BRAZIL REPORT


by Rafael Donnici de Azevedo
Rio de Janeiro
Tel: 21/225-2776
donnici@ele.puc-rio.br
http://www.ele.puc-rio.br/˜donnici

Well, this month we did't have a lot of unique topics to talk about. So, I'd prefer to make a collection of small announcements and news that happened this month...

Microsoft.com crashed.

Many OS/2 users exulted when it was said that the official Microsoft site had crashed, and, more important than that, that it was because of a bug in WinNT. That's a sort of state of belligerence here in Brazil between Windows and OS/2 users. When something like this happens, its paradise to the other OS group!

Epson releases OS/2 drivers to the Stylus line of printers

Bye Omni Drivers! Finally Epson has released the drivers to its line of inkjet printers. The supported models are: Stylus COLOR; II; 500; Pro/ProXL; 1500.

Unfortunately, these drivers are being SOLD! On CD-Rom, you can get them from:

EPSON Fulfillment Center
SysPac Digital Media Vertriebs
GmbH Postfach 630 35017
Marburg, Germany
Fax: +49 211 5047787

It should be nice if they didn't sell this; drivers are a part of customer support that should be freely distributed.

News Lists in Brazil

If you'd like to see how OS/2 is going here in Brazil, the newslists are:

OS/2 Brasil: e-mail steward@ecodigit.com.br with body text "subscribe GUOS2BR-L"

OS/2 Rio: e-mail majordomo@redetec.org.br with body text "subscribe os2"

Just one thing: these newslists are written mainly in Portuguese, with a few messages in English. But at least is worth a try, to see the subjects of the discussions.

Navigator/2 & Communicator/2

Very few times has a program been so well ported to another platform. Navigator/2 is a hit, and its receiving many good reviews by every OS/2 users.

If you haven't yet, you can download Netscape Navigator 2.02 at: http://www.internet.ibm.com/browsers/netscape/warp/

Unfortunately...

IBM and Netscape announced a delay in launching Communicator/2. Mainly they say it was because of problems in the programming department (something about the main programmer leaving OS/2 development and going to other part of Netscape). Anyway, that's not good news. I hope they don't slow it very much...

RODENT

I don't know if you ever heard of Rodent, but I think you should. RODENT.SYS is an OS/2 mouse driver, shareware, that don't lose time in boot detecting hardware, and can be reprogrammed. Its an easy way to speed up the boot time and retain good mouse performance.

It can be downloaded at: ftp://hobbes.nmsu.edu/os2/drivers/rodnt100.zip

(Maybe a newer version is already on-line)

This collection of information was compiled by me in visit to the many Brazilian OS/2 user group home pages. Next month, I hope to have finished visiting them all. Then, I will put their addresses on-line. The good point is that the user groups appear to be spreading, at least in an on-line basis. That's something.

LATEST NEWS!

This arrived as I was sending this report:

IBM Concedes Microsoft Owns the Desktop
Tuesday, July 8, 1997

On Wednesday IBM announced it was giving in to Microsoft's Windows 95 as the operating system for the mass consumer market. William Etherington, head of IBM-Europe, said IBM would not attempt to market its OS/2 system as a consumer product, although it would develop it for companies and business organizations.

"OS/2 remained a key product for IBM's major clients," Etherington said. "However in the consumer market the battle was over -- Windows has become the dominant force and IBM would simply have to admit it."

This is not good news, is it?

Please do not hesitate to send me any Brazilian specific news and information you would like mentioned in this column.

- Rafael Donnici de Azevedo


Rafael Donnici de Azevedo is graduating in Systems and Electronics Engineering at PUC-RJ and does research in the field of Parallel Proccessing. Rafael has worked with OS/2 since 1993, and has made many presentations of OS/2 versions 2.1 and 2.11 in a project between PUC and IBM. Currently, he is the Web Page Editor for the Rio de Janeiro OS/2 Users' Group.