SOUND OFF!


The purpose of this section is to provide a forum for our readers to voice their opinions and thoughts on issues related to OS/2. If you have an observation, concern, gripe or compliment regarding something, please feel free to send them to the OS/2 CONNECT editor for inclusion in this section, at: Title & Publisher or complete the form at the bottom of this page.

The opinions expressed in this section are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the editor or publisher of OS/2 CONNECT. NOTE: Letters may be edited for inappropriate or offensive language.


NETWORK INSTALL AND TEAM OS/2?

Tim, keep up the great work - we appreciate it. A couple of quick questions - do you know if IBM plans to fix their Networking Install portion of Warp 4? It seems that the only way I can get networking to work properly is to re-install Warp from scratch and install the LAN card drivers, client, etc. during the initial install. Selective Install for the LAN clients just doesn't seem to work for us. Any ideas?

Team OS/2 - what's the plan with their web site? I stopped going there months ago because nothing seemed to change. I think it's a great idea to register users - what are they waiting for?

- Kevin Salisbury
Salisbury Electronics
Canterbury, CT, USA
March 30, 1998

EDITOR's REPLY: Although I have personally not run into any problems networking with Warp 4, you might want to check out the following web pages:

IBM OS/2 Warp 4 Install Page - http://www.rs6000.ibm.com/pspinfo/obi/
Warp 4 Tuning Tips - http://www.ee.newcastle.edu.au/users/staff/peter/os2/tuning.html
Warp X-The Future with OS/2 Warp - http://www.jmast.se/warpx/warpx.htm

As to Team OS/2 (http://www.teamos2.org/): although unconfirmed, I suspect that it has met the same fate as IBM PC User Group relations which terminated earlier this year due to budget cuts.


OS/2 SUPPORT FOR IMATION DRIVES

I had already purchased the Imation 120Mb external drive for use on another system. As OS/2 users might know, Imation does not yet have the driver code in OS/2 format.

The following does work, however, if you are willing to work within a DOS session:

  1. Set up a DOS session where the DOS version is DOS 5.0 or earlier, I used the VMDISK generated image file of a DRDOS 3.0 boot disk. (Be sure to have the FSFILTER.SYS and the FSACCESS.EXE on the disk as well).

  2. Edit the CONFIG.SYS file to include the DOS drivers for the LS-120 drivers for the external drive system.

  3. Run this up as a DOS session. The session then starts with the next available drive letter and one can read/write the external drive.
After getting this working, I had a BIOS setting problem on the next bootup. Therefore users are cautioned to have a clean shutdown when doing the DOS route.

Perhaps if OS/2 users complain to Imation (they have a contact address under their web page http://www.imation.com/) 3M might eventually prepare an OS/2 driver.

- Jim Courtright
Milwaukee, WI, USA
March 23, 1998

APRIL EDITORIAL

I just read your editorial entitled "Good News for Java Users" in the April issue of OS/2 CONNECT.

IMO, it's not only an excellent editorial, but it's also most relevant to the current concerns of the OS/2 user community.

- Larry Lavins
OS/2 SIG Leader, Philadelphia Area Computer Society
March 17, 1998

WHY ALL THE FUSS?

Interesting comments (March Editorial) but why all the fuss? The name of the game in the western world's industrialized economy is bottom line and how one achieves that is inconsequential. Short term gain will inevitably bring long term pain however you might perceive it. The allowance of monopolistic situations will inevitably bring disaster but the upper echelon of management is never held responsible for bad economic decisions; they are so frequently rewarded with outlandish payouts when the crunch comes. So much for OS/2 advocates - it is a very good operating system and one which the millions of home users could be using with an adequate marketing program but to no avail.

- Herb Baldwin
Red Deer, AB, Canada
March 17, 1998

PROBLEM WITH NOVELL SERVER

I am currently using OS/2 Warp version 3. I have gone from running a mixture of 802.3 and 802.2 to strictly 802.2. After "unbinding" the last Novell Server from 802.3 I could no longer log my OS/2 system on to the network. Once I rebound the network to the 802.3 I could then logon to the network. What could be going on here?

I would appreciate any help with this matter.

- Mark Martin
First Commerce Bank
Tel: 706/335-3270
March 12, 1998

EDITOR's NOTE: Any user or consultant with expertise in Novell Server and OS/2 is encouraged to contact Mark directly.


THANKS

I just visited your web site for the first time off a link from the OS/2 Supersite. I must say I enjoyed the speed of the server, the content snd the editorial. I am just a home user and business user of OS/2, not into games and the like. I am also quite anti-Microsoft/Intel, upgrade every six month mentality.

Thanks for the refreshing viewpoints; If I could only get a version of Quicken for OS/2......

- Chris Youngs
Humble, TX, USA
March 11, 1998

EDITOR's NOTE: Thanks for your note. If you like Quicken, be sure to check out Spitfire Software'a InCharge accounting software for OS/2 at: http://rampages.onramp.net/~landeck


COMMENTS PLEASE

To submit a letter to the editor for this section, please complete the following form. NOTE: Some web browsers may not support e-mail protocols. In this event, e-mail or fax your message separately.

Your Name

Company

City, State, Country

E-Mail Address

Enter your comments below:
Press Send to transmit your comments.

Thank you for your input!