in my life!

GrG: How about IBM - what kinds of things do you find yourself involved in
these days?

JG: My job is totally to support Team OS/2.  Actually I miss DOING things a
little.  I got started in Team OS/2 when I worked in Maryland and started using
and liking OS/2.  I started visiting local stores, showing them what OS/2
looked like, and enjoyed answering questions.  One store manager asked me for
my address so he could send my manager a thank you letter for my help, and was
shocked when I asked him not to since my manager had no idea that I was doing
this.  I had told him before that I was doing this on my own, just  to help,
but I guess he hadn't believed me.  When IBM decided to actually create a job
to figure out what they could do to support all these OS/2 enthusiasts, I
applied and moved to New York to decide what IBM should and could do, and what
we should NOT do. What fun!  I really believe I have the best job in IBM.

Then 6 months after I moved to New York, IBM moved PSP marketing down to Austin
and I came here.

Team OS/2 used to be my hobby. It still is in a way... I participate a lot on
online conferences mostly on my own time because I enjoy the people there.
People are often surprised to learn that I knit (and she knits well to which
several we know have attested).  I  guess that's too domestic for a computer
nerd.  But I do try to get away for a vacation once in a while that has NOTHING
to do with a computer. Sometimes it even works.

GrG: It sounds like you really do have a fun job.  And we suspected that from
our conversations with you in the past.  It comes out in your voice.  Do you
get home much?

JG: My family is all in southern California.  I'm single, so I go back there
for Christmas every year.  But one thing I've found about my job, I meet people
all over.  So we normally plan one Team OS/2 meeting in Orange County during
the week between Christmas and New Years while I'm out there visiting
relatives.  And I try to attend the SD OS/2 user group meeting if my timing  is
right.  We're planning another this year.

GrG: You said you do try to get away on a real vacation - does that happen, really?

JG: I took off for a real vacation to Australia a couple years ago in January
1994 and didn't even take a PC. But my last week there, I ended up having pizza
with a group of Teamers in Sydney.  I thoroughly enjoyed meeting some of the
people I had only met electronically.  And last week, 3 Australians, including
one from the pizza dinner, were my house guests while they were here in Austin.

I don't travel much for my job.  I can decide where the money is spent, and I'd
rather put it into tshirts or such than spend it on a boondoggle. It costs a
BUNDLE to send shirts overseas.  However, when I CAN justify it, such as going
to Comdex Canada in Toronto to work with a great group of Teamers there, I
enjoy it immensely. I have to admit that I'd like to travel more and meet more
of the Teamers around the world, but for now, I talk to them electronically.

GrG:  We've heard that.  And we heard a rumor that you actually run a BBS.

JG: Yes, I run a BBS from my home.  I started it by accident -- I simply wanted
to be able to get Fidonet and Internet conferences easily, so I planned to put
up a private BBS.  But my phone number was published, and I started getting
callers.  What fun!  I loved getting a note from time to time that someone had
a problem, but found their answer on my board.  I'm now an OS2net node and the
Texas hub for ibmNET as well, although I don't have as much time as I need to
keep up this job.  And as my own contribution to Team OS/2, I also pull in the
German language Team OS/2 Germany fidonet echo directly from Berlin so that
German-speaking Teamers in the USA can participate. And yes, this IS my own
BBS. It's not IBM equipment, or using IBM-paid phone lines, etc. And when I
have a problem with the BBS, I know the SysOp.

The person who got me into BBS's was Pete Norloff. I used to live in Virginia,
a local phone call from him.  He helped me when I was first learning OS/2,
long before I got this job.  In fact, when I went to my first store to do a
demo, I really wanted a couple 'trinkets' I could give to the store clerk.
Pete gave me a handful of OS/2 pins that he had received at a conference, and I
went in and gave those away.  Fancy, weren't we.

GrG: Well, we're a fan of Pete's, too.  We've had a great deal of help from him
as well on our BBS. But tell us, Janet - before we conclude this, is it REALLY
a lot of fun?  Don't you have ANY regrets AT ALL?  No quirks of yours that
might have gotten you into some trouble?

JG: Nah, none.  Unless you want to count the fact that I will have to live down
the compuserve Canopus gathering last week. NEVER tell someone that you have to
get the rubber husband when you're in the kitchen with guests.  You ALWAYS have
to then IMMEDIATELY explain, to the shocked expression on their faces, that
it's only what you call the little circle of rubber that you use to grip the
lid of a jar.  Well, isn't that what husbands are for? To open jars?

GrG: Well, this is another one we won't touch, either, I guess.

JG: Oh yes, one other thing people usually tease me about, and I'm rather proud
of is my excellent collection of videos and taste in movies.  I like many
things from old Danny Kaye movies to many foreign films.  I even have a copy of
the original The BLOB


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.  ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online

Lou Gerstner, Chairman and CEO of IBM, kicked off the Comdex event in Las Vegas
as opening keynote speaker this year announcing that IBM would take
full-advantage of it's established network presence and expertise in making
itself competitive on the Information Superhighway (that phrase we all think is
silly, but somewhat descriptive of the Internet).  Gerstner used the words
"network centric" in about every paragraph or two to describe the new world of
computing where the network, instead of the mainframe or the data center is the
emphasis point of data retrieval and storage.

In addition, in private meetings with top channel executives at Comdex, IBM
unveiled a sweeping strategic initiative that will see IBM turn over all PC
hardware sales and some manufacturing to the channel while enlisting  resellers
as service partners in every IBM account worldwide.

The move will be implemented fully in 1996, cuts across all IBM geographic
units and service subsidiaries. It fundamentally recasts the company as a
computer services giant rather than a computer  manufacturer.  This tactic
appears to be coming from the Lotus heritage (IBM  acquired Lotus earlier this
year in an industry rattling unfriendly acquisition for $3.5 billion and some
heavy breathing on the part of Bill Gates.  At least, he acknowledged that it
happened and used the words "pathetic and desperate" in describing IBM's
purchase of his arch-competitor.

Lotus has been very successful with this concept of getting the channel speced
up on the support role of its products.  IBM, in the past, has relied on its
own support structure to resolve service issues with customers .  William
McCracken, The IBM PC Co. general manager of worldwide marketing, said top
channel executives formulated the roles for IBM and the channel to play in
offering 31 different service categories to customers.

"What we decided to do is to bring the business partners into the total
equation, not just in PC fulfillment but in services fulfillment as well,"
McCracken said.

While this plan appears to affect the hardware end of the business, recent
moves within IBM to put the marketing of desktop software in the hands of Lotus
appears to be patterned after the same model.  Channel marketing for OS/2 and
other desktop software was recently placed under the Lotus umbrella.  This
appears to include OS/2 as well as DOS products.

Exactly what this means for OS/2 and its future remain up in the air.
Indications are


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. ! ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online


Updated September 14, 1995

OS/2 Warp has many new features, making it the easiest way to connect your PC
to practically any
network.  I've spent some time with OS/2 Warp Connect, as have many of my
colleagues, and I'd like to
share some bits of advice on moving to OS/2 Warp Connect.  This information
will be incorporated into a
future release of the OS/2 Warp Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List.

Q:  What does OS/2 Warp Connect include?

A:  OS/2 Warp Connect includes everything now found in OS/2 Warp plus:

- Multiprotocol Transport Services (MPTS)
- IBM OS/2 Peer Version 1
- IBM OS/2 LAN Requester Version 4
- Novell NetWare requester Version 2.11
- IBM LAN Distance client Version 1.11
- IBM TCP/IP Version 3
- Network SignON Coordinator (client/server)
- First Failure Support Technology/2
- Lotus Notes Express "Plus 2"
- AskPSP

Most of these products (exceptions: Notes Express, AskPSP) are installed using
a single, unified
installation program which is part of the main OS/2 Warp installation routine.
There are also options to
install networking software atop an existing OS/2 Warp installation, to install
only base OS/2 Warp
(without networking software), and to use individual installation programs
provided with each separate
networking component.

Q:  Is OS/2 Warp Connect available on diskettes?

A:  No, OS/2 Warp Connect is available only on CD-ROM.  However, there are at
least two ways to install
OS/2 Warp Connect on a PC without a CD-ROM drive.  The first is to create the
diskette version of OS/2
Warp from any CD-ROM-equipped PC.  (Diskette images are provided.)  This method
is not
recommended since it is rather time consuming.  The second method is to install
OS/2 Warp Connect
onto one PC with a CD-ROM drive that is connected to your network.  Then, using
a simple application
provided, you can create a pair of "bootstrap" diskettes and use these
diskettes to "pull" OS/2 Warp
Connect across the network.  In other words, you can remotely install OS/2 Warp
Connect from any PC
on the network from a "code server."

To start remote installation, just double click on the new "OS/2 Warp Connect
Remote Installation"
program object.  Everything is menu-driven and easy-to-use.

Q:  Is OS/2 Warp Connect available with and without Win-OS/2?

A:  Yes.  Both "flavors" are now available, as with base OS/2 Warp.

Q:  If I have OS/2 Warp without Win-OS/2 ("for Windows"), the so-called "red
box," can I install OS/2
Warp Connect with Win-OS/2?

A:  IBM changed OS/2 Warp Connect so that the installation program will warn
you that you are about to
install a "with Win-OS/2" version on top of a "without Win-OS/2" version,
something which is not
recommended.  To force installation in this case, you must delete the
SYSLEVEL.* files in the
\OS2\INSTALL directory before starting.

Q:  What is the price of OS/2 Warp Connect?

A:  The price will vary by dealer, but the non-upgrade price is approximately $
155-170 in the United
States (street price), according to reports on the Internet.

Q:  Are upgrades available?

A:  Yes.  IBM is offering discounted upgrades from base OS/2 Warp and OS/2 2.1x
to OS/2 Warp
Connect.  You save more if you are upgrading from OS/2 Warp.  Street pricing,
according to Internet
reports, ranges from about $89 (upgrade from OS/2 Warp) to about $120 (upgrade
from OS/2 2.1x).  This
discount may take the form of a rebate; some dealers may handle the rebate for you.

Q:  Is IBM TCP/IP Version 3 available separately?

A:  No.  TCP/IP Version 3 is only available with OS/2 Warp Connect.

Q:  What happens to IBM TCP/IP Version 2?

A:  It will continue to be sold and serviced as long as demand warrants.

Q:  Is NFS or X Window Server (PMX) included with OS/2 Warp Connect?

A:  No, but...

Q:  Will the add-on kits (like NFS and X Window Server/PMX) for IBM TCP/IP
Version 2 work with OS/2
Warp Connect's TCP/IP Version 3?

A:  Yes, although IBM recommends you install the latest Service Paks for these
add-on kits.  Future
updates to these add-on kits will be tested and certified for OS/2 Warp
Connect.  Also, according to
reports on the Internet, pricing on these kits has fallen recently at many
dealers, so the add-on kits are
more affordable.

Q:  Can IBM TCP/IP Version 3 maintain a dial-up Internet connection and a
network card connection at
the same time?

A:  Yes!

Q:  Does IBM TCP/IP Version 3 include ftp and telnet server software?

A:  Yes.  In fact, OS/2 Warp Connect is an excellent foundation for other
TCP/IP software, such as the
freely available World Wide Web server software.

Q:  Does IBM TCP/IP Version 3 include updates to the Internet Connection
software (such as Web
Explorer Version 1.01 and Ultimail Version 2.1.1)?

A:  Yes.

Q:  What else does IBM TCP/IP Version 3 include?

A:  Quite a lot is new, including integrated REXX FTP and REXXSock
capabilities, a revamped
configuration notebook, and faster transports.

Q:  My shareware IRC/2 and NCFTP programs no longer work with OS/2 Warp
Connect's TCP/IP when I
am dialed into my Internet provider.  How can I fix this?

A:  You need an updated AFINET.SYS file.  The update is available from
technical support services.

This new AFINET.SYS file also fixes certain SENDMAIL problems over a dial-up
Internet connection.  It
will be incorporated into a future OS/2 Warp Connect FixPak.

Q:  Can I use OS/2 Warp Connect as a router, say, for TCP/IP?

A:  Yes.

Q:  What is IBM LAN Distance?

A:  LAN Distance provides the ability to use any network protocol over a
dial-up or other asynchronous
connection (like a modem).  This connection is secure (featuring login
encryption and password
protection, if desired).  The client software is used to connect to the IBM LAN
Distance Connection Server
(usually running on a PC back in the office).  The Connection Server is an OS/2
application and is
available in 8-port and unlimited port versions.

Q:  Do I need the IBM LAN Distance Connection Server to use the LAN Distance client?

A:  No.  First, the IBM LAN Distance client includes a "shuttle" feature which
automatically reconfigures
your PC (such as a notebook computer) for either in-office (network card
attached) or out-of-office
(modem attached) operation.  Even if you don't use LAN Distance, you can still
use its shuttle feature.
Also, if you are using OS/2 Peer, you can establish a single connection to
another OS/2 Warp Connect
system running the IBM LAN Distance client to communicate between them, single
PC to single PC.

Q:  What is the LAN Distance shuttle feature, and how do I activate it?

A:  The shuttle feature in LAN Distance allows you to quickly switch between
LAN-attached (with network
adapter drivers in CONFIG.SYS, for example) and modem-attached (where you can
dial into your office
network using LAN Distance or not dial in at all).  The shuttle feature is
particularly useful for notebook
computers, for example, which are carried in and out of the office.  When
you're on the road, you don't
want the network adapter drivers to load.

To activate the LAN Distance shuttle feature, simply install LAN Distance and
run LDSHUTTL.EXE.  You
can set up a program object on your desktop to run the LAN Distance Shuttle
more easily.

Q:  Do I need a network card to use OS/2 Warp Connect?

A:  No, not at all.  First of all, you can install base OS/2 Warp (without any
networking software) from the
OS/2 Warp Connect CD (either locally or remotely, over the network) if you
wish.  You can also use LAN
Distance to dial back into your office for a network connection.  Moreover,
there is an IBM Parallel Port
driver which, when used with a LinkRight/LinkWiz/LapLink-style cable, can be
used in place of a network
card.  This parallel port connection can be used to link two PCs.  (It may also
be possible to "daisy chain"
network connections, using a desktop PC with a network card and a parallel
port, for example, to provide
network access to another system without a network card.)  Consult the file
\IBMCOM\MACS\PRNANDIS.TXT for more information on the IBM Parallel Port driver;
this file is installed
when you install OS/2 Warp Connect.

Q:  Does the networking software require space on my main OS/2 Warp drive?

A:  Some.  The OS/2 Warp Connect installation program and core networking
components expect to be
on the same drive as OS/2 Warp itself, but the bulk of OS/2 Warp Connect's
networking software can be
placed on other drives.

Q:  Are there any special tips for installation?

A:  Not really.  Installation is quite easy.  More device drivers have been
provided, the latest fixes have
been applied -- in short, it has never been easier to install and configure a
fully networked PC.

For example, a new device driver, DETNE2.SYS, is included in OS/2 Warp Connect
to detect the clone
NE2000 network cards which can cause problems in previous OS/2 Warp releases.
Also, OS/2 Warp
Connect will attempt to autodetect your network card (to the extent possible).
You may still wish to
confirm, using the settings options provided, that OS/2 Warp is configuring
your network card for the
correct interrupt, addresses, etc.

Make sure you have sufficient disk space on your system prior to installating
OS/2 Warp Connect.  If you
do not have enough space, you will be given the opportunity to exit the
installation program to correct the
problem.

In the new, unified network configuration notebook, note that there are
multiple pages for some of the
notebook tabs.  Please be sure to fill out the correct information on all
pages.  You will not be allowed to
proceed if you miss a vital setting.  (This unified notebook appears during the
Advanced Installation.)

After you install, you may see two or even three icons on your desktop labeled
"MPTS."  MPTS is
important, but you can safely drag any duplicates to the shredder.

If you ever wish to reinstall all or part of the networking software included
with OS/2 Warp Connect, make
sure you run the uninstall utilities provided for each component.  Doing so
will free up disk space.

Q:  I can't get OS/2 Warp Connect working with my NE2000 compatible network
card.  How can I fix it?

A:  OS/2 Warp Connect includes a driver for the Eagle NE2000plus network
adapter, which is the most
popular NE2000 adapter.  Unfortunately many NE2000 adapters are not quite
compatible with the Eagle.

A "generic" NE2000 driver package has been created and is available for
retrieval from the Internet via
anonymous ftp from ftp-os2.nmsu.edu.  Look for filename ne2000wc.zip, most
likely located in the
/os2/drivers directory.  Instructions are included.

Q:  Is 3270 or 5250 terminal emulation included with OS/2 Warp Connect?

A:  Only for TCP/IP connections to a mainframe or midrange system.  For SNA
connections you may
wish to add one of the following products:

-  IBM Personal Communications 3270 for OS/2
-  IBM Personal Communications AS/400 for OS/2
-  IBM Personal Communications 3270 and AS/400 for OS/2
-  IBM Communications Manager for OS/2
-  Third party products (such as Rumba for OS/2 or Attachmate for OS/2)
-  "Attach Pak" planned as an OS/2 Warp Connect add-on later this year

You need not install NTS/2, LAPS, MPTS, or any other network transport software
when you install these
products.  The SNA/802.2 protocol is provided with OS/2 Warp Connect.

Q:  Will OS/2 Peer connect to other systems?

A:  OS/2 Peer will connect to any of the following systems:

- Other OS/2 Peers (OS/2 Warp Connect)
- IBM LAN Server Version 4
- IBM LAN Server (previous releases)
- IBM LAN Server for AIX
- IBM LAN Server for AS/400
- IBM LAN Server for VM
- IBM LAN Server for MVS
- IBM PC LAN Program
- Artisoft's LANtastic for OS/2 (*)
- Artisoft's LANtastic for DOS or Windows (*)
- Artisoft's LANtastic for Macintosh (*)
- Microsoft LAN Manager
- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups
- Microsoft Windows NT
- PowerLAN
- SAMBA (Unix/Linux)
- Any other SMB-based networking software

(*) Providing server only to LANtastic clients in SMB mode, at least with
LANtastic Version 1 for OS/2.

Q:  If OS/2 Peer can connect to IBM LAN Server Version 4, why would I install
the OS/2 LAN Requester
in OS/2 Warp Connect?

A:  OS/2 Peer is a superset of the IBM OS/2 LAN Requester, with one exception:
to manage IBM LAN
Server resources graphically, you must use the OS/2 LAN Requester rather than
OS/2 Peer.  (OS/2 Peer
can administer LAN Server user IDs and groups through User Profile Management.
Command line and
REXX API administration facilities for resources are still available.)  Also,
OS/2 Peer requires slightly
more memory than the OS/2 LAN Requester.

Q:  Can I install both OS/2 Peer and LAN Requester on the same PC?

A:  Yes, although this procedure has not been extensively tested and is
recommended only if you
absolutely need the graphical LAN Server Administration capability.  Here are
the steps you must follow
(courtesy Mark Neumann, IBM Personal Software):

1.  Install OS/2 Warp Connect with LAN Requester first.
2.  Make a copy of the IBM LAN Services folder and rename it to Temp LAN Services.
3.  Copy the contents of the directories \IBMLAN\NETPROG and \IBMLAN\NETLIB to
\TEMPLAN\NETPROG and \TEMPLAN\NETLIB, respectively.
4.  Install OS/2 Peer on top of LAN Requester (using the PRODINST program
included with OS/2 Warp
Connect).
5.  Copy the files in \TEMPLAN\NETPROG to \IBMLAN\NETPROG.  You can use the
Drives object in
your OS/2 System folder.  Find and open the \TEMPLAN\NETPROG folder, select all
files in the folder,
and copy them to \IBMLAN\NETPROG.  Do NOT replace any duplicate files in
\IBMLAN\NETPROG (click
on Cancel when prompted).  You should only copy those files in \TEMPLAN\NETPROG
which are not
already in \IBMLAN\NETPROG.
6.  Repeat Step 5 for the \TEMPLAN\NETLIB and \IBMLAN\NETLIB directories.
7.  Rename the Temp LAN Services folder back to IBM LAN Services.
8.  Restart your OS/2 Warp PC for changes to take effect.

Q:  What devices on my PC can I allow access to over the network with OS/2 Peer?

A:  Other OS/2 Peer users can access directories (folders), drives (including
diskette drives, CD-ROM
drives, optical drives, etc.), printers (the actual print queue), and ports
(both parallel and serial).
Non-OS/2 Peer users (such as LANtastic clients) can access printers, drives,
and directories only.

The ability to share CD-ROM drives and COM ports (modems, for example) over the
network is rare or
even unique to OS/2 Peer.

Q:  Tell me more about COM port sharing...

A:  Sure.  Suppose you have a high speed modem attached to one OS/2 Warp
Connect PC.  You can
share out that fancy V.34 modem to other PCs running OS/2 Peer so that they can
use standard
communications software (not necessarily network-aware communications software)
to dial-out with that
modem and communicate with other systems.  Some communications software (such
as HyperAccess/5
for OS/2) can open the COM port in "shared mode," which means that you can have
other
communications software monitoring and displaying the traffic being passed
to/from that COM port, even
from somewhere else on the network!

IBM LAN Server 4 also supports this feature with OS/2 Warp clients.

The NET COMM and NET USE commands facilitate modem sharing (by allowing you to
assign the
network shared COM port to a local "real" COM port, for example COM3).

Q:  Why isn't COM port sharing supported with DOS or Windows clients?

A:  Why do DOS and Windows lack true preemptive multitasking?  Why are DOS and
Windows still
limited to 640K of memory?  Why do DOS and Windows lack Crash Protection?  Why...

Seriously, DOS and Windows do not provide the ability for COM port redirection,
and, if attempted,
redirection would likely be unreliable.

Q:  Is there any limit to the number of client connections OS/2 Peer supports?

A:  There's no intrinsic limit (none reachable, anyway).  You can have as many
users accessing a
resource on your OS/2 Peer PC as you wish, up to the performance limits of your
PC.  You can also limit
the number of simultaneous connections to any resource (quite useful for
limiting the load on your PC or
for enforcing software licensing).

Q:  If I have the Novell NetWare requester in OS/2 Warp Connect loaded, can I
reshare those devices
(such as printers) out to other clients using OS/2 Peer?

A:  Yes.  Resharing works for TCP/IP resources as well (such as printers).

Q:  Why should I buy IBM LAN Server 4?  Why not use OS/2 Peer for everything?

A:  For smaller sized networks (typically 10 or fewer PCs), or for a
decentralized campus environment
(such as a university), OS/2 Warp Connect's OS/2 Peer is ideal.  However, IBM
LAN Server 4 has
several advantages when your network begins to grow.  LAN Server 4 resources
can be centrally
managed, and security is implemented through the domain controller concept.
(OS/2 Peer cannot be a
domain controller, but it does not require a domain controller to establish
connections with other peers.)
Also, LAN Server 4 will outperform OS/2 Peer as your network grows (especially
LAN Server 4
Advanced).

IBM LAN Server 4 also has a unique feature for OS/2 Warp clients called the
Network Applications folder.
Without touching (electronically, humanly, or otherwise) any OS/2 Warp clients,
a network administrator
can create icons for applications stored on the server.  These icons
automatically appear in the Network
Applications folder when an OS/2 Warp user logs in, complete with any special
settings required.  This
feature makes deploying a new network application much easier.

As a rule of thumb, OS/2 Peer works well with networks of 10 or fewer PCs.
Beyond 8 PCs, start
considering IBM LAN Server 4 Entry.  Beyond about 40 PCs, start considering IBM
LAN Server 4
Advanced.  There's significant overlap in these rules of thumb, depending on
what you need out of your
network.  There are no hard and fast rules.

Q:  Can I manage OS/2 Peer from somewhere else on the network?

A:  For user IDs, groups, and passwords (User Profile Management), yes, you
can.  However, without
some remote control software (such as IBM's DCAF, KopyKat, Poly/PM, etc.) you
cannot manage OS/2
Peer shared resources remotely using the graphical application, "Sharing and
Connecting."  You can,
however, use the command NET ADMIN (from the command line) to remotely
administer OS/2 Peer
shared resources.

Q:  Other people on my network are using Windows for Workgroups or Windows NT.
How do I browse
the "workgroups" or "domains" these people use?

A:  You can define up to four domains (or workgroups) which can be browsed by
using a command such
as:

  NET CONFIG REQ /OTH:dom1,dom2,dom3,dom4

where dom1, dom2, dom3, and dom4 are the names of the four domains.  However,
you must know the
names of these domains in advance.  (This answer courtesy Charlie Brown, IBM Austin.)

Q:  Are there any "gee whiz" features in OS/2 Peer?

A:  You bet.  To amaze and impress your friends, try the following:

- With two OS/2 Peer PCs, try "crossplaying" of multimedia files.  One OS/2
Peer delivers audio or video
to the other (and vice versa) for playback at the same time (using shared
drives or directories).  See how
far you can push your PCs.

- Set up an OS/2 Peer server on the Internet!  OS/2 Peer can work with NetBIOS
over TCP/IP, so you
can share out a drive or directory (read-only access recommended!) to other
OS/2 Peer users on the
Internet.  Use the MPTS program to set up.

- Drag and drop printers and folders (directories) to create a new shared
resource using the Sharing and
Connecting application.

- OS/2 Peer has auditing/logging and REXX interface capabilities.  You can
monitor access to your OS/2
Peer resources, and you can write REXX scripts to automate routine tasks.

- Use the new Network Clipboard/DDE program to cut/paste across the network
(or, if using NetBIOS
over TCP/IP, even the Internet).  Network Messaging can be used to send alerts
(such as, "I'm turning off
my PC now") and other messages to other users across the network.

Q:  What exactly is the Lotus Notes Express "Plus 2"?

A:  Regular Lotus Notes Express includes only five application templates.  The
Lotus Notes Express
software includes two extra application templates as a bonus.  Lotus considers
OS/2 Warp Connect as a
full Lotus Notes Express client so, if you ever need to upgrade to the standard
Lotus Notes client software
for OS/2 Warp, you can do so for an upgrade price (not full price).

Note that the capabilities of a Lotus Notes client are determined at the
server.  You need not reinstall your
Lotus Notes software if you upgrade to the full client capabilities -- Lotus
Notes Express "Plus 2" provided
with OS/2 Warp Connect is the full software with a license for Express "Plus 2" function.

Q:  I've installed Lotus Notes, provided with OS/2 Warp Connect, but it doesn't
want to start when I
double click on the icon.  What should I do?

A:  Try running $LNOTES.EXE directly (instead of through NOTES.EXE).  You can
change the settings of
the Lotus Notes program object to run this executable file instead.

Q:  What is AskPSP?

A:  AskPSP is a technical support database shipped on CD-ROM, based on IBM's
own technical support
services.  It includes answers to frequently (and less than frequently) asked
OS/2 Warp questions.  A
friendly front-end application, an expert system tool which accepts plain
English questions, facilitates
access to this support database.

Q:  What is First Failure Support Technology/2?

A:  FFST/2 is software which allows network administrators (mainly at large
corporate sites) to monitor
and respond to errors which occur on OS/2 Warp PCs, over the network.

Q:  What is Network SignON Coordinator?

A:  NSC is software which allows single sign-on to a variety of systems on your network.

Q:  When I use the Remote Installation program in OS/2 Warp Connect, to install
OS/2 Warp Connect
across a network, only one PC can "pull" the code at a time.  Can I raise this limit?

A:  Yes.  By default, only one remote PC can install OS/2 Warp Connect from the
PC where the Remote
Installation program is running.  This limit is enforced to avoid network
congestion and "thrashing" of the
CD-ROM (where OS/2 Warp Connect code is usually obtained).  However, you can
increase this limit by
editing the \GRPWARE\CLIENTS\GRPWARE.INI file so that

MAXCLIENTS=1

is changed to the number of simultaneous connections allowed, for example

MAXCLIENTS=5

Other changes are recommended as well (see the next question).

Q:  Is there a way to start the Remote Install "code server" without having to
answer all those questions
every time?  I just want the code server to be running whenever I start up my
OS/2 Warp Connect PC.

A:  Yes.  However, if you are using your OS/2 Warp Connect system for other
things while other PCs on
the network are trying to install OS/2 Warp Connect from your PC, you must make
some other changes
as well to increase the tolerance of NetBIOS to retries.

To start the Remote Install server by itself, without answering any questions
about building diskettes, use
the following commands (in a .CMD batch file):

C:
CD \GRPWARE\CLIENTS
START E:\CID\SRVIFS\SERVICE /INI=GRPWARE.INI

where E: is the CD-ROM drive containing the OS/2 Warp Connect CD and C: is the
drive containing the
OS/2 Warp Connect installation program (and the \GRPWARE directory).  Change
these drive letters in
the above example if necessary.

If you do any multitasking whatsoever, you should also make the following
changes to two files,
PROTOCOL.INI and IBMLAN.INI.  PROTOCOL.INI is located in the \IBMCOM directory
( or in the root
directory of Remote Installation Diskette 1 created for the target system,
where you must also make these
changes) and IBMLAN.INI is located in \IBMLAN.

PROTOCOL.INI:

In the [netbeui_nif] section of the file:
  ADAPTRATE=0
  TI=60000
  T1=10000
  T2=2000
  NETBIOSTIMEOUT=2000

IBMLAN.INI:

  SESSTIMEOUT=300
and in the peer section of the file:
  SRVHEURISTICS (bit 15 set to 8)

These changes and/or additions are quite similar to those recommended in the
\IBMCOM\MACS\PRNANDIS.TXT file.

Remember, you must make these additions to the PROTOCOL.INI file on Diskette 1
for each set of
Remote Install diskettes you create.

IBM recommends NetView/DM for OS/2 for "heavy duty" software distribution, but
these methods may be
sufficient, depending on your needs.

Q:  What protocols can I use for OS/2 Warp Connect Remote Installation?

A:  The simplified Remote Installation program bundled with OS/2 Warp Connect
is designed to use
NetBIOS connections only.  It is possible to install OS/2 Warp Connect over the
network using other
protocols with add-on software (such as IBM's NetView/DM for OS/2).

Q:  Can I copy some files from the OS/2 Warp Connect CD to my hard disk to
speed up Remote
Installation?

A:  Yes.  You will need enough disk space, certainly, to store OS/2 Warp
Connect components required
by Remote Install.  You will need to edit GRPWARE.INI and LANSTART.INI files to
redirect to the hard
disk.

Q:  The Remote Installation diskettes I build for a ThinkPad 701 with IBM
PCMCIA Token Ring don't
seem to work right.  What should I do?

A:  Modify the PROTOCOL.INI file on Diskette 1 so that the following changes
are made:

MMIO=0xD400
RAM=0xD800

and that semicolons are removed in front of each of these parameters.  You can
also use the Settings
button to make these changes at the time you create the two Remote Installation diskettes.

Q:  If I use Remote Installation, how do I add additional networking software
later that I didn't install the
first time?

A:  Activate the Remote Installation server and start your PC from the Remote
Installation diskettes.
Follow the instructions until you see a menu asking if you wish to install all
of OS/2 Warp Connect or just
Networking.  Select Networking only, and proceed as directed.  (See below for a
second method.)

Q:  How do I install the OS/2 Warp BonusPak, AskPSP, and Lotus Notes client
software using Remote
Installation?

A:  The built-in Remote Installation software is simplified and designed to get
base OS/2 Warp Connect
networking function installed quickly and easily.

If you provide access to the AskPSP and Lotus Notes CD-ROMs somewhere on your
network, they can
be installed across the network (using OS/2 Peer logins, for example).  AskPSP
can be installed using
the INSTASKP.EXE program (located in the AskPSP directory).  Lotus Notes can be
installed using the
INSTPM.EXE program.

The BonusPak expects to be installed from a particular drive (such as a CD-ROM)
which has a drive
letter assigned to it.  Still, you can install the BonusPak across the network.
Assume, for example, that all
the BonusPak files have been copied to a directory on an OS/2 Peer system
called SMITH, and that the
directory containing the BonusPak has been given a resource name of BONUSPAK.
The resource
BONUSPAK has been defined as read-only to every user on the network.  (In fact,
this resource can be
the BonusPak CD-ROM.)  The following OS/2 batch file will allow you to install
the BonusPak across the
network, assuming you are logged on the network.

  @echo off
  echo Installing BonusPak...
  NET USE Y: /DELETE
  NET USE Y: \\SMITH\BONUSPAK
  Y:
  CD \US
  CALL INSTALL.CMD
  C:
  NET USE Y: /DELETE

In other words, by using the NET USE command to assign drive letter Y: to the
network directory
\\SMITH\BONUSPAK, the OS/2 Warp BonusPak will install correctly.  Note that you
should not install the
Internet Connection from the BonusPak on top of OS/2 Warp Connect.  TCP/IP
Version 3, part of the
main installation, should be used instead.

Q:  I've used Remote Install to install OS/2 Warp Connect.  Now I want to add a
printer or some other
feature.  How do I tell Selective Install to retrieve code across the network?

A:  The answer to this question is similar to the last, namely that you can
place the OS/2 Warp Connect
CD-ROM (or a copy of it) somewhere on your network as a shared resource.  Using
the NET USE
command, you can assign a drive letter to this shared resource.  An OS/2 batch
(.CMD) file can automate
the process, and it would look something like this:

  @echo off
  echo Starting Selective Install...
  NET USE Y: /DELETE
  NET USE Y: \\SMITH\CD-ROM
  INSTALL
  NET USE Y: /DELETE

assuming the OS/2 Warp Connect CD-ROM was placed on the machine SMITH and given
a resource
name of CD-ROM, and that a proper logon was in effect.  The source directory
for Selective Install
becomes Y:\OS2IMAGE (or possibly \\SMITH\CD-ROM\OS2IMAGE if you wish to use
Universal Naming
Convention).  Similar methods would be used for Novell NetWare servers.

Q:  Is it possible to have some sort of custom routine (such as installing
applications) run automatically at
the end of OS/2 Warp Connect's Remote Installation?

A:  Yes indeed.  First, create a file called USER.CMD with the OS/2 batch
commands (or REXX program)
you wish to run at the conclusion of OS/2 Warp Connect's installation.  Then
copy this file to the
\GRPWARE\CLIENTS\LADCLT directory on the OS/2 Warp Connect "code server."  On
the second
diskette (Diskette 1) created for remote installation, modify CONFIG.SYS and
add the following line
(assuming Drive W as the source):

CALL=\OS2\CMD.EXE /Q /C DETACH COPY W:\USER.CMD \GRPWARE\CLIENTS\LADCLT > NUL

When the second phase of OS/2 Warp Connect installation starts, the USER.CMD
file should be copied
correctly to the remote (target) PC's hard disk.  At the end of installation,
USER.CMD will be run.  One of
the tasks USER.CMD should probably perform is to remove the above line from the
PC's CONFIG.SYS,
to prevent any error messages at bootup.

In any event, any file by the name of USER.CMD in the \GRPWARE\CLIENTS\LADCLT
directory on the
target PC will be run at the conclusion of OS/2 Warp Connect installation.  You
can use any method you
wish to move USER.CMD to this directory.  (This answer courtesy Matt Hickmann, Chevron.)

Q:  Do I have to reinstall the base OS/2 Warp when upgrading to OS/2 Warp
Connect, or should I just
install the networking software?

A:  IBM recommends that you reinstall the base operating system at the same
time you install OS/2 Warp
Connect's networking components.  The base operating system included with OS/2
Warp Connect
contains the latest fix paks (up until the date it was sent to manufacturing).

Your desktop and other customizations will be preserved.  If you are upgrading
from OS/2 2.1x, be sure
to run the SCHEME program after installation of OS/2 Warp to create the new
Scheme Palette.

Q:  Should I install the Internet Connection from the BonusPak on OS/2 Warp Connect?

A:  Unless you are NOT installing any networking software, no, you should not
install the Internet
Connection from the BonusPak on OS/2 Warp Connect.  Installing TCP/IP Version 3
(part of the
networking software included with OS/2 Warp Connect) gives you all the function
(and more) of the
dial-up Internet Connection (including dial-up capabilities).

All other BonusPak applications may be safely installed on top of OS/2 Warp
Connect regardless of
configuration.  However, Person to Person may require additional NetBIOS
resources when installed
alongside OS/2 Peer, and it may require the above mentioned AFINET.SYS file for
TCP/IP connections.

Q:  I get some error messages about LOG.SYS when I boot into OS/2 Warp Connect.
What can I do?

A:  Use OS/2 Warp's Selective Install program to install Serviceability and
Diagnostic Aids (one of the
selections on the second panel).  LOG.SYS (and other key files for FFST/2) are
included with the base
OS/2 Warp software.  Or you can simply REM out these lines if you do not wish
to use FFST/2.

Q:  Are any of the regular OS/2 Warp BonusPak applications enhanced or improved
as a result of OS/2
Warp Connect?

A:  Yes.  The OS/2 Chess application can be used to play chess across a network
(NetBIOS, NetBIOS
over TCP/IP, or NetBIOS over IPX protocols).  Also, IBM's Person to Person can
be used across a
network for workgroup and video conferencing.

Q:  Can I uninstall all or part of OS/2 Warp Connect?

A:  You bet.  Uninstall programs are supplied for each individual networking
component and for OS/2
Warp itself.  In fact, you should use these uninstall programs if for whatever
reason you wish to reinstall
any OS/2 Warp Connect networking component.

Q:  Where can I get additional information on OS/2 Warp Connect?

A:  The printed manuals included with OS/2 Warp Connect include basic
installation, setup, and operation
instructions.  For more detailed instructions, be sure to consult the various
pieces of online documentation
located on the OS/2 Warp Connect CD-ROM.  Also, additional printed publications
are available from IBM
if you need hardcopy.  The IBM part numbers for extra hardcopy manuals are
included in the OS/2 Warp
Connect announcement letter.

One of the best places now to obtain information on OS/2 Warp Connect and other
IBM products is the
Internet.  (The Internet Connection software comes with every copy of OS/2
Warp.)  Using the IBM Web
Explorer, you can access the following URLs (Universal Resource Locators) on
the Internet:

http://www.ibm.com            Main IBM "homepage"
http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo    IBM Personal Software information (incl.
OS/2 Warp)
http://www.teamos2.org          Team OS/2 "homepage" (with links to several
other sites)

IBM's OS/2 Warp Hotline can be reached at (800) 3-IBM-OS2, and the software
order center is at (800)
IBM-CALL.  You can request catalogs, product literature, and other information
from these hotlines.  You
may also wish to use the fax-back service at (800) IBM-4-FAX and the IBM BBS at
[phone].

Locally the Greater Chicago ONLINE!! BBS serves OS/2 Warp users in Chicagoland
and can be reached
at [phone].  Information on OS/2 Warp user groups is available through
this service.

Q:  Are there any samples for CID (Configuration/Installation/Distribution) installation?

A:  Here are some sample files.  For more information on CID installation,
please consult IBM publication
GG24-4295 (OS/2 Installation Techniques: The CID Guide).  You can order IBM
publications by calling
[phone].

The sample files, below, are designed to install OS/2 Warp Connect with MPTS,
NetWare client, and
TCP/IP components from a Novell NetWare server.  They assume Token-Ring.  Use
them as guides for
your own installation environment.

There are two special features of note.  One is that the NetWare client
software is not CID enabled
(cannot ordinarily be installed with a response file, unattended).  NWINST.CM1
is actually a REXX
program which mimics the behavior of Novell's own installation program.  The
second key feature is in
START1.CM1 and uses NetWare's USERLIST command to determine a network adapter's
universally
administered address.  (In an IBM LAN Server environment, these workarounds are
not required.  Every
component is CID enabled for that environment, and the universal address is
determined automatically by
MPTS.)

Here is a directory of the files attached:

NWINST1.CM1       NetWare client "response file"
START1.CM1        Initial startup after NetWare client is installed
MPTS.RSP     Response file for MPTS component
TCPIP.RSP        Response file for TCP/IP component

The following section notes the required changes and/or additions to the
regular OS/2 Warp response file
for installation of the base software.  It assumes network drive O ("Oh") is
the source for installation files.

**************************************************************
*                               *
* UserExit                          *
*                               *
*   Specifies the name of a program that Install will    *
*   DosExec before exiting memory.  Install waits for the  *
*   program to return.  This keyword may occur more than   *
*   once.  Each will be executed in the order that they   *
*   appear at the end of OS/2 Install.            *
*                               *
*   Valid Parms:                       *
*                               *
*    KEYVALUE =user exit program name (DEFAULT=none)    *
*                               *
**************************************************************
UserExit=O:\CMD.EXE /C COPY O:\NWINST.CM1 C:\NWINST.CMD
UserExit=C:\NWINST.CMD
UserExit=O:\CMD.EXE /C COPY O:\START1.CM1 C:\STARTUP.CMD


-- NWINST.CM1 --

/* Licensed materials - Property of IBM */
/* (c) Copyright IBM Corp 1995.  All rights reserved. */
/* Sample Netware Requester Install Command File */
/* Takes three parameters: logname, CIDPath, and TargDrv */

/* First get addressability to the required source directories and */
/* target workstation */

Parse upper arg logname CIDPath TargDrv

msgfile = 'OSCINST.MSG'

if CIDPath = '' then CIDPath = 'O:\CID\'
os2drv = 'c:'
''os2drv
CFG_SYS = os2drv'\CONFIG.SYS'

call RxFuncAdd 'SysLoadFuncs','RexxUtil','SysLoadFuncs'
call SysLoadFuncs

A=0
do until lines(CFG_SYS) = 0
 A = A+1
 CFG_SYS.A = LineIn(CFG_SYS)
 end
call stream CFG_SYS,'C','CLOSE'

/* Scan for Netware indicator in config.sys */
nwpath = ''
do i = 1 to A
  parse upper var CFG_SYS.i kw'='kwval
  if kw='DEVICE' & pos('\LSL.SYS',kwval) > 0 then do   /* Netware found */
   nwpath = strip(left(kwval,pos('\LSL.SYS',kwval)-1)) /* Install here */
   nwdrv = left(nwpath,2)               /* even if different */
                             /* from user select */
   end
end

/* For now do not try to upgrade existing installed NetWare */
if nwpath \= '' then do
  err1.1 = SysGetMessage(209,msgfile)
  err1.2 = ""
  call errout 209
  end

/* Setup NetWare drive and path */
if nwpath = '' then do
/* Netware not installed here */
   if TargDrv = '' then TargDrv = 'C'
   nwdrv = TargDrv
   nwdrv = strip(nwdrv)||':'
   nwpath = nwdrv||'\NETWARE'
   end

/* Save the user's CONFIG.SYS and load the NetWare image on */
/* workstation. */

"copy" CFG_SYS os2drv'\CONFIG.NVL 1>nul 2>nul'
'xcopy 'CIDPath'IMG\NWREQ\NETWARE 'nwpath'\ /s/e/v'

/* Check for NET.CFG file, Don't change an existing one */
net_cfg = SysSearchPath('DPATH','NET.CFG')
if net_cfg = '' then do
 'copy 'CIDPath'IMG\NWREQ\NET.CFG 'os2drv'\NET.CFG 1>nul 2>nul'
 end

/* See if WINOS2 is installed */
winpath = os2drv||'\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2'
wininst = 'NO'
if stream(winpath'\WIN.COM','C','query exists') \= '' then wininst = 'YES'

/* Get the additional NetWare config.sys statements */
b=0
NVL_SYS = CIDPath'IMG\NWREQ\NETWARE.DAT'
do until lines(NVL_SYS) = 0
  B = B+1
  NVL_SYS.B = LineIn(NVL_SYS)
  end
call stream NVL_SYS,'C','CLOSE'

/* Substitute real drives for parameterized drives in NetWare statements */
do i = 1 to b
  if lastpos('&NWPath',NVL_SYS.i) \= 0 then do
   t1 = NVL_SYS.i
   parse var t1 f1'&NWPath'l1
   NVL_SYS.i = f1||nwpath||l1
  end
  else if lastpos('&OS2Drv',NVL_SYS.i) \= 0 then do
   t1 = NVL_SYS.i
   parse var t1 f1'&OS2Drv'l1
   NVL_SYS.i = f1||os2drv||l1
  end
end

/* Modify the CONFIG.SYS file with the NetWare statements */
c=0
VemmFound = 'NO'
BindFound = 'NO'
Do i = 1 to a
  c = c+1
  CFG_SYS.i = strip(CFG_SYS.i,t)
  parse var CFG_SYS.i CFG_Stmt '=' MIDDLE 'OS2\' STMT

  if strip(CFG_Stmt) = 'LIBPATH' then do
   if right(CFG_SYS.i,1) \== ';' then CFG_SYS.i = CFG_SYS.i || ';'
   CFG_SYS.i = CFG_SYS.i ||nwpath';'nwpath'\NLS\ENGLISH;L:\OS2;P:\OS2;'
   end
  if strip(CFG_Stmt) = 'SET PATH' then do
   if right(CFG_SYS.i,1) \== ';' then CFG_SYS.i = CFG_SYS.i || ';'
   CFG_SYS.i = CFG_SYS.i ||nwpath';L:\OS2;P:\OS2;'
   end
  if strip(CFG_Stmt) = 'SET DPATH' then do
   if right(CFG_SYS.i,1) \== ';' then CFG_SYS.i = CFG_SYS.i || ';'
CFG_SYS.i = CFG_SYS.i ||nwpath';'nwpath'\NLS;'nwpath'\NLS\ENGLISH;L:\NLS;P:\NLS'
   end
  if strip(CFG_Stmt) = 'SET HELP' then do
   if right(CFG_SYS.i,1) \== ';' then CFG_SYS.i = CFG_SYS.i || ';'
   CFG_SYS.i = CFG_SYS.i ||nwpath'\NLS\ENGLISH;'
   end
  if lastpos('VEMM.SYS',STMT) \= 0 & VemmFound = 'NO' & wininst = 'YES' then do
   VemmFound = 'YES'
   do j = 1 to 2
     New_CFG.c = NVL_SYS.j
     c = c+1
   end
   end
  if strip(CFG_Stmt) = 'RMSIZE' & BindFound = 'NO' then do
    /* Insert the NetWare CONFIG.SYS statements ahead of the */
    /* RMSIZE statement. */
   BindFound = 'YES'
   do j = 4 to b
     New_CFG.c = NVL_SYS.j
     c=c+1
   end
   end
  New_CFG.c = CFG_SYS.i
end

/* Write out the new CONFIG.SYS */
k=1
call lineout CFG_SYS,,1
do until New_CFG.k = 'NEW_CFG.'||k
  call lineout CFG_SYS,New_CFG.k
  k=k+1
  end
call stream CFG_SYS,'c','close'

/* Add the hidden install file to the root of the OS/2 drive */
''CIDPath'exe\os2\attrib -h 'os2drv'\nwinst.dat 1>nul 2>nul'
nwinstin=linein(CIDPath||'IMG\NWREQ\nwinst.dat')
call stream CIDPath||'IMG\NWREQ\nwinst.dat','C','CLOSE'
nwinstout = translate(nwpath)||right(nwinstin,length(nwinstin)-length(nwpath))
'del 'os2drv'\NWINST.DAT 1>nul 2>nul'
call charout os2drv'\NWINST.DAT',nwinstout
call charout os2drv'\NWINST.DAT'
''CIDPath'exe\os2\attrib +h 'os2drv'\nwinst.dat 1>nul 2>nul'

/* If WinOS2 is installed finish the installation of Windows support */
if wininst = 'YES' then do
  'XCopy 'CIDpath'IMG\NWREQ\SYSTEM 'OS2drv'\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\SYSTEM\ /V'

/* Update the AUTOEXEC.BAT with NetWare statements */
  autox = OS2Drv || '\AUTOEXEC.BAT'
  autox.1 = OS2Drv||'\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\SYSTEM\TBMI2.COM'
  autox.2 = nwpath||'\NETX.EXE'
  aa=2
  do until lines(autox) = 0
   aa=aa+1
   autox.aa = linein(autox)
  end
  call stream autox,'C','CLOSE'

/* Write new Autoexec.bat */
k=1
call lineout autox,,1
do until autox.k = 'AUTOX.'||k
  call lineout autox,autox.k
   k=k+1
end
call stream autox,'C','CLOSE'

/* Update \WINOS2\SYSTEM.INI for NetWare support */

/* First read in System.INI */
sys_ini = winpath||'\SYSTEM.INI'
a=0
do until lines(sys_ini) = 0
  a=a+1
  sys_ini.a = linein(sys_ini)
end
call stream sys_ini,'C','CLOSE'

/* Now insert the NetWare stuff in the appropriate sections of SYSTEM.INI */
c=1
do i = 1 to a
  new_sys.c = sys_ini.i
  shout = translate(sys_ini.i)
  c = c+1
  if lastpos('[BOOT]',shout) \= 0 then do
   new_sys.c = 'network.drv=netware.drv'
   c=c+1
   end
  if lastpos('[BOOT.DESC',shout) \= 0 then do
   new_sys.c = 'network.drv=Novell NetWare'
   c=c+1
   end
  if lastpos('[386ENH]',shout) \= 0 then do
   new_sys.c = 'FileSysChange=off'
   c=c+1
   end
end

/* Write modified SYSTEM.INI */
k=1
call lineout sys_ini,,1
do until new_sys.k = 'NEW_SYS.'||k
  call lineout sys_ini,new_sys.k
  k=k+1
end
call stream sys_ini,'C','CLOSE'
end

call nvldsk

err1.1=SysGetMessage(215,msgfile,'Novell Update')
err1.2=''
call errout 0
RETURN 0

nvldsk:

quit: return 0

errout:

if logname = '' then logname = 'c:\error.out'
parse arg retc

if retc \= 0 then do
  say err1.1
  say err1.2
  end

err1.0 = 2
rc = stream(logname,'C','QUERY EXISTS')
if rc \= '' then 'del 'logname' 1>nul 2>nul'

do i = 1 to err1.0
  call lineout logname,err1.i
end

call lineout logname

exit retc


-- START1.CM1 --

/* Startup One for CID Install of OS/2 Warp Connect */

call RxFuncAdd 'SysLoadFuncs','RexxUtil','SysLoadFuncs'
call SysLoadFuncs

/* Initialize key environment variables. */

CIDPath = "O:\CID\"
dpathstr = value("DPATH",,"OS2ENVIRONMENT")
dpathstr = translate(dpathstr)
parse var dpathstr first '\OS2\' .
os2drv = right(first,2)
parse var dpathstr first '\NETWARE' .
nwpath = right(first,2)||'\NETWARE'

say "The variable OS2DRV is " os2drv
say "The variable NWPATH is " nwpath
say "Ordinarily these should be C: and C:\NETWARE."

/* Place mappings/login for NetWare here. */

''nwpath'\LOGIN H260B\H260INST'
''nwpath'\MAP O:=H260B\SYS:USERS\H260INST\OS2V300'

/* This procedure creates the Novell NetWare icons on the desktop. */

Classname='WPFolder'
Title='Novell'
Location='<WP_DESKTOP>'
Setup='OBJECTID=<NOVELL_FOLDER>;ICONFILE='nwpath'\NVFLDR.ICO'
result=SysCreateObject(classname,Title,Location,Setup)

/* Add the client program */
Classname='WPProgram'
Title='NetWare Client'
Location='<NOVELL_FOLDER>'
Setup='OBJECTID=<NVL_CLIENT>;ICONFILE='nwpath'\NWOS2DOC.ICO;EXENAME='os2drv'\OS2\VIEW.EXE;STARTUP
DIR='nwpath';PARAMETERS='nwpath'\NLS\ENGLISH\OS2BOOK.INF'
result=SysCreateObject(classname,Title,Location,Setup)

/* Add the utilities program */
Classname='WPProgram'
Title='NetWare Utilities'
Location='<NOVELL_FOLDER>'
Setup='OBJECTID=<NVL_UTILS>;ICONFILE='nwpath'\NWOS2DOC.ICO;EXENAME='os2drv'\OS2\VIEW.EXE;STARTUPD
IR='nwpath';PARAMETERS='nwpath'\NLS\ENGLISH\OS2UTIL.INF'
result=SysCreateObject(classname,Title,Location,Setup)

/* Add the install program */
Classname='WPProgram'
Title='Install'
Location='<NOVELL_FOLDER>'
Setup='EXENAME='nwpath'\INSTALL.EXE;STARTUPDIR='nwpath';OBJECTID=<NVL_INSTALL>'
result=SysCreateObject(classname,Title,Location,Setup)

/* Add the NetWare Printer program */
Classname='WPProgram'
Title='Network Printer'
Location='<NOVELL_FOLDER>'
Setup='EXENAME='nwpath'\NPRINTER.EXE;STARTUPDIR='nwpath';OBJECTID=<NVL_NPRINTER>'
result=SysCreateObject(classname,Title,Location,Setup)

/* Add the Tools program */
Location='<NOVELL_FOLDER>'
Setup='EXENAME='nwpath'\NWTOOLS.EXE;STARTUPDIR='nwpath';OBJECTID=<NVL_TOOLS>'
result=SysCreateObject(classname,Title,Location,Setup)

/* Find out current Token Ring address (Universally Administered) */
/* Must have NetWare Public Directory Active */
'DEL 'OS2Drv'\MPTS.RSP'
'USERLIST / A > 'OS2Drv'\TOKADDR.TMP'

/* Read in the file created by USERLIST */
TOKADDR = os2drv'\TOKADDR.TMP'
A=0
do until lines(TOKADDR) = 0
  A = A+1
  TOKADDR.A = LineIn(TOKADDR)
end
call stream TOKADDR,'C','CLOSE'

/* Parse USERLIST output */
do i = 1 to A
  parse upper var TOKADDR.i toss1 toss2 '[' toss3']' '['toss4']' .
  if left(strip(toss2),1)='*' then tokennum=toss4
end

say "The Token Ring address is: "tokennum

/* Now read in MPTS.RSP in order to insert Token Ring address. */
MPTS='O:\MPTS.RSP'
A=0
do until lines(MPTS) = 0
  A = A+1
  MPTS.A = LineIn(MPTS)
end
call stream MPTS,'C','CLOSE'

do i = 1 to A
  parse upper var MPTS.i toss1'='toss2 .
  if strip(toss1)='NETADDRESS' & strip(toss2)='UNIVERSAL' then
     MPTS.i = '   NETADDRESS="T'tokennum'"'
end

/* Write out the new MPTS.RSP */
NEWMPTS=OS2Drv'\MPTS.RSP'
call stream NEWMPTS,'C','OPEN'
do i = 1 to A
  call lineout NEWMPTS,MPTS.i
end
call stream NEWMPTS,'c','close'

/* Install MPTS with Response File */

''CIDPath'IMG\LAPS\MPTS.EXE /E:PROD /R:'OS2Drv'\MPTS.RSP /TU:'OS2Drv'\
/S:'CIDPath'IMG\LAPS
/L1:'OS2Drv'\OS2\INSTALL\MPTS.LOG'

/* Install TCP/IP with Response File */

''CIDPath'IMG\TCPAPPS\INSTALL.EXE /b- /R:O:\TCPIP.RSP /S:'CIDPath'IMG\TCPAPPS
/L1:'OS2Drv'\OS2\INSTALL\TCPIP.LOG'

/* Remove NetBIOS */
/* (You can prevent a user from activating any protocol by deleting its */
/* .NIF file.) */

'DEL 'OS2Drv'\IBMCOM\PROTOCOL\NETBEUI.NIF'

/* Clean up */

'DEL 'OS2Drv'\NWINST.CMD'
'DEL 'OS2Drv'\ERROR.OUT'
'DEL 'OS2Drv'\MPTS.RSP'

/* Self-destruct */

'DEL 'OS2Drv'\STARTUP.CMD'
'EXIT'


-- MPTS.RSP --

INST_SECTION = (
  UPGRADE_LEVEL = NEW
  INSTALL = PRODUCT
)

PROTOCOL = (
[PROT_MAN]

  DriverName = PROTMAN$

[IBMLXCFG]

  IBMTOK_nif = IBMTOK.nif
  ODI2NDI_nif = ODI2NDI.NIF
  TCPIP_nif = TCPIP.nif
  LANDD_nif = LANDD.NIF

[LANDD_nif]

  DriverName = LANDD$
  Bindings = IBMTOK_nif
  ETHERAND_TYPE = "I"
  SYSTEM_KEY = 0x0
  OPEN_OPTIONS = 0x2000
  TRACE = 0x0
  LINKS = 125
  MAX_SAPS = 5
  MAX_G_SAPS = 0
  USERS = 5
  TI_TICK_G1 = 255
  T1_TICK_G1 = 15
  T2_TICK_G1 = 3
  TI_TICK_G2 = 255
  T1_TICK_G2 = 25
  T2_TICK_G2 = 10
  IPACKETS = 200
  UIPACKETS = 100
  MAXTRANSMITS = 6
  MINTRANSMITS = 2
  TCBS = 64
  GDTS = 30
  ELEMENTS = 800

[IBMTOK_nif]

  DriverName = IBMTOK$
  ADAPTER = "PRIMARY"
  MAXTRANSMITS = 12
  RECVBUFS = 2
  RECVBUFSIZE = 256
  XMITBUFS = 1

[TCPIP_nif]

  DriverName = TCPIP$
  Bindings = IBMTOK_nif

)

MPTS = (
[CONTROL]
  Local_IPC = YES
  INET_Access = YES
  NETBIOS_Access = NO
[IFCONFIG]
  Interface = 0
  Address =
  Brdcast =
  Dest =
  Enable = UP
  Netmask =
  Metric = 0
  Mtu = 4136
  Trailers = NO
  Arp = NO
  Bridge = NO
  Snap = NO
  Allrs = NO
  802.3 = NO
  lcmpred = NO
  Canonical = NO
[ROUTE]
  Type =
  Action =
  Dest =
  Router =
  Metric =
)

RESOLV = (
  NAME =
  NAME =
)

PROT_SECTION = (
  NIF = ODI2NDI.NIF
  SECTION_NAME = ODI2NDI_NIF
  DRIVERNAME = odi2ndi$
  BINDINGS = IBMTOK_NIF
  NETADDRESS=UNIVERSAL
  TOKEN-RING = "yes"
  TOKEN-RING_SNAP = "no"
  ETHERNET_802.3 = "no"
  ETHERNET_802.2 = "no"
  ETHERNET_II = "no"
  ETHERNET_SNAP = "no"
  TRACE = 0x0
)

PROT_SECTION = (
  NIF = IBMTOK.NIF
  SECTION_name = IBMTOK_NIF
  DRIVERNAME = IBMTOK$
)


-- TCPIP.RSP --

// Default response file for PRODUCT DISK install
INSTALL_


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. , ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online

            OS/2 Frequently Launched Criticisms (version 1.2 10/26/95)



                       by Charles Forsythe

This version of the FLC has been updated for the release of Windows 95.  The
dates on each entry indicate when it was last updated.  It's interesting to see
what the release of Windows 95 has changed in the FLC, and interesting to see
what it hasn't changed.

                     Here are the Criticisms

1. (2/15/95) OS/2 is slow.

2. (2/15/95) OS/2 swaps a lot.  OS/2 uses too much memory.

3. (10/24/95) OS/2 doesn't run my Windows apps or runs them slowly.

4. (7/26/95) There are no native OS/2 apps.

5a.  (2/15/95) OS/2's native apps aren't as "good" as Windows apps.
 b.  (2/15/95) The equivalent to MS-Office isn't available for OS/2.
 c.  (2/15/95) OS/2 apps are 'one version' behind' the one for Windows.

6. (10/24/95) OS/2 is impossible to install.

7. (2/15/95) Windows works on this hardware -- why doesn't OS/2?

8. (7/26/95) Warp's features are unstable.

9a. (7/26/95) Doesn't Windows 95 provide me with the same capabilities as OS/2?
 b. (10/25/95) Isn't the Windows 95 interface prettier/better?
 c. (10/26/95) Warp can't run the new Windows 95 programs!

10a.  (2/15/95) OS/2 advocates are too abusive, too obsessive, too this,
        too that.
 b.  (2/15/95) OS/2 is stupid.  OS/2 users are losers! Microsoft R00LZ!

11.  (2/15/95) 32-bit?  Multitasking?  Who needs it?

12. (2/15/95) Windows NT is technically superior to OS/2.

13. (2/15/95) Why shouldn't I use Linux, or some other UNIX variant?



             ...and here are the responses to those criticisms

1. (2/15/95) OS/2 is slow.

Is OS/2 slow? The answer depends on the criteria you use. If you say OS/2 is
slow at loading Windows applications, you are right. On the other hand, running
a Windows program under OS/2 allows that Windows program to use more memory and
run on the HPFS -- possibly making it actually run faster once it has been loaded.

What about native OS/2 apps?  Some people say that the native OS/2 apps are
slower than their windows counterparts.  In some cases, this is incorrect. Time
trials of Micgrografx Designer 3.1 for OS/2 showed that it ran faster than
Designer 3.1 for Windows.  In other cases, it is misguided.  AmiPro for OS/2 is
slower than AmiPro for Windows, but it has more capabilities than AmiPro for
Windows, such as a background printing thread.

So the real questions is,"Slower doing what?" It's hard to compare Windows and
OS/2 "doing the same thing" because OS/2 is usually doing much more "under the
hood" even when they are performing the same function.  At first, this may seem
like a problem, but soon you realize that you can do so much more than the
"same function" under OS/2.  With OS/2's multitasking, you don't have to wait
for your app to finish printing to use your system (or, frequently, even the
same app).  With OS/2, you don't have to worry about "XYZ app" and "PDQ app"
interacting in strange, unpredicatable ways.  Not surprisingly, other operating
systems offering comparable levels of functionality run at about the same speed.

Finally, many people do not realize that there is a difference between running
a Windows application in seamless (window-on-the-OS/2-desktop) mode and running
it in its own full-screen session.  Windows programs in a full-screen session
run with almost no performance difference at all.



2. (2/15/95) OS/2 swaps a lot.  OS/2 uses too much memory.

Does OS/2 swap a lot? It swaps more than Windows, if that's what you mean. This
is because OS/2 is a whole lot bigger than Windows.  But ask yourself why
Windows and DOS are so small.  Windows and DOS are small because they provide
very few "system services".  The OS/2 memory subsytem is much more
sophisticated than that of Windows 3.1 and it will swap more -- by design.

OS/2 represents a great deal of new technology that is not available on any
other single platform (see #9a) and its swapping behavior and memory
requirements are going to be affected by these advanced capabilities.



3. (10/24/95) OS/2 doesn't run my Windows apps or runs them slowly.

 OS/2's Windows support is designed to allow you to move into the world of a
32-bit "workstation" OS without losing your investment in Windows apps. Linux
and Windows NT are its first and second most popular peers in the 32-bit arena
and they are even worse in this respect.  Linux has a Windows subsystem that is
currently so feeble it barely runs Solitaire.  Windows NT runs most Windows 3.1
apps, but usually more slowly than OS/2.  Also, many users don't realize that
some Windows applications that misbehave when running seamless
(windows-on-the-OS/2-desktop) run flawlessly in a full-screen Windows session.
What about Windows 95, you ask?

Currently, Microsoft has a list of 200 of the most popular Windows 3.1 apps
which do not run properly -- or at all -- on Windows 95.  Furthermore, users
risk potential problems running Windows 3.1 apps on Windows 95 without gaining
much actual benefit (see #9a).  New "Windows-95-only" apps are discussed in
section #9c.

Even compared to Windows 95, OS/2 does a very good job of running Windows
applications. Furthermore, unlike either Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, it runs
them in their own protected memory area, lets them run in separate sessions,
and pre-emptively multitasks them.  If the resource limitations, lack of
multitasking in Windows 3.1 or (16-bit apps on) Windows 95, and lack of
crash-protection are not problems for you, then you will get your best
compatibility and speed running your Windows 3.1 apps on the platform for which
they were designed: Windows 3.1.  While Windows 95 does alleviate some Windows
resource problems, only OS/2 offers you any actual advantages in the way it
runs Window 3.1 apps.



4. (7/26/95) There are no native OS/2 apps.

It requires almost no investigative effort to discover that this is completely
false.  The existing base of OS/2 1.x apps run flawlessly on OS/2 2.x and
above.  You don't have to take my word as to the value of the 1.x app base,
Microsoft has (quietly) produced modules to allow them to run on Windows NT.

Even if you ignore the thousands of apps available from the days of 1.x there
are still thousands of OS/2 apps available with more on the way.  If you
consider that OS/2 2.0 was not available until mid-1992 and a typical
development cycle for a major app is at least 18 months, you would expect the
second wave of OS/2 apps to appear in late 1995 -- which is exactly what is happening.

Many people use the selection in computer retail stores (CompUSA, Computer
City) as a gauge of app availability.  Not surprisingly, most of them find few,
if any, OS/2 apps on the shelves at these stores.  This is a statement about
the competative nature of retail and the relatively unsophisticated customer
base who make up the bulk of retail software sales.  While these stores can
serve as a place to make convenient purchases of items such as serial cables,
diskettes or the latest DOS game, their prices and selection are poor.
Well-informed buyers of computers and software know they can get the best
selection and best prices via mail-order.  Mass-market computer stores don't
carry much OS/2 software for the same reason they don't carry any Windows NT or
UNIX software: the people who run these OS's are unlikely to be in their core
customer base in the first place.

It should also be noted that thanks to the recent Microsoft acquisition
rampage, some Windows titles are actually disappearing from the market,
reducing the number.  If Microsoft suceeds in controlling the Windows
application market, the Windows market will cease to benefit from the diversity
and competition which will still exist in other OS markets.



5a.  (2/15/95) OS/2's native apps aren't as "good" as Windows apps.
5b.  (2/15/95) The equivalent to MS-Office isn't available for OS/2.
5c.  (2/15/95) OS/2 apps are 'one version' behind' the one for Windows.

These are also plainly false or misleading.  In many cases, there are far
better tools under OS/2 than Windows.  There are several office products suites
for OS/2.  The most popular is Lotus Smartsuite.  Some OS/2 apps are "one
version behind" the one for Windows.  Some are not.  Some, usually the better
ones, do not have Windows versions at all.



6. (10/24/95) OS/2 is impossible to install.

OS/2 is easy to install.  It struggles or fails to work on some hardware (see
#7).  This is no different from its peers in the 32-bit OS world. When someone
decides to install Windows NT, for example, they consult the "Hardware
Compatibility List" to make sure that it will work.  With the Warp release, IBM
has also released such a list.  The fact that so many people have had
difficulty installing OS/2 is regrettable, but is also testament to the variety
of people who are deciding to install it.  The second most popular 32-bit PC OS
is Linux -- another source of installation horror stories.  The distant third,
Windows NT, still more installation horror stories.  None of these OS's is
actually hard to install nor are they considered by knowledgable people to be
unstable or particularly incompatible with "typical systems."  What makes Linux
and Windows NT different is that they are almost always installed by computer
experts.  OS/2's success in generating a broad appeal has put it in the hands
of people who have tried to install it on questionable hardware or poorly
chosen configurations (see #7 for more details).

Windows 95, which benefits from a core of real-mode technology, was promised to
be the easiest-to-install OS ever.  Ironically, the hype backfired and the
product has come to symbolize impossible-to-install software.

Finally, keep in mind that installation is something you only have to do once.
The resource limitations, low-tech architecture and poor stability of Windows
3.1 and Windows 95 aren't compensated for by the fact that it's easy to install.



7. (2/15/95) Windows works on this hardware -- why doesn't OS/2?

OS/2, being a 32-bit "protected-mode" Intel OS, cannot call most ROM BIOS
routines because they can only run in "real mode".  Instead, it must rely
entirely on its native driver support.  Whereas manufacturers can shield DOS
apps from chip bugs, board bugs and non-standard implementations by addressing
these in the BIOS, OS/2 must deal with them unassisted.  Many users are unaware
of number of hardware bugs that are smoothed over by manufacturer-supplied
Windows and DOS code.  Third-party drivers for this hardware are going to be
much more sensitive to unpublished hardware bugs and cost-cutting spec violations.

In addition to being able to rely on the BIOS, DOS and Windows stress the
system in different ways.  A sustained data transfer, for example, is rarely
going to exceed 64K bytes.  Control registers are never going to accessed in an
unexpected order -- because only one process is querying the hardware.

These and similar issues are difficult enough to understand -- even for most
developers -- so its not surprising that many users are skeptical of the "its
the hardware" defense of OS/2's compatibility problems.



8. (7/26/95) Warp's features are unstable.

It is not easy for an OS/2 application to crash, or even hang, the system. Most
of the time, crashes and hangs are related to hardware and drivers.  An OS/2
program can "hang" the user-interface briefly, but this does not halt
multitasking.  Also, the system will detect the hang and offer you the
opportunity to kill the offending program without disturbing other tasks.
Serious system instability can be induced by driver bugs because the drivers
often contain code that runs at protection Ring 0.  Ring 0 code is free to do
whatever it wants to the system!  This is also a problem with Windows NT.

Most OS/2 drivers are developed -- at least in part -- by the OEMs, and they
vary in quality with the OEM's commitment to the customer (caveat emptor!).
Most drivers are very good, and a lot of people have absolutely no trouble with
OS/2's stability.

Frequently, the problem is generated by a particular Windows or DOS program.
OS/2 must provide very complex subsystems to support older DOS applications -
especially games, which are notorious for their incompatibilities.  In
supporting DOS applications (in this case, we can consider Windows a type of
DOS application), there is a trade-off between stability, speed and
compatability.  OS/2 choses the middle road and holds itself nicely.  Still,
with tens of thousands of existing DOS apps, there are a few cases it cannot
handle.  Windows NT offer more stability, but with a great penalty in
compatability and speed.  According to information available at this time,
Windows 95 offers very good compatibility with existing DOS and Windows 3.1
apps, but with some programs showing a speed degradation and no protection at
all from "badly behaved" applications.

Experience has shown that most "mission critical" DOS and Windows apps run
smoothly under OS/2's compatability.



9a. (7/26/95) Doesn't Windows 95 provide me with the same capabilities as OS/2?

In a word: No.

Operating systems are the technological foundation upon which users do their
computing activities.  Over time, as your needs and the available apps become
more sophisticated, new features appear on the OS.  At this point one has to
decide whether it's worth upgrading.  Overall, Windows 95 is supposed to offer
the same kind of benefits as OS/2.  Despite widely held perceptions of Windows
95 this isn't really true at all.

Windows 95 does not protect applications by giving each its own memory  space.
OS/2 does.  Each OS/2 process is given a separate memory space which is not
accessable by other processes.  On Windows 95, and program can destroy the
integrity of any other program or the system itself.  On OS/2, a program
attempting to access memory beyond its assigned boundaries will be halted by
the system.

Windows 95 reduces -- but does not eliminate -- the dependance on "conventional
memory" (memory below 640K).  Many DOS and Windows programs  require at least
some memory in the address space below 640K.  If your DOS or Windows system
loads too many of these programs, it runs out of  space, no matter how much
total memory you have on your computer.  OS/2  never had any dependencies on
this memory space.  For DOS and Windows, each session is given its own virtual
machine where the individual DOS program  will see the entire "conventional
memory" space available.

Windows 95 does not re-emptively multitask 16-bit Windows applications.  This
is something that many users don't realize: Windows 95 will not run their
Windows 3.1 applications any differently than Windows 3.1 did.  With  OS/2, you
can pre-emptively multitask a 16-bit Windows application.  If a 16-bit Windows
app is performing a lot of activity, OS/2 will pre-empt it and allows other
tasks time to run.  Windows 95 will not.

Windows 95 reduces -- but does not eliminate -- Windows resource  limitations.
Again, OS/2 allows you to create a new session if you want to run several
resource-hungry Windows apps.  Windows 95 has moved some resources around to
give them more space, but it has not eliminated the problem.  OS/2 has.

While Windows 95 is capable of pre-emptively multitasking 32-bit apps, this
capability is disabled during the execution of 16-bit code.  This includes any
system calls from a 32-bit app into the predominantly 16-bit operating system.
The result of this is that the 32-bit pre-emptive multitasking may be rendered
useless without careful consideration of what applications you are running.
OS/2 multitasking is not blocked by any kind of program.  Whether you are
running DOS, Windows or older OS/2 programs, OS/2 will multitask them smoothly.
Windows 95 multitasking will only work effectively if there are no 16-bit
applications constantly interfering with it.  Even then, the multitasking will
be sporadic and perform poorly.

The real story on Windows 95 multitasking will not be known until users have
had an opportunity to replace their current apps with new 32-bit apps.  In
light of OS/2's superior 32-bit architecture, someone planning to buy a new set
of 32-bit apps would be better off upgrading to OS/2 and buying OS/2 apps instead.

Windows 95 offers improvements for people who are either happy with or stuck
with Windows 3.1.  OS/2 can not only offer more actual enhancements to the way
in which Windows 3.1 programs run, but provides a "workstation" class operating
system on the *same hardware*.  This gives OS/2 something that Windows 95 will
never have: a future.  Even Microsoft has made it clear that Windows 95 will be
obsolete in about three years from now.  For people who began using OS/2 in
1992, Windows 95 was obsolete three years ago.



9b. (10/25/94) Isn't the Windows 95 interface prettier/better?

As Star Trek's Mr. Spock eloquently pointed out,"Beauty is transitory." Saying
that Windows 95 has a better-looking interface is a personal opinion.
Furthermore, deciding to buy -- or not to buy -- an operating system on the
merits of its icons or the look of its pull-down menus brings into question the
decision-maker's understanding of what an operating system really does for you.

This brings up the more important point of which GUI is more powerful.  In
these types of discussions, you must first separate familiarity from
capability.  If you've ever tried to use a new text editor program, you know
what I mean.  At first, you don't know how to use the functions you want, such
as "cut and paste".  This makes the new editor seem hard to use and less
powerful.  It is this percieved difficulty that makes many computer programmers
fanatically devoted to ancient and obscure text editors.

It is also the same reason why many people find the OS/2 GUI "hard to use" or
"lacking in features" when they first encounter it.  The fact is, that the OS/2
GUI is *more powerful* than any flavor of the Windows GUI available.  Many
people don't realize that it is highly configurable and can even be setup to be
similar to the Windows 95 GUI.

If you've explored the capabilities of the OS/2 GUI and you still don't like
it, you can *replace it*.  There are several shareware and freeware
alternatives available offering simpler and less resource-hungry desktops.  In
addition there are a couple of commercial OS/2 desktop systems such as the
widely-praised Object Desktop from Stardock Systems.



9c. (10/26/95) Warp can't run the new Windows 95 programs!

The primary answer to this complaint is,"So what?"  The secondary answer is
that in the event that Windows 95 programs become really important, OS/2 could
be fitted to run them (at least the ones that run on WinNT). Why aren't Windows
95 programs important?

The reality is that there aren't very many Windows 95 programs available and
even the number promised releases fails to meet the number of currently
shipping OS/2 apps.  Even more disappointed have been reports from reviewers
that the new 32-bit apps don't offer the user any noticable advantages over the
16-bit apps they are replacing. Admittedly, the quantity and quality of
available 32-bit Windows 95 apps is bound to increase, but the same it true for
OS/2, which already has a significant support lead.



10a.  (2/15/95) OS/2 advocates are too abusive, too obsessive, too this, too that.

10b.  (2/15/95) OS/2 is stupid.  OS/2 users are losers! Microsoft R00LZ!

OS/2 is an operating system, not a sports team.  Yes, OS/2 advocates would like
to see it "win" and some of them would like to see Windows "lose". Many of the
flame sessions in the advocacy groups on the Internet resemble the same kind of
pointless, heated debates you sometimes hear in sports bars. These exchanges
may be fun for the participants, but ultimately have nothing to do with whether
or not OS/2 is a good operating system.  People who evaluate the OS based on
that kind of traffic are even more clueless than the people who post it.



11.  (2/15/95) 32-bit?  Multitasking?  Who needs it?

If you have to ask, you might not understand the answer.  Maybe you've never
had a Windows application fail because it ran out of "conventional memory" on a
machine with many, many megabytes of RAM.  Perhaps you don't fully understand
the difference between having several apps loaded simultaneously and having
several apps loaded and actually doing something simultaneously.  Most
productivity apps spend their time doing nothing, waiting for you to hit a key.
Applications which do considerably more between events are unknown in the
Windows 3.1 world because they can't exist -- it's little wonder that Windows
users don't understand the utility of multitasking.  Then again, if these
features *are* of no use to Windows users, why did Microsoft labor so hard to
add them to Windows?

The advantages of the 32-bit memory model are also a point of confusion.  With
the 16-bit memory model, no buffer may be larger than 64K bytes.  Can a 16-bit
app work with more than 64K of data?  Of course it can, but only by slicing
that data into 64K pieces.  This juggling act is inefficient and a cause of
many bugs and limitations in 16-bit systems.  Due to a tremendous effort on the
part of developers, these technical horrors have been hidden -- with varying
degrees of success -- from users.  32-bit memory model frees developers from
this unecessary effort, simplifies software architecture making it less prone
to bugs and removes the arbitrary limitations imposed by 64K buffer limits.

Another important point on this subject is that something does not have to be
absolutely necessary to be useful.  A user of, say, Microsoft Word 6 may point
out that this Windows application provides the writer with very advanced
capabilities despite being a 16-bit single-threaded application. Then again,
William Shakespeare wrote some of the greatest works of English literature
without any wordprocessor at all.  The point is that it is not gratuitous to
use technology to enhance a capability you already have.

A 32-bit, multitasking operating system provides a basis for even more
effective versions of the computer tools Windows users use today, as well as
entirely new tools they may not have considered.



12. (2/15/95) Windows NT is technically superior to OS/2.

This is true in several significant ways.  It has a secure file system,
multiuser capability plus a few other architectural fine points.  Despite these
advantages Windows NT is still outsold nearly 10 to 1 by OS/2. Why?

Probably because NT's advantages over OS/2 already exist in a more stable, more
supported, more powerful and more popular operating system: UNIX. UNIX allows
you to access these "server" capabilities and offerers a large number of
advantages over NT.  Among them are these key points:

   1. It has a relatively standard API.  Properly-written code from
    one UNIX variant usually ports fairly easily if not effortlessly
    to another UNIX variant.  Win32 code can't be ported to anything.
    NT is the only OS that uses it (see #9d).

   2. Whatever is on your wish list for a multi-user OS, can be found in
    some kind of UNIX solution.  Want a great object-oriented GUI?
    Use NeXTStep.  Want apps from mainstream ISV's?  Use SCO.  Want
    it for *FREE*?  Get Linux.

   3. The most primative X-Windows GUI is better than the wretched
    Windows NT GUI.

   4. The UNIX world, unlike the Windows world, benefits from
    competition.

In the previous item (#11), I pointed out that technical advantages which
might not seem necessary, can be worthwhile anyway.  Unfortunately, many of the
advantages offered by NT or UNIX are not like this.  For example, if you don't
really need a multi-user operating system, having one anyway isn't going to
benefit you at all.  Similarly, if you don't have a network, having powerful
network capabilities does not enhance your capabilities.  Without these
requirements, Windows NT provides roughly the same function as OS/2 but
requires twice as much memory and disk space to do so.



13. (2/15/95) Why shouldn't I use Linux, or some other UNIX variant?

Some of the reasons were covered in the previous item, but wait, there's more...

Most UNIX variants running on small systems -- NeXTStep is a prime example --
are running in "vertical market" applications.  These are niche,
mission-critical applications for which the application software was
specifically designed (OS/2 also makes a strong showing in this arena).  Chance
are, though, that if you were considering developing one of these vertical
market applications, you would be highly aware of what each OS has to offer
your solution.  What if you are looking for an OS to support general,
day-to-day operations?  Consider this checklist:

   1. Does your setup involved more than two computers?

   2. Does configuring sendmail fill you with anticipation, rather
    than dread?

   3. Have you read the "UNIX Haters Handbook" and decided it was all
    bunk?

   4. Have you avoided needing to use DOS or Windows apps?

   5. Is Usenix the focal point of your social life?

   6. Do you believe it's perfectly reasonable for all Interprocess
    Communication to go through the file system?

   7. Do you write most of the software you use?

   8. Do college students write most of the software you use?

   9. Do expensive consultants write most of the software you use?

  10. Does $3000 seem like a reasonable price for a typical
    shrink-wrapped software package?

  11. Could you get a directory listing at a command prompt if "dir"
    didn't work?

If you answered "no" to all the the questions above, forget UNIX entirely.
"Yes" answers to these questions don't mean you should rush out and get Linux,
however.  The point is that UNIX is not a commodity operating system.

By far, the world's most popular OS is DOS.  If you consider Windows+DOS an
operating system, then it ranks second.  While UNIX, in all of its forms,
probably ranks third, it is an entirely different world from DOS and Windows.
Part of the philosophy of OS/2 is that you shouldn't be forced to give up the
investment in DOS and Windows software just to move up to a "Workstation class" OS.



Originally by:         Charles Forsythe <[e-mail]>

Substantial contributions by: Joris S. Zwart <


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. 4 ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online

                               by Tony Harrison

Editors Note:  Probably very few of our readers will ever run a BBS on OS/2.
But running a BBS, particularly a DOS-based BBS with multi-line support is a
real test for any operating system.  We challenge you to do on Windows95 what
Tony has done on OS/2 with his Wildcat v4.1-based multi-line BBS.  The settings
he uses are included in his article below.  Even though you're not running a
BBS, these settings can be used to provide an excellent multi-tasking
environment for your DOS and OS/2 applications (yes they can co-exist superbly
on your OS/2 desktop).  OS/2 has many fine points, and perhaps its littlest
known strength is that it is an EXCELLENT platform for the BBS sysop.  It has
all but replaced DESQVIEW as THE multi-line environment for the BBS.  Now,
here's Tony!



These are the Settings I use to run my BBS on 3 dial-in lines and one local
node under OS/2 Warp 3.0 for Windows. I have posted comments throughout this
file to help you along the way. Extensive testing has been done with these
settings on my system as well as a number of others to ensure you get the most
performance out of OS/2. Let me know if these settings help you! These settings
have been proven to work well under OS/2 2.1, 2.11, 2.1 for Windows, 2.11 for
Windows, and Warp 3.0 for Windows.

The first thing you will need to get is the current version of SIO, Ray Gwinn's
replacement for OS/2's COM drivers. You will see SIO referenced throughout this
text, and as of now, SIO is a NECESSITY if you want to run any kind of a BBS
under OS/2. The current version of SIO is SIO153.ZIP. The number of Ray's BBS
is 1-703-494-0098.  Credit card registration online is available.

The next thing you will need is for DOS timeslicing. It's a freeware program
called OSTSR. This small TSR will convert Desqview aware programs' PAUSE
commands  to OS/2 DOSSLEEP commands. If you currently  use TAME and OS2SPEED,
switch to OSTSR. You'll notice quite a performance increase. The current
version of OSTSR is OSTSR12.ZIP.

If your are planning on running multinode Wildcat 4.x under OS/2 Warp, you will
also need to download WCOS2FIX.ZIP, which patches Wildcat's files to work
around a bug in OS/2. This is only necessary if you aretrying to run more than
one NODE under Wildcat. If you are receiving "Unable to initialize network
10310" errors, you need this fix. This file can also be FREQ'ed from 1:2210/9639.

Please note that if you choose to use these settings for OS/2, you are STRONGLY
urged to use these settings for ALL of your OS/2 DOS sessions, both VDM,
WIN-OS2 and native. Doing this will assure you are getting the most performance
possible under OS/2.

Also note that even though this text file contains items that will likely
generate a considerable performance boost for your system, I do not recommend
any settings that would put the stability of OS/2 at risk. I do not use any
undocumented commands, and none of my modifications pose any risk to system
stability whatsoever. You can be assured that testing these settings will pose
no threat to OS/2's stability. Extensive testing has been done to assure
stability, no matter what type of DOS-Based BBS software you run.

Well...here they are! Good luck!

DOS_AUTOEXEC         x:\AUTOEXEC.BAT

NOTES: With OS/2 you are allowed to have a different AUTOEXEC.BAT for each
DOS session you have. This is an excellent feature for multi-line BBS's.
Please note it does not have to be named AUTOEXEC.BAT, it can be named
anything you wish. For example, NODE1.BAT, etc.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_BACKGROUND_EXECUTION   ON

NOTES: Necessary for multitasking ANY communications program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_BREAK          ON

NOTES: Turn on to Allow CTRL-Break in the DOS session.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_DEVICE          x:\OS2\MDOS\ANSI.SYS
              x:\xxx\VX00.SYS

NOTES: ANSI.SYS is necessary to load if you wish to be able to view callers
activity while they are in a door.

VX00.SYS is OS/2's FOSSIL driver, and is included with the SIO package.
If you use doors that require a FOSSIL driver, VX00 is the one you need
to load. (Do NOT use DOS fossil drivers such as X00 or BNU) Substitute
the "x"'s above with the appropriate paths.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_FCBS           16
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_FCBS_KEEP        8
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_FILES          40
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_HIGH           ON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_LASTDRIVE        Z
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_RMSIZE          640
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_SHELL          x:\OS2\MDOS\COMMAND.COM x:\OS2\MDOS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_STARTUP_DRIVE      (Blank)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_UMB           ON

NOTES: This is up to your individual preference. For Sysop's who use
Livecat door monitor program under OS/2 this setting as well as DOS_HIGH
must be turned OFF for that program to work properly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOS_VERSION         (Too Numerous To List)

NOTES: This setting is only for programs that require a specific DOS
version. 90% of the time this will never need to be touched.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DPMI_DOS_API         AUTO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT       4
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DPMI_NETWORK_BUFF_SIZE    8
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EMS_FRAME_LOCATION      AUTO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EMS_HIGH_OS_MAP_REGION    32
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EMS_LOW_OS_MAP_REGION    384
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
EMS_MEMORY_LIMIT       2048
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HW_NOSOUND          OFF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HW_ROM_TO_RAM        ON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HW_TIMER           OFF

NOTES: Some people were having difficulty getting system sounds to
generate from the PC Speaker when this was turned on. If you are having
this problem, turn this option OFF. If you are not experiencing this
problem, you can turn it ON. However, the performance improvement is
hardly noticeable under most cases.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IDLE_SECONDS         60

NOTES: Necessary at 60 for 14.4+ modems. Improves CPS rates dramatically
(as opposed to the default of 0)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IDLE_SENSITIVITY       75

NOTES: If using OSTSR - Set to 75, otherwise, set it to 100 (Disable it)
OSTSR needs IDLE_SENSITIVITY enabled for it to work properly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
INT_DURING_IO        OFF

NOTES: LEAVE IT OFF! Under NO circumstances should this be turned on unless
it is specifically needed for a particular DOS session. Your CPU will take
a serious performance hit with this turned ON.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
KBD_ALTHOME_BYPASS      OFF

NOTES: Setting this to ON prevents you from using Alt-Home to toggle
between DOS full screen and DOS Window.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
KBD_BUFFER_EXTEND      ON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
KBD_CTRL_BYPASS       NONE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
KBD_RATE_LOCK        OFF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEM_EXCLUDE-REGIONS     (Blank)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEM_INCLUDE_REGIONS     (Blank)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
MOUSE_EXCLUSIVE_ACCESS    OFF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRINT_SEPERATE_OUTPUT    ON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRINT_TIMEOUT        15

NOTES: This setting is up to you. It adjusts the amount of time, in
seconds, that the system waits before forcing a print job to the printer.
The default of 15 seems to work fine for me.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SESSION_PRIORITY       1

NOTES: This setting is OS/2 3.0 specific. It works best at the default
of 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_ALLOW_ACCESS_COM1    See Notes
SIO_ALLOW_ACCESS_COM2    "  "
SIO_ALLOW_ACCESS_COM3    "  "
SIO_ALLOW_ACCESS_COM4    "  "

NOTES: Only allow access to the one COM port you are using for this
session.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_IDLE_SENSITIVITY     32
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_MODE_DTR         No Change at Open or Close

NOTES: Some people were reporting drop carriers if this option was set to
"On at open, off at close" using SIO 1.32 with a front-end mailer. Setting
this to the default cures that problem.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_MODE_FIFO_LOAD_COUNT   16
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_MODE_IDSR        Ignore DSR during receive
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_MODE_OCTS        HandShake signal, as in RTS/CTS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_MODE_ODSR        Ignore DSR during transmit.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_MODE_RTS         HandShake signal, as in RTS/CTS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_MODE_XON/XOFF      No XON/XOFF Flow Control by SIO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_SCREEN_SUNC_KLUDGE    ON

NOTES: Test this on your particular system. It seems to have different
results depending on the system. It improves performance for me when it is
ON, however it may not for you. Test and set accordingly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_SHARE_ACCESS_WITH_OS/2  ON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_VIRTUALIZE_16550A    ON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIO_VIRTUALIZE_COM_PORTS   ON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIDEO_8514A_XGA_IOTRAP    OFF

NOTES: Some people were having problems when switching from full screen
graphical programs (such as Ripterm) to something else and then back again.
Their video would become corrupted and their screen would go blank or turn
a different color. Setting this to OFF cures that problem.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIDEO_FASTPASTE       OFF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIDEO_MODE_RESTRICTION    NONE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIDEO_ONDEMAND_MEMORY    ON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION   ON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIDEO_ROM_EMULATION     ON
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIDEO_SWITCH_NOTIFICATION  OFF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIDEO_WINDOW_REFRESH     1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
XMS_HANDLES         32
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
XMS_MEMORY_LIMIT       0

NOTES: Either use EMS or XMS. (Whatever the particular program that you are
running wants).  Otherwise you are starving OS/2 of the one thing it likes
most...LOTS of RAM. You're consuming half of your total 8 meg for this
DOS session alone. 2 meg EMS is PLENTY. That way you get two DOS sessions
for the price of one.

SUGGESTION: If you run Windows programs under OS/2, allocate XMS memory to
the WIN-OS2 sessions, not EMS. Why? Windows does not use EMS, it only uses
XMS, thus allocating any EMS memory to WIN-OS2 sessions is unnecessary.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
XMS_MINIMUM_HMA       0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDITIONAL NOTES:

My best suggestion is if you have the means to do so...get yourself some more
RAM.. I have 16 meg on my machine...and it's enough to handle 4 DOS sessions
open at once with 2 meg Allocated to each window. This leaves 8 meg left for
OS/2...Memory is more important to OS/2 than processor. It knows how to
multitask, it just needs the memory to do it effectively.. OSTSR is also an
excellent idea...I use OSTSR with a timeslice value of 3.

NOTE: If you use OSTSR, you do NOT need Tame or OS2SPEED any more.

If you run Wildcat, load it with the /T parameter so it can release
timeslices...(although it seems to do it without the /T)

Hopefully you are using 16550 UART's as well..definitely a MUST with high speed communications...

IMPORTANT: If you are running Wildcat! 4.x under OS/2, you will need to make a
change to your modem's MDM file that Wildcat! uses. You will need to set the
transmit AND receive FIFO levels to 14 each. This will allow WC! to run as
efficiently as possible under OS/2. If you are running other DOS BBS software,
and you also have the ability to modify a setting similar to this, please do
so. The HIGHER the number, the better in most cases. If you discover that this
is not true in your case, please let me know and I will note that in the next
revision of SETTINGS.

Now on to that killer of a file they call CONFIG.SYS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
IFS=x:\OS2\HPFS.IFS  /CACHE:2048 /CRECL:16 /AUTOCHECK:CD <-EXAMPLE see notes

NOTES: This Line is only necessary if you use HPFS drives. If you have 4-8 MEG
RAM, change the cache parameter to /CACHE:1024; 9-15 MEG - /CACHE:1536; 16+ -
/CACHE:2048. CRECL defines the size of the maximum record size that will be
cached. Valid ranges are 2K to 64K with 4K as the default. I have found that
16K works well for me, but you can experiment with that if you like. AUTOCHECK
is important because if OS/2 crashes, AUTOCHECK tells OS/2 which drives to
CHKDSK for errors. As you can see I have OS/2 check my D and E drives if the
system crashes. Change this to your drive letters so it will work properly.
(OS/2 SHOULD have done this for you when you installed it. Remember if you do
NOT use HPFS drives, REM this line OUT.


Since HPFS is an Installable file system (i.e. a portion of it is memory
resident) many have asked how much memory HPFS consumes. Using HPFS instead of
FAT requires approximately 130k of RAM. This is a small price to pay for the
vastly increased performance of HPFS'd drives. If you are considering switching
from FAT to HPFS, you MUST have an OS/2 backup program to do so. Fastback Plus
for OS/2, as well as IBM's tape backup software are excellent choices. I
personally use Fastback/2, and I highly recommend it. It supports nearly every
SCSI and QIC tape driveout there, as well as removable drives such as Bernoulli drives.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRIORITY_DISK_IO=NO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
REM PRIORITY=DYNAMIC
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
NOTES: One of the WORST things to do...REM this command OUT.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
REM TIMESLICE=50

NOTES: REM this command while you're at it..with this command you are telling
OS/2 to multitask like Desqview. You don't WANT OS/2 to multitask like DV, you
want OS/2 to multitask like OS/2...and your crippling that ability with that line...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FILES=40
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFERS=40

NOTES: OS/2 Warp defaults this to a value of 90. During testing I found having
it set that high seems to decrease performance slightly. I still recommend a
value of 40, not the default of 90.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IOPL=YES

NOTES: IOPL= Input/Output Privilege Level. Simply tells OS/2 what privilege
level to assign to programs. Leave this at the default of YES which allows
programs that wish to access different levels of I/O to do so.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISKCACHE=512,LW,AC:C  <-- EXAMPLE - see notes.

NOTES: This statement tells OS/2 how to cache your FAT drives ONLY. HPFS drive
caching is controlled by the HPFS IFS statement above.

If you do not use FAT drives, REM the above line out. A DISKCACHE of 1024 is
good for systems with 4-8 meg RAM, for 9-15 MEG, use a DISKCACHE of 1536, and
16+ use a DISKCACHE of 2048. The LW command turns on lazy-writes, and is
recommended. The AC command is the same as the AUTOCHECK command for HPFS
drives.

You may notice that while I allocated a 2 MEG cache for HPFS, I only allocated
512K for FAT, even though I have 16 MEG of RAM. Remember, if I allocated 2 MEG
for BOTH FAT and HPFS, there goes 4 MEG of precious RAM that OS/2 COULD have
been using. Since my system is primarily HPFS drives, I use the full 2 MEG
cache for HPFS, and use 512K for FAT because I rarely access my FAT drive. Use
this same principle based on your situation.  If you primarily use FAT instead
of HPFS, allocate more cache to FAT than to HPFS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAXWAIT=1

NOTES: Sets the amount of time the system waits before assigning a waiting
thread a higher priority. For communications programs, the sooner, the better.
I recommend a value of 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SWAPPATH=x:\ 10248 10248

NOTES: Increase your SWAP file to 10 MEG (Something like 10248 10248).. that
will definitely give you a slight perf. boost. Heck if it wants to swap to
disk...LET IT!

You will notice a slight performance increase my moving the swapfile from the
default location (x:\OS2\SYSTEM) to the root directory of your least-frequently
accessed physical hard drive. If you only have one hard drive, move the
swapfile to the root directory of that drive.

Remember, In my case, I have 16 MEG of RAM, I usually have 4 DOS sessions open
at once, consuming approx 8 MEG RAM total. I also allocate approx. 2.5 MEG RAM
to disk caching. That leaves 5.5 MEG for OS/2 to use, and some of that holds
TSR's, system DEVICE's, etc., (not a whole lot of RAM left!) so I give OS/2 a
large swap file (10 MEG). And now you can see the reason why I do so. It gives
OS/2 the breathing room it needs, and improves
performance noticeably.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
THREADS=256
FCBS=16,8
DOS=HIGH,UMB
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEVICE=x:\xxx\SIO.SYS

NOTES: Want to lock the com ports?...to do that..change that line to this:

DEVICE=x:\xxx\SIO.SYS (1:38400) (2:38400)

NOTES: The above line locks COM1 and COM2 at 38.4. Also, any parameters for SIO
MUST be specified on the DEVICE=SIO.SYS line, NOT the VSIO.SYS line.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEVICE=VSIO.SYS

NOTES: This is the system file DOS uses. SIO.SYS is used by OS/2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SET AUTOSTART=PROGRAMS,TASKLIST,FOLDERS,CONNECTIONS,LAUNCHPAD

NOTES: This SET statement determines what items to start automatically at
bootup. I recommend leaving this alone, unless you would like to disable the
automatic startup of the launchpad. If you would like to disable automatic
launchpad startup, remove ",LAUNCHPAD" from the above line.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SET RESTARTOBJECTS=NO/STARTUPFOLDERSONLY=YES

NOTES: This is an extremely useful option to place in your CONFIG.SYS to
control which applications are re-started when the system is rebooted. By
default, OS/2 will load up any applications that were running the last time you
turned your computer off (or rebooted). This presents a problem when the reason
you had to reboot was because of a program that was not working properly, as
OS/2 will try to load it again. Placing the above line in your CONFIG.SYS
forces OS/2 to only start programs that are in the startup folder on the
Desktop. For example, if you had shadow's of your BBS nodes in the startup
folder, and the system rebooted, your BBS nodes would automatically be
restarted for you since they were in the startup folder.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SET PROMPT=$p$g
SET DIRCMD=/o/p

NOTES: Some SET statements, like the ones above, may look out of place in a
CONFIG.SYS file, but they actually are the SET statements that are enabled when
you load an OS/2 session. These SET statements in the CONFIG.SYS do not apply
to OS/2 DOS VDM's. You will need to place similar statements in your DOS
AUTOEXEC.BAT for them to be recognized. Just think of OS/2's CONFIG.SYS as a
MS-DOS CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT combined.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
RUN=x:\OS2\CACHE.EXE /MAXAGE:7500 /DISKIDLE:60000 /BUFFERIDLE:60000

NOTES: this command is specific to HPFS only. If you have FAT drives, ignore
this line. This line specifies the parameters that HPFS uses to write
information to disk. This command is specified as a RUN= statement in the
CONFIG.SYS (as above), or it can also be entered at the command prompt.  (Yes
you can actually change the disk cache parameters on the fly!).

The /MAXAGE parameter specifies the maximum amount of time (in milliseconds)
before frequently written data is transferred to disk.

The /DISKIDLE parameter sets the amount of time the disk must be idle before it
can accept data from cache memory.

The /BUFFERIDLE parameter specifies the amount of time (in milliseconds) that
the cache buffer can be idle before the data it contains must be written to disk.

Since this is a new addition to SETTINGS, I have tested this line extensively
on my system, and have determined it is perfectly safe to use. However, if you
do notice problems after adding this line, feel free to remove it. I have
tested it under a variety of different circumstances, including abnormal
shutdowns, loss of power, etc. And


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. E ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online



OS/2 WARP CONNECT vs WINDOWS 95
FOR OPERATING SYSTEM EVALUATION BY IBM MARKETING PERSONNEL, BUSINESS PARTNERS
AND CUSTOMERS

PREPARED BY IBM CORPORATION
SEPTEMBER 28, 1995

Introduction

OS/2 Warp has generated renewed excitement and heightened momentum for OS/2 in
all areas of the marketplace since its release .  This has led to over 60
independent software vendors (ISV) announcing more than 100 new applications
for OS/2 Warp in 1995 alone.  In addition to the IBM PC Company, OS/2 Warp is a
preload option on PCs from over 200 OEMs worldwide.

Now almost a year and nearly 3 million OS/2 Warp sales later, the release of
Windows 95 in August 1995 will lead to some degree of evaluation of computer
hardware and software needs in homes and businesses, both large and small.
Whether you are running through a mental checklist or performing a full pilot
evaluation, here are some basic points to consider as you decide the best way
to meet your needs today and in the future.


Executive Summary

Microsoft's $200 million+  marketing campaign surrounding the August 24, 1995
availability of Windows 95 created a media blitz that reached a fever pitch and
blurred the realistic expectations for the product.  The good news is that
Windows 95 is now a product and the reality can be separated from the hype.

Many media commentators, reviewers, and writers as diverse as Rush Limbaugh,1
Howard Stern 2 and Garry Trudeau in the Doonesbury3 comic strip observed that
Windows 95 is offering features and functions that OS/2 and Apple Mac users
have enjoyed for years.  James Fallows, in his National Public Radio (NPR)
commentary,  pointed out that Windows 95 is " . . . an achievement of commerce
and promotion rather than technology."  What makes OS/2 Warp important to
businesses, where stability and productivity are crucial, was 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."

OS/2 Warp Connect is designed for today's networked business environment.  Its
true multitasking, multithreading capabilities handle mission-critical tasks
more quickly and efficiently.  OS/2's Crash Protection(TM)  keeps problems with
individual applications from crashing your entire system. Combining OS/2 Warp's
architectural and networking strengths with the investment protection afforded
by compatibility with existing DOS and Windows 3.x applications creates an
environment with advantages that Windows 95 does not provide.

Only OS/2 Warp provides personal computer users with:
 * A full 32-bit operating system with true multitasking and
  multithreading
 * Preemptive multitasking with 16-bit Windows 3.x
  applications as well as native 32-bit applications
 * Memory and data protection
 * Crash Protection
 * Internet access graphical tools
 * Consistent user interface across entire family of
  scaleable products
 * Lotus Notes synergy
 * BonusPak of full-function productivity applications.

Companies that migrate to OS/2 Warp Connect today may recover their migration
cost by the time Microsoft makes a second, more stable release of Windows 95
available with native 32-bit applications (currently named Nashville and
planned for next year).

OS/2 Warp Advantages

OS/2 was designed as a 32-bit multitasking, multithreaded operating system from
the ground up.  OS/2 Warp is the third major release of 32-bit OS/2 and the
seventh release with preemptive multitasking and multithreading capabilities.
It is a stable, industrial-strength operating system that has proven its
ability to handle mission-critical applications.

OS/2 has been introducing and evolving leading edge technology over its 8-year
history.  The  results of that technology have been to exploit the capabilities
of today's hardware fully, while  maximizing usability and protecting
investment in current technology.  OS/2 has won over 70 awards since April
1992.  The recognition OS/2 has received for its technical excellence along
with its widespread usage in major corporations worldwide has raised the bar,
creating a new level of expectation in operating system function. Windows 95 is
now beginning to introduce many of the features and functions that OS/2 users
have been accustomed to for some time now.  Many of  OS/2 Warp's functions,
listed below, are now claimed by Microsoft for Windows 95 but are present to
varying degrees, some with additional purchases required.

* Full 32-bit multitasking, multithreaded operating system --  but Windows 95
has semi-preemptive multitasking
* Crash Protection  --  but Windows 95 has compromised crash protection in
favor of compatibility
* Internet access with graphical browsers -- but no graphical tools, for
example Web Browser or Gopher, are included with Windows 95
* Graphical utility for accessing a commercial on-line provider (CompuServe) --
but Windows 95 only offers the  Microsoft Network connecting software
* Support for multiple clients and multiple network transports out of the box
* Object-oriented technology through IBM's System Object Model (SOM) -- but
Windows 95 utilizes proprietary Object-Linking and Embedding (OLE), which is
object-based rather than object-oriented.
* Ease-of-use features which include:
 - A full object-oriented desktop -- but Windows 95 is a partial object implementation.
 - Folder work areas -- but Windows 95 folders lack OS/2 Warp's unique
work-area capabilities of closing the folder and having all objects within the
folder close.  Then when the folder is reopened, all objects reopen just as
they were before the folder was closed.
 - Shadow duplicate icons -- but Windows 95 lacks the ability to dynamically
track the linkage and can lose the target.
 - Drag-and-drop -- but Windows 95 has inconsistent drag-and-drop.
 - Toolbar completely customizable for one-click application access -- but the
Windows 95 task bar has minimal customization capability.
 - Long file names -- but Windows 95 is only the most recent operating system
to break the 8.3-character file name barrier.
 - Right mouse-button support  for context menu, including setting properties
-- but Windows 95 is supporting a feature OS/2 Warp users have benefited from
for years.


EASE OF USE

-----------User Interface-----------------

OS/2 Warp

Staying at the forefront of the technology curve, OS/2 began exploiting
object-oriented technology on the OS/2 2.0 desktop that was introduced in April
1992.  The  OS/2 desktop has evolved into the user-friendly desktop currently
available in OS/2 Warp.  The beauty of this clean,  efficient desktop is much
more than skin deep.  Each icon, whether on the desktop, toolbar, or in a
folder, is a graphic representation of the actual object.  This provides
consistent drag-and-drop usage across all areas of the desktop.  Any action on
the icon applies to the object.  Therefore when an icon is dragged to the
shredder it shreds, to the printer it prints, and to the fax it faxes.  Shadow
icons can easily be created to represent an original object and its contents.
Because this is a true object-oriented implementation, any action done to the
original  (for example, a name change) occurs in the shadow as well.  Object
locations are dynamically maintained so that when the original files are moved
within or between directories, or local/network disk drives the  shadows are
not lost.

Windows 95

Microsoft has promised a full object-oriented implementation in Cairo, a future
NT release, but the current partial object-based implementation of Windows 95
causes inconsistent results with drag-and-drop operations.  Some areas, among
them the My Computer and Control Panel folders, are considered special areas,
off limits for drag-and-drop activity.  This inconsistency is very confusing
for a new user.  The lack of a drag-and-drop deletion capability adds to the
confusion, since drag-and-drop on the Recycle Bin requires an additional step
that may not be apparent to complete the deletion.  Pressing the Start button
to get to the system shutdown is not very intuitive either.

The partial object-oriented implementation is also evident in the Windows 95
feature for creating shortcuts, which are alternative names or nicknames that
refer to an object and can be placed at convenient places on the desktop.
Since the shortcut and its related files are linked by static pathnames and
.ini file entries, moving the target file within the directory structure can
break the connection, causing the shortcut to be lost.  Windows 95 does search,
often successfully, to find the wayward file, but the search can be lengthy and
can result in targeting the wrong file.

Referring to the inconsistency of the drag-and-drop, the InfoWorld Test Center
Product Review, August 1995, warns, "Another inconsistency -- which is serious
enough to cause you to accidentally dump a document if you're not careful --
has to do with Win95's capability to help you create shortcuts.  You create a
shortcut to an executable ^file  by dragging and dropping it onto the desktop
with the left mouse button.  If you use the same procedure on a document, you
get a different result -- the document gets moved rather than a shortcut
created.  If you don't realize you are not working with a shortcut, you can
easily delete the document file when moving it to the Recycle Bin."

When an entire window is moved across the desktop, the contents of that window
are temporarily blanked out. The remedy for that is in Microsoft PlusΓöÿ, a
$49.95 add-on to Windows 95 that raises the minimum system requirement to a 486
processor, 256-color graphics, and 25 to 50MB of additional hard disk space.

-------------Long File Names------------

OS/2 Warp

Breaking free of the cryptic 8.3-character file name constraints that have
frustrated a generation of DOS and Windows users occurred 8 years ago for OS/2
users. User-assigned names for folders are examples of where long file names
can be conveniently used.

Windows 95

Windows 95 has garnered significant press over the support of long file names.
While this function is nothing new to users of other personal computer
operating systems, it is another example of where Windows 95 users can
encounter problems unless all of the applications on their system and any
system with which they plan to exchange data files are upgraded to Windows 95
versions.  Here's a frightening example.  You create an expense report, titled
'Expenses for Aug',  with a new Windows 95 spreadsheet program in your office.
Next month you create 'Expenses for Sept' and decide to take it home and
complete it over the weekend.  Windows 95 has assigned 'ExpensΓûæ1' and
'ExpensΓûæ2' as short aliases for your two files, but when you copy the September
report onto a new floppy diskette to take it home, it is titled ExpensΓûæ1' on
the diskette.  Monday morning you return to the office and copy the September
report that you completed on your Windows 3.x spreadsheet at home back onto
your office system.  Since the August report had previously been assigned the
'ExpensΓûæ1' alias, the September report will overwrite it.  The August report is
gone, replaced by the September file.  This type of confusion can only be
avoided by using short (8.3) file names solely,  and therefore any perceived
advantage is lost.

ARCHITECTURE

-------Crash Protection and Multitasking--------

We are constantly multitasking in every aspect of our lives, with much of the
activity so natural that we don't even think about it.  From the simplest
walk-and-chew-gum-joke to the evenings spent cooking dinner while the laundry
runs and the kids are reporting on their day, this natural flow of activity
maximizes productivity in our lives.

Our work lives should be no less efficient.  Being able to open multiple Web
Browsers allows the Internet user to maximize the on-line time for which he is
billed. Downloading a file while reading e-mail has the same cost savings.
Continuing to edit a file while a previous version is faxed to a co-worker
increases productivity.

OS/2 Warp

Doing these tasks concurrently is the true preemptive multitasking that OS/2
was designed from the ground up to provide.  The strength of OS/2 Warp's
multitasking, coupled with its superb Crash Protection, has led to its
widespread adoption in major worldwide corporations where productivity and
stability are paramount.  Even though earlier versions of OS/2 did contain
16-bit elements, IBM was able to trademark OS/2 Crash Protection because no
16-bit parts were ever shared with Windows applications.

Windows 95

An article titled "A Grab Bag of Gotchas and Goodies for Programming in Windows
95"  in the May 1995 issue of the Microsoft System Journal stated: "Windows 95
is based on Windows for Workgroups 3.11 code.  Yes, the code has been
significantly modified to provide process and thread management . . . but there
are still some occasional 16-bit issues to deal with."  The ramifications of
newer 32-bit code having to call 16-bit operating system parts compromise both
the stability of the system and the multitasking capabilities.

 * Two important portions of legacy code are GDI, the Graphics Device
Interface, and  USER.EXE,  which controls the user interface.  Being 16-bit
code, it is non-reentrant and can only be accessed by one application at a
time.  That one application makes a call and locks that portion of code until
it is finished with it. The danger lies in the potential for USER.EXE to be
grabbed and locked by a crashed application.  When that happens the Windows 95
user interface remains inaccessible and needs a  <Ctrl><Alt><Del> action to
free it, which also terminates any real-time applications running in the
background, such as a file transfer or FAX.
 *  All Windows 3.x applications are executed in one shared address space.
There is no option as in OS/2 Warp to execute Windows 3.x applications in
separate protected address spaces where the inter-application protection
isolates each Windows 3.x application from the idiosyncrasies of the others.
 * The introduction of even one 16-bit Windows 3.x application causes the
entire environment to revert to a cooperative multitasking model where the
application, rather than the operating system, is in control of
  critical system resources such as the CPU.
 * Only 32-bit applications are memory protected. Unless additional money is
spent to acquire all new Windows 95 32-bit applications, General Protection
Faults (GPFs) are not history.

Multithreading adds efficiency by allowing concurrent operation of more than
one path of execution within a task. Addressing a developers conference
recently, Jeff Richter, a Microsoft software engineer, discussed various
aspects of Windows 95 architecture and cautioned the developers,  "In Windows
95, the threads are a nightmare."  He warned the developers that threads could
be used for background tasks, but could never be used to simultaneously print
and edit a document because Windows 95 would not know which version of the file
to print.  He also alerted the developers that high-priority threads, which
should be reserved for system functions, could inadvertently be created by
application developers, potentially crashing the system.

CONNECTING

Connectivity was once thought of as strictly a corporate need, but that
paradigm has changed.  Modems have become standard equipment in consumer
systems, simplifying connecting to commercial on-line services and the
Internet. The teamwork approach of workgroup or collaborative computing is
growing as the productivity gains are realized.  The client/server model of
computing is becoming more prevalent in corporations.  The importance of
connected computers in our lives will keep growing exponentially.  Our need to
be connected, everywhere from the office to the plane to the lounge chair in
the backyard, is becoming a way of life.

---------Internet Access----------

OS/2 Warp

The Internet Access Kit provided in the OS/2 Warp BonusPak includes a Web
Browser, News Reader, Gopher, Telnet and FTP client, all with the same
graphical look and feel as OS/2 Warp.  With OS/2 Warp's one-button
registration,  it is unnecessary for users to understand or even see the
underlying SLIP protocol.  The October 10, 1995 PC Magazine feature article,
"The Internet: Make It Work For You" gives a comparison of Internet access
tools and states,  " . . . only OS/2 Warp Connect can boast a fully developed
TCP/IP anatomy. Its multifaceted stack, voluminous suite of tools, and
integrated installation process provide Internet options that will appease both
the on-line novice and the demanding power
user."

Windows 95

The OS/2 Warp Internet Access Kit, available since October 1994, has received
much acclaim and has been a compelling sales factor. Shortly after its release,
Microsoft announced changes in their planned Internet access tools for Windows
95.  Windows 95's main focus is the Microsoft Network  (MSN) where Microsoft
ontrols the content and collects the revenue.  So that Internet access can be
claimed,  Windows 95 provides the Internet Protocol stack along with Telnet and
FTP as command-line entries only.  To use the Internet, the user must first
subscribe to the MSN or another commercial on-line service where a Web Browser
and a Gopher can be downloaded. The Microsoft PlusΓöÿ add-on to Windows 95 also
provides a Web Browser and Gopher along with the Internet mail client.

--------Peer Networks---------

 OS/2 Warp

Cost containment is a major factor in businesses today.  The need to minimize
the expenditures for expensive peripherals (for example, laser printers)
coupled with the need for multiple employees to access the same files led to
the growth of peer-to-peer networking.  By not requiring a dedicated server,
peer networking achieves savings but should not compromise security.  Not
everyone attached to the peer network should be able to read, much less write,
to certain files such as the payroll record.  OS/2 Warp Connect's peer
networking capabilities provide user-level access rights. For simplicity,
initial access rights of read, read/write, and none are presented.  For
completeness, the options for read, read/write, execute, create, delete,
attributes, permissions and none are presented ( when you click on the
Customize button) and can be assigned for individual users or groups of users.

An OS/2 Warp peer network can connect PCs seamlessly and share resources among
co-workers using OS/2 Warp Connect, Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95, Windows
NT and LANTastic.

OS/2 Warp Connect's ability to have a peer connection and attach to a server
simultaneously over the same network card is a breakthrough for companies who
will no longer have to choose between peer and server connections that each
require unique connectivity mechanisms.

Windows 95

By contrast, Windows 95 uses the old share-level security carried over from
Windows for Workgroups.  In this scheme a password is assigned to the sharable
resource.  Once a user logs on to the peer network, if he knows the password
associated with the resource, he can control the resource. Windows 95
share-level security can only be implemented in a network that consists
entirely of Windows 95 PCs or in a network that includes other Microsoft
networks.  The only way to provide additional levels of access rights is to use
the Windows 95 peer server in conjunction with an NT Server or Novell NetWare
server with the peer services linked directly to the domain-based user accounts.

----------Client / Server-----------

IBM's "Networking the World" vision means that whenever anyone connects
electronically to anyone else, anywhere, it is IBM's networking software that
enables it, manages it and makes it safe.  OS/2 Warp Connect is the cornerstone
of IBM's software strategy.

----------Lotus Notes-----------

The Information Technology industry is  becoming increasingly network centric.
Personal computer users have moved from a standalone personal productivity
environment to a LAN network-based environment.  Momentum is building toward a
collaborative, shared work environment.  This is the groupware environment.
Groupware provides an integration of the total work environment that
encompasses all aspects of personal productivity, collaborations,  and
line-of-business applications.  All of this is simplified by having the same
solution at work, on the road, and at home.

Lotus Notes is the market leader in integrated messaging and workgroup
computing.  Notes along with cc:Mail,  have over 10 million users in 6 thousand
companies.  Currently 10 thousand business partners are writing applications
for Lotus Notes across a broad range of platforms.  Lotus Notes Express is
already integrated into OS/2 Warp Connect providing an easy entry into the
Lotus Notes environment. The synergy between OS/2 Warp and Lotus Notes will
contribute to increased productivity, which is a direct contributor to the
bottom line in any business.

VALUE

------Productivity and Investment Protection-------

OS/2 Warp

The BonusPak of applications included with OS/2 Warp allows a user to be
productive immediately out of the box.  The need to purchase additional
applications prior to doing anything meaningful is eliminated.  The
object-oriented technology used in the BonusPak applications allows them to
integrate fully into the OS/2 Warp desktop.  This further extends the
drag-and-drop functions seamlessly between the operating system and the
productivity applications.  An example of the ease of use achieved is when a
document object is dragged to the printer or fax object without your having to
open the word processor that created the document.

Replacing and upgrading applications can be a very expensive undertaking for
both consumers and business users. OS/2 Warp's downward compatibility is
designed to protect your current investment in DOS and Windows applications.
With OS/2 Warp, Windows 3.x applications can run in separate protected memory
address spaces, providing robust inter-application protection.  The OS/2 Warp
advantages of Crash Protection in a multitasked, multithreaded environment make
OS/2 Warp a more stable environment for your current Windows 3.x applications.

Windows 95

To benefit from the advancements of Windows 95, all of your applications must
be upgraded to Windows 95 versions.  When recently retired Mike Maples was
senior vice president of applications at Microsoft, he gave the industry a
glimpse of the magnitude of Microsoft's unique position as both supplier and
competitor when he reported, "My job is to get a fair share of the software
applications market, and that is 100%." Since 61% of Microsoft's revenue in
their last fiscal year was from the sale of applications, how much interest do
you believe they have in protecting your current investment in those
applications?  Every major upgrade in the Windows environment has required
corresponding upgrades in applications -- Windows 3.0 to Windows 3.1, Windows
3.1 to Windows NT, and now Windows 3.1 to Windows 95.  The future release known
as Cairo has a stated goal of being object-oriented, which would require
another round of application upgrades.

The IBM paradigm is downward compatibility combined with bundling OS/2
exploitative applications at no extra charge vs. the Microsoft paradigm of
planned obsolescence.

The minimal instruction manual that ships with Windows 95 suggests that users
acquire the Windows 95 Resource Kit, a CDROM with more comprehensive
documentation.  This is an additional $49.95 cost for everyone who purchased a
preloaded system or the diskette version of the shrink-wrapped product.

COMPATIBILITY

-------Software Compatibility-------

The August 8, 1995 PC Week reported that "as many as one third of the 2500 DOS
and Windows applications that Microsoft Corporation tested for compatibility
with Windows 95 displayed some problem which either reduced functionality,
required workarounds or prevented it from running." Microsoft officials stated
that 200 applications, among the 2500,  do not  run under Windows 95 but these
have not been broken out into a separate list. This list is available on
Microsoft's home page at:

    http://www.microsoft.com/windows/thirdparty.htm

Problems were encountered in most existing DOS and Windows utilities, including
virus protectors, backups that don't support long file names, and those that
access the disk directly.  Microsoft directs users back to the manufacturers.
Retrofitting existing versions of their software into the Windows 95
environment will not generate the revenue that many of these companies are
counting on receiving from the Windows 95 versions they are releasing.

Many Windows 3.x screen savers are compatible with Windows 95 but anyone
considering using a Windows 3.1 screen saver on their Windows 95 system should
be warned that the password protection is lost.  Pressing <Ctrl><Alt><Del>
brings up the close program dialog box which allows the screen saver task
to end and the system to be accessible.

--------Hardware Compatibility--------

Windows 95 warns users of DOS device drivers that there will be performance
penalties unless new 32-bit device drivers are obtained.  Peripheral
manufacturers are among those expecting a financial boon from the sale of new
hardware generated by Windows 95 hardware requirements.  As hardware peripheral
manufacturers struggle to keep up with the latest technology, how many will be
willing to go back and write new drivers for old hardware?

APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

Today,  hardware costs are declining as the cost of software development and
testing continues to rise.  The ever-escalating cost of software development
can only be contained if the major dependencies of the software developers are
provided.  These dependencies are:

 * A predictable set of APIs
 * Support for industry standards
 * Reliable service and support

-------Application Programming Interface (API)-------

OS/2 Warp

IBM understands the dynamics of business economics today. We understand that
businesses must leverage their investment, frequently many person years, in
mission-critical applications and cannot cost-justify re-engineering.  The
single 32-bit OS/2 API set across the entire OS/2 Warp family simplifies
development of applications that are scaleable from the laptop to the
mission-critical corporate LAN server.  All OS/2 and LAN Server releases have
been upwardly compatible. In fact IBM's PCLP 1.0, which shipped in 1985, can
run on LAN Server 4.0 today, 10 years later.  This consistency is like a life
insurance policy for your
mission-critical applications.

As part of an ongoing campaign to reduce software developers' costs and give
them an opportunity to capitalize on the rapidly growing OS/2 market, the
Developers Application Extensions are being added to the tools available to
application developers.  The Developer Application Extensions enable developers
to create a common code base for OS/2 Warp, Windows NT, and Windows 95 by
including over 700 new APIs and 300 messages that are consistent with Windows
APIs.  These extensions allow application developers to write portions of their
code to be common among the operating systems, then to add the portions that
exploit OS/2 Warp's API set and advanced functions.  Windows applications that
use the APIs defined in the Developer Application Extensions can be recompiled
to produce a functionally equivalent OS/2 Warp application.  A major
Independent Software Vendor (ISV) has estimated an 80% reduction in the porting
cost of Windows applications to OS/2 can be achieved.


Windows 95

The Windows API set has continued to change with each Windows release --
Windows, Windows for Workgroups, NT, and now Windows 95 -- supporting a
different combination of 16- and 32-bit APIs.

With Windows 95, Microsoft introduced their fourth set of Windows APIs.

 1)  Win16  -  The original 16-bit Windows 3.x APIs.
 2)  Win32  -  The 32-bit API set introduced with Windows NT.
 3)  Win32s  -  The expansion of Win16,  the lowest common
   denominator for applications, to run on both NT and
   Windows for Workgroups.
 4)  Win32c  - Introduced with Windows 95. This is an
   irregular subset of Win32.

For an application to be logoed as "Windows 95 Ready,"  it must also run on
Windows NT.  This sounds innocuous enough until you look at the trade-offs of
function that is in each one.  Functions unique to each product include:

   Windows NT           Windows 95
   ----------           ----------

   Security            New User Interface
   Unicode            TAPI, MAPI
   Event Logging         Plug and Play
   NTFS              VxD
   OpenGL             Independent Color Matching
                  Microsoft FAX, Unimodem
                  Microsoft Network Connection

Since each API set has unique features, an application that must run on both
operating systems must be written to the lowest common denominator,  which is a
compromise optimizing neither environment.

Microsoft has a history of churn in their API definitions as evident in the
following examples:

 * Win16 / Win32S / Win32 /Win32c for operating systems.
 * VBX to OCX for application development.
 * OLE 1.0 to OLE 2.0, which caused a virtual rewrite of OLE
  1.0 applications.
 * ODBC 1 to ODBC 2  to OLE-DB for database access APIs. The
  future migration to OLE-DB will be at least one more
  major rewrite.

Can any business afford the development cost created by chasing a moving API set?

INDUSTRY STANDARDS

IBM is committed to open industry standards as a founding and active member of
various industry alliances. Widely accepted industry standards are integrated
into OS/2 Warp.

 * Common Object Broker Architecture (CORBA), on which IBM's
  System Object Model (SOM) is based, is a consortium of
  over 500 of the industry's leading developers.  This
  provides the rich object-oriented foundation for OS/2
  Warp products.
 * Desktop Management Taskforce (DMTF) has defined a Desktop
  Management Interface (DMI) for consistent asset
  management across hardware and software platforms.
 * OpenDoc, a cross-platform compound-document architecture.
 * Lotus Notes is a de facto industry standard for which
  over 12 thousand developers are writing applications.
  Notes is cross platform, not a Windows-only solution.

In today's heterogeneous computer world,  the acceptance of open industry
standards is the best insurance against being locked into an implementation or
architecture owned and controlled by one vendor.

SUPPORT

With OS/2 Warp comes IBM's world-class, award-winning, worldwide support
through a single point of contact. Contrast this with Microsoft's complex,
multi-tiered program of (900) numbers, (800) numbers, and associated fees.

Microsoft support policy for networking products, including the MSN, fax, and
e-mail components of Windows 95, was changed July 1, 1995, eliminating the
30-day free support period.  Priority desktop support for personal operating
systems is $1.95 per minute. The per-incident cap was raised from $25 to $35.
Microsoft expects Windows 95 to generate record numbers of calls to the support centers.

OS/2 Warp Corrective Service Diskettes (CSDs) are made available for electronic
downloading, or the diskettes may be ordered for the cost of manufacturing,
shipping, and handling.

The September 1995 issue of Windows Magazine relates that Windows 95 tune-up
packs may be sold either quarterly or on an annual subscription basis.  Many
users resent paying Microsoft for bug fixes, particularly with Windows 95 being
version 1.0 of a new operating system.  In larger organizations the additional
cost of purchasing these quarterly updates will be compounded by the
administrative challenges involved with distribution, control, and end-user education.

WINDOWS 95, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

------The Road to Chicago  (The Past)------

After Windows NT was released in August 1992, Microsoft told customers who
found the hardware requirements of NT unpalatable that the next year would
bring Windows 4.0, described as providing preemptive multitasking,
multithreading, crash protection,  and all able to perform as fast as Windows
3.x in a system with only 4MB RAM.  The only action 1993 saw was the code name
"Chicago" publicly replace Windows 4.0 references.  Then 1994 came and went
with only a very limited beta test program made available late in the year.
This was followed by Bill Gates announcing that the product, initially promised
for 1993 then 1994,  would be 5 months late, pushing availability out to April
1994. The name was then officially announced as Windows 95.  A larger public
beta in the first half of 1995 uncovered sufficient problems to delay the
release once more,  from early 1995 into August 1995.  The scope of problems
encountered in the preview program led to function shifting out of the base
product in order to maintain the date.  Microsoft PlusΓöÿ became one of the
catchers for functions falling out of the main product, including MPEG and the
Internet mail driver.

------Microsoft Claims (The Present)-------

Attempting to position Windows 95 head-to-head with OS/2 Warp, Microsoft has
claimed that Windows 95 is a completely new 32-bit operating system, free of
the constraints of DOS and Windows 3.x, along with many other claims and
promises made over the course of the 3-year development cycle regarding what to
expect in the final product.  Now that all of the smoke has blown away, and the
vaporware claims with it, the assertions can be mapped against the actual final
product.  There are significant differences, and the hype doesn't match the
reality.  The most dramatic of these claimsare the ones which will impact the
day-to-day operations of users, who need to fully understand the actual product
and not base their expectations on media coverage.  Perhaps Brad Silverberg,
Microsoft senior vice president of Personal Systems, summed it up best in May
1995 when he said,  "It isclear that the hype has gotten out of hand . . .We
take our share of responsibility for creating unreasonable expectations."

Architecturally, Windows 95 was promised to be a completely new, full 32-bit,
totally integrated operating system.  Now we know:

 * Critical pieces are carried over (not new) from Windows
  for Workgroups and DOS, creating a 16/32-bit hybrid
  operating system.
 * As explained in the "Architecture" section of this paper,
  fundamental portions of Windows 95 are legacy 16-bit
  code, including the Windows manager.
 * The absence of a 32-bit graphics subsystem is significant
  evidence of Microsoft's inability to achieve 32-bit
  technology due to compatibility issues. We recognize the
  difficulty of this challenge as it was not until OS/2's
  second major 32-bit release, OS/2 2.1,  that we
  achieved integration of a full 32-bit graphics subsystem
  with superior compatibility. Windows developers
  who were expecting the memory management relief from a
  32-bit graphics engine were surprised when they were
  informed at the December 1994 Microsoft Developers
  Conference that they would still have to deal with
  graphics in 64KB chunks in Windows 95 rather than the
  flat 32-bit memory model of OS/2 and NT.
 * While Windows 95 has added many features beyond Windows
  3.x, in  Unauthorized Windows 95,  page 2,  Andrew
  Schulman points out, "But there isn't much genuine
  integration at a technical level."

Windows 95 was touted to provide preemptive multitasking in a crash-protected environment.

 * Windows 95 cannot preemptively multitask 16-bit Windows
  applications.
 * The presence of a single 16-bit Windows application
  causes Windows 95 to revert to cooperative multitasking.
  Windows 95 sales literature warns, "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."
 * 16-bit Windows 3.x applications all run in a single
  address space, exposing the stability of the entire
  system.
 * Key legacy, 16-bit portions of the Windows 95 operating
  system can only be accessed serially, creating a
  semi-preemptive multitasking environment.
 * Since the Windows 95 operating system code is not
  protected, errant memory operations in a Windows 95
  32-bit application can overwrite critical areas, exposing
  the system to the possibility of a crash.

As a follow-on to Windows 3.11, Windows 95 was promised to run with the same
hardware with the same performance.

 * The reality is explained by PC Computing, April 1995,
  describing 386SX systems as not fully operational and
  saying 486 25MHz systems "run out of gas too quickly."
 * The same article reported 200MB of hard disk storage.
 * Microsoft recommends 8MB RAM minimally.
 * Only relatively new systems with Plug-and-Play (PnP) BIOS
  will be able to utilize PnP.  Replacing adapters with PnP
  versions will be another major expense for those hoping
  to exploit the advantages of PnP.


Where Does Microsoft See Windows 95 Fitting In?

According to a Microsoft spec sheet, Windows 95 is "for computer users
everywhere."  However according to Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer and other
Microsoft executives, Windows NT is a more appropriate operating system for
corporate desktops.  In the August 1995 Byte magazine, Jim Allchin, senior vice
president of Microsoft Business Systems, is quoted as saying, "If you're in a
corporate environment and you are thinking long-term, and hardware isn't a
limitation, you should be looking at Windows NT."  In fact, whenever Microsoft
is challenged on the stability or robustness of Windows 95, they revert back to
Windows NT being the best choice for "serious business applications."  Do you
or your customers run non-serious business applications?

Around the Bend toward Cairo  (The Future)

Microsoft only wants to support one operating system across all segments, from
consumer to large enterprise, but that is not feasible today due to the high
hardware requirements on NT.  So,  in order to stave off market share gains by
OS/2 Warp, Microsoft is attempting to position Windows 95 as a full 32-bit
operating system and the follow-on to Windows 3.x.  In a recent interview, Bill
Gates predicted a short lifespan  for Windows 95, telling users to expect, "One
more major round of Windows"  to be built on Windows 95 prior to Microsoft
refocusing "just on NT."  In Computer Reseller News, 6/12/95, Bill Gates was
quoted as saying,  "We will focus on NT as our mainstream platform 2 to 4 years
from now when 16MB ^of RAM  on the desktop is common."  Eric Grevstad summed it
up well in the April 28, 1995 Computer Shopper,  "Face it; Microsoft's answer
to its own ad slogan, 'Where do you want to go today?' is usually 'Great, we'll
take you there next year.' "

OS/2 has over 9 million licenses and an 8-year history in thousands of major
corporations worldwide.  How can questions concerning OS/2 Warp's longevity
continue to get major press coverage when Windows 95 has been declared obsolete
by its originator even before release?

Microsoft appears to be incorporating a bait-and-switch strategy in the
business segment as they continue to hype Windows 95 but in the background
openly admit that Windows NT is the better choice.  Their hope is that many
customers will succumb to the multimillion dollar media blitz and purchase
Windows 95, not realizing that Microsoft plans on replacing the product within
a few years.  For those who are savvy enough to realize that they want a full
32-bit operating system or that the specter of pain and expense generated by an
interim migration is too severe, Microsoft recommends Windows NT  today.

PC Week's Jim Louderback summed it up well in his article titled, "Windows 95
or NT Decision Clear as Mud."  He wrote, "Suddenly Windows 95 looks more like
Bob 2.0 than a corporate solution.  And, with that new holy-grail operating
system going to beta very soon, could Windows 95 simply be a an NT Trojan
Horse?"  Personal Software magazine,  September 1995, printed an article titled
"OS/2 Warp Connect versus Windows Family"  that details why OS/2 Warp Connect
is a superior solution to Windows NT.

SUMMARY

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?

With OS/2 Warp, you receive the benefits of a full 32-bit, robust, preemptive
multitasking operating system which has been trusted to run most of the banking
industry's automatic cash machines, to control the cash registers in fast food
chains and department stores, and to make reservations on the busiest airline
systems.  OS/2 runs major sporting events like the Olympics and Indianapolis
500. Judicial systems, police departments, and prisons all rely heavily on
OS/2. As part of the world's business fabric, these are situations where
downtime cannot be tolerated.  Doesn't your own time and work warrant the same consideration?

OS/2 Warp received InfoWorld's Readers Choice award; this 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


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. J ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online

                  Making your OS/2 desktop look GREAT!
                    by Terry Lin ([e-mail])


Introduction

    It's no doubt that OS/2 is one of the most powerful 32-bit operating
systems today (at least far better than win95!).  Superior multitasking, a 100%
object-oriented shell, and uncountable features make it a power user's dream.

    However, on top of this powerhouse lies a modest user interface, which by
default looks *very* drab in contrast to win95 or X-Windows.  Colors are pretty
ugly, default font selections are plain and repetitive, and the bitmaps that
come with Warp get boring real fast.

    This document provides advice and pointers to resources to make your
desktop look like heaven, beating the crap out of Win95 and somewhat similar to
NextStep or Motif.  Take a look at DESKTOP.BMP, my desktop, and compare it to
yours...  If you think yours needs some help, read on! (if you think yours
is better than mine, send me mail with a .BMP of your desktop attached)


Starting off...

To be able to accomplish this nearly impossible feat of making an OS/2 desktop
aesthetically pleasing.... you'll need these two files (all from hobbes)

PMJPG173.ZIP /os2/graphics        - PM Jpeg, EXCELLENT image editor
WPS_ART.ZIP  /multimedia/bmp       - Some excellent bitmaps for WPS
                     Which look good on a 256 color
                     display -> 32 colors on desktop


NOTE TO THOSE WHO DO CANNOT DISPLAY 8514/a 256 COLOR ICONS

All the button bitmaps in WPS_ART.ZIP are in 8514/a .BMP format.  Unless you
have a display which is capable of displaying them, they will all appear as
black squares.  However, hope is not lost :)... simply follow these steps to
get them to work on your system

 1. Open Icon Editor
 2. Load a .BMP file which won't display
 3. Type CTRL-L (Device->List)
 4. Select 8514/a (1.2)
 5. Click on "View" - the bitmap should now appear (with no preview)
 6. Open PMJPEG
 7. Make sure you have iconedit in the foreground (not hidden)
 7. Go to Capture->Area of Desktop
 8. Highlight the area in iconedit where you can see the enlarged bitmap
 9. The bitmap is now in PMJPEG
10.Resize the bitmap to the size indicated in iconedit... and save it as a
normal bitmap.

Cut and paste does NOT work... you must use the capture method described above.

---------------------------------
1. Creating Beautiful Button Bars
---------------------------------

    A unique feature of OS/2 is the ability to use a bitmap as the background
of any folder.  Using this feature to it's potential allows you to make some of
the prettiest button bars ever known to computing.  You
can now SCRAP Launchpad!

    Button-bar bitmaps are simply a small image which always has a squarish
area to place an icon.  However, becuase you are using a bitmap, the square
area may be anything from a stone texture to a 3d-gradient.  When tiled in a
folder, you get unlimited positions in which you can place icons.
For good examples of nice button-bar bitmaps, check out BUT_S3R.BMP and
BUT_STUC.BMP in WPS_ART.ZIP.  All are seamless and beautiful.  Check out the
right side of my desktop, as well as the folder "Devices".

    OS/2 doesn't allow lining up of icons (unlike windows), so you must select
your view as "Non-grid" and manually move your icons around so that they fit in
the square areas, which can be a painful task.  Be sure of the order in which
you want to place your icons, since it will be difficult to modify it later.
And... don't try to make it work with either of the "Flowed" views, you can't
adjust the spacing and it is unlikely that you
can make it fit perfectly in the bitmap.

    You can give an illusion of a button-bar by simply moving the folder so
that the title-bar is off screen.  This of course limits you to place them on
the left side or the top side of the screen, but that's where most
people place button bars anyways.  Also, it is likely that OS/2 will place
scroll-bars in the folder as a result of moving your icons around... so the
only solution is to also hide them be sizing the window off the screen.

---------------------------
2. Creating Beautiful Lists
---------------------------

    Another thing you can do with folder bitmaps is to create a chiseled 3d
gradient list.  With the OS/2 "Non-flowed" with "Small icons" view, you get a
organized list, albeit on a plain color background.

    With list-bitmaps, such as BUT_L_R.BMP, each list item is placed within a
chiseled 3d gradient list box, which makes it look a lot better. However, it's
also very tricky.  You must make sure that each item fits
perfectly within its box, otherwise it will go out of sync and not look right.

    To make it look correct, you should know that OS/2 scales the height of a
bitmap depending on it's width.  So, if it doesn't fit, adjust the width until
it does.  Now your list looks amazingly cool!  Check out the
"Internet" folder on my desktop, it's a gradient list of my commonly used
internet resources.

    A tiled bitmap maximum size is the actual size of the bitmap itself. OS/2
only scales the bitmap smaller when you make the folder smaller than the width
or height of the bitmap.  So if you find that your bitmap is too small, then
just resize it under PMJpeg.  I had to do quite a trial-and-error resizing with
my list bitmap, so it takes patience and time.

------------------------
3. Changing System Fonts
------------------------

    You're probbaly sick of System Proportional being everywhere in dialog
boxes and help windows.  And you've probably noticed that you can't change it
through the font palette or scheme palette.  The reason is that '10.System
Proportional' is set in your OS2.INI file as being the default sytsem font.
You can modify that however with the following REXX program:

---------- BEGIN SYSFONT.CMD ----------------------
/* */
call RxFuncAdd "SysIni", "RexxUtil", "SysIni"
AppName = "PM_SystemFonts"
KeyName = "DefaultFont"
FontName = "6.System VIO"
call SysIni "USER", AppName, KeyName, FontName||"0"x
exit
---------- END SYSFONT.CMD ------------------------

Modify "fontname" to the font of your choice, in the format of "size.fontname".
The fontname is case sensitive, check with your Font Palette for the exact
name.  And BTW, 6.System VIO is a GOOD choice for a
system font because it's a monospaced font which IMHO is better for dialog
boxes and help files.  It's common for people to choose 10.Helv but note that
all your tabbed dialog boxes will use the ATM font 10.Helvetica which is of
course ugly (I don't know how to get around it).  Another thing is that
6.System VIO has a decent bold font... which is used heavily in help files,
10.Helv in contrast has a screwed up bold font.

    On the note of ATM fonts, be sure not to use any of them as your display
fonts.  Beside the obvious fact that they are not anti-aliased (ie
smoothened..therefore jaggy), they are not pure bitmapped fonts like
Helv and System Proportional, which leads into performance slowdowns.

---------
4. Icons
---------

Here my advice is pretty obvious... use pretty ones!  Although my desktop only
uses icons provided by OS/2, I am still looking for nice ones.  The
256icons.zip don't display correctly on my machine.  If anyone can help me
here, feel free to send me some advice!

-------------------
5. Analog Clock
-------------------
Get that analog clock in!

Always have the system analog clock running.  Regardless of whether you look at
it or not, it makes your os/2 desktop a lot better :)  Make sure to change the
default color configuration which is cleverly hidden in page 2 of the View
Section in the Settings Notebook.

---------------------------------
6. Hints in desiging your desktop
---------------------------------

Always use a desktop background bitmap that cheers you up.  It's surprising how
much is can change your general computing mood when you pick the right one. I
personally adore gray skies/rain, as a dreamy thing.  That's why my background
is gray clouds.  It's even better if you can get a nice 800x600x256 image, but
OS/2 requires you to run at 16-bit color to display it correctly.

Never entirely clutter the borders of your desktop with button bars.  It gives
a "closed" and "reduced" feeling to your workspace.  Unless you like that of course.

Obviously, only keep stuff you use often in the button bars.  Put the very
unused stuff in a folder you can access through a button bar.

Nothing good ever lasts.  Eventually you'll get tired of a certain design, so
don't think a good desktop will last forever!

------------------------
6. System considerations
------------------------

All those bitmaps will of course eat up a chunk of your memory.  To do most of
the stuff I mentioned here would require 12+ MEGS at least, preferably 16 MEGS,
to perform decently.  If you only have 8 I believe having many different
bitmaps in use will slow your system down considerably because OS/2 will have
to swap a lot.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Special message to anyone out there who thinks making a desktop look nice is
a waste of time (as well this document)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The more you use OS/2, the more you need it to look and feel the way you want
it to.  Some people can't live with OS/2's default scheme because they need
their system not only to be powerful but to *look* powerful.  Okay??


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you got enough advice here to show any win95 fanatic how good os/2 can
look, and how powerful os/2 is in the first place.  However, there's only so
much tricks can do.  The bitmaps are all tricks to make it look nice, therefore
it makes them inflexible and hard to maintain.

Many suggestions to IBM are as follows:

- Allow grid icons.  Your


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. a ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
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This is a summary of information I've learned about sound cards for use under
OS/2.  This document focuses upon wavetable cards in the $100-$200 range, but
cards in other price ranges are also included on a more sporadic basis.  I
update this post as I receive more information, so
please send me any corrections or additional information you may have.

* I post this to the comp.os.os2.misc, comp.os.os.multimedia, and
* comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.advocacy newsgroups most Sundays.  Anybody
* wishing to make this document available via a web server or other means
* has my permission to do so, though I ask that you try to keep the
* document reasonably up to date with the current release.

Getting solid information on sound cards under OS/2 has been a VERY frustrating
experience for me.  Tech support people are sometimes unclear, evasive, or
incorrect, and sometimes totally unresponsive.
Knowledgeable responses from the net have been rare.

In general, it seems that sound card support under OS/2 is spotty at best.
Many cards have either no drivers or flakey drivers, and many
SoundBlaster-compatible cards don't work with OS/2's SoundBlaster
drivers (one IBM employee says these were written by Creative Labs with code
designed to render the drivers useless for unauthorized SB clones).  Other
SoundBlaster-compatible cards require initialization software which may or may
not be available for OS/2.  Fortunately, most of the manufacturers I contacted
said they were working on OS/2 drivers, either as a first release or to fix
buggy or limited drivers.  Unfortunately, it's hard to say when any given "in
progress" driver will become available because of the notorious slippage of
ship dates in the industry.  I'd therefore recommend going with a card for
which OS/2
drivers are available NOW, if at all possible.

Many sound cards these days offer "Windows Sound System" compatibility,
frequently implemented with an AD1848, CS4231, or CS4248 chip.  The IBM
Business Audio AD1848 driver (which comes with OS/2) frequently works with
cards designed for this standard, though one post (from [e-mail])
mentions adding some (unspecified) parameters to the driver for CS4231-based
boards.  Therefore, if you've got an unsupported sound card which does support
this standard, and if you're having problems with the SoundBlaster driver, try
this one instead.  Similarly, the Compaq Business Audio driver that comes with
OS/2 may work with many of these boards.  In addition, Turtle Beach has
recently placed drivers written by Crystal Semiconductor for a variety of
CS-based boards on their ftp site.  Check ftp.tbeach.com under /pub/tbeach/os2
for the file mctz_os2.zip if you have a Microsoft Windows Sound System, Boca Modem,
Acer Magic S20, Gallant, Mozart (OTI601), Crystal Vivaldi, Thinkpad 750C, or
Turtle Beach Tropez or Monte Carlo and can't get another driver to work.
(These drivers are reputedly still a bit buggy and limited.)

Some of the general information presented here comes from the March 28, 1995
issue of PC Magazine, which has a review of sound cards.  Although I generally
don't trust magazine reviews, this article does have a fair amount of useful
information on different sound card types and whatnot, and is worth reading if
you're not already familiar with the current market.  Unfortunately, it
contains NO information on OS/2 support for the reviewed cards.  Other
information comes from newsgroup posts and e-mail replies to my newsgroup posts
or other queries, and from files downloaded from ftp sites and BBSes.  The
October, 1995 issue of Computer Shopper magazine also has a sound card review,
but it only looks at a few boards, and mentions OS/2 in a very peripheral way.
Finally, the November, 1995 issue of Computer Shopper has an article on
combination sound/fax/modem/voicemail boards, but this focuses almost
exclusively upon the Windows voicemail software for these boards.

              BASIC TECHNOLOGY

Sound boards today come in two main types: FM synthesis and wavetable.  The
former is exemplified by the classic SoundBlaster 8-bit and 16-bit boards.
They can play back digitally-recorded sounds (Captain Picard
saying "warp factor 3," for instance) and can produce music from MIDI files
played from OS/2, Windows, etc., by combining various sine waves to roughly
emulate the sounds of various instruments.  Wavetable boards can almost always
also play back digital sounds, but they produce MIDI sounds by using a
"wavetable" -- digital samples of instruments, or simulations thereof, recorded
in ROM (or sometimes in RAM, loaded from a disk file) on the board.  Thus, a
wavetable board will sound much better than an FM synthesis board when playing
the music files in many multimedia games, or if you use music composition
software on the computer; but wavetable boards don't have any necessary
advantage when playing digitally-recorded sounds.

The features of a sound board, however, require drivers in order to work.  OS/2
drivers for many wavetable boards don't support the wavetable features from
OS/2, so the MIDI music used in Galactic Civilizations, for instance, won't
sound any better than on an FM synthesis board, if it plays at all.  OS/2
drivers for many boards (of both types) also provide only limited access to the
sound board for DOS and Windows programs, or such access will disrupt the OS/2
drivers.  Much of my quest involved attempting to extract straight answers to
the question of whether various features are supported under OS/2.

Many (but not all) of the wavetable boards use what's known as an MPU-401
interface for playing MIDI files.  There are sometimes ways to get wavetable
sound without using the MPU-401 interface, but this is the
preferred method for most cards.  (Some people prefer cards that use other
wavetable interface methods because the MPU-401 method reduces the number of
external MIDI devices that can be connected to the card by one.)
Unfortunately, OS/2 doesn't yet have an officially-released MMPM/2 MPU-401
driver, though there is a beta of an MPU-401 driver which has been released on
the latest DevCon CD (a CD-ROM with developer's tools), but this has yet to
attain full availability, and reportedly doesn't come with MMPM/2 installation
scripts.  This driver, or other versions of it, has made unauthorized
appearances on various BBSes, and was even posted to comp.os.os2.multimedia in
early November.  Be aware that if you have such an unauthorized copy of the
MMPM/2 driver, it is UNSUPPORTED by IBM.  When officially released, though,
this driver might provide access to wavetable sound for many wavetable boards
in one fell swoop.  Until that driver becomes available (and possibly after),
users will be dependant upon manufacturers for OS/2 drivers that support
wavetable features from their boards, and at this time, this support is almost non-existant.

As mentioned above, many sound boards today are "Windows Sound System"
compatible for digitized audio; but these boards also often require
initialization software before they'll work.  It seems that a handful of
companies, such as OPTi and Crystal Semiconductor, provide the chipsets used in
most sound boards, but I'm very unclear on precisely how these chipsets work
together.  What is clear is that drivers for one board
will often work with boards bearing other brand names.  I suspect the situation
is similar to, but more chaotic than, the situation with video boards, in
which, for instance, Brand X and Brand Y both make boards
based upon the video Chipset A and Chipset B.  OS/2 uses drivers for the
chipsets, and the video board brand itself serves largely to confuse people
about this.  I try to cover sound boards by brand name in this
document, but in some cases I lump several boards together by the chipset they
use.  If you're looking for drivers for an existing board, be aware that a
listing for an unrelated-sounding board may have the
information you require.  As with video boards, but more so, it's not
completely safe to assume that two boards using the same chipset will work
equally well under OS/2, so if you've any doubts, try posting a
question to comp.os.os2.multimedia and/or contact the board's manufacturer.

Most sound boards don't allow playing more than one sound file at a time.  In a
multitasking OS such as OS/2, it is of course possible that two programs will
want to play sound files at once, and this generally
isn't possible, at least not with the current drivers.  Similarly, if you
install Windows sound drivers, these generally "take over" the card when you
run any Windows program, unless you select "none" for the
AUDIO_ADAPTER_SHARING option in the Settings notebook for a program.  This
happens whether or not the program is actually playing sounds.  The MediaVision
ProAudio series boards do have two "channels," and it's possible to assign one
to Windows and one to OS/2, for a limited solution to this problem.  (Note,
however, that many people have problems configuring this properly.)  Also, at
least some boards allow
playing MIDI and digitized sounds simultaneously.  The latest (version 2.0)
OPTi drivers allow playing OS/2 sounds when a Windows session is open, but not
true concurrency of OS/2 and Windows sounds.  These
drivers reportedly work by having the OS/2 and Windows drivers "talk" to each
other to avoid conflicts.  Boards based on IBM's Mwave chip allow OS/2 sounds
to play when the Windows sound drivers are loaded, and even to play more than
one .WAV file simultaneously, though two MIDI files generally exceeds the
board's processing capacity.  In theory, drivers could be written to get around
this problem in a more general way, as the new OPTi drivers do.  I recently
heard some rumblings that OS/2's MMPM/2 may be undergoing revisions which may
make this more common in future versions of OS/2.

Recently, sound boards have begun appearing using DSP (digital signal
processing) technology.  DSPs are general-purpose processing chips that can be
used in a number of applications.  For instance, DSPs are used in certain types
of modems, such as US Robotics and ZyXEL 14,400 bps and faster models.  IBM's
Mwave chip is a DSP chip that's being used in sound boards which can usually
also be used as modems.  Most such extra-flexible sound boards don't yet have
much in the way of OS/2 driver support, however (though the IBM Multimedia
Modem and a few other Mwave boards are exceptions to this rule).  Also, note
that the presence of a DSP doesn't necessarily make the board unusually
versatile; some DSPs (such as Ensoniq's OTTO) are still used as little more
than special-purpose sound chips.

Modern sound boards frequently have interfaces for one or more types of
CD-ROMs.  As I have a SCSI CD-ROM with a separate controller, I wasn't very
concerned with this in my own search, but I've included a note for each of the
boards I mention below on what types of interfaces it has.  Interfaces can be
SCSI (general, for any SCSI CD-ROM drive), IDE (general, for any IDE/EIDE/ATAPI
CD-ROM), or proprietary (for Sony, Panasonic, Mitsumi, etc. drives).  In any
case, you'll need a driver for the interface and/or CD-ROM drive.  OS/2 comes
with drivers for most of the proprietary standards and for IDE drives, though I
can't guarantee these will work with all boards using these interfaces.  OS/2
may or may not come with a driver for a specific SCSI interface.  As with the
sound features, many boards require initialization software be run before the
CD-ROM interface becomes active, so this may be a prerequisite for using such
interfaces under OS/2.  Sound card CD-ROM interfaces can generally be disabled
(or simply not initialized), and so won't cause problems if you've already got
another type of CD-ROM.

Sound boards require interrupts (IRQs) in order to function.  Simple boards,
such as the 8-bit SoundBlaster board I was replacing, require only a single IRQ
(generally #5).  More complex boards may require two or more IRQs for the sound
board, and frequently another for the CD-ROM interface, if it's being used.
The miroCONNECT 34 wave board takes FOUR IRQs, including one for its modem
features, and I assume other Mwave boards would do the same.  Thus, if you want
an advanced wavetable board, be sure you've got enough free IRQs, and IRQs the
board can use.  Similarly, sound boards use address spaces for I/O and DMA
channels.  Most modern boards use software to set the IRQs, etc., that they use.

In theory, PCI-based sound boards could get around some of the IRQ hogging
inherent in advanced ISA-based boards.  At the moment, though, I know of no
PCI-based sound boards that are currently  shipping or planned.  I have heard a
rumor that some combination audio/video PCI boards are in the works for release
in a few months, but I've no idea who's doing this or whether these boards will
have OS/2 support.

Some FM synthesis boards include a connector for a wavetable daughter card,
which allows one to upgrade to wavetable abilities relatively painlessly.  I
haven't seriously investigated such daughter cards, though, and don't know much
about them.  These daughter cards typically cost $60-$200.  The wavetable
features may or may not be automatically utilized by the OS/2 drivers for the
main board.  I've heard that the latest SoundBlaster drivers include a
CONFIG.SYS option ("/EXT") to force use of the wavetable daughtercard.
Therefore, a true SoundBlaster in combination with a wavetable daughtercard can
make a good choice for wavetable sound under OS/2.  There are also a few
wavetable-only boards available that can be used in conjunction with an
existing FM synthesis board -- but these are generally MPU-401 boards, and
would require an MPU-401 driver to work.  Since OS/2's MPU-401 driver is still
in limited beta distribution, this is an iffy proposition unless you've got the
latest DevCon CD.

             DRIVER INSTALLATION

I've found that driver installation can be a bit tricky, especially if you're
replacing an existing board or driver.  The problem in this case is that the
driver installation software frequently doesn't properly
eliminate the configuration for the previous driver.  The result is that you'll
get no sound.  In order to avoid these problems, I suggest you take the
following steps when updating your MMPM/2 sound card drivers:

1) Remove all references to the x:\MMOS2 directory (x: being your boot
partition) from OS/2's CONFIG.SYS.  Be sure to get the references in the PATH
and LIBPATH statements.  The best way to do this is to restore   a CONFIG.SYS
from a point before you ever installed multimedia support, but this usually
isn't practical.  Be sure to keep a backup of your old CONFIG.SYS and an
emergency boot routine, in case you accidentally produce a non-bootable system.
2) Reboot.
3) Remove the entire x:\MMOS2 directory structure.  If OS/2 complains that it
can't remove some files because they're in use, you missed something in step
#1; repeat it.  Or there may be something else using the file (a reference in
OS2.INI or OS2SYS.INI, maybe).  You may be able to safely ignore this file, or
a deletion from an emergency boot floppy or partition may do the trick.
4) Use Selective Install to install multimedia support.  If you're installing
drivers that don't come with OS/2, make sure that NO sound card is listed on
the first dialog box; you want ONLY multimedia support for this step.  If
you're installing a driver that came with OS/2, be sure the appropriate card is
selected.  Note that multimedia support may not be checked on the second dialog
box if you don't select a sound card, so be sure it's selected for
installation.
5) After installing multimedia support, reboot.
6) If you're installing drivers that didn't come with OS/2, do so now.  Follow
the directions that came with the drivers.  Most Warp sound card drivers
require you to use the Multimedia Application Install program.
7) After installing the drivers, reboot.  You should get Warp's startup sound
when the desktop appears.

One correspondent suggests also using an .INI file maintenance tool between
steps 3 and 4 to remove references to MMPM/2 from OS/2's .INI files, but I
haven't found that necessary, myself.  It can't hurt to take the extra
precaution IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.  Mucking with .INI files can be
DANGEROUS, so I DO NOT recommend this for relative novices.

I've also experienced personally and seen posts relating problems using Warp's
"Selective Uninstall" utility.  My experience with it rendered my CONFIG.SYS
file full of garbage and my system unbootable.  I therefore recommend NOT using
Selective Uninstall to remove multimedia support (or anything else).

Another poster indicated problems removing the MMOS2 directory even after
removing all references to it from CONFIG.SYS, but I've never experienced this
myself when uninstalling SoundBlaster 8-bit or Reveal
SC500 support, but I did when removing Mwave support.  One poster reported that
Selective Uninstall was the only way to get MMPM/2 removed.  I used an
emergency boot partition to delete the remaining errant .DLL file.

              MIDI FILE PLAYBACK

I've found in using various boards and drivers that OS/2 will respond
differently to the same MIDI file depending upon the driver, and differently to
different files with the same driver.  For instance, some
of the MIDI files that come with  Galactic Civilizations play at VERY low
volume with the Mwave drivers supplied by miro; and I've seen reports that
OS/2's Media Player doesn't always reset sounds and tempo when loading a new
MIDI file with at least some beta versions of IBM's MPU-401 driver (though this
may change with the release version).  One cause of such problems is MIDI files
which aren't 100% "General MIDI" compatible, so loading and then saving them
with MIDI utilities like those which come with most sound cards may help.
Another possible "help" is to use the MakeGM utility, available from
ftp.servtech.com in
/pub/users/wraymond/os2midi.  I recently got ahold of this program, and I
HIGHLY recommend it for cleaning up troublesome MIDI files, and even
non-troublesome ones which may be affected by a "problem" file.  I do
recommend, though, that you not delete the original file until you've confirmed
that the modified file plays correctly.

               SOUND BOARDS

This section goes over the sound boards about which I have any information, in
alphabetical order.  I don't pretend this is a comprehensive list, and I am far
from certain about much of the information I've presented, since some of it is
based upon only one or two comments from individuals who use the boards in
question, or upon tech support people who may have an interest in minimizing
the extent of problems with individual boards.  I've tried to flag the
least-reliable information as such.

I've tried to include various ways of contacting the manufactuer, as well as
where to find drivers, for each entry below.  "OS/2 ftp" refers to the big OS/2
ftp sites, such as ftp-os2.nmsu.edu and ftp-os2.cdrom.com.  Sound board drivers
should normally be in the /os2/drivers or /pub/os2/32bit/drivers directories,
respectively.  IBM Europe also operates a driver repository ftp site at
ftp.europe.ibm.com, or by web at www.europe.ibm.com.  The "street price" line
gives the approximate prices I've seen advertized in Computer Shopper or local
stores, or which have been reported to me.  Prices are usually given as an
approximate value ("~" to the left), a range, or a minimum ("+" to the right).

Advanced Gravis UltraSound/UltraSound Max:
------------------------------------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: 604-431-5927
* e-mail: [e-mail] for Gravis, [e-mail] for Robert Manley
Type: Wavetable
Chipset: ICS GF1
CD-ROM: none (GUS)/proprietary (GUS Max: Sony, Mitsumi, Panasonic)
Street price: $130-$200
OS/2 Drivers: Available but limited
Drivers from: BBS, OS/2 ftp: grav031a.zip, ultra08a.zip
Comments: Gravis has "released alpha-level" drivers (an oxymoron),
 and judging by the documentation, they're OK for OS/2-only use,
 but DOS (and presumably Windows) programs will cause problems.
 Robert Manley has released $25 shareware drivers that have somewhat
 different limitations (digitized sound and .MOD [but no .MID] playback
 from OS/2, from what I can tell from the documentation; support for
 DOS and Windows MIDI file playback via external devices or through the
 board after registration; DOS/Windows "native" digitized sound but no
 SoundBlaster emulation).  The latest word is that Gravis and Robert
 Manley are working on an arrangement to allow Manley to include the
 Gravis MIDI code in his drivers, but this is still in the planning
 stages.  The board itself is reported to produce quite good sound.
 Note that this board does NOT use an MPU-401 hardware interface for
 wavetable sound, unlike most wavetable boards.

Aria boards:
------------
Phone: [phone] (Sierra Semiconductor); 800-477-3473 or 503-692-9600
    (Prometheus Customer Service)
Fax: [phone] (Sierra Semiconductor)
BBS: ?
e-mail: [e-mail] (Prometheus)
web: http://www.wi.leidenuniv.nl/aria
Type: Wavetable
Chipset: Aria
CD-ROM: Variable; usually none or SCSI
Street price: ~$80-$280
OS/2 Drivers: Available
Drivers from: OS/2 ftp: aria16.zip
Comments: There are several sound boards, from manufacturers such as
 Prometheus, Genoa, Kingston, Diamond, Zoltrix, and others, which use
 Sierra Semiconductor's Aria chipset.  These boards have varying
*  capabilities and prices.  I've received one report of 100% success
*  with the Aria drivers on an IBM PS/1 with an Aria board, though
 a parameter ("/P:310") was required on the CD-ROM driver to get it
 working.  Another poster said that the driver worked, but produced
 low volume.  I gather that the drivers were developed with the
 Prometheus boards in mind, so that should be the safest bet among
 Aria-based boards.  Unfortunately, these boards are becoming very
 difficult to find.  IBM PC Direct may still have them, but I've
 been unable to locate local vendors or other mail-order suppliers.
 Prometheus tech support suggested calling their Customer Service
 number (listed above) to help locate a supplier, though I haven't
 done that.

Aztech Sound Galaxy 16:
-----------------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: ?
e-mail: [e-mail] or [e-mail],
    but **NOT** AZtech.com, which is an unrelated company!
Type: FM synthesis
Chipset: Aztech proprietary (?), Yamaha OPL3 (?)
CD-ROM: IDE, proprietary (Sony, Panasonic, Mitsumi, Aztech) (?)
Street price: ~$70
OS/2 Drivers: Available but possibly unreliable
Drivers from: OS/2 box, ftp: ftp.aimnet.com, /pub/users/aztech
Comments: OS/2 drivers exist, and have reportedly recently (late
 August, 1995) been updated.  My one report on these updated drivers
 has them working fairly well, but with the major caveat that the
 system occasionally locks up when trying to open a Windows session
 after playing a DOS game that requires sound in OS/2.  Net reports
 indicate only so-so DOS games compatibility
 with this board.

Aztech Waverider 32+:
---------------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: ?
e-mail: [e-mail] or [e-mail],
    but **NOT** AZtech.com, which is an unrelated company!
Type: Wavetable
Chipset: Aztech AZT2316A, ICS WaveFront, Yamaha OPL3
CD-ROM: IDE, proprietary (Sony, Panasonic, Mitsumi, Aztech)
Street price: $110-$150
OS/2 Drivers: Available but possibly unreliable
Drivers from: OS/2 box, ftp: ftp.aimnet.com, /pub/users/aztech
Comments: As with the Aztech Sound Galaxy 16, new drivers have apparently
 recently (late August, 1995) been released.  My report on these
 indicates no OS/2-native wavetable support.  See above for other
 caveats.  PC Magazine reported so-so wavetable sound quality from
 this board.  Net reports indicate only so-so DOS games compatibility
 with this board.

ChipChat Sound Card-16 & Sound Card-32:
---------------------------------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: ?
e-mail: ?
Web: http://www.chipchat.com
Type: FM synthesis & wavetable, respectively
Chipset: ?
Street price: $200 & $260 list, respectively
OS/2 Drivers: Available, unknown capabilities
CD-ROM: none (?)
Drivers from: OS/2 box, ChipChat box
Comments: These are Microchannel (MCA) only boards.  The information on
 the web site indicates that they work with the OS/2 SoundBlaster
 drivers, or with OS/2 drivers designed specifically for the boards
 themselves.  Beyond this, I know relatively little; I don't know if
 the wavetable features of the 32 model are supported under OS/2, and
 I've received no reports from end users on how well the boards work.

Creative Labs SoundBlaster 8-bit & 16-bit:
------------------------------------------
Phone: [phone] (customer assistance), 800-998-1000 (customer
    service), 405-742-6622 (automated tech support), 405-742-6655
    (tech support)
Fax: [phone]
BBS: 405-742-6660
e-mail: [e-mail]
Type: FM synthesis
Chipset: Proprietary (?), Yamaha OPL2 or OPL3
Street price: $60-$150+
OS/2 Drivers: Available
CD-ROM: Variable; depends on specific model
Drivers from: OS/2 box, OS/2 ftp, ftp.creaf.com, BBS
Comments: These are well-supported under OS/2, and are "the" standard
 for DOS games.  Some SB clones may not work with the OS/2 drivers,
 though.  These are well-supported but uninspired cards by today's
 standards.  I was having assorted minor problems with an 8-bit
 SoundBlaster, which was my main reason for upgrading, but most people
 report few or no problems with these cards.  If you have problems
 getting sound from Windows to work, try the latest Windows driver
 for your model from ftp.creaf.com or the Creative Labs BBS.  One
 report indicates that updated drivers may be released in the August-
 to-November (1995) time frame.  Beta versions of these drivers are
 now reportedly available, and apparently include useful new features,
 but they are BETA, and so should not be considered stable.  Check the
 ftp site if you want to try them.

Creative Labs SoundBlaster AWE32/AWE32 Value Edition:
-----------------------------------------------------
Phone: [phone] (customer assistance), 800-998-1000 (customer
    service), 405-742-6622 (automated tech support), 405-742-6655
    (tech support)
Fax: [phone]
BBS: 405-742-6660
e-mail: [e-mail]
Type: Wavetable
Chipset: E-mu 8000, Yamaha OPL3
CD-ROM: Proprietary (Sony, Panasonic, Mitsumi)
Street price: ~$200-$300
OS/2 Drivers: Available
Drivers from: OS/2 box, OS/2 ftp, ftp.creaf.com, BBS
Comments: Similar comments as for the SB FM synthesis boards.  I saw
 one post which indicated that MIDI sounds played from OS/2 result
 in both a wavetable and an FM synthesis implementation, though,
 which would be annoying at best.  Another post indicates that MIDI
 files are played with FM synthesis only.  Still others say that MIDI
 playback uses the wavetable features only.  Windows sound reportedly
 will only work after installing the latest Windows drivers from the
 Creative Labs ftp site.  Note that this board does NOT use an MPU-401
 interface in hardware for wavetable support, unlike most wavetable
 boards.  One report has it that updated OS/2 drivers may become
 available in the August-November (1995) range.  Beta versions of
 these drivers are reportedly available now, and add new features;
 but as they are BETA drivers, caution is advisable.  The Value Edition
 version of this board is discontinued, replaced by the SB32 board,
 which uses a Vibra-16 chip.  The new "Plug-and-Play" version of the
 AWE32/SB32 reportedly does not work with OS/2, so be cautious with
 this.  I've also seen reports that the DOS General MIDI support for
 this board doesn't work under OS/2, so if you've got DOS games or
 programs which rely upon this, you might want to look elsewhere.

Creative Labs Vibra16-based boards:
-----------------------------------
Phone: [phone] (customer assistance), 800-998-1000 (customer
    service), 405-742-6622 (automated tech support), 405-742-6655
    (tech support); 800-955-5295 (Reply, Inc.)
Fax: [phone]
BBS: 405-742-6660
e-mail: [e-mail]
Type: Varies; Phone Blaster is FM Synthesis; SB32 is wavetable
Chipset: Vibra 16; Rockwell (for modem on Phone Blaster); (& others
     [varies])
CD-ROM: Varies (CL boards have IDE interface)
Street price: Varies; ~$200 for Phone Blaster; ~$160 for SB 32; different
       for other boards
OS/2 Drivers: Available
Drivers from: ftp.creaf.com, BBS
Comments: The Vibra 16 is a relatively new chipset designed by Creative
 Technology and used in both Creative Labs' own Phone Blaster and Sound
 Blaster 32 boards and in various third-party ("OEM") boards.  These
 boards reportedly often work with OS/2's SoundBlaster 16 drivers, but
 work better with the new Vibra 16 drivers from Creative's ftp site or
 BBS.  The fax and voice-mail software for the Phone Blaster is written
 for Windows, and Creative Labs says they do NOT support it under OS/2,
 so caveat emptor in this respect.  They say the modem features work
 fine under OS/2, however.  Some respondents (but not Creative's tech
 support) hinted that Creative is moving to the Vibra 16 for all their
 boards, but I've no timetable on this switch, if it's real.  A
 Microchannel board based on this chipset is available from a company
 called Reply (phone number above).  Essentially, the Vibra-16 is a
 chipset (chip?) which replaces several chips in the original SB series
 boards with one chip.  As such, these boards should be very compatible
 with the original SoundBlaster series boards.

Ensoniq Soundscape/Soundscape Elite:
------------------------------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: 610-647-3195
e-mail: [e-mail], [e-mail], and
    [e-mail]
Type: Wavetable
Chipset: Ensoniq OTTO
CD-ROM: Proprietary (Sony, Panasonic, Mitsumi)
Street price: $150-$200
OS/2 Drivers: Available, but limited
Drivers from: ftp.ensoniq.com
Comments: According to both Ensoniq tech support and one respondant,
 OS/2 drivers exist but DOS/Windows access is tricky and unreliable.
 Drivers also don't yet support wavetable features from OS/2.  New
 drivers have been promised for a long time, but recent posts indicate
 that Ensoniq has put this on a VERY low-priority status.  Another
 recent post suggests that Ensoniq is promising full OS/2 support by
 the end of 1995.  Wavetable quality is reputed to be good from native
 DOS/Windows.

IBM Mwave-based boards:
-----------------------
Phone: [phone] (miro, USA); 44-71-8310467 (miro, UK)
Fax-back: 800-426-4329 (IBM; option 2, document 2006); 415-855-9494 (miro)
Fax: [phone] (IBM), 415-855-0940 (miro)
BBS: 919-517-0001 (IBM), 415-855-9944 (miro)
e-mail: [e-mail] (miro)
web: http://watson.mbb.sfu.ca
Type: Wavetable
Chipset: IBM Mwave
CD-ROM: IBM: Proprietary (Sony, Panasonic); miro: Proprietary (Mitsumi,
    Sony), IDE; others: varies
* Street price: ~$300 for full function boards; ~$200 for audio-only (no
*        modem/fax/voicemail) boards
OS/2 Drivers: Available for some models
Drivers from: Board manufacturer -- usually in the box; ftp.pcco.ibm.com,
       /pub/os2_apps, /pub/mobiles (various files)
* Comments: There are two lines of Mwave chips: the 1000 series and the
*  2000 series, the latter being more powerful.  Many Mwave boards can
*  function as modems, faxes, and voicemail systems as well as serving
*  as wavetable sound cards.  These boards store their wavetable samples
*  on disk and use DSP code loaded from disk, so there are delays when
*  starting a new function; but this design gives unusual flexibility and
*  the capacity for software-only upgrades of the board's features.  Most
*  modem-capable Mwave boards currently or soon will have 28,800 bps
*  (v.34) speed.  The miroCONNECT 34 wave and IBM Multimedia Modem boards
*  are the ones with the best OS/2 support; the popular Spectrum Office
*  F/X, which is physically identical to the IBM board, comes with no
*  OS/2 drivers.  IBM also offers a sound-only Mwave board which,
*  physically, lacks telephone connectors, but which comes with OS/2
*  drivers.  The miro's 7/95 drivers present many installation pitfalls
*  and cause problems with Galactic Civilizations, but otherwise work
*  well.  I had no luck getting the miro's included Windows voicemail
*  software to work under OS/2, but I've received a message from somebody
*  who has gotten it working under "blue spine" Warp; e-mail me for
*  details.  The Windows voicemail software that comes with IBM's board
*  reportedly works well from OS/2.  Rumor has it that IBM is developing
*  a native OS/2 voicemail program for Mwave, but I don't know when it
*  will become available or under what conditions.  IBM also has some
*  voice-control software for OS/2 and Mwave, but I don't have availability
*  information on this, except that this and other goodies come with
*  certain Aptiva models.  There should be no problems using native OS/2
*  modem and fax applications with these boards.  Of the miro and IBM, I'd
*  have to recommend the IBM because of fewer problems with the included
*  Windows voicemail software and likelihood of better technical support and
*  updates (miro has been less than perfectly responsive to my queries).
*  The IBM board is hard to find, though; IBM PC Direct is probably the best
*  way to get ahold of one.

Logitech SoundMan Wave:
-----------------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: ?
e-mail: [e-mail] (Dave Jennings)
Type: Wavetable
Chipset: MediaVision Jazz 16, Yamaha OPL4
CD-ROM: SCSI
Street price: ~$100
OS/2 Drivers: shareware, but limited
Drivers from: OS/2 ftp, ftp.digital.com in /pub/micro/OS2/smwdd021.zip
Comments: Tech support says no OS/2 drivers exist, and don't count on
 them in the future, but that the board should work with SoundBlaster
 drivers.  Dave Jennings has written shareware drivers, but they don't
 support the board's wavetable features, and I don't know how well DOS
 and Windows programs are supported with these drivers.  Dave says he's
 not planning further development of his drivers, unfortunately, citing
 technical difficulties getting adequate timing from OS/2.

Mediatrix Audiotrix Pro:
------------------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: ?
e-mail: ?
Type: Wavetable
Chipset: CS4231, Yamaha OPL4
CD-ROM: optional: proprietary (Sony, Panasonic, Mitsumi, Philips)
Street price: ~$225 (?)
OS/2 Drivers: Available, but limited
Drivers from: ?
Comments: This board is well-respected for its sound quality, and I gather
 that OS/2 driver development is proceeding.  The current OS/2 drivers
 are reputed to support everything but OS/2 MIDI (wavetable).

MediaVision Jazz:
-----------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: ?
e-mail: ?
web: http://www.mediavis.com/support/opro3d.htm
Type: FM synthesis
Chipset: MediaVision Jazz 16 (I assume)
CD-ROM: ?
Street price: ?
OS/2 Drivers: Available, but possibly unreliable
Drivers from: OS/2 box
Comments: This is a relatively recent board from MediaVision, and OS/2
 drivers are available with OS/2; however, I've seen some reports that
 these drivers may be difficult to get working correctly, especially
 with DOS/Windows support.  One person reports that volume control
 doesn't work and that "some hardware configurations fail."  Other
 reports indicate no such problems.  MediaVision has announced that it
 will no longer be developing or updating its OS/2 drivers (the drivers
 that come with OS/2 were apparently written by MediaVision).

MediaVision ProAudio Spectrum/ProAudio Studio:
----------------------------------------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: ?
e-mail: ?
web: http://www.mediavis.com/support/opro3d.htm
Type: FM synthesis
Chipset: ?
CD-ROM: Variable; depends on specific board.
* Street price: Discontinued
OS/2 Drivers: Available
Drivers from: OS/2 box
Comments: Discontinued.  Allows simultaneous use of sound from OS/2 and
 Windows programs, if you can get this feature working (it's frustrated
 a lot of people).  The PROMIX/2 program is reputed to help get this
 card working correctly.  Loading the DOS driver for the card in OS/2's
*  CONFIG.SYS is also reported to help.  There's also a file called
*  PASSETUP.DOC available from various sources (it's listed on my March,
*  1995 Hobbes CD-ROM, but not on the latest index files I have from
*  ftp-os2.nmsu.edu or ftp-os2.cdrom.com).

Mediavision Pro 3-D:
--------------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: ?
e-mail: ?
web: http://www.mediavis.com/support/opro3d.htm
Type: Wavetable
Chipset: MediaVision MVD1216, Korg wavetable, Yamaha OPL3
CD-ROM: SCSI
Street price: ?
OS/2 Drivers: Unavailable, but may work with Jazz drivers
Drivers from: --
Comments: Obviously, I know very little about this board, but it's from
 a Big Name, so I thought I should mention it.  ;-)  I have heard that
 MediaVision has formally announced that they are NOT working on OS/2
 drivers.  The board reportedly works ("barely") with the Jazz drivers
 included with OS/2.

MEI Premium 16a/i and WaveTable:
--------------------------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: --
e-mail: --
Type: FM synthesis and wavetable, respectively
Chipset: Aztech AZT2316A (?), ICS Wavefront (for WaveTable only), Yamaha OPL3
CD-ROM: IDE, proprietary (Sony, Panasonic, Mitsumi, Aztech)
Street price: $68 and $106, respectively
OS/2 Drivers: Mentioned for 16a/i; not mentioned for WaveTable
Drivers from: OS/2 box, ftp.aimnet.com, /pub/users/aztech
Comments: These are Aztech boards without the Aztech name, and as such,
 the comments and cautions for the Aztech boards apply to these.  MEI
 primarily sells computer supplies, books, and CD-ROMs.

OPTi 928/929 (MAD16?):
----------------------
Phone: [phone] (unknown precisely what each is; one or
    both may be fax numbers); 800-398-6784
Fax: ?
BBS: 408-486-8555
e-mail: ?
Type: FM synthesis/wavetable
Chipset: CS4248, OPTi 928/929
CD-ROM: IDE, proprietary (Sony, Panasonic, Mitsumi)
* Street price: ~$50 for non-wavetable [at a trade show]; ? for wavetable
OS/2 Drivers: Available, limited for wavetable
Drivers from: BBS, OS/2 ftp: 929_v2.zip or opti928.zip
Comments: As near as I've figured out, OPTi sells a sound board design
 to other companies, and may sell this design themselves under the
 "MAD16" name.  The Reveal SC400 rev. 4G and SC500 boards are based on
 this design, as is the card included with Diamond's MMK4000 package
 and boards from other manufacturers, including MediaMagic.  The
 929_v2.zip (aka opti928.zip) driver is a version 2.0 driver which adds
 official support for Windows sound and which activates the 929 board's
 MPU-401 port, officially for use with Windows; but one report has it
 that IBM's beta-level MPU-401 driver works with this feature.  Another
 report indicates that this feature is automatically enabled for
 Windows even on OPTi 928-based systems, which don't support it.  This
 can be defeated by editing Windows .INI files; send e-mail to
 [e-mail] for details.  At least some specific versions of
 these boards work well with OS/2, though wavetable sound can as yet
 only be obtained with the beta-level MPU-401 driver.  The 929_v2.zip
 drivers include Windows drivers which "talk to" the OS/2 drivers, thus
 allowing OS/2 sounds even when running Windows programs, so long as
 those Windows programs aren't actually playing sounds.  In practice,
 there may be delays of several seconds if an attempt to play from both
 environments occurs, however.  I've received one report that, in order
 to use the board's CD-ROM interface, a base address of H340 must be
*  specified on the CD-ROM driver line, and another report that H320 is
*  the "magic" address, so users may need to fiddle with this.

Orchid SoundWave 32:
--------------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: ?
e-mail: ?
Type: wavetable
* Chipset: Analog Devices DSP-2115
CD-ROM: SCSI, proprietary (Mitsumi)
Street price: ~$200-$300
OS/2 Drivers: beta-level SB initializer with OS/2 SB drivers
Drivers from: ftp://cr1.see.plym.ac.uk/pub/orchid
Comments: I know relatively little about this board, but Orchid is
 reportedly working on improving its OS/2 support.  The above ftp
 site reportedly contains drivers which enable the board's Sound-
 Blaster emulation under OS/2, allowing the user to use OS/2's
 SoundBlaster drivers.  I don't know what happens with wavetable
 sound using this option.

Reveal SC400 ("SoundFX"), rev. 2:
---------------------------------
Phone: [phone] (customer service), 800-535-0339 (orders), 818-704-6300
Fax: [phone]
BBS: 818-713-8188
e-mail: [e-mail]
web: http://www.reveal.com
Type: FM synthesis
Chipset: Aztech (?)
CD-ROM: ?
Street price: Discontinued (?)
OS/2 Drivers: Available, but may be unreliable
Drivers from: BBS, OS/2 ftp: revsc4r2.zip; ftp.aimnet.com, /pub/users/aztech,
       ftp.reveal.com
Comments: This board appears to be a close cousin or identical to an
 Aztech design.  I've received conflicting reports on whether the
 revsc4r2.zip driver works correctly (the readme indicates that it's
 a beta-level driver for OS/2 2.1).  The Aztech ftp site includes
 a variety of drivers, some of which may be a better bet (see above,
 under the Aztech boards).

Reveal SC400 ("SoundFX"), rev. 3:
---------------------------------
Phone: [phone] (customer service), 800-535-0339 (orders), 818-704-6300
Fax: [phone]
BBS: 818-713-8188
e-mail: [e-mail]
web: http://www.reveal.com
Type: FM synthesis
Chipset: Aztech (?)
CD-ROM: ?
Street price: Discontinued (?)
OS/2 Drivers: Uses Aztech NOVA 16 drivers, but unknown reliability
Drivers from: OS/2 box
Comments: The OS/2 ftp sites and the Reveal BBS and ftp site have a text
 file describing how to set up the board for use with the Aztech NOVA
 16 drivers included with Warp.  One net report indicates that the Sony
 CD-ROM drive which is sometimes bundled with this board doesn't work
 under OS/2.

Reveal SC400 ("SoundFX"), rev. 4a:
----------------------------------
Phone: [phone] (customer service), 800-535-0339 (orders), 818-704-6300
Fax: [phone]
BBS: 818-713-8188
e-mail: [e-mail]
web: http://www.reveal.com
Type: FM synthesis
Chipset: Aztech (???)
CD-ROM: IDE (?), proprietary (???)
Street price: Discontinued (?)
OS/2 Drivers: Available, but unknown reliability
Drivers from: BBS, ftp.reveal.com, OS/2 ftp: revsc4r4a.zip
Comments: Drivers for this board look suspiciously Aztech-like, but I know
 essentially nothing else about it.

Reveal SC400 ("SoundFX"), rev. 4g:
----------------------------------
Phone: [phone] (customer service), 800-535-0339 (orders), 818-704-6300
Fax: [phone]
BBS: 818-713-8188
e-mail: [e-mail]
web: http://www.reveal.com
Type: FM synthesis
Chipset: CS4248 (??), OPTi 928 (?), OPL3 (??)
CD-ROM: IDE, proprietary (Sony, Panasonic, Mitsumi)
Street price: ~$70
OS/2 Drivers: Available
Drivers from: BBS, ftp.reveal.com, OS/2 ftp: 929_v2.zip or opti928.zip
Comments: This is based on the OPTi 928 design; see above.  These boards
 are sold mainly through CompUSA, Sears, Best Buy, and other local
 stores, as well as by mail order direct from Reveal.

Reveal SC500 ("SoundFX Wave"):
------------------------------
Phone: [phone] (customer service), 800-535-0339 (orders), 818-704-6300
Fax: [phone]
BBS: 818-713-8188
e-mail: [e-mail]
web: http://www.reveal.com
Type: Wavetable
Chipset: CS4248, OPTi 929, OPL3 (??)
CD-ROM: IDE, proprietary (Sony, Panasonic, Mitsumi)
Street price: ~$130
OS/2 Drivers: Available, but limited
Drivers from: BBS, ftp.reveal.com, OS/2 ftp: 929_v2.zip or opti928.zip
Comments: This is an OPTi 929-based board; see above.  These boards are
 sold mainly through CompUSA, Sears, Best Buy, and other local stores,
 as well as by mail order direct from Reveal.

Reveal SC600 ("SoundFX Wave 32"):
---------------------------------
Phone: [phone] (customer service), 800-535-0339 (orders), 818-704-6300
Fax: [phone]
BBS: 818-713-8188
e-mail: [e-mail]
web: http://www.reveal.com
Type: Wavetable
Chipset: Ensoniq OTTO
CD-ROM: ?
Street price: ~$200 (Now discontinued)
OS/2 Drivers: Uses Ensoniq Soundscape drivers (?); available but limited
Drivers from: ftp.ensoniq.com (?)
Comments: An announcement on the Reveal BBS confirms that this board has
 been discontinued, and that Reveal has no plans to develop drivers for
 it.  As of mid-April, my local Sears store had it in stock but not the
 SC500.  The brochures from Reveal say that it uses "Soundscape technology
 from Ensoniq," and the board does apparently use Ensoniq drivers, at least
 under DOS/Windows.  I can't confirm that the same is true under OS/2.

Turtle Beach (various boards):
------------------------------
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
BBS: ?
e-mail: [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]
Type: Wavetable or FM synthesis
Chipset: Variable (proprietary, CS4231, ICS WaveFront, Yamaha OPL3)
CD-ROM: Varies depending upon model
Street price: ~$100-$200+
OS/2 Drivers: Anybody's guess
Drivers from: ftp.tbeach.com, /pub/tbeach/os2
Comments: Turtle Beach recently put some "generic" drivers on their
 ftp site which reportedly work with the Monte Carlo and Tropez, but
 reports are that these drivers are VERY minimal.  The Tropez board
 will reportedly work for digital files (not MIDI) using the OS/2 Warp
 Business Audio AD1848 driver.  Another post indicates that the Tropez
 will work with the Compaq audio driver included with OS/2, but again,
 only for digital audio (no MIDI support).  Another post indicates
 limited success with the Monte Carlo using the drivers for the Reveal
 SC400 rev. 4G (OPTi 928).  This same person indicated that his board
 bears a stencil of "revision 4G," suggesting the two may be one and
 the same hardware.  A more recent post indicates that the Monte Carlo
*  works very well with the 929_v2.zip drivers (see the OPTi boards
 section for details).  Most recently, [e-mail] posted an offer
 to write Tropez drivers if he were given a Tropez and development kit,
 and [e-mail] is apparently organizing a campaign to collect
 donations to make this purchase; e-mail him for more information.

            PURCHASE RECOMMENDATIONS
            ------------------------

Which board should you buy?  It depends upon your needs.  Different
people have different wants in a sound board, and I've tried to lay out
some common scenarios below.  Note that some boards appear in more than
one category.  Also keep in mind that I've personal experience with a
SoundBlaster 8-bit, a Reveal SC500, and a miroCONNECT 34 wave, so I'm
most confident about placement of these boards.

Cheap sound:
 SoundBlaster 8-bit (e.g., 8-bit "Value Edition") -- provide
  adequate .WAV file playback and tolerable FM synthesis for system
  sounds and non-critical game use.  They're also THE standard for
  DOS games.  I experienced a number of minor system problems with
  my 8-bit SB board, though others haven't reported this.  These
  also aren't easily upgraded, and won't play back 16-bit .WAV
  files (but most files on ftp sites and whatnot, as well as most
  games, are 8-bit, so this isn't usually a major problem).
*  OPTi 928-based -- at about $50-$70 street price, these provide
  16-bit .WAV playback and better FM synthesis than an 8-bit SB
  board, for a small increase in price.  OS/2 drivers should be
  adequate.  These cards also have a wavetable upgrade option,
  though I gather it's not well-documented, and I don't know how
*   well it works from OS/2.  The Reveal SC400 rev. 4G is one such
*   board, but its street price in stores is higher than that of
*   similar boards at computer swap meets.
 Prometheus Aria-16 -- if you can find one, these boards reportedly
  go for about $80, which is as cheap as I've heard for wavetable
  boards.  OS/2 drivers should be adequate, though I've seen a
  number of desparaging comments about the board's sound quality
  on the net (but this may have been from "sound snobs," so take
  it with a grain of salt if you've modest needs in this respect
  but still want something a cut above FM synthesis for MIDI files).

Upgrading from 16-bit FM synthesis to wavetable:
 Assorted manufacturers, including Roland, Creative Labs, Aztech,
  Turtle Beach, and others, make wavetable "daughtercards" to
  upgrade many 16-bit FM synthesis boards to wavetable.  Check
  your existing card's manual to see if it supports this.  I
  gather that Roland makes some of the best-sounding of these
  boards, but I don't have the details.  The latest SoundBlaster
  drivers include an option ("/EXT" appended to the driver's
  CONFIG.SYS line) to reliably force use of the daughtercard.
  I can make no guarantees about support from other cards.
 MPU-401 standalone cards are an option *IF* you've got access to
  IBM's MPU-401 driver, but as most people don't, this isn't a good
  "mainstream" option.

Solid 16-bit .WAV and FM synthesis:
 Creative Labs SoundBlaster series -- various boards of different
  design ages and with different CD-ROM options exist.  All have
  good OS/2 support, and should provide superior DOS games
  compatibility.
*  OPTi 928 (e.g., Reveal SC400 rev. 4g) -- a bit less expensive than
  the CL boards, with drivers from the manufacturer rather than in
  the OS/2 box, and less in the way of guaranteed compatibility.

Solid OS/2 wavetable support:
 Creative Labs SoundBlaster AWE series -- there are net reports of
  problems, but others of success, so I suspect there may be some
  configuration tricks or pitfalls.  Otherwise, should work fine
  and provide superior compatibility when running DOS games.  I
  recommend against the new "Plug-and-Play" version of this board,
  though, as I've seen a couple of reports that it doesn't work
  with OS/2.
 Prometheus Aria16 or other Aria boards -- the fact that wavetable-
  enabled OS/2 drivers EXIST for these boards put them on the list
  for this heading.  May be difficult to find, though.
 IBM Mwave-based boards -- my testing with the miro suggests that
  wavetable performance is OK overall.  There's a pause whenever
  playing a new MIDI file, and an occasional minor timing glitch.
  Sound quality is improved if you modify the MWAVE.INI file to
  point to the large wavetable samples installed with Windows
  support rather than the default medium wavetable samples that
  may be installed with OS/2 support.
 SoundBlaster 16 with wavetable option and separate wavetable daughter
  card -- although this entails two purchases, it should provide
  reliable wavetable sound from OS/2 if you use the latest drivers
  from Creative Labs and the "/EXT" CONFIG.SYS driver option to
  force use of the daughter card.  This should work fine with any
  brand of daughter card, but be cautious in trying different "base"
  cards, as they might require different drivers that might not
  support daughter cards as well, if at all.
 MPU-401 boards -- *IF* you've got access to the beta-level IBM
  MPU-401 driver, any board with solid MPU-401 capability should
  work fine, but many boards require initialization of their
  MPU-401 ports, and so may not work correctly under OS/2.

Solid Win-OS/2 support:
 Any Creative Labs product -- some will require that you download
  new Windows drivers from ftp.creaf.com, but all can be made to
  work adequately, at least for most people (there are a few
  holdout reports of problems, but given the installed base, this
  may be understandable).
 Mwave boards -- aside from the incompatible Windows voicemail
  software, the performance of my miro board was exemplary for
  Win-OS/2 use, once installed (it required installation of the
  Windows drivers under native DOS/Windows).
 Reveal SC500/OPTi 929 -- The latest (opti928.zip) drivers for these
  boards gives full Win-OS/2 support, though this may require
  initially installing drivers from DOS/Windows.  OS/2 support is
  also good *IF* you've got access to IBM's beta MPU-401 drivers,
  otherwise you'll be missing wavetable sound in OS/2.
 Other boards -- this isn't exactly my area of greatest interest
  or expertise, so I'm probably overlooking boards that work
  well under Win-OS/2 but not-so-well for native OS/2 support.
  For the miro and Reveal, which I've tested, I've also not tested
  much or any under DOS/Windows once OS/2 support was installed,
  so this is an unknown.

Simultaneous OS/2 and Win-OS/2 use:
 MediaVision ProAudio series -- if you can find one, these offer
  two sound boards in one, and can in theory be used from both
  OS/2 and Windows programs simultaneously, though I've seen a
  lot of problems posted about such setups.  FM synthesis only.
*  Mwave boards -- these wavetable boards offers the best solution to
*   simultaneous OS/2 and Windows program use, and often include modem
*   features, too.  They can run out of DSP resources, though, if you
*   try to do lots with them (like play a MIDI file and use the modem
*   simultaneously, at least at high modem speeds and MIDI quality).
 Reveal SC400 rev. 4g/SC500 (OPTi 928/929) -- The latest drivers
  put this board BARELY within this category, as they allow OS/2
  sound when running Windows programs, so long as the Windows
  programs aren't actually playing a sound when the OS/2 sound
  request goes in.

Superior wavetable sound quality:
 Check on the various soundcards newsgroups for recommendations; I
  don't have enough experience with these boards to make a judgment
  about where each falls, though the miroCONNECT is worse than the
  Reveal SC500 when using the medium samples but a bit better when
  using the large samples.  Chances are that a Roland or other
  high-end dedicated MPU-401 board will provide the best quality,
  in conjunction with the beta-level MPU-401 driver from IBM, if
  you can get ahold of that driver.  Turtle Beach products are
  also reputed to get good sound, as is the Mediatrix board; but
  neither currently has OS/2 wavetable drivers.  Some wavetable
  daughter cards from Roland, Turtle Beach, and others also have
  good reputations in this respect, so a SoundBlaster + daughter
  card combination may be worth considering here.

Multifunction support (sound/modem/fax/voicemail):
 Creative Labs PhoneBlaster -- this is the only FM synthesis board
  with modem functions which I know has OS/2 drivers.  Be aware
  that the voicemail functions aren't guaranteed to work under
  OS/2, though.
 IBM Multimedia Modem -- this would be my wavetable board of choice
  with these features, if I had to buy just one board.  Supports
  up to 14,400 bps (v.32bis) at the moment, with 28,800 bps (v.34)
*   support currently in beta.  Windows voicemail software reportedly
*   works under OS/2, with native OS/2 software under development.
 miroCONNECT 34 wave -- Similar to the IBM Multimedia Modem in
  principle, but with different software.  Supports up to 28,800
  bps (v.34) right now, but that seems to be the beta driver.  The
  fax/voicemail software provided is difficult to get running under
  OS/2.  MIDI functions are unavailable when the modem is in use.
 Separate boards -- Because the Mwave boards use a multifunction
  processor, that processor can be overwhelmed if you try to do too
  much with it, so if you want to use lots of functions at once,
  separate fax/modem/voicemail and sound boards may offer a better
  solution.  Be aware, too, that an integrated board will save you
  a slot if you'd otherwise use an internal modem, but will NOT save
  you IRQs, etc.; the miro board, for instance, takes FOUR IRQs for
  full functionality.

Microchannel (MCA) boards:
 Reply board -- I know virtually nothing about this, other than that
  it's based upon the Vibra-16 chip (see that section for contact
  information).  I gather this is an FM synthesis board, and it
  should work with OS/2's SoundBlaster drivers, or better with the
  Vibra-16 drivers available from ftp.creaf.com.
 ChipChat 16 and 32 -- These are FM synthesis and wavetable Sound-
  Blaster clones for MCA.  I know little about them except that
  they exist, so I suggest proceeding with caution, especially if
  you require wavetable sound.
 IBM Multimedia Modem for MCA -- IBM makes both ISA and MCA versions
  of its Multimedia Modem, so this is a good choice for a higher-
  end sound board than the Reply one, with modem features thrown
  in.

Also-rans:
 Advanced Gravis UltraSound series -- the Manley drivers support most,
  but not quite all, of the board's features, so this one doesn't
  quite make the grade yet.  Gravis's lackluster OS/2 support also
  doesn't help this board any.
 Ensoniq SoundScape -- currently OS/2 .WAV drivers exist, but major
  problems have been reported with DOS/Windows compatibility, so
  I'd recommend avoiding this board, as well as the similar (but
  discontinued) Reveal SC600 ("SoundFX Wave 32").
 Logitech SoundMan Wave -- shareware OS/2 drivers exist, but they
  don't yet support wavetable features in OS/2, and at last report,
  the author had no intention of adding this support.
 Mediatrix Audiotrix Pro -- Mediatrix reportedly has OS/2 drivers,
  but they don't yet support wavetable under OS/2.  I don't know if
  IBM's beta MPU-401 driver works with this board; if so, it might
  be a good choice for good wavetable sound if you've got access to
  that driver.
 Orchid SoundWave -- Orchid has recently released drivers that enable
  the board's SoundBlaster mode under OS/2, which provides for some
  support; but I don't know if wavetable features are active in this
  mode, how well the board works like this, or how soon updates and
  improvements (if necessary) will be made available.
 Reveal SC500/OPTi 929 (MAD16) -- similar comments as to the Mediatrix
  board, with the exception that the latest 929_v2.zip drivers do
  enable the board's MPU-401 port, and IBM's MPU-401 drivers do
  reportedly work with this option enabled.  This one will move to
  the "solid OS/2 wavetable support" heading as soon as the MPU-401
  drivers are officially released, short of a major bug being found.
 Most Turtle Beach boards -- although the Tropez and Monte Carlo have
  been made to work, at least partially, with the 929_v2.zip drivers,
  other TB products have no OS/2 support at present, and should be
  avoided.

Avoid if at all possible:
 Aztech boards -- these have a history of flakey OS/2 drivers and
  poor DOS games compatibility.  Some people have reported their
  Aztech boards working reliably under OS/2, but the overall history
  doesn't inspire confidence.
 MediaVision Jazz 16 -- I've seen too many reports of problems with
  these boards to be


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. y ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online
by Gary Schrock([e-mail])

Oct 20, 1995  Version 2.1j

ADMINISTRIVIA:

This version of the list covers OS/2 version 2.1, 2.11, and Warp.

The HTML version is finally complete!  Check it out at http://eyelab.msu.edu/os2games/

I'd also appreciate if if you check out the new format for the indexes I'm
experimenting with in the What's New section of the Web version of the list.
You'll need an HTML 3 capable browser to view it (it uses tables), but if you
have one, check out http://eyelab.msu.edu/os2games/whats_new3.html
and let me know what you think.

This list is really starting to get large, so if anyone has any suggestions for
ways to format it so it's easier to find stuff, let me know.

For those of you that want to join the mailing list to receive updates of this
file, please read the Where to Get Updates section.

I now have a computer again at home, so I can actualy test things again.

Please also note that once again I'm using a different email address.  The old
one will still work, I'm just having everything forwarded to the new one since
it's easier to read from my dial-up, so hopefully I might be able to stay
caught up on email easier.  The new address is [e-mail].

My appologies for the fact that I don't always manage to reply to updates that
are mailed to me.  I really do appreciate you folx mailing them to me, and I'll
try to at least reply to them, but I don't always do so if
I'm falling behind. (I've currently got about 300 unread email messages from
various things (not all due to this list, but some are), so you can imagine
what it's like for me to try catching up to things.  BTW, emailing
me asking me where you can find certain games, or whether or not I know how to
get beyond certain puzzles in the various games doesn't help this matter.  In
general, I don't know the answers to either of these questions.

INTRODUCTION:

This file brings together in one place the information that you need to be able
to optimize the performance of your DOS based games.  Unfortunately, much of
the information still is incomplete, so your help would be greatly
appreciated.  If you happen to know how to get a game working that isn't
listed, or how to get one working that's listed as not working, or even if you
know that a specific game doesn't work under OS/2, please mail me
([e-mail]) so I can include the information.

If you are having problems getting a game to work, please feel free to contact
me ([e-mail]) and I'll do my best to help you out.  Thanks to
IBM I now have a copy of Warp.  I'll be making changes based on the differences
between settings available under 2.1 and Warp over the next week or so.

FUTURE PLANS FOR THE LIST:

A .INF version will probably only be made available if I find a tool to
automate most of the translation from HTML to INF.  Anyone have any ideas?

REPORTING CHANGES:

I'd really appreciate it if you would mail me any changes or additions to this
list.  Some of the things that would be appreciated when you do this are:

 -Your system setup (things like sound card, IRQ's).  This will help me
coordinate what works with what.
 -Please mail this information to [e-mail]

The recommended way to send me your settings is to go into the settings menu
and using the button to save the settings to a file, then drop that file into a
mail message to me.  Otherwise, just let me know what you changed
to get it to work.

For a base reference, my home system is (was :P):
 486dx2 66 w/16MB Ram
 Adaptec 1520 SCSI controller
 OS/2 Warp on a HPFS partition on a Seagate SCSI drive
 Cardex ET4000W32 w/2MB Ram (VLB card)
 Gravis Ultrasound Max, although most of my experiance with games under OS/2
 are from:
 SB Pro (IRQ 5, IO 220, DMA 1)
 Mitsumi Double Speed CDROM

WHERE TO GET UPDATES:

You can obtain the list from any of several ftp sites.  It is typically stored
on ftp-os2.nmsu.edu in the /os2/32bit/info directory.  This version is games21j.zip.

You can also get it off my distribution site for it, which is eyelab.msu.edu in /os2.

You can peruse the HTML version by pointing your web browser to
http://eyelab.msu.edu/people/gary/os2games/


Many thanks to the Michigan State University Psycholinguistics and Visual
Cognition Laboratory for letting me use their server to host this list.

I've also started a mailing list that I will send out updated versions of the
list on as they become available.  This mailing list won't echo things that
people send to it, it is only for the purpose of distributing
new versions of the list (so traffic will be light on it).  You can subscribe
by sending email to:
[e-mail] no subject "subscribe os2games" (without the quotes!)
in the body

I haven't set it up yet to send the current version on demand yet, but I'm
planning on doing this.

GENERAL TIPS (READ THIS FIRST!):

Read the README file in your OS/2 root directory.  Also, check the manual for
OS/2.  Both of these provide information for running some DOS and Windows apps
under OS/2.

Read the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games FAQ.  This is very important since it will tell
you about possible problems when running the game even under plain DOS.  If you
can't find a copy of the FAQ in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.announce,
email Jurgen Appelo, the keeper of the FAQ, but I don't have his email address
currently. Also, look to see if a game-specific FAQ is available.  Several
games have these (Wolf3d, Civ, DOOM).

If you have trouble installing the game under OS/2 and you are trying to
install the game on a FAT drive, boot up plain DOS (via dual boot or the Boot
Manager) and install it there.  Sometimes a game (or other app)
won't install for some reason under OS/2, but once installed they'll work fine
under OS/2.

If you experiance strange anomalies or incompatibilities of any kind
(especially with older games), try booting a real copy of DOS from a floppy
inside a VDM running under OS/2 and run the game in that DOS session. (See
VMDISK in the Command Reference online docs for details.) Some games that
require keydisks will only work this way.

The following are the recommended base settings for running games under OS/2.
If you have a game not listed in here, try these out and work from there to try
to get it running.

Dos Fullscreen:  Check this option;  Very few DOS games perform well in a
    window.
DOS_BACKGROUND_EXECUTION: OFF
 (so it won't take CPU time when you switch away from it, and
 so you don't die while it's running in the background)
DOS_HIGH: ON  (more memory for those games that need it)
DOS_RMSIZE: 640
DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT: 0  (most DOS games don't use DPMI memory) or
DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT: 16 (more and more recent game use an extender which uses DPMI)
EMS_MEMORY_LIMIT: 1024 (most games that use more than 640k use EMS
 memory.  If you're playing an earlier game, you might not need
 this.  Note also, many games may require more than this.  Check
 the box that it came in)
HW_ROM_TO_RAM: ON (copies ROM BIOS to RAM--several people have
 said that this improves performance on their machines)
HW_TIMER: ON  (very important, especially for games using soundcards)
IDLE_SECONDS: 10
IDLE_SENSITIVITY: 100 (very important)
INT_DURING_IO: ON
KBD_ALTHOME_BYPASS: ON  (although keep it off if you want to flip to
 windowed, such as to check walkthroughs, etc)
SESSION_PRIORITY: 32  (This setting is only available under Warp.  Note that
by raising the priority to 32 will have serious impact on anything running in
the background.)
VIDEO_FASTPASTE:  ON (some people say this helps)
VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION: OFF (leaving this on can cause some games
 to run far too fast, and other to run too slow)
VIDEO_ROM_EMULATION: OFF
XMS_MEMORY_LIMIT: 64  (needed for DOS=HIGH.  If the game supports
 XMS memory, naturally you should raise this)

For best performance close ALL windows and apps, especially other DOS apps,
before you run the game.  Leaving other apps open steals CPU time from the
game, thus slowing it down.  (Although it IS possible to do high speed
downloads while playing games, I don't recommend it)

Sometimes you just have to fiddle with the settings until it works well for
you, which is why this list is put together.



SOUND CARDS:

Sound cards are probably one of the leading causes of games not working under
OS/2.  The following are a couple of suggestions to help, but it's
unfortunately all to common for them to be the culprit.

Soundblaster cards:  Somebody at Creative Labs decided that IRQ 7 should be the
default.  If your computer has an LPT1: (it probably does), you need to change
the IRQ.  I recommend IRQ 5, although it may not be free depending on your
configuration.  Make sure you have the BLASTER environment variable set,
otherwise sounds might be cut off funny.  (I think more recently Creative Labs
realized that IRQ 7 was a bad choice and switched the default to 5).

Roland LAPC-1: the default IRQ2 and 330 base address work fine.  IRQ 2 is
automatically mapped to IRQ9 on 386 and 486 computers.

Pro Audio Spectrun-16: Make sure your IRQ's are set to something that is not
used.  Avoid 7,3,4 (I don't know what these cards can be set to).  IRQ 5,2, and
10 tend to be free.  You can load the PAS16's mvsound.sys by opening the DOS
settings box, and adding a line to the DOS_DEVICE bos, such as:

  c:\proaudio\mvsound.sys d:3 q:2

The path and the optional parameters will vary of course.

Gravis Ultrasound:  The utilities that Gravis provides like SBOS and MEGAEM
won't run under OS/2.  DO NOT even make an attempt to.  Recently I've seen some
reports that Gravis might rewrite them to allow them to work properly.  Also,
don't use the Gravis Alpha drivers if you want dos access under OS/2.  There
are also some shareware drivers available that give you some of the
functionality of the Gravis tools under Dos sessions, but you have to have an
external midi synthesizer.  Robert Manley (the author of these drivers) has
indicated in comp.os.os2.multimedia that we should be hearing an important
announcement concerning these drivers in the near future.


JOYSTICKS:

If you are running under Warp and are having problems with your joystick acting
funny while playing games, you might want to try downloading and installing
their Joystick driver.  I'll list the site for it when I find it (couldn't get
through to hobbes this evening).


DOS EXTENDERS:

Apparently there is sometimes a problem trying to run a game that uses a dos
extender from an icon on the desktop.  DOS4GW (A very popular extender being
used these days) is one of those that often causes trouble.  Basically this is
caused by the program having an odd fileheader that causes it not to be
recognized properly.  There are a couple of methods that you can use to get
around this problem.

If the program is one of the many using DOS4GW, in the settings notebook you
can set the program to DOS4GW.EXE and the parameters to the name of the
executable for the program.

Otherwise, you can set the program to be * (similar to the command line shell
windows) and the parameter to be: /C d:\path\game.exe.  Make sure you also set
the working dir to the proper path also.


WinG BASED GAMES:

Many reports have indicated that WinG will work under OS/2, although your
mileage may vary.  If you have the option, boot Dos up and install WinG under a
real Windows session.  It supposedly can be installed under full-screen
Win-Os/2 sessions if you don't have that option.

If you are having problems, it might be one of several things:
 -WinG doesn't like your video driver.  There's no real solution to this one,
unless there happens to be a new version of your driver available that it works with.
 -Try running it in a full-screen Win-OS/2 mode.  Your odds are better there.


SPECIFIC GAMES:

Start with the base settings that were listed above, making sure to set EMS,
XMS, and/or DPMI memory to what is specified for the game you are running.  The
idea here is to list as many of the games people are running as possible.  If
you are running a game, or having problems with one, PLEASE mail me so it can
be added to the list ([e-mail]).

A seperate section at the end of the list has been added to detail CD-ROM games
seperately.  If the game you are looking for is a CD-ROM game, you might want
to try looking there first.

Please note:  If a game is listed as 'runs fine,' then it was tested by either
the original maintainer of the list or by me (I do my best to specify which
this is).  'Reported to run fine' means that people on  the net have said that
it runs.

Most of the checking here was probably done under os/2 2.x.  I believe almost
all games that worked under it also work under Warp.  I will try to note games
where the only information I have applies to Warp.

ACES OF THE DEEP:
 -Apparently won't install under Warp.  The user didn't report if it would run
under OS/2 if installed under Dos.  Sierra was less than helpfull to the user
when told he was using OS/2.

ACES OF THE PACIFIC:
 -Several people have reported this game to run fine.
 -Also note, there is a patch you may need which increases the screen update
speed, so if the update speed is slow on your system you might want to try to
find it.

ACES OVER EUROPE:
 -The following modification to the default games settings have been recommended:
  DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT: DISABLED
 -Other than this change, the game is supposedly pretty easy to get running,
but will not run if set to enabled, and hangs when set to auto.

ADVENTURES OF WILLY BEAMISH:
 -Reported to run fine.

AIR WARRIOR:
 -Make sure you allocate enough DPMI memory (try at least 6, more if it still
gives a memory error).
 -If running from an object, use DOS4GW.EXE as the program and the name of the
program as the parameter (I don't know what it is).

ALADDIN:
 -A user reported having problems with the sound (it would periodically give
something that sounded like a shotgun). I've also heard rumours that a lot of
the Disney stuff has enough trouble running under Dos, let alone os/2.

ALONE IN THE DARK:
 -Reported to run fine.  Make sure you set DOS_UMB and HW_NOSOUND to off and
HW_TIMER to on for the best sound production.

ALPHABET BLOCKS:
 -Reported to run fine.

APBA BASEBALL FOR WINDOWS:
 -Reported to run fine in a full screen Win-OS/2 session ONLY.
 -It will NOT work in a seamless windows session.

ARCHON ULTRA:
 -I was unable to get this to run, but didn't spend much time on it. Anyone
else try it?

A-10 TANK KILLER:
 -Reported to run fine.

ATLANTIS:
 -Reported to run fine.

A-TRAIN:
 -Another user said that he used the Migrate Applications utility and was able
to get music, sound, color all working fairly well.
 -Reported to run with color if you add in the device section of the dos
settings box: c:\os2\mdos\ega.sys  (Warp might do this automatically now)

BARDS TALE:
 -Reported to run fine.

BATTLE CHESS:
 -Reported to run fine.

BENEATH A STEEL SKY:
 -Reported to work for a while, but crashes when moving from place to place.
 -One person suggested disabling the scrolling between scenes might help.

BETRAYAL AT KRONDOR:
 -Reported to lock up 10 minutes into the game.
 -Using the settings in the migration database with Warp it should work,
although the sound card might cause lock-up problems (which might be where the
note about that comes from).  It should run with PC Speaker or no sound with no trouble.

BIOFORGE:
 -Reported to generate a page fault (doesn't run).

BIO-MENACE (Apogee):
 -Reported to run fine in a real DOS VDM.
 -Start this game with the /LATCHPEL command line switch to reduce jerky graphics.
 -The following changes to the default settings for a DOS VDM were supplied by
a user:
    a.  Turn DOS_BACKGROUND_EXECUTION Off.
    b.  Turn DOS_HIGH On.  (This may or may not already be set
      - double check.)
    c.  Select DOS_STARTUP_DRIVE, and enter C:\VMB\DOS.IMG in the
      "Value" field.
    d.  Turn DOS_UMB Off.
    e.  Set DPMI_DOS_API to DISABLED.
    f.  Set DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT to Zero (0).
    g.  Set DPMI_NETWORK_BUFF_SIZE to One (1).
    h.  Set EMS_FRAME_LOCATION to NONE.
    i.  Set EMS_HIGH_OS_MAP_REGION to Zero (0).
    j.  Set EMS_MEMORY_LIMIT to Zero (0).
    k.  Turn HW_ROM_TO_RAM Off.
    l.  Turn HW_TIMER On.
    m.  Set IDLE_SECONDS to 60.
    n.  Set IDLE_SENSITIVITY to 100.
    o.  Turn INT_DURING_IO Off.
    p.  Turn KBD_BUFFER_EXTEND Off.
    q.  Turn VIDEO_ONDEMAND_MEMORY Off.
    r.  Turn VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION Off.
    s.  Turn VIDEO_ROM_EMULATION Off.
    t.  Turn VIDEO_SWITCH_NOTIFICATION Off.
    u.  Turn VIDEO_8514_XGA_IOTRAP Off.
    u.  Set XMS_MEMORY_LIMIT to 2048.

BLAKE STONE:
 -Reported to work fine using the /noxms switch.

BREACH 2:
 -One person has reported that he couldn't get the mouse to work, so he had to
use the keyboard instead.

CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN 3D:
 -This game can be real picky.  Do not switch away from a session running this
game, because it won't restore the
  screen right.
 -If you have a SoundBlaster and your sounds are getting cut off, check to make
sure you are defining the BLASTER environment variable properly.
 -I was able to get the registered version to run fine, but the shareware one
occaisionally would pause when I picked something up or got hit.
 -If you can't get the game to start up due to a conflict with LPT2, try
starting the game with the /noss (undocumented parameter). (From Shawn Green, [e-mail])

CHESSMASTER 3000:
 -Reported to work fine.

CHESSMASTER 4000:
 -Reported to work fine.

CHUCK YEAGER'S AIR COMBAT:
 -One user made the suggestion that when you are using the PC speaker for sound
to start the game and allow it to go through the intro.  Then do a test flight
and hit a ^S to kill the sound. This stops the sound for future sessions.  If
you want digitized speech thereafter, you can turn it on during flights, but
make sure you turn it off before finishing a mission.

CIVILIZATION:
 -Get the most recent version of the game.  I believe this is now version 5.
 -Always use fullscreen mode.  (Tend to get divide by 0 errors if you try
running it in a window)
 -Some people have had problems with running it in Adlib/Soundblaster where the
game runs slow.  A possible solution is to start the game in PC SPEAKER mode,
quit, and run it again during the same DOS session with the Adlib/SoundBlaster
Support enabled.  This might fix that problem.  (Note: I never had this problem
with my SoundBlaster Pro)
 -A possible solution to the divide by 0 errors is to turn COM_HOLD to ON.  I
don't know that this works.  Run it in fullscreen mode, that works, and
windowed the game runs far too slow.
 -One suggestion for running under Warp:  before starting the game turn on
HW_TIMER.  When it gets to the point it's creating the world, turn it off.

CIVILIZATION FOR WINDOWS:
 -Runs fine in either full-screen or seamless mode.  I recommend not running
this version since it is very slow (nothing to do with OS/2 though).

COLONIZATION:
 -Reported to run fine, although sound effects don't work unless you turn the
music off.

COLONIZATION FOR WINDOWS:
 -Reported to work, although it was flakey getting it to start working because
of WinG problems.

COMMANCHE: MAXIMUM OVERKILL:
 -This game tries to go into a protected mode, and I believe they use the VCPI
standard for that.  As a result, it WILL NOT run.
 -There have been rumors that if the makers hear enough interest they will come
out with a patch that will fix this (or a replacement executable, something
along those lines).

COMMANDER BLOOD:
 -Reported to run fine.

COMMANDER KEEN 3:
 -Reported to run fine.

COMMANDER KEEN 4:
 -Reported to run fine, but you can't switch away from the session or the
screen will get messed up.

CONQUERED KINGDOMS:
 -One person said they couldn't get it to run because the mouse pointer gets
lost.  Anyone get this one to work?

CONQUESTS OF THE LONGBOW:
 -Reported to run better with VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION set to ON.

CURSE OF THE AZURE BONDS:
 -Runs fine.  (original maintainer)

DAGGER OF AMON RA:
 -Reported to run better with VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION set to on.

DARKLANDS:
 -Runs fine.  If the into runs jerky, you can try turning your
VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION to ON (normally it should be set OFF for this game, so
make sure once you've seen the intro you quit and change this setting back)
Note:  I thought the intro was slow whatever I did.  I've never seen the game
under DOS, so I don't know how it is normally.
 -Make sure you get the most recent version, which at this time is Version 7.
I had problems running earlier versions.

DARKSEED:
 -The copy protection wants to do something 'illegal' to the a: drive, and OS/2
catches it and stops it.
 -A couple of possible solutions:
  -There are a couple of cracks for this game, you could try one of these to
see if it removes this check.
  -A user said he managed to get it to run by booting a real version of DOS
under OS/2, but that the digitized sounds need to be switched off.

DARK SUN:
 -Starting it from an object on the desktop appears to give an
  "unable to open window" error.  This error reportedly goes away if you open
the full screen dos session and start the program normally.

DARKSUN II:
 -Reported to work completely except for the music.  (Sound effects worked).
Use the normal Games settings.

DAY OF THE TENTACLE:
 -Reported to run fine.

DESCENT:
 -Works great, including sound.  Will also run in a window (although it is
definitely slower there).  If you switch from window to full-screen, the screen
doesn't come up right, but hitting tap to bring up the map will fix it.
 -This game runs better for me under OS/2 than it does under Dos.  I've got a
system that's at the lower end of the playability realm for Descent.
 -I've got settings for this one that can be loaded into an OS/2 session if
you're running warp.  Check out eyelab.msu.edu /os2/games/descent.txt

DINOSAUR ADVENTURE:
 -Reported to run fine.

DINOSAUR DISCOVERY KIT:
 -Reported to run fine.

DISCWORLD:
 -Will not run.

DOOM:
 -Id includes a list of recommended settings for Doom under OS/2, so I'd
recommend looking into using those.  Some people have reported that Doom ran
better with the default games settings.
 -Version 1.2 of Doom will not work with sound enabled.  Do not try this
because it could cause your system to lock up.  A patch is supposedly in the
works to fix this problem.
 -The most recent version I've tried is 1.1, which ran fine for me.  Doom can
be a very picky game, and you may have problems trying to get it to run even
under Dos.

DRACULA UNLEASHED:
 -Uses a proprietary memory manager.  In other words, it doesn't work.

DRAGON LORE:
 -A user reported that the game complained that a memory manager was needed to
run the game.  This might be caused by not having the memory settings for a dos
box incorrect.
 -Someone else reported that fiddling with the memory settings got it to work.
 -I have seen one report that it will hang a few scenes before the end.

DRAGON'S LAIR:
 -Has some problems with the sound and video getting out of sync.  The
following was recommended to try to reduce this:
   Create a Dos Session with memory allocated so that it's somewhat less than
you have physically in the system.  Run something that's memory intensive to
make sure the swap file has been allocated for the memory.  Then run the
fine-tuning mechanism that comes with the game.  Then run the game.  You might
be able to run the game in future sessions without going through all this hastle.

DRAGON WARS:
 -Runs fine (original maintainer).

DRAKKEN:
 -One user reports that this game runs, but it crashes often with a contact
your IBM rep message.  Note, this was probably under the BETA of OS/2 2.1, so
it MAY be fixed.  (Anyone know?)

DUKE NUKEM II:
 -Reported to run fine.

DUNE II:
 -Reported to run fine.
 -One user did have a problem where it would eventually hang after first losing
the Soundblaster sound, and another user also said he couldn't get the
digitized sounds working correctly either.

EARTHSIEGE:
 -Works with digitized sound, but supposedly doesn't like to play music without
giving errors.  One suggestion was that if you don't have generic MIDI support,
configure it to use general MIDI for the music.  (Apparently you HAVE to have
music setup in order to have sounds).

1830:
 -Reported to work fine.
 -Allocate MORE than 4096 KB of RAM as EMs (the user set it at 4700).
 -Make sure SET BLASTER is defined if using SB card.

ELDER SCROLLS: ARENA:
 -It'll supposedly work.  At least, as well as it ever worked under Dos, which
isn't exactly saying much.  I always had problems when I cast a spell - it
would crash at that point.
 -make sure you are running the most recent version of the program, hopefully
it'll reduce the crashes.
 -People have reported problems getting the music to work.  To be honest, I
don't remember if it worked when I tried it.

ELF:
 -According to one user, there are problems with this game.
 -Wasn't that specific?  Anyone know more?

EL-FISH:
 -Works with a few quirks.  Will not render (animate) fish in the background.
Causes a DOS session crash after exiting (But you were closing the session
anyways, so isn't too serious).

ELFLAND (ver 1.1):
 -Reported to run fine, except you can't switch away from the game (traditional
screen messed up problem).

EMPIRE DELUXE FOR WINDOWS:
 -Reported to run fine.

EPIC PINBALL:
 -I haven't gotten this to work acceptably for me, although several people
apparently have.  Here's the settings one of them sent me:
   AUDIO_ADAPTER_SHARING: REQUIRED
   DOS_FILES:       40
   DOS_UMB:        OFF
   DPMI:          AUTO, set at 4MB
   EMS:          AUTO frame, set at 4MB
   HW_ROM_TO_RAM:     ON
   IDLE_SENSITIVITY:    100
   INT_DURING_IO:     ON
   XGA_IOTRAP:       OFF
   VIDEO_FAST_PASTE:    OFF
   VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION: OFF
   VIDEO_ROM_EMULATION:  OFF
   VIDEO_SWITCH_NOTIFICATION: OFF
   XMS:          4MB, 32 handles
 -I've tried the above, and the sound still didn't work, and it was still too
slow and too jerky to play.  I do know that many people are getting it to run though.
 -I got an opportunity to try running it over break under dos and had the same
problems with sound, so it appears the sound problem might not be OS/2 related.
The slow moving board does appear to be related to OS/2.

ERIC THE UNREADY:
 -The original maintainer of the list has this to say: This game crashed about
a dozen times during play.  OS/2 reported several reasons for the crash,
including trying to access a nonexistant FPU and trying to issue a command
that's not supported by the 386 instruction set.  I didn't try runnning it
under a real copy of DOS booted in a VDM.  I got the settings to a point where
the last half of the game wend without a single crash;  These settings were:

   COM_HOLD: ON
   DOS_HIGH: OFF
   DOS_UMB: OFF
   DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT: 0
   EMS_MEMORY_LIMIT: 0
   HW_ROM_TO_RAM: ON
   HW_TIMER: ON
   IDLE_SECONDS: 30
   IDLE_SENSITIVITY: 100
   VIDEO_FASTPASTE: ON
   VIDEO_ONDEMAND_MEMORY: ON
   VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION: OFF
   VIDEO_SWITCH_NOTIFICATION: ON
   XMS_MEMORY_LIMIT: 0

   I ran the game in regular VGA mode.  Crashing seemed to happen while music
was changing themes. INT_DURING_IO seemed to have no effect.  The music and
digitized sounds & voices worked superbly under OS/2 (except for the crashing).

ETERNAM:
 -Reported to run fine.

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER I:
 -Runs fine (original maintainer).

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER II:
 -Reported to run fine.

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER III:
 -Moving the IRQ on a SB card from 5/7 to 10 supposedly fixes a sound problem,
although many games do not work with the IRQ set to 10.
 -I've been informed that the PAS cannot be set to IRQ 10, so this won't help
those of you that have that card.
 -I've been told that the sound card problem is similar to what was occuring in
the original release of doom, which was being cut off after a couple of
minutes.  This is a bug (feature?) of OS/2, which doesn't like the DMA being on
for more than 2 minutes.

F15:
 -One user said that the key disk protection caused OS/2 to generate an illegal
instruction.  Booting real DOS in a VDM
  didn't help.

F15 STRIKE EAGLE 3:
 -Reported to run fine by several people (DOS_UMB to OFF, and give the game at
least 64k XMS and several MB EMS).

F17:
 -Reported to run fine.

FALCON 3.0:
 -First step is to make sure you have the latest revision level. I believe this
is level 'D'.
 -There have been several reports of a sound error when it tries to read
sound.bnk (I had this error).  The solution is supposedly to delete sound.bnk,
then go into the CONFIG screen and reenable the sound.  This will produce
sound, but the voice you hear will be messed up.  One person believes this to
be an HPFS problem, as when he installed on a FAT partition the problem wasn't
there, but when he moved it to an HPFS partition the problem occurred.
 -I never managed to get the game to work (I gave up).  I had the sound.bnk
problem, but the above solution did not work for me.

FIFA INTERNATIONAL SOCCER:
 -Reported not to run at all.  EA was not helpfull at all to try to get it to
work, but said that they were testing their software under Windows 95 :P.

FLIGHT UNLIMITED:
 -Increase the XMS memory limit to the maximum, and make sure you have
INT_DURING_IO turned ON.  Unfortunately sound doesn't seem to work.

FLIGHT SIMULATOR 5.0:
 -A user has reported that this program has been giving him all sorts or
problems with his file system (HPFS).  It's been corrupting the desktop and
OS2.INI files.  The migration app apparently recognizes this program, so
presumably it SHOULD work.

FORGOTTEN REALMS UNLIMITED ADVENTURES (SSI):
 -If running with a SB type card, it runs for a while and then locks up.
Turning off sound is supposed to fix this.

FORMULA 1 GP:
 -Works, but if you add the ftp'able upgrade to add head-to-head mode support
you can't do head-to-head.  It supposedly won't access the modem under OS/2.

FPS FOOTBALL:
 -Reported to run, but was a little jerky.  This might be fixable by fiddling
with the settings.

FPS FOOTBALL PRO:
 -Hangs or bizzarre crashes when using the Soundblaster.  Select Adlib sound by
using the -A option to get by this.

FPS FOOTBALL '95:
 -The mouse was reported to be jerkey, although another user suggested making
sure HW_TIMER was on.
 -And another user reported the exact same problems under Dos.

FRONTIER: ELITE II:
 -Reported to run fine.

FULL THROTTLE:
 -Give it at least 8 megs or so of DPMI memory.
 -Also read the section on Dos Extenders (DOS4GW game).

FUN SCHOOL TEDDY:
 -Reported to get randomly occuring horizontal bars.

GABRIEL KNIGHT: (SIERRA)
 -Reported not to run at all.

GALACTIX:
 -Reported to run fine, though the person said his joystick (a Gravis Gamepad
hooked to a Soundblaster Pro port) tended to lose sync and would drift.

GLOBAL DILEMMA:
 -One user reported the following:
  "Well, here's one for the 'better DOS than DOS department:  I just noticed
that 'Global Dilemma', which ran just fine on my Compaq 386, won't run on my
new 486; the AMI Bios doesn't seem to like the way the game addresses the
keyboard.  That's under real DOS-5.  In a DOS task under OS/2 it runs just fine."

GOBLINS 2:
 -Whenever the game tries to play digitized sounds the system crawls and the
sound gets distorted.

GUNSHIP 2000:
 -Reported to run fine, although one use said that it would not install onto an
HPFS drive.  The solution is to install onto a FAT drive and copy the files to
the HPFS drive.

HARDBALL 4:
 -Reported to run fine except for sound, which may be screwed up (some people
can get it to work, some can't, no idea why).

HARPOON GOLD:
 -Reported to run fine.

HARPOON II:
 -The installation program supposedly warns about installing under OS/2, but
the game appears to run under OS/2 (Warp at least), but ONLY if it is run on a
FAT file system.

HERETIC:
 -Everything except the sound works (the usual ID software problem).

HEXEN BETA:
 -Yet another ID product where the sound doesn't work under OS/2.  Works
otherwise though.

HONG KONG MAHJONG:
 -One person said it hangs at the opponent selection screen, but he found away
around the hang, but didn't report how.
 -You can set either XMS or EMS to 0 to prevent the game from running in SVGA
mode (you'll have to check to see which it requires to do this), which gets
around that hang.  The game might still hang intermittantly if you play it for
a while though. There's also supposedly a commandline parameter you can use to
specify non SVGA mode.
 -Some people have reported that they can get it to work fine on some systems,
but didn't have luck on others.  The culprit quite possibly is the video cards.

HOYLE'S BOOK OF GAMES VOL 3:
 -Reported to run better with VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION set to ON.

HUMANS:
 -Runs fine.

THE INCREDIBLE MACHINE (SIERRA):
 -Reported to run fine by a couple of different people.

INDIANA JONES (FATE OF ATLANTIS):
 -Reported to run fine by several people.

INDYCAR RACING:
 -Use DPMI memory
 -Problems with digitized sounds have been reported from some users.

INDY 500:
 -Reported to run fine.

IRON HELIX:
 -Supposedly will give a GPF when you scan for DNA.  This problem might not be
related to OS/2, so you can give the program a shot.
JACK NICKLAUS SIGNATURE GOLF:
 -One user reported it runs until his sinks the ball on the first hole, at
which point the entire machine freezes.
 -Another user responded that the game works fine for him with the sounds
turned off.

JET FIGHTER II:
 -This game is extremely ill-behaved.  Apparently there are a couple of
versions of this, one of which can run under memory managers.  You'd need this
one to have any chance.  Here's the suggestions one user made:
   1) JF2 uses all the video memory (A000-B7FF).  Exclude all of it.
   2) Disable video retrace and video emulation in DOS settings notebook.
   3) Disable DPMI, XMS, EMS memory allocation.  This will speed things up.
   4) If you have a DX2-66, you must start the game in non-turbo mode to load.

JILL OF THE JUNGLE:
 -Runs fine (original maintainer).
 -There have also been reports of the game running at much slower than normal
speeds, with no success at getting it to run properly.

JOURNEYMAN PROJECT:
 -Reported to run fine in a Win-OS/2 session.
 -The user who reported this said that he had to hack the installation program
because it kept crashing.

KING'S QUEST IV:
 -Reported to run fine.

KING'S QUEST V:
 -Runs fine (original maintainer).

KNIGHTS OF LEGEND:
 -Runs fine (original maintainer).

LANDS OF LORE:
 -Moving the IRQ setting from 5/7 to 10 supposedly fixes a sound problem.  The
problem here is that many games don't work properly with an IRQ of 10.
 -I've been told by another user that he was able to get the sound to run fine
even on normal IRQ's, but that you have to adjust the sound levels to max
volume with one of the mixer tools for MMPM to be able to hear it (apparently
plays very quietly).

LEGENDS OF VALOUR:
 -Reported to run fine, although text scrolling is a little fast.
 -I've run this fine.

LEISURE SUIT LARRY 3:
 -Reported to run fine.

LEMMINGS (also see Lemmings 2):
 -It is important to have this game configured with HW_TIMER=ON,
VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION=OFF, and to have it configured to run in a full screen
session.  You may have to install the game under plain DOS if you get a
protection violation under OS/2 during installation.
 -One user reported that Lemmings wouldn't run except in a "Specific DOS"
session, so give that a try if you have problems.  Also, if performance
suffers, or if you have flickering problems, try NOT running the game in "High
Performance PC" mode.

LEMMINGS 2:
 -This game uses a copy protection that does something that OS/2 prevents.  A
possibility around this is to find a crack that removes the check (although I
couldn't even get it to install).
 -One person said that they had geoworks installed in a DOS box with the
patches from ftp-os2.  He then installed Lemmings 2 from the geoworks session
and it worked.
 -Yet another person installed an ran Lemmings 2 by creating a VM boot image
out of the install disk.  You still have to leave the diskette in the machine,
but only until the program starts up. Supposedly also works in a window this way.

LINKS:
 -One user posted this:
  I have adjusted my Links settings and think that I have the best solution for
running LINKS under OS/2.  First, Migrate it.  Next, instead of executing the
file LINKS.BAT, use the SETTINGS to have
  it run GOLF.EXE with no parameters.  As soon as the program starts, select
SYSTEM and turn off ALL sounds.  This last step will alleviate the slow down
immediately after the swing as Links tries to create the sound even if
HW_NO_SOUND is turned off.  I also have HW_NO_SOUND set to ON and
MOUSE_EXCLUSIVE_ACCESS turned ON.  This seems to have the game working quite
well for me in full screen mode
 -Someone else said it works fine for them in full screen mode with full sounds
without having to do all of the above.

LINKS 386 PRO:
 -You need the update for Links386 if you are running earlier than version 1.08
(I think that's the one).  The current version is at least 1.11.  If you need
it, call Access or look on internet. LINKS110.ZIP (version 1.10) is available
from wuarchive.wustl.edu in /mirrors/msdos-games/Patches.
 -You need to set the DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT high (8 megs should work)
 -With this patch, the game ran for me, but I couldn't get it to let me use my
SBPro.  After some checking, it appears there might be a bug with the way Dos
boxes handle DPMI memory.  Another user got the 1.11 patch and had it work
after that.  I tried 1.11 and it didn't work for me.
 -I might not have had the environment variable set in the dos box to tell it
the settings for my sound card.  One user reported that this might fix the
problem (haven't dragged out my copy of the game to give it a shot).

LION KING:
 -Install it under native Windows.  Pray that you don't have problems with it
there.  If you get that to work, it might work under Warp.

LOAD RUNNER (DOS):
 -Doesn't work

LOAD RUNNER (WINDOWS):
 -Reported to work fine (at least on Warp).

LOST ADMIRAL:
 -One person noted that this game will lose the mouse pointer under OS/2.

LOST TREASURES OF INFOCOM I & II:
 -Reported to work fine.

MAGIC CANDLE I:
 -Runs fine (original maintainer).

MAGIC CANDLE II:
 -Reported to run fine, but you can't switch away and come back.

MARTIAN DREAMS:
 -Reported to run fine.

MASTER OF MAGIC:
 -Reported to run fine.
 -Make sure BLASTER is defined (if you're using a SB type).
 -Allocate at least 2700K EMS.

MASTER OF ORION:
 -Runs fine.
 -A user reported that on some system configurations that the game will not run
at all, or that switching away and back will cause the game to lock up at the
next mouse or keypress (The SB16 is apparently one of these that causes
trouble.  Configuring it as an older SB will allow it to work).

MECHWAR 1.12 (Shareware game):
 -Must be run Full Screen

MEGA RACE:
 -Reported to work fine.

MICKEY'S ABC:
 -On 486 machines you might run into problems, Disney has a patch that supposed
to fix this.  Try looking on ftp.caprica.com in /pub/disneysoft.
 -Sound is garbled.

MICRO MACHINES:
 -Reported to run fine.

MICROSOFT ARCADE FOR WINDOWS:
 -One user reported that Centipede crashes after the welcome screen, but all
the other games work fine.

MICROSOFT GOLF:
 -Reported to run fine.

MIGHT AND MAGIC II:
 -Runs fine.  If you have problems with the key disk being recognized, boot up
real DOS in a VDM.

MIGHT AND MAGIC III:
 -Runs fine, with the exception that the digitized speach at the beginning and
end of the game will not work with a SB.
 -Also noted is that it runs faster on an HPFS drive than a FAT drive under DOS.

MIGHT AND MAGIC IV:
 -Runs fine. (even the speech that I've found)
 -This refers to both Clouds and Darkside.

MIXED-UP MOTHER GOOSE:
 -Reported to run fine with regular settings.

MONKEY ISLAND II:
 -Reported to run fine.
 -You need to get updated *.IMS drivers.  The ones that came with the game for
the SB supposedly didn't work.

MORTAL KOMBAT:
 -Set the DPMI memory relatively high (8 is probably good).
 -The user who reported this one says that he couldn't get digitized sounds to
work, but others have said they do.
 -Switching away from this one will probably hang the program.

MORTAL KOMBAT II:
 -Reported to work fine except for the credits won't display.

NASCAR RACING:
 -Works with sound, but disables some of the graphic detail even if you turn it on.
 -Others have reported that it runs fine.

NESSYSOFT RISK (Shareware?):
 -The author of the program reports that it works under OS/2.  (It's a windows program).

NHL HOCKEY (Electronic Arts):
 -Reported to work fine except for digitized sounds/speech not functioning.

NHL HOCKEY '95:
 -A user got it to run under Warp, but it crashed in the second period and was
having noticeable problems with the sound.
 -Someone else suggests playing with adlib sounds instead of SB sounds, and
that in general it works pretty well, except sometimes it will thrash the hard
drive, slowing down graphics.

NOVA 9:
 -Reported to run fine.

ONE MUST FALL 2097:
 -According to the manual it works so-so under OS/2.  You'll have to raise the
speed on the speed bar probably.  Also, if you use a joystick, use the joystick
driver that IBM has released.

OUT OF THIS WORLD:
 -Reported to run, note:  HW_TIMER needs to be set to OFF, EMS_MEM_LIMIT should
be 0.  This can be very slow with sound, so you might need to turn sound off.

PACIFIC WAR:
 -Could this really be Pacific Air War:1942?  Or are there two different games
with these similar titles?  If it is, it should be noted that it can bog the
system down on marginal systems (486dx33 8 megs with a Trident 8900c video card
was the reported system).
 -Reported to run fine.

PANZER GENERAL:
 -Reported to work fine by some, won't work by others (no settings were
reported, the implication I've gotten is that they're using normal settings.
 -These problems could be caused by the VESA drivers being used.  Make sure
you're running one specific to your card (not the generic one that comes with
the game).

PATRIOT:
 -Reported to run fine.

PENTHOUSE PUZZLE:
 -Reported to run well.

PERFECT GENERAL:
 -Some people have had problems with it losing the mouse pointer, but others haven't.

PINBALL DREAMS:
 -Reported to run fine.

PINBALL FANTASY:
 -Reported to run, but slow and sound is distorted. (sounds like the problem I
was having with epic pinball/silverball)
 -Recently people have been reporting this as not working.  I have yet to see
someone actually post settings that had it work, so maybe it doesn't.

PIRATE GOLD:
 -Reported to run fine.

PIZZA TYCOON:
 -Reported to run at least without sounds (the user didn't try them), but hangs
the dos session when you quit it (but not OS/2).

POOL OF RADIANCE:
 -Runs fine (original maintainer).

PRINCE OF PERSIA:
 -Reported to run fine.

PRIVATEER:
 -Origin is up to their usual tricks.  This one uses a proprietary memory
manager, so it doesn't run OS/2.

QIX:
 -One user reported problems with it, but gave no specifics.

QUARENTINE:
 -Reported not to work.

RAILROAD TYCOON DELUXE:
 -Reported to crash sometimes when saving.
 -I've also heard that this one runs too fast one some systems.

RAVENLOFT II: STONE PROPHET
 -Reported not to work with sound.  (First use of the sound causes it to crash.

READY SET READ:
 -Reported to run fine.

RED BARON:
 -Reported to run fine, with the  following notes:
 -Sound options may need to be set to Adlib if you run have a SB type card.
Otherwise it could lock up.
 -Won't run in a window.

RED STORM RISING:
 -Reported to generate a SYS3176 error, which is an illegal instruction error.

RETURN TO ZORK:
 -Activision recommends that you do not run this game under OS/2.
 -They also have made available a list of settings they have been told work:
   DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT: 0
   HW_TIMER:      ON
   IDLE_SECONDS:    0  (These two seem odd to me)
   IDLE_SENSITIVITY:  75
   INT_DURING_IO:   ON
   VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION: OFF
   XMS_MEMORY_LIMIT: 4096
 -Some sound cards tend to cause problems with running this, while others
don't.  I don't have a list one way or the other.
 -Warp seems to have less problem with this game than does 2.1

RINGWORLD:
 -Reported to run fine.

RISE OF THE TRIAD:
 -Reported to run fine with similar settings to games like Doom.
 -The user that reported this wasn't sure if sound worked, since he didn't have
a soundcard.

SCORCHED EARTH:
 -Runs fine, although if you switch away and back, you need to have it redraw
the screen.  Also, it ran kinda fast on my machine.

SECRET OF THE SILVER BLADES:
 -Runs fine (original maintainer).

SECRET WEAPONS OF THE LUFTWAFFE:
 -Reported to run fine.

SENSIBLE SOCCER:
 -Reported to run fine.
 -You might want to try a VDM if you're having problems with this one.

SERF CITY:
 -The game will work, and will work under SVGA mode.  Make sure you are either
running a VESA card or have the VESA driver for you card loaded.
 -On some local bus and PCI cards the sound will be better under OS/2 than
under DOS.

SHADOWCASTER:
 -The game crashes occassionally.  The DPMI memory limit needs to be set to
something higher than 2, but I don't know what.

SHANGHAI II: DRAGON'S EYE:
 -Reported to run fine.

SIEGE:
 -Reported to run fine.

SILVERBALL (and EPIC PINBALL):
 -A user contributed the following change to allow this to work with a SB16 (he
had the MMOS2 stuff installed):
  change the following line in the config.sys:
  DEVICE=C:\MMOS2\SB16D2.SYS 1 1 5 5 220 8 /N:SBAud1$ to
  DEVICE=C:\MMOS2\SB16D2.SYS 1 1 5 5 220 128 /N:SBAud1$
  Note that the values that didn't change are related to your cards settings
(IRQ, address, DMA), and may be different on your machine.  This person also
says that the Fantasy board also ran on his system with these settings.
Unfortunately, sound was still messed up, but apparently is not an OS/2 problem.
 -I haven't talked to anyone who has gotten the Fantasy board to work other
than him.  It locks the session up when you try to play it.
 -I haven't gotten this to work acceptably for me, although several people
apparently have.  Here's the settings one of them sent me:
   AUDIO_ADAPTER_SHARING: REQUIRED
   DOS_FILES:       40
   DOS_UMB:        OFF
   DPMI:          AUTO, set at 4MB
   EMS:          AUTO frame, set at 4MB
   HW_ROM_TO_RAM:     ON
   IDLE_SENSITIVITY:    100
   INT_DURING_IO:     ON
   XGA_IOTRAP:       OFF
   VIDEO_FAST_PASTE:    OFF
   VIDEO_RETRACE_EMULATION: OFF
   VIDEO_ROM_EMULATION:  OFF
   VIDEO_SWITCH_NOTIFICATION: OFF
   XMS:          4MB, 32 handles
 -I've long since stopped playing this game, but have discovered one thing
while home on break.  Apparently the static that I was getting with the sound
is not due to OS/2, but due to Epic Pinball/Silverball.

SIMCITY:
 -Reported to run fine;  For use in a window, turn MOUSE_EXCLUSIVE_ACCESS to ON.

SIMCITY 2000:
 -Contrary to many reports, this DOES run under OS/2 according to their tech
support (and it's been working for me fine).
 -Read the readme file to see if there's anything specific about your setup.
 -Set XMS_MEMORY_LIMIT to 5000KB
  Set MOUSE_EXCLUSIVE_ACCESS to ON
 -to run, type: SC2000 NO_MEM_CHK NO_INTRO
 -Under Warp this program apparently has problems if you have a Diamond Viper
(and possibly any other P9000 card).  Apparently it won't switch into graphics mode.

SIMEARTH:
 -Reported to run fine.

SIM-LIFE:
 -Reported to run fine.
 -One user has reported problems with the graphics not coming out right.

SIM-LIFE (WINDOWS):
 -Reported to run fine.

SIMHEALTH:
 -Reportedly generates and exception error if you touch the keyboard.

SIMTOWER (WINDOWS):
 -Reported to work fine.

SOLAR WINDS:
 -One user reported that he couldn't get it to run, although he wasn't sure if
it was an OS/2 specific problem.

SOLITAIRE'S JOURNEY:
 -One user reported that the mouse cursor behaved funny.  It would leave black
blocks or extra mouse cursor images.
 -There is supposed to be a fix that brings the program version up to 1.03.
The fix addressed mouse incompatibility problems, and apparently this fixes the
above problem.

SPACE HULK:
 -Reported to run fine.

SPACE QUEST 4 & 5:
 -Runs fine, although digitized sounds get messed up.
 -There's a fix for 4 with OS/2, but I don't know what it does, I've never
tried it.

SPEAR OF DESTINY:
 -I got it to work fine.  Make sure you have VERTICAL_RETRACE_EMULATION set to
OFF or else it hangs.

SPECTRE:
 -Reported to run fine.

SPELLCASTING 101 and 201:
 -Reported to run fine.

STAR CONTROL:
 -Reported to run fine.

STAR CONTROL 2:
 -There were a few bugs with the original versions that crashed dos, so make
sure you have a more recent version.  I don't know of any updates available.
 -The copy protection would crash the system on me.  My solution was to run the
TSR crack.
 -Also, the only way I was ever able to get this to run was with the /s:silent
parameter when you run the game.

STAR TREK: 25TH ANNIVERSARY:
 -Reported to run fine.

STAR TREK: JUDGEMENT RIGHTS:
 -Reported to run fine.

STELLAR 7:
 -Reported to run fine, although you might not be able to use a Soundblaster.
Rumor has it that Stellar 7 is hard coded to use IRQ 7, which conflicts with LPT1.
 -Dynamix says that the game supports IRQ 3 or 7 (which conflict with LPT1 and COM2).

STRIKE COMMANDER: (Origin)
 -Origins screwey memory manager.  Will not run under OS/2 as a result.

STTNG Interactive Technical Manual:
 -Won't run.

STUNT ISLAND:
 -Several people have said that this program crashes, although one user says
that he has played the game a lot without any crashes.

STUNTS (Broderbund):
 -Reported to run fine full screen and windowed.

SUPER JEOPARDY:
 -One user reported problems with the timer.  He set the clock for 20 minute
rounds but they only lasted 5 minutes.

SVGA AIR WARRIOR:
 -Set the DPMI memory up to 4 or 6.  Uses the DOS4GW extender, and apparently
this extender causes really jittery joystick control under OS/2.

TASK FORCE 1942:
 -Reported to run fine.

TERMINATOR 2029:
 -Bethesda Softworks says it will not run under OS/2.
 -Another user reported:
  Use default settings for the programs, with the following changes:
  DOS FULL SCREEN
  DOS_HIGH: ON
  DOS_UMB: ON
  INT_DURING_IO: ON
  VIDEO_8514A_VGA_IOTRAP: OFF
  XMS_MEMORY_LIMIT: 64
 -Starting with the default games settings was reported to provide erratic devices.

TEST DRIVE 3:
 -Reported to run fine.

THEME PARK:
 -Reported to work fine.

TIE FIGHTER:
 -Some people have said that it runs without sound, but that enabling it will
cause it to crash after a short period of time.  Others have the sound working.
Appears to be a sound card dependancy again.

TRANSPORT TYCOON:
 -Reported to give an Abnormal Program Termination

TRISTAN PINBALL:
 -One user said that when he tries to run this game it randomly crashes,
sometimes to the point of rebooting.
 -Another user reported running it with the standard games settings worked fine.

TUNNELS AND TROLLS:
 -Runs fine (original maintainer).

TYRIAN:
 -Reported to work only if you disabled digitized sounds.

U.F.O.:
 -Reported to run fine.

ULTIMAS 4 and 5:
 -If you have problems with keydisks not being recognized, boot a real copy of
DOS in a VDM.

ULTIMA 6:
 -Runs fine (original maintainer).

ULTIMA 7:
 -Won't run.  It uses it's own memory manager.

ULTIMA 8:
 -Origin finally moved away from their funny memory manager, but they say that
the game will not run under any multi-tasking system.

ULTIMA UNDERWORLD:
 -Will not run in a window.
 -The digitized speech in the intro won't work reliably.  If you want to see
it, configure the game for no sound, read the intro, change it back to play the game.
 -If you can't get it to run, try this:
  1) Set the game to start minimized with background execution OFF.  Start the
game and WAIT until all disk activity stops (10-15 secs or so?).  Then switch
back to the game.
  2) Set the game to start in a windowed DOS session.  The game will look
garbled, but wait until you see the blue title screen come up.  Then switch to
full screen with ALT-HOME.  If the keyboard doesn't respond after this, tap the
ALT key to unstick it.

ULTIMA UNDERWORLD II:
 -See Ultima Underworld if you have problems starting/running this.
 -The sound will only run for 5-30 seconds before stopping.  Going into the
sound option in the game and turning them off and on again will cause them to
come on for a while again, but they won't last.

UNDER A KILLING MOON:
 -Won't run.  IBM and the company that makes it both apparently know about it
and it's supposedly being worked on.
 -I've been told that there should be a fix out sometime soon for this.

V FOR VICTORY:
 -Reported to run fine.

VELIKIYE LUKI:
 -Reported to run fine by a couple of people, while another person has said
that it generates an illegal instruction error.

WARCRAFT:
 -Reported to run fine by some with the standard dos settings, although some
people have also reported that it crashes after going through the demo.
 -Make sure you have updated to the most recent version (1.15 I believe is
current at the time of this writing).
 -If you run the program from a desktop object, change the executable to be
dos4gw.exe and the parameter to warcraft.exe

WARLORDS 2:
 -Runs with digitized sounds, but not with music.
 -Also seems to run faster on HPFS than under dos on FAT (from my own observations).

WAYNE GRETZKY HOCKEY 3:
 -Will not run.  (I seem to recall this one being in the manual for OS/2, or
the readme for the beta service pack).

WELLTRISS:
 -Reported to run fine in a full screen session.

WHEEL OF FORTUNE:
 -Reported to run fine.

WILLY BEAMISH:
 -I've had one user report that the game goes dark about 2 hours into it, but
that it was working before that.

WING COMMANDER I-II:
 -Supposed to run fine, including the speech pack.
 -Sometimes during battle the digitized voices might "stick", try hitting the
ESC key.
 -Some of the 'acting' scenes have been reported to run very slow.

WING COMMANDER ACADEMY:
 -Reported to run fine, although it seems to crash more often than under DOS.

WINTREK (for Windows):
 -One user reported that this game doesn't work under Win-OS2 because it


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. z ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. } ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online

Editor's Note:  David Whittle, founder of Team OS/2, asks for your feedback.

Team OS/2 is at a crossroads.  The recent personnel action taken by IBM against
the support staff of Team OS/2 means that, after January 8th, IBM financial and
moral support for Team OS/2 will end unless someone at IBM makes some sort of
decision.  And if someone at IBM makes a decision without our help, chances are
good that the decision will serve IBM's interests far more than they'll serve
our interests  as members of Team OS/2.  I've seen it before.  We need to take
the bull by the horns.

I'd prefer to see this recent development as an opportunity for Team OS/2 to
renew itself.  Team OS/2 is unique, and I don't know anyone who wishes to
tamper with its successes or with those elements which have made it unique:

 - it is open to all who share a passion for OS/2
 - it is devoted to creating synergy and win/win opportunities for members
 - it is independent of IBM but seeks cooperation with IBM and IBMers, since
IBM "owns" OS/2
 - it brings people together for fun, good times, and positive purposes

Heretofore, Team OS/2 has had one or two IBMers devoted to full-time support of
Team OS/2 and Team OS/2 objectives.  That department has been dissolved and the
individual members of that department have been "surplussed."  If IBM wants us
on the outside, then I believe we should take the bull by the horns and propose
to IBM that Team OS/2 exist as an independent organization--supported
financially by IBM to the degree that it is a win/win arrangement for the Team
and for IBM.  I've long felt (but IBM and some IBMers did not necessarily
agree) that Team OS/2 should not be a part of any IBM employee's performance
plan, because, frankly, how can performance in supporting Team OS/2 be measured
appropriately?  It's unfair to the employee doing the work to be motivated by
quantitative measures when Team OS/2 is all about quality, not quantity--and
quality can't always be easily recognized by IBM management, much less
measured. If that were not so, then Team OS/2 support would not have been
"surplused" recently.

So let's brainstorm.  I'll throw out an initial proposal, and I'd like feedback.

John W. Thompson agreed to speak to me about the future of Team OS/2 after
we've discussed it, so I trust that our discussions will have a fair hearing
from someone who told us at the Team OS/2 party that he was a member of Team
OS/2 and would ensure that we get the support we need to support him in return.
Here's my current state of mind on the subject:

Change the name to Team OS/2 Warp, or Team Warp.  Team Warp could be
established or incorporated as an educational or non-profit organization.  The
stated purpose of the organization would be to educate computer users regarding
the features, advantages, and benefits of OS/2.  It's membership would be open
to anyone who is willing to share their passion for OS/2 with others while
working together as a team to create synergy and win/win opportunities for
members and potential members.  Highlights of possible ideas this organization
could implement:

* This Team Warp organization ("Team Warp") dues could be $___ or ___ hours per
year, which would include a subscription to the monthly Team OS/2 Newsletter, a
Team OS/2 Warp pin, and a Team OS/2 Warp polo shirt--all subsidized by IBM.
The charge for Team OS/2 membership was inappropriate so long as it was so
loosely organized that no one was in a position to manage funds--but dues could
be a good way to monitor membership, ensure commitment, and even establish
minimum standards of appropriate ethical behavior, without really excluding anyone.

* IBM would provide funding and support for a "Team Warp Watering Hole"
(meeting place, room, trailer, etc.)  at major trade shows worldwide--
including "trinkets and trash," sodas, shirts, seating, computers,
communications, etc.

* IBM would fund "Team Warp" to provide loaner banners, dealer promotional
packages, and "trinkets and trash" for any Team Warp group wanting to represent
OS/2 at any promotional activity.

* "Team Warp" would maintain a mailing database of Team OS/2 Warp members.
Different levels of approved use could be maintained.  The database would be
used to mail the newsletter, seed local chapters and users groups, and sold to
OS/2 vendors for mailings.

* "Team Warp" would maintain a Team OS/2 Warp Home Page, with links to local
chapter's home pages and other pages of interest to OS/2 users, similar to how
it is maintained now.

* "Team Warp" would maintain a formal, prioritized "Wish List" with feature
enhancements and marketing suggestions desired by members, who could nominate
features and make suggestions at any time.  At the appropriate point in the
product cycle, "Team Warp" would mail a prioritization survey to members. "Team
Warp" would then work closely with IBM product managers to ensure that the
feedback gets careful consideration and an IBM response to each of the top 25
suggestions.

* Trained Team Warp members could work closely with important media figures and
magazines on evaluations and reviews.  "Team Warp" would coordinate Editorial
schedules directly with the media personnel.

* "Team Warp" could gather and publicize success stories, both in relation to
OS/2 and to Team OS/2 Warp itself.

* "Team Warp" could work with IBM to provide important information resources
online, and via OS/2 Users Groups and SIGs.

* "Team Warp" could stay involved in grass-roots, word-of-mouth,


═══ 14. В ═══



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online


In recent columns I recommended that all corporate employees demand immediate
installation of Windows95 on their PCs at work. "Just force your MIS people to
do it!" And if they won't? Do it yourself!

But we've received many messages from OS/2 fanatics about their pet product,
and how they claim that it's 'better' (whatever that means...) than Windows95.
So we decided to do an "OS Shootout" between the two.

Those who know me know that I am completely unbiased with respect to Windows vs
OS/2. In fact, I prefer a MAC!

Some readers even have the gall to suggest that I would be influenced by all
the advertising that Microsoft spends on this publication.  Not Cool! Here we
maintain a 'Chinese Wall' between advertising and editorial. So there!

THE GROUNDRULES

We decided not to use identical hardware, but to use the recommended hardware
platform for each operating system.  This is to be fair to both products and to
insure the best possible product comparison.

For Windows 95, the box claims that it will run on a 386 with 4MB RAM, (those
Microsoft marketing guys...<wink>)  but "hey, life is short".  We talked to
Brat Sliverbug, Windows 95 Product Manager, who recommended a Pentium 155 MHz
with 32 MB RAM.  Since "he ought to know", that's the system we tested with.  Cool!

We got the latest experimental motherboard from Intel, and had (2)  Intel techs
and (5) Microsoft techs standing by to help out.

For OS/2 Warp Connect, the box recommendation was a 386SX with 8MB RAM. Sheese!
IBM sure wants to move that iron!  In fact, selling you more IBM hardware could
well be the "hidden agenda" behind OS/2.  Hold on to your wallet!

We had some spare parts left over from previous years so we put together a
'power system' to test OS/2 Warp on.  It's an 8086 PC with a 386SX upgrade chip
and 8 MB RAM (at least we think it's 8 MB - some with parity, some without),
CGA video, and 8" floppy disk drives.  A hard disk of unknown capacity was
attached via the cassette interface.

Since OS/2 Warp is sold in retail stores, we refused to allow an IBM Systems
Engineer to participate in our testing - it ought to be doable by "the common man".

INSTALLATION

Windows95: Really Cool installation, even though technically, 4 of the 5
machines we tried wouldn't install. "Come on you manufacturers, get with it!"
Basically, if you have trouble installing Windows 95 you're probably trying to
do it on an obsolete system (built prior to September 1995), or on an unknown
garage-shop PC.

Assuming you have good hardware, Windows95 installs like a dream.

My advise, "If Windows 95 doesn't load, junk the hardware".  You can probably
write it off on your taxes (even IRS is into supporting Windows95 upgrades!
Cool!). Buy yourself a new PC.  Like Bill said on television (a techie who's a
TV star! Cool!) recently: "I mean a new PC is only $2000 - it's not like its a
lot of money or something!"  Best way to avoid install problems: buy a machine
with Windows 95 preloaded!

OS/2 Warp, on the other hand, was a nightmare!  The CDROM wouldn't fit into the
8" disk drives.  A call to IBM confirmed our fears: no support for 8" floppies!
And this is from the company who claims to have invented the 8" floppy!  So
much for backward compatibility!  After hours of trying, we finally had to junk
the original system. Besides  costing a lot of money, it wasted an enormous
amount of time.

We tried 3 other computers before we found one that OS/2 would install on.
Problems ranged from "No video monitors attached" to "system units unplugged
from the wall" to "no motherboard inside the case".  OS/2 was of no help in
diagnosing these problems.

Be prepared to perform extensive "grease monkey" work on your PC if you try to
install OS/2.  And good luck if you try it on legacy hardware (built prior to
1987).  Don't buy anything pre-loaded with OS/2 - you're never sure what
problems you might have running future yet unannounced versions of Windows.

USER INTERFACE

Windows 95:  It's COOL!  With sharp, intuitive objects Windows 95 really
re-invents the user interface.  I just love dragging and dropping things on the desktop!

OS/2 Warp:  It's Dorky!  Funny pictures of things on the screen. There is
rudimentary drag and drop, but it's only half-baked.  A feeble attempt to
pre-empt Windows 95 and steal the glory.

MULTITASKING

Windows 95:  Awesome!  I opened an application:  Windows Write.  I opened
another application:  the command line.  I performed a 'DIR' command - a
directory listing shot by!  Awesome!  I watched both windows on the screen.
Nothing moved!  Nothing Crashed!  In addition, other icons were all around.
Even with only 32MB, this thing multitasks like gold!  Conclusion:  Stable as
all get out.

OS/2 Warp:  I tried loading TCP/IP, LAN Requester, LAN Distance remote,
Communications Manager, and DB2/2.  I actually found a 3rd party OS/2
application:  Lotus Smart Suite.  So I loaded every Smart Suite product.  This
OS/2 is a dog!  With 8 full MB of RAM, it multi-tasked so slowly, I just
couldn't stand it!  Continual disk swapping, - then my only drive, 60MB, ran
out of room!  Thanks, IBM!  It's their "hidden agenda" to sell you more
hardware again!  Conclusion:  Don't try to do more than just run the operating
system with OS/2.

CONNECTIVITY

Windows 95:  Fast and Affordable! We connected a leased T-1 line between
Windows 95 and Microsoft Network. WOW!  This is the future!  Fast!  Exciting!
Helpful messages from commercial companies.  These guys are really trying to
improve my life with announcements of new products at special prices.  Really,
"With MSN, Bill has re-invented Internet!"  Sure, MSN costs money, but get
real:  "life is expensive, and Microsoft is in the business of making money".  Awesome!
Cool!  Far Out!

OS/2 Warp: Slow and Expensive: We connected to the 'internet' using IBM
Advantis (another way for IBM to charge you money!)  and a 2400 bps modem.  It
just crawled.  Really, does your business have time to wait?  And the internet
- it's just a huge mass of disjointed information.  Come on IBM!  We need more
than Internet connectivity!  And don't try to pull that prodigy stuff.  Dopey
ads appearing all the time - Get with it!

THE FUTURE

Windows95:  Microsoft promises a lot!  Will Windows95 and NT converge or
diverge?  Will Cairo beat Calcutta?  What about 'the Cumberland Gap'?

On a wild hunch, I decided to make up a rumor and ask 'Bill' about it -  just
to see if I could hit a scoop by coincidence.
  "Say ol' Bill ol' advertiser buddy, what about the rumored Win-Bang APIs,
which are reportedly 100x better (and 1000x different) than the Win32 APIs?"
  With a coy smile he simply replied, "...um, Bangkok..."

Bangkok!!!!
Awesome beyond belief! "Bangkok!"
What a cool name!

Notice that it begins with a 'B' and Chicago began with a 'C'!  Stay tuned for
next week when we begin a 12 week series to examine the deep meaning behind the
'B' in 'Bangkok', how savvy ISVs are already preparing to preannounce cool
Win-Bang apps, and what corporate IS departments can do to prepare for the cool
new 'Bangkok' operating system, and how corporate employees are already
demanding that their companies commit to Bangkok! Cool!

OS/2 Warp:  I asked an IBM spokesman about the new APIs for OS/2.  "We continue
to support and enhance the OS/2 32-bit APIs for both Intel and PowerPC" Boring!
As though somebody wants to just recompile an application for another platform.
IBM just doesn't get it!

I asked an executive in charge of OS/2 about whether future versions of OS/2
will support the Win-Bang APIs of Bangkok.  He looked confused and bewildered!
IBM still doesn't get it!

FUTURE PROGRAMMERS:

We recently visited a local high school to see what the future programmers and
business leaders of America were thinking. We posed a simple question to
determine their interest in Windows95 or OS/2.

Question:  "Would you like to write really cool games for Windows95, make
billions of dollars, drive expensive sports cars, jump over chairs, and really
impress the girls, or would you rather work in a cramped gray cubicle enhancing
something called "Accounts Payable for OS/2", take the bus to work, fall off of
chairs, and have all women shun you?"

The results:  The boys in the crowd voted unanimously for Windows95.  The girls
said it was a stupid question, which demonstrates why there are so few women in
the software industry.

The message is clear.

BOTTOM LINE

WIndows 95:  Awesome!  Awesome!  Just Awesome!  This is the product that most
industry leaders said was impossible until well into the next century.  But
Bill delivered it in 1995!  Everybody ought to buy a copy of Windows95 whether
they have a computer or not - just to be cool!

OS/2 Warp:  If IBM had OS/2 Warp Connect in


═══ 15. К ═══



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online


Introduction
------------

Today, most corporate and small office/home office (SOHO) personal computer
users are using Windows (or Windows for Workgroups) 3.1/3.11 to run office
automation and decision support programs.  These users are under continuous
pressure to increase productivity (reduce costs and save time), increase
quality and improve service.  These same pressures also apply, but to a lesser
degree, to consumer (i.e. home, other than home office) users of personal computers.

Software developers are currently pushing 16-bit Windows programs to their
limits.  In order to meet increased productivity, quality and service
requirements, personal computer users will need to migrate to more powerful
operating systems and native application programs for these more powerful
operating systems.

Many of today's new mission critical client/server systems have already found
16-bit Microsoft Windows environments inadequate for their price/performance
requirements.  In order to achieve higher levels of price/performance, these
mission critical client/server systems are being built with clients that are
personal computers that use a 32-bit preemptive multithreaded multitasking
operating system, which is often IBM OS/2, and 32-bit multithreaded native
application programs for the operating system.  The multithreaded clients are
connected to servers. A server runs a 32-bit preemptive multitasking operating
system, which is often OS/2 or UNIX, and 32-bit native application programs for
the operating system.  The servers often communicate to mainframes or other
large systems.


Analysis
--------

For the purpose of this analysis, the benefits of upgrading to native 32-bit
multithreaded programs for a 32-bit preemptive multithreaded multitasking
operating system will be assumed to be comparable for all operating systems for
which 32-bit multithreaded programs can be developed.  This simplifies the
benefits portion of the benefit/cost analysis.

Since all 32-bit operating systems that are currently generally available or
are under beta test have the comparable benefit of enabling developers to
create 32-bit multithreaded programs, the key issue is how to minimize hardware
upgrade costs, software upgrade costs and support costs while achieving these
benefits.  The following analysis compares three 32-bit preemptive
multithreaded multitasking operating systems: IBM OS/2 Warp, Microsoft Windows
95 and Microsoft Windows NT 3.51.

I propose that there are four key attributes of an operating system that will
minimize upgrade costs.  If the user wishes, these cost minimization attributes
may be considered to be additional benefits associated with upgrading to a
particular 32-bit preemptive multithreaded multitasking operating system.

1. Backwards Compatibility with DOS and Windows 3.1 programs.

The operating system must provide the maximum possible backwards compatibility
with today's 16-bit DOS and Windows 3.1 programs.

Backwards compatibility is provided best by operating systems that include
real, but modified, Windows or Windows for Workgroups 3.1/3.11 code and do not
use emulation.  Emulation can introduce problems with backwards compatibility.
Backwards compatibility allows the user to avoid unnecessary software upgrades
and the associated software costs and support costs.

1.a. IBM OS/2 Warp: IBM OS/2 Warp uses modified Windows 3.1 code. Information
about incompatibilities for DOS and Windows 3.1 programs running under OS/2
Warp may be found by opening (double-clicking) the "Information" icon on the
OS/2 Warp desktop (Workplace Shell) and then opening (double-clicking) the
"Applications Consideration" icon.  The Applications Consideration document is
part of the "Documentation" that is installed when OS/2 Warp is installed
(note: OS/2 Warp installation installs "Documentation" by default).  The
Applications Consideration document is not otherwise electronically available
from IBM.

1.b. MS Windows 95: Microsoft Windows 95 uses modified Windows for Workgroups
3.11 code (note:  refer to section 4.b. of this analysis, Robust Multitasking -
MS Windows 95, for a source for this statement). Because the Windows for
Workgroups 3.11 code has been modified in Windows 95, some Windows 3.1 programs
do not work correctly under Windows 95. Microsoft has published a "Windows 95
Software Compatibility Report" that lists compatibility or incompatibility of
2500 DOS and Windows programs with Windows 95.  The file name of the report is
WIN95APP.HLP.  It can be downloaded from Compuserve and other sources.

The report has been criticized from two points of view.  First, the report
sometimes lists a particular Windows program as having one or more problems
with Windows 95 and may not list that a later version is compatible with
Windows 95.  This is not surprising because software is often updated.
Microsoft has announced plans to update the report weekly.  As of October 2,
1995, more than one month after the general availability of Windows 95, the
July 1995 Draft of the report was still the version available from the
Compuserve WINNEWS forum.

Second, the report sometimes say "no problems noted" when users have found that
there are problems.  An often reported example of this is that installing the
Microsoft Internet Explorer (a World Wide Web browser program) or the Microsoft
Network access software causes a particular file (WINSOCK.DLL) for a third
party Internet World Wide Web (WWW) browser program (e.g. Netscape Navigator or
Compuserve NetLauncher) to be renamed and the Microsoft Windows 95 version of
the file (WINSOCK.DLL) to be installed.  When the new version of the file
(WINSOCK.DLL) is used with the third party WWW program, the third party program
does not work.  This normal behavior of Microsoft's programs for Windows 95 is
not included in the "Windows 95 Software Compatibility Report".

1.c. MS Windows NT 3.51: Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 rates lower on the backwards
compatibility attribute.  It emulates Windows 3.1 instead of using a modified
version of Windows 3.1/3.11 or Windows for Workgroups 3.1/3.11.  The Windows on
Windows (WOW) subsystem (or layer) in all versions of Windows NT is the
emulator.  Microsoft sometimes refers to its emulation approach as translation.

Some of the technical details of the WOW subsystem/layer were published in the
article titled "Test Drive Win32 from 16-bit Code Using the Windows NT WOW
Layer and Generic Thunk" (Microsoft Systems Journal, June 1994, pp 13-40). On
page 17, the author refers to emulation:

 ' Second, some new API calls have been added to the WOW versions of
KRNL386.EXE, USER.EXE and GDI.EXE.  Most of these functions appear to be there
to internally aid WOW in emulating 16-bit Windows...'

 ' Third, and most importantly, the WOW code actually employed is significantly
different from that found in a typical Windows 3.1 installation...'

According to the article "You Mean NT CAN'T Really Run WINDOWS", (Datamation,
May 15, 1994, pp 67-68), the Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 Windows on Windows
subsystem uses Insignia Solutions Softwindows technology that emulates Windows
3.1.  (see Attachment A).

Finally, Windows NT 3.51 rates lower than the earlier Windows NT 3.5 on the
backwards compatibility attribute.  The following is an electronic mail message
to me that explains part (or all) of this loss of backwards compatibility:

 > #:  385 S0/CompuServe Mail
 > Sb:  NT 3.51 & Win Apps
 >
 > My gripe was the drop in backward compatability between NT 3.5 and
 > 3.51.  I was able to confirm my suspicions with one of the serious
 > programmers at work.  Per him, there were a number of GDI 'handles"
 > in 3.5 designed to support the WIN16 emulation that were "renamed"
 > to new Win-95 style 32-bit API functions for the NT 3.51 GDI.
 > Thus any of the Win16 stuff that calls these GDI functions will
 > either cause GPFs (passing parameter errors) or erronous color
 > functions.  I consider this approach used by Microsoft to be an
 > inappropriate programming shortcut that is not very professional.


2. Minimal or No Memory (RAM) Increase.

The operating system must run with acceptable speed on today's personal
computer configurations.  These configurations typically have 4 MB or 8 MB of
memory (RAM).  In other words, there should be minimal or no RAM increase
(upgrade) required to install and begin to use the new 32-bit operating system.

A standalone personal computer (i.e. a personal computer not connected to a
local area network) using the operating system must run with acceptable speed
with a DOS or small Windows program in 4 MB RAM.  The user minimizes memory
hardware upgrade costs.

2.a. IBM OS/2 Warp: IBM OS/2 Warp on a standalone personal computer can do
this. IBM specifies OS/2 Warp's minimum memory requirements to be 4 MB RAM.

2.b. MS Windows 95: Microsoft Windows 95 on a standalone personal computer can
do this. Microsoft specifies Windows 95's minimum memory requirements to be 4
MB RAM.

2.c. MS Windows NT 3.51: Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 has been widely reported to
require 12 MB RAM minimum with even a small 16-bit Windows program and
therefore does not possess the minimal hardware upgrade attribute.  Microsoft
specifies Windows NT 3.51's minimum memory requirements to be 12 MB RAM on
personal computers based on Intel 80386 and above microprocessors.

2.d. Operating Systems Memory Requirements Comparison: The above memory
requirements are only minimums. The following table reflects information
published in many benchmark tests in magazines and also user messages posted on
Compuserve.  The definitions of "Workable" memory and "Sweet Spot" memory are
necessarily subjective.  However, system performance is significantly improved
for all users by upgrading from "Minimum" to "Workable" memory.  Performance is
further improved by upgrading from "Workable" memory to "Sweet Spot" memory.  A
small proportion of users benefit from upgrading beyond "Sweet Spot" memory.

      Operating Systems Memory Requirements Comparison

                        Local Area
                        Network

            Standalone     Standalone     Connection
            Minimum      Workable      Sweet Spot
            Memory       Memory       Memory

IBM OS/2 Warp      4 MB RAM      8 MB RAM     16 MB RAM

MS Windows 95      4 MB RAM      8 MB RAM     16 MB RAM

MS Windows NT
Workstation 3.51    12 MB RAM     16 MB RAM     32 MB RAM


3. No Microprocessor Upgrade.

The operating system must run today's 16-bit DOS and Windows programs "fast".
In other words, users should not have to upgrade their personal computer
systems with more powerful microprocessors or buy new more powerful systems
just to run 16-bit DOS and Windows programs that they cannot or will not soon
upgrade.  The user minimizes microprocessor hardware upgrade costs.

3.a. IBM OS/2 Warp: IBM OS/2 Warp can do this.  IBM OS/2 Warp runs Windows 3.1
programs almost as fast as Windows 3.1, which is the basis of its Windows
program support (as mentioned in Backwards Compatibility with DOS and Windows
3.1 Programs, Section 1 of this analysis, OS/2 Warp subsection).

3.b. MS Windows 95: Microsoft Windows 95 can do this.  Microsoft Windows 95
runs Windows 3.1 programs almost as fast as Windows for Workgroups 3.11, on
which it is based (refer to section 4.b. of this analysis, Robust Multitasking
- Windows 95, for a source for this statement.

3.c. MS Windows NT 3.51: On the other hand, Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 is widely
reported to run many 16-bit Windows programs slower than either of the other
two operating systems and does not possess this performance attribute.


4. Robust Multitasking.

The operating system must provide robust multitasking so that no program --
whether 16-bit DOS, 16-bit Windows or 32-bit native to the operating system --
can cause any other program to stop running.  Robust multitasking helps the
user minimize support costs.

4.a. IBM OS/2 Warp: IBM has trademarked this attribute for OS/2 and called it
"OS/2 Crash Protection".  OS/2 Crash Protection is based on the fact that each
OS/2 program runs in its own separate session, each DOS program runs in its own
separate session and -- if the users chooses or needs to do so -- each 16-bit
Windows program runs in its own separate session.  If a single session locks up
and stops, OS/2 itself and all other sessions (DOS, Windows or OS/2) continue
to run.  Because OS/2 continues to run, the user can easily terminate the
stopped session and restart it.

4.b. MS Windows 95: Microsoft Windows 95 does not possess the robust
multitasking attribute. A dramatic example of this was relatedd in "Of COM
Ports and Digital Frogs", (Byte, September 1995, pp.___-___) on pages 281-282:

 '...With only a few windows open, there's little difference in speed  between
OS/2 Warp Connect and the test versions of W95; but if you  keep a lot of
windows open and do a lot of multitasking, the  differences can be dramatic.'

' Using the IBM Pentium ValuePoint (note: 60 MHz or 66 MHz Pentium),  I've
managed to get three simultaneous communications programs -- two using 9600 bps
modems, and one using a serial port -- as well as a print job to run in OS/2.
The printing was pretty slow, but the communications tasks worked without
losing data.  I haven't tried that with W95, but I don't need to.  Just keeping
a number of windows open (and doing nothing) will noticeably slow down W95.'

The lack of robust multitasking in Windows 95 is a result of its design.  As
the article "A Grab Bag of Gotchas and Goodies for Programming in Windows 95"
(Microsoft Systems Journal, May 1995, pp 19-34) says on page 30:

 '...There are still some 16-bit underpinnings in Windows 95, mainly due to
backwards compatibility.  A common misconception about Windows 95 is that it is
based on Windows NT source code.  This is not true. Windows 95 is based on
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 code.  Yes, the code has been significantly
modified to provide process and thread memory management, IPC and
synchronization, preemptive multitasking, I/O and printer services, and high
level graphics operations, but there still are some occasional 16-bit issues to
deal with'

The relative importance of the modified Windows for Workgroups 3.11 code that
is the basis for Windows 95 was noted by Andy Grove, President and CEO of Intel
Corporation in the article "P6 positioning is set" (PC Week, September 18, 1995
pp 1,131) on page 1:

 '" P6 is optimized for 32-bit software," Grove said in an interview last week.
"It does not do anything very spectacular for Windows 95. Nor does it need to.
[Win95] has 32-bit [code], but it is not predominantly 32-bit software."'

The above statements summarize the design of Windows 95.  More detailed
information is in Attachment B, "The Design of Windows 95 and its Relation to
Robust Multitasking".

4.c. MS Windows NT 3.51: On the other hand, Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 has the
robust multitasking attribute because of its design.

The robust multitasking of Windows NT was qualitatively and  quantitatively
compared to the robust multitasking of OS/2 Warp in the "Down to the Wire"
column, InfoWorld, July 10, 1995, p. 88):

 ' The same Excel test (note: Excel 5.0 for Windows NT macro) slows
 down 72 percent in Windows NT [3.51] when running cc:Mail Remote
 [for DOS] in the background (note: compared to running Excel 5.0
 for Windows NT macro with no other program running).  You can get
 almost flawless performance in Windows NT if you tweak the
 multitasking settings.  Unfortunately, the cc:Mail transfer works
 consistently only if you set NT to multitask with equal priority
 given to both foreground and background tasks.  At any other
 setting, cc:Mail Remote often times out and disconnects before
 transferring all the pending mail.'

 ' I find it truly surprising how poorly Microsoft Windows NT handles
 this multitasking test.  With all the fuss that even I have made
 about Windows NT's asynchronous input queues and robust architecture,
 I expected it to at least keep up with OS/2, if not run circles
 around it.  But a similar spreadsheet test using Athena Design's
 Mesa 2 for OS/2 instead of Excel shows less than a 5 percent drop
 in the foreground application's performance; this is in OS/2 Warp
 when transferring the same cc:Mail Remote files in the background.
 And it's not just Mesa.  Warp does consistently well with other 32-bit
 apps in the foreground.'


Conclusion
----------

In conclusion, only IBM OS/2 Warp possesses all of these attributes that
minimize the costs of upgrading to a 32-bit software platform. Microsoft
Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 each lack at least one of these
attributes.  This means that the costs of upgrading a computing environment
from Microsoft Windows to either Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 will
be higher than the cost of upgrading from Microsoft Windows to IBM OS/2 Warp.
Thus the best benefit to cost relationship results from upgrading Microsoft
Windows environments to IBM OS/2 Warp.

I believe that both IBM and Microsoft understand this cost/benefit analysis.
IBM has developed and now markets OS/2 Warp.  Microsoft seems unable to develop
an operating system with all of these attributes.  It is currently compensating
for this weakness by pressing its current marketing advantage.  In fact, it is
so aggressively pressing its marketing advantage that the United States
Department of Justice is continuing its investigations of Microsoft.



---- Attachment A ----


"You Mean NT Can't Really Run Windows."
(Datamation, May 15, 1994, pp 67-68).

OS/2 Warp has superior backward compatibility with 16-bit Windows application
programs when compared to Windows NT 3.51.

OS/2 Warp uses modified Microsoft Windows 3.1 code, which Microsoft licensed to
IBM as part of the 'divorce settlement' between the two companies, to run
16-bit Windows programs.

The Datamation article includes the following information about OS/2's support
of 16-bit Windows 3.x applications:

 ' Incidentally, it's been more than two years since five or six young
programmers at IBM's Boca Raton labs figured out a way to run 16-bit Windows
3.x apps on IBM's then-new 32-bit OS/2 2.x OS in native mode.  And they pulled
it off in less than three months.'

On the other hand, the Datamation article points out that Windows NT 3.51
(note: article refers to earlier NT 3.5 by its pre-release code name 'Daytona')
uses the Softwindows and SoftPC emulation technologies from Insignia Solutions
to run 16-bit Windows programs.  The information about the use of emulation in
the Win16 on Win32 (WOW) subsystem in Windows NT was also part of the March
1994 Microsoft DevCast videoteleconference for developers.  Even earlier, it
had been a news item in Computergram, October 10, 1991:

 'Microsoft Corp's vice-president of systems software, Steve Ballmer,
 says 16-bit Windows applications will be able to run under both the
 Intel Corp and MIPS Computer Systems Inc versions of its Windows NT
 operating environment:  binary compatibility for existing Windows
 applications running on both will be provided by
 Insignia Solutions Ltd's SoftPC (sic) emulation software, which
 Microsoft recently licensed;...'

The Datamation article notes the following detail information about the
Insignia Solutions' SoftPC and Softwindows technologies that Microsoft licensed
for Windows NT in a sidebar:

 ' When NT is running on RISC machines using Alpha, Mips, or SPARC
 chips, for example, Insignia code emulates both the Intel x86 chip
 and MS-DOS operating system, as well as all of the hardware and
 drivers that Windows and DOS expect to call upon.'  ' On Intel-based
 PCs, there's no need to use Insignia to emulate the x86 chip,
 of course.  But Insignia still provides all of the Windows 3.1 and
 DOS drivers for the system hardware that make sure the 16-bit DOS
 and Windows applcations are isolated from direct contact with NT's
 protected Hardware Access Layer (HAL) or the hardware itself.'

Further on, the Datamation article provides more insights into the development
work done so that 16-bit Windows programs can run under Windows NT 3.5:

 'Although Insignia's products play a crucial role in letting NT run
 16-bit Windows 3.1 apps, Microsoft's own developers worked long and
 hard on the bulk of the 16-bit Windows emulation code.  And they've
 kept on working long and hard of late to increase the speed at which
 the next version of NT (note:  Windows NT 3.5) can run 16-bit Windows
 apps -- still, however, using Insignia's technologies.  Microsoft
 developed a concept called "Win16 on Win32" (WOW) to enable 16-bit
 Windows apps to run under NT, even emulating a few Windows 3.1 coding
 errors in the WOW layer so that all of the applications written to
 expect those errors would be able to run.'

The Datamation article notes that Insignia Solutions' technologies are also
used by other operating systems:

 'Insignia Solutions' SoftPC and Softwindows emulation products are
 generally used to run DOS and Windows 3.1 applications on RISC-based
 Unix workstations and Mac PowerPCs.  Insignia also sells a version of
 Softwindows for the Nextstep for Intel operating system.'


---- Attachment B ----


The Design of Windows 95 and its Relation to Robust Multitasking


In the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system, there is a single session for all
16-bit Windows programs and the 16-bit system components of Windows 95.  The
16-bit system components of Windows 95 are modified versions of today's Windows
for Workgroups 3.11 system components.  The consequence of this design is that
if one of the 16-bit Windows programs misbehaves (does not yield properly) and
locks up this session, then the operation of all of the 16-bit Windows programs
stops in Windows 95 --


═══ 16. Л ═══



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online


═══ 17. Р ═══



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online

Sometimes when it feels like we're out here gliding around on our own, all we
have to do is look at the list of folks who are sponsoring us to realize we
aren't out here by ourselves.  We're proud of our list of sponsors.  These
folks are financing our existence on the Internet.  We struggle every month
just to meet the expenses of running our FTP, Web site (56 Kb leased line and
Cisco Router on Token Ring Network), and BBS (at bbs.gco.com via Raymond
Gwinn's Vmodem), but it's worth it.  Thanks to all of you who've helped us out.
(Those sponsors with gco.com e-mail addresses are sponsoring through their
subscriptions to our BBS).

Important! We can't exist without some help from you.  You can become a sponsor
for as little as $50 per year (see adjacent panel on how to become one of our
sponsors).


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ANTHONY CAFFERATA  Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
DWIGHT CANNON    Elgin        IL   [e-mail]
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SCOTT CARSON     Fredericksburg    VA   [e-mail]
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DEAN CAWTHON     Solon        OH   [e-mail]
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BOB CHAMBERLAIN   Glenview       IL   [e-mail]
JOHN CHIODO     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
MARVIN CLAVEY    Northbrook      IL   [e-mail]
LENNIE COCCO     Gurnee        IL   [e-mail]
PAUL COLVIN     Mundelein      IL   [e-mail]
JULE CORRON     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
PAUL COVEY      Austin        TX   [e-mail]
MAC CRUZ       Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
MARTY DAVIS     Cleveland      TN   [e-mail]
STEVE DEGREEF    Barlett       IL   [e-mail]
AL DEGUTIS      River Forest     IL   [e-mail]
JR DEMPSEY      Riverdale      IL   [e-mail]
SERGE DENIS     Brussels       BE   [e-mail]
ROY DETERS      Alsip        IL   [e-mail]
KARL  DEVORE     Waukegan       IL   [e-mail]
DAVE DRUCKER     Wheeling       IL   [e-mail]
MIKE DUDLEY     Enfield       NH   [e-mail]
ARLYNN EFTEFIELD   Des Plaines     IL   [e-mail]
MIKE EHRLICH     Skokie        IL   [e-mail]
DON EIPERT      Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
PHILIP ENGEL     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
TIM ERICKSON     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
MARK ERTES      Arlington Heights  IL   [e-mail]
FRED FACHET     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
ROBERT FALESCH    Geneva        IL   [e-mail]
PHILIP FELBER    Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
PHILLIP FLODIN    Marion        MI   [e-mail]
TOM FORAJTER     RIVERDALE      IL   [e-mail]
WILLIAM FOSDICK   Rolling Meadows   IL   [e-mail]
BILL FRAZIER     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
COREY GAFFNEY    Bensenville     IL   [e-mail]
JOHN GAISER     Schaumburg      Il   [e-mail]
PETER GARNER     Houston       TX   [e-mail]
WALTER GEORGE    Calumet Park     IL   [e-mail]
MARVIN GINO     BARRINGTON      IL   [e-mail]
PAUL GIORDANO    Wheaton       IL   [e-mail]
PAUL GIOVACCHINI   Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
STEVE GORMAN     La Grange      IL   [e-mail]
ED GOULD       Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
ROBERT GRAY     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
BOGDAN GRZESIAK   CHICAGO       IL   [e-mail]
CHRISTIAN GUSTAFSON Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
ROBERT HALL     Lake Forest     IL   [e-mail]
ALLAN HAMILTON    San Jose       CA   [e-mail]
KEN HANSEN      Libertyville     IL   [e-mail]
STANLEY HANSON    Rolling Meadows   IL   [e-mail]
WALT HARDEE     Huntsville      AL   [e-mail]
PERRY HARRIS     Aurora        IL   [e-mail]
MICHAEL HASCH    Northbrook      IL   [e-mail]
JIM HASSELMAN    Crystal Lake     IL   [e-mail]
STEVEN HAUSWIRTH   Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
KIRT HAYES      Lake Forest     IL   [e-mail]
STEVE HELPHINGSTINE HIGHLAND PARK    IL   [e-mail]
MIKE HENRY      Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
DAVID HERGERT    Wilmington      MA   [e-mail]
CHRIS HERR      Hoffman Estates   IL   [e-mail]
TOM HEYDUK      Berwyn        IL   [e-mail]
DONALD HICKEY    Lansing       IL   [e-mail]
RICHARD HINTON    Berwyn        IL   [e-mail]
MIKE HOAG      Portland       OR   [e-mail]
RICHARD HOESLI    Prospect Heights   IL   [e-mail]
ROBERT HOFSTETTER  Cherry Valley    IL   [e-mail]
DAVE HOLLE      Oswego        IL   [e-mail]
STEVE HOLLINGSWORTH Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
SKIP HOSLER     Schaumburg      IL   [e-mail]
ROGER HOST      Lake in the Hills  IL   [e-mail]
KARL HUF       Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
WILL HUTCHINSON   Downers Grove    IL   [e-mail]
STEPHEN IACOVELLI  Schaumburg      IL   stephen [e-mail]
NICK IMBRAGUGLIO   Hanover Park     IL   [e-mail]
CLIFFORD ISACKSON  Westchester     IL   [e-mail]
RONNIE IVES     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
TIM KAAR       Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
PAUL KAWCZYNSKI   CHICAGO       IL   [e-mail]
BRIAN KEEFE     Orland Park     IL   [e-mail]
JIM KENT       Gurnee        IL   [e-mail]
JOHN KLECZEWSKI   west chicago     IL   [e-mail]
STEVE KLINE     Camarillo      CA   [e-mail]
JIM KOCMOUD     Berwyn        IL   [e-mail]
GIL KOWOLS      Park Ridge      IL   [e-mail]
CHRIS KOZLOV     Grayslake      IL   [e-mail]
JOHN KRISTELLI    Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
SEAN KROGMAN     Elk Grove Village  IL   [e-mail]
RICK KRUER      Mesa         AZ   [e-mail]
JOHN KRUSZKA     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
KRIS KWILAS     Burr Ridge      IL   [e-mail]
JOHN LARSON     Arlington Heights  IL   [e-mail]
CHRIS LENZINI    Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
ALAN LEVY      Chicao        IL   [e-mail]
BILL LOW       Wheeling       IL   [e-mail]
PETER LU       Glenview       IL   [e-mail]
MARIO LUGO      Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
JOE MACALUSO     Frankfort      IL   [e-mail]
PATRICK MACROY    Glen Ellyn      IL   [e-mail]
BASSAM MADANY    South Holland    IL   [e-mail]
MARC MARINO     Calumet City     IL   [e-mail]
DAVID MARTIN     Plymouth       MN   [e-mail]
TOM MCCABE      Romeoville      IL   [e-mail]
RUSS MCCALLISTER   River Forest     IL   [e-mail]
PATRICK MCCAMMON   Roselle       IL   [e-mail]
CHRIS MCCARTHY    Island Lake     IL   [e-mail]
BRIAN MCMILLAN    Corpus Christi    TX   [e-mail]
FRANK MERCIK     Ogden, UT      UT   [e-mail]
JOE MESSINA     Los Angeles     CA   [e-mail]
CHRIS MIELKE     Gurnee        IL   [e-mail]
TERRY MILLER     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
MURRAY MOHL     SUMMIT        NJ   [e-mail]
ELENA NANOS     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
LARRY NELSON     GLEN ELLYN      IL   [e-mail]
DAVID NEMETH     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
ROBERT NEWCOMER   Northbrook      IL   [e-mail]
KEVIN NEWMAN     Chicago Heights   IL   [e-mail]
TOM NEWMAN      Hanover Park     IL   [e-mail]
TIM VAN NOORD    South Holland    IL   [e-mail]
ROBERT NORMAN    Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
SEAN O'CONNOR    Downers Grove    IL   [e-mail]
DAN O'DAY      Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
HUGH O'NEILL     Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
DON ONEILL      Lagrange       IL   [e-mail]
FRANK ORLITA     ELMHURST       IL   [e-mail]
JIM PALMER      Naperville      IL   [e-mail]
MICHAEL PAPIERNIAK  Des Plaines     IL   [e-mail]
JON PARKER      Rolling Meadows   IL   [e-mail]
CINDY PEGG      Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
GREGG PHILBRICK   LOMBARD       IL   [e-mail]
HERB PHILBRICK    Chesterton      IN   [e-mail]
EDWARD PHILLIPS   Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
STEVEN PHILLIPS   Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
VIC PIPER      Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
PJ PISCZAK      Middleburg Hts.   OH   [e-mail]
BILL PLETTING    downers grove    IL   [e-mail]
DAVID POTTS     Brookfield      IL   [e-mail]
JOE PRIORY      Deerfield      IL   [e-mail]
FRANK RAKOCZY    Chicago       IL   [e-mail]
CHRIS RAY      River Forest     IL   [e-mail]
JAMES RICHARDS


═══ 18. Т ═══



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online



In response to requests from several OS/2ers interested in becoming GrassRoots
Home Page Sponsors, we are announcing that we are taking subscriptions from
persons and corporations interested in becoming OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
sponsors to help us defray the costs of operating on the Internet.  Our Home
Page displays the latest news of interest to the OS/2 GrassRoots as well as
current and previous issues of the GrassRoots Gazette in HTML format.

Currently, all expenses of running our Home Page are subsidized  by the GREATER
CHICAGO Online!! BBS subscriber community and by GREATER CHICAGO, Inc. as a
public service to the OS/2 user community. We would like to continue our
GrassRoots Home Page operation and sponsorships will help us do that.  So if
you are interested, this is what it is all about:

Sponsorships come in two varieties and have a number of benefits:

A.  Personal Sponsorship - $50 per year

  o UserID and password on the GREATER CHICAGO OS/2 Ftp Server
   (over 2Gb of the latest in OS/2 files, tips and techniques)
  o UserID and password on our BBS (bbs.gco.com via Raymond Gwinn's Vmodem)
  o Personal Home Page (one page) for sponsor or sponsor's family - this
   includes a gif file of your choice and hypertext - including files to
   download not to exceed 1 Mb in size.
  o Sponsor's Name on our List of Sponsors in the OS/2er's GrassRoots
   Gazette in both the INF and HTML versions.
  o Certificate from OS/2er's GrassRoots Gazette designating you as
   a charter sponsor (suitable for framing).

B.  Corporate Sponsorship - $100 per year

  o UserID and password on the GREATER CHICAGO OS/2 Ftp Server
   (over 2Gb of the latest in OS/2 files, tips and techniques)
  o UserID and password on our BBS (bbs.gco.com via Raymond Gwinn's Vmodem)
  o Home Page for your company/service/product - this includes
   a gif file of your choice and hypertext - including files to download
   not to exceed 2Mb in size.
  o Company's Name on our List of Sponsors in the OS/2er's GrassRoots
   Gazette in both the INF and HTML versions.
  o One page of advertising in 2 (of 4) issues of OS/2er's GrassRoots Gazette
   featuring your product/service/company.
  o Certificate from OS/2er's GrassRoots Gazette designating your company
   as a charter sponsor (suitable for framing).

If you feel that the GrassRoots Home Page is worth the effort, we'd be honored
to have you on our list of sponsors.  And we think you'll get more than the
amount of your sponsorship in return for value of the benefits we've
itemized above.

OS/2er's GrassRoots Gazette     or send to [e-mail]
Box 188
Lansing, IL 60438          or Fax to [phone]
ATTN: Bill Cook, Editor

  ------------- OS/2 GrassRoots Gazette Sponsorship Application ------------

Type:  Personal [ ]           Corporate [ ]

Name: _________________________________________________________________
   (as you would like it to appear on our list of sponsors)

E-Mail Address (this will appear next to your name) _______________________

Method of Payment:   Check [ ]      Credit Card [ ]

If Credit Card:   Visa [ ]      MasterCard [ ]

Credit Card Number: __________________________________ Expiration ________

Name of cardholder (as it appears on Credit Card) ________________________

We'll need your postal address in order to mail your certificate to you:

Name (for mail label): ______________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________

City/St/Zip:______________________________________________________

Daytime Phone: ___________________________________________________

Note: Please send all communication regarding your home page, including
desired layout, gif files, etc. to [e-mail] or mail to our
postal address (above).

And


═══ 19. У ═══



This issue of the Gazette started out as our regular Winter Feature for 95/96.
It was roughed out in mid September '95, and we were well on our way to the
first drafts in Mid November when the sudden news of the demise of Team OS/2
Support at IBM appeared on the scene.  A short while later, David Barnes
announced that he was leaving IBM to pursue other career goals.

Our mission has always been to publish the good news about OS/2 - we're fans of
Warp, and the Gazette attests to that fact.  The theme of this issue was and
still is "OS/2, once and for all, the best."  Contained in this issue are the
strongest arguments we know for its continued support as a desktop operating
system.  Our 11 Things article highlights an action plan for IBM to put OS/2
over the top, our Cost Analysis article by Jonathan Handler gives dollars and
cents sources of satisfaction and where to look for financial justification for
upgrading to Warp, the FLC (Frequently Launched Criticisms List) by Charles
Forsythe will get you through any technical issue about Warp and how it stacks
up against the Microsoft alternatives, and there is much, much more for your
reading enjoyment.  Contained in this single issue of the Gazette is the
toolkit you need to convince yourself and those around you that Warp is the way
to go.

Our message to David Barnes is that we will miss him - he's a good friend and
we hope that will not change.  To those at Team OS/2 Austin, we know you're
still Team'ers and we look forward to your joining the real Team OS/2
organization, the one that exists outside of IBM and has ever since David
Whittle first announced that first Teamer party at Comdex years ago.

Our message to the OS/2 GrassRoots, as always, is contained in all the articles
in this issue.   We are committed to the success of OS/2 and believe it will
eventually be THE platform of choice.  There are just a few items that need to
be addressed to get that done.  So let's get on with it - here's the best issue
yet of the Gazette.



The GrassRoots Gazette is published quarterly at GREATER CHICAGO OS/2.  Our
mission is to promote the OS/2 GrassRoots movement and to provide OS/2ers with
a meaningful and interesting periodical that deals with the goings-on in the
OS/2 User Community as well as tips and techniques for the home and corporate
user of OS/2.

We make our home at the OS/2 GrassRoots Home Page
(URL=http://www.gco.com/grassroots.html) which is sponsored by the GREATER
CHICAGO OS/2 World Wide Web and GREATER CHICAGO Online