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- Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU
- Path: sparky!uunet!paladin.american.edu!auvm!COMPUSERVE.COM!76350.1604
- Message-ID: <920731162534_76350.1604_EHJ23-1@CompuServe.COM>
- Newsgroups: bit.listserv.sas-l
- Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 12:25:34 EDT
- Reply-To: Andy Norton <76350.1604@COMPUSERVE.COM>
- Sender: "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@UGA.BITNET>
- From: Andy Norton <76350.1604@COMPUSERVE.COM>
- Subject: OS/2 -- look before you leap!
- Comments: To: SAS-L <SAS-L@AWIIMC12.IMC.UNIVIE.AC.AT>
- Lines: 101
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
- CONTENT: Information / Opinion
- SUMMARY: Think carefully before installing OS/2
- Check out IBMOS2 forum on Compuserve first
- REL/PLTF: OS/2
- E-ADDR: 76350.1604@compuserve.com
- NAME: Andy Norton
- ADDRESS: Trilogy Consulting, 5228 Lovers Lane, Kalamazoo MI 49002
- PHONE: (616) 344-2191
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- My understanding is that SAS Institute is steering people away from
- PC-DOS towards Windows and OS2. In addition, they are hinting that
- Windows will probably not be a very good platform for power users, and
- that OS2 would be better. Thus my justification for this apparent
- cross-posting: SAS users are more interested in OS2 than most
- microcomputer users because of the demands of SAS applications.
-
- My main concern on PC's, by far, is SAS. So I bought a copy of OS2 and
- installed it. I haven't installed SAS on OS2, but I hear rumors it's
- very impressive.
-
- OS2 is very interesting and promising. But I urge everyone to
- investigate more carefully BEFORE installing OS2 than I did!
-
- 1) First of all, subscribe to Compuserve, and connect to the IBMOS2
- forum. This will cost some money ($12.60/hour). But you might be able
- to find a deal such as "first month free with a $25 credit". In those
- two hours you can learn a lot. With the Compuserve software (CIM) you
- can download messages and read them offline, helping to stretch your
- dollars.
-
- The IBMOS2 forum is an official support mechanism for IBM. There are
- IBM support staff members paid to monitor the forum and respond. The
- OS2 developers will often join in, candidly discussing the strengths
- and weaknesses of their design issues. Prominent industry columnists
- such as John Dvorak and William Zachman are avid participants. There
- are also ordinary mortals such as myself.
-
- 2) Buy "Inside OS/2 2.0", by Mark Minasi, et.al., published by New
- Riders Publishing (1992, $34.95). It helps (but didn't explain as much
- as I was looking for). The online OS2 documentation is cute
- (hypertext) but it never has enough information to answer your
- questions. Printed documentation (in the box) is a few pamphlets
- telling you how wonderful OS2 is.
-
- 3) De-installing OS2 is not an easy task. It can be done, but
- involves activities such as rummaging through a bunch of directories
- (nobody can tell you exactly which) deleting hidden files. The OS2
- documentation does not tell you how to get OS2 off your system once you
- give up in despair.
-
- I suggest you seriously consider backing up your entire system before
- installing OS2. Then you can reformat your hard disk if you have to.
-
- 4) Learning OS2 takes more resources than learning PC-DOS. I expected
- to have an easier time learning OS2 fundamentals. There is a real lack
- of documentation describing basic concepts. OS2 appears on the surface
- to be intuitive, but I am finding it difficult. [ I have little prior
- experience with Graphical User Interfaces, but have twelve years
- programming experience with MVS, VMS, CMS, and some PC-DOS and UNIX].
- If you think MVS JCL is difficult ...
-
- Watch out for this learning curve. Remember, with PC-DOS, you have the
- benefit of 11 (?) years of accumulated culture, wisdom, and
- documentation. On the cutting edge, you get some nicks and dents.
-
- If you are in a big company where you have access to somebody who is
- studying the OS/2 operating system full time, you will probably do
- fine. SAS Institute falls into this category. On the other hand, if
- you are providing technical support to yourself, you will probably have
- to divert resources from your real job.
-
- IBM technical support is remarkably friendly and cooperative, but
- poorly informed. In my experience, the Compuserve forum has the
- answers to many questions that the 800-number does not.
-
- 5) Don't depend on OS2 working. Ideally, you should put it on a spare
- machine off in the corner. Don't depend on your DOS applications
- working either. Remember, DOS is being simulated by OS2, rather than
- running native DOS. [I think there are ways to run more-or-less true
- DOS using "Dual Boot Mode", but I haven't figured them out yet. I am
- using DOS windows].
-
- 6) Particular trouble areas include homebrew or off-brand machines
- (such as mine), and machines with less than 8 megabytes of memory.
-
- 7) Note that I am not particularly concerned with the bugs (although
- 2.0 really should be termed a Beta release). I just work around
- those. I am stressing that installing OS/2 is truly a migration to a
- different operating system (and a complex one). This conversion is of
- a different magnitude than installing Windows.
-
- I *want* to like OS/2 and could be happy with it as the operating
- system of the future. I understand why SAS will run better on OS/2.
- But I wanted to warn everyone that installing OS/2 on your machine is a
- serious commitment. The purchase cost is trivial next to the real
- cost.
-
- This is my perspective as an old-time mainframer dabbling in micros.
- How about you PC hackers? Who or what would you recommend OS2 for?
-