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OD-90228 SUGGESTION "PRIDE"-IF
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JUL 14, 1997 RELEASE 1.2.0 PAGE 1
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* MI-10001 WIN32 API SUPPORT *
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REQUIRED DATE- OPEN USER PRIORITY WEIGHT- 50 RANKING- 0018
DATE RECEIVED- APR 16, 1997 REQUEST STANDING - REVIEW AS OF- JUL 14, 1997
TYPE- MOD/IMP
DESCRIPTION-
PRODUCT: OS/2 Warp 4 and OS/2 Warp Server
AREA: Base operating system
WHO: End-users concerned with productivity
Provide full Win32 support in the base operating system to
allow all Windows 95 and NT programs to execute on OS/2,
thereby making it the premier "integrating platform."
BUSINESS RATIONALE
A huge variety of high-quality general and special-purpose
Win32 apps would be available for OS/2 users. In most cases we
are already two generations behind Win95 users. Examples:
Microsoft Office (of course), EndNote+, @RISK, Claris
FileMaker, etc.
I seem to recall that Microsoft released their API as a standard
to meet government requirements to not have a closed system. It
should be obvious that OS/2's failure to support Windows NT and
95 software is a major negative mark against what is otherwise
a great product that offers a heck of a lot more value than does
NT. I would therefore like to see the next server and work
station release provide the ability to run Windows NT and 95
software.
It would be a good marketing option and fun, but not vital,
to offer a choice of presentation managers, including one
that looks like NT 4.0, and watch Microsoft complain about
"Look and Feel" issues. I am sure that Apple would be happy
to provide copies of whatever documents they have on had that
Microsoft filed against them.
ATTRIBUTES:
HIGH Value
Desired NEXT full release
BENEFIT$
1. Strategic marketing move by IBM to encourage new
users as in the days of WinOS2 support for Win 3.1 users.
2. End-users won't abandon OS/2 as their desktop OS when the
feature list of the Win32 aps get too good to pass up.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This request is based on multiple requests,
which have been merged due to commonality, from the following
contributors:
David Rossiter
Ithaca, NY, USA
dgr2@clarityconnect.com
Richard Bradley
P.O. Box 8386
Alexandria, VA 22306
USA
RickBradley@worldnet.att.net
Supplemental text:
My company would very much like to replace the 95/NT
environment, but we have those Win32 programs that large
number of people are using. With this support, a very
strong case can be made to bring in OS/2 as the standard
platform.
Tom Trifon
trifon@ibm.net
JUNE 1, 1997
Win32: Some thoughts:
a. Write a WPS add on to NT?
b. Start by replacing OS/2's components with Win32
compliant subsystems. One good place to start would
be with the network driver model. By making OS/2
compatible with NT's network driver model you can
achieve these benefits:
1. Happy hardware manufactures - fewer drivers to
write.
2. Happy networked users since more likely to be
better driver support.
3. Publicity - embracing a standard
c. OS/2 mindshare - current model is old and 16 bit
(I believe) and many drivers are not compatible with
SMP, techno-geeks are not impressed.
Submitted by:
Oliver Wilcock
owcher@ibm.net
June 3, 1997
"Add FULL win32 API"
- Peter vd Berg
The Hague, Netherlands
Synetics
synetics@ibm.net
Supplemental Text:
June 21, 1997
Manufacturing must have Win32 API support in order to continue
use of OS/2. The reason behind this is programming software for
programmable logic controllers are now being written for NT and
95 only. Without this software, you cannot interface to a
manufacturing control system.
- Mark Hannan
mhannan@clover.net
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT:
June 27, 1997
As an OS/2 end user, more and more I feel cut off to the rest
of the world. Simply because the available software that I can
use under OS/2 is becoming less anD less. TOo few companies
develop for OS/2, the number of companies developing Win 3.1
products is shrinking.
Java is nice, but still a niche in itself. The OS/2 end user,
whether it be home, small office or large corporation will be
switching to another operating system, simply because they need
to, to stay compatible with the rest of the world and more
important, with their custumors.
On the long run OS/2 needs support for Win95/NT applications to
stay alive.
Gerald Birkenstock
Mainz, Germany
g.birkenstock@mainz.netsurf.de
* * * END OF OUTPUT * * *
PLEASE SEND US YOUR COMMENTS! on the priority rankings or any of
the suggestions included; send e-mail to the Editor at: TimB1557@aol.com