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.


TIME TO RETHINK THE STRATEGY?

Once again, a computer magazine reports a reduction in OS/2 sales. But this time -- Surprise! -- it's not the OS/2 client. It's a drop in Warp Server sales.

Why does this kind of thing happen? After all, OS/2 Server is the most robust, proven, scalable system that also runs Java, and almost all legacy apps except Win32. That gives it the best combination of check-offs between Unix and NT. In fact, OS/2 Server can work along with these other systems and make them better.

But there's a problem with this line of reasoning -- it assumes that people make computer buying decision in a rational, logical, reasonable manner. Sadly, it just ain't so, for the most part. Some decision makers just don't know the facts; however, even among those who do, the preferred option is just to ignore them. The standard decision making process involves not convincing someone of what is the best choice, but rather what choice makes the boss feel the most comfortable. Its hard to make somebody comfortable about a product that's called "dead" every six months.

This means that IBM by now should begin to finally realize its error in ignoring the OS/2 client. If the client is invisible, it is assumed to be "dead." If the client is dead, the feeling is that the server is, too. Remember, its not about reality. Its about feelings and perceptions. Its stupid, of course, for businesses to make their decisions that way. Sadly, stupidity seems to win out over intelligence these days. Smart people will recognize that and ensure that whatever they're selling will appeal to stupid people, too.

- Tom Nadeau
VOICE Marketing Director
OS/2 Headquarters
July 12, 998

DON'T BADGER IBM

I too am disheartened, with the lack of support, lack of information, and lack of direction regarding OS/2. I placed an e-mail, as a matter of fact I have placed a number of e-mails to Lou Gerstner, but he of course never gets the information, and always has one of his reps contact me. I was told by one of IBM's reps that IBM OS/2 will not be supported by Novell in the near future, to add to the list of the companies that have dropped this steller OS. I agree with the previous writer that OS/2 code should be distributed as "Freeware" but then again, nothing is stopping the general populace of OS/2 users from coding their own apps, and distributing them for free. This is the real problem with OS/2. There are a lack of good applications, and functionality within the OS/2 system. I have started trying to put together a few things myself. It does no good to continue to badger IBM, and Gerstner, to do what they seem not to want to do, but it does do a lot of good to invest in your investment. OS/2 freeware can become a reality, but only if we put the same energy in developing as we have in complaining.

Charles Jefferson II
OS/2 Systems Consultant
July 6, 1998

WHY THE DIFFERENCE?

I'm an OS/2 Warp Brazilian user and I don't understand IBM either! Here in Brazil, IBM/Lotus sells SmartSuite for Win95 for $220 (US). But the same software for OS/2 Warp sells for $550 (US)! How it is possible?

- Marcos Moraes
Brazil
June 23, 1998

TAKE IT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Only way to pressure IBM to start promoting OS/2 is through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Nothing else we say or do will convince them that what they are throwing away is worth more then they can gain by keeping in lockstep with Microsoft. We need to get the US DOJ to focus on the fact that IBM refuses to install or support their own operating system on their own hardware. If you want to see IBM change direction send a letter now to: Joel I. Klein, Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 601 D Street, NW, Washington, DC 20530; E-Mail: antitrust@justice.usdoj.gov

- Mark Dodel
VOICE
Stroudsburg, PA, USA
June 17, 1998

KEEP THE PRESSURE ON

IBM is gutless. When a company has such a long trail of disastrous products, its no wonder that they are afraid to go head to head with Bill Gates. To name a few: MWAVE technology, Aptiva systems that cannot support networking, voice recognition, hard drives, OS/2, Bamba technology, CPU's, mother-boards. How much more do we have to look at before we get the message? Now I suppose if someone with guts was leading IBM into the 21 century, he would tell his people to build the best computer, at the best price. IBM mother-boards, a 1k mhz CPU, 16gig hard drive, 128meg Ram, an improved MWAVE card, all being run by OS/2 5.0. I have an Aptiva, and very few components are IBM, except for the MWAVE card, and I have OS/2 installed (and would never run Windows). Let's keep the pressure on Mr. Gerstner to not only support OS/2 for the public, but to build new computers for the next century.

- Dave Winter
Long Beach, CA, USA
June 16, 1998

CONSUMER SOVEREIGNTY

I finally had to switch to Win95 and NT about a year ago simply because of the lack of support from IBM and the handwriting on the wall as I saw it then. I was simply spending too much time trying to make that OS/2 square peg fit a round hole of a Windows world.

I have cursed both Gates and Gerstner every day since. 95 crashes all the time and NT has to be rebooted at least once a week to maintain performance. These are things that almost never happened with OS/2. It almost never crashed even though I really had it busy as a web server and production machine. It never had to be rebooted. Always a stable platform.

I'm an economist and believe in the power of the market, but how can I make this particular market respond to my "consumer sovereignty"?

Keep the faith and the fight.

- A. Edward Day
Orlando, FL, USA
June 16, 1998

WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER?

I've seen numbers that say IBM makes as much or more money from NT as Microsoft. Given that this revenue is from IT services, one is led to the following question: If you made your money from supporting other people's computers, which OS would you prefer; one that is stable and doesn't require a lot of handholding, or one that needs constant care and feeding (and billable hours)?

- Chuck Meins, Jr.
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Lexington, MA, USA
June 16, 1998

LET'S ASK IBM

Suggestion from me....

WHY don't we ask IBM to make OS/2 source code available for public for free????? Let the OS/2 community decide what will shape OS/2 future.

I am very sure OS/2 will take off like a space shuttle.

- Herry Hermawan
UNIX Administrator
Star Tribune
Minneapolis, MN, USA
June 16, 1998

TO VOICE YOUR SUPPORT FOR OS/2 WARP 5...

To those who have stuck by OS/2 this is definitely for you.

There is a good possibility that while IBM has no plans to stop supporting the client version of OS/2 that there might not be another version of this great client. What this means is that while the OS/2 network server version 5 will be released in the first quarter of 1999 the client version of OS/2 that so many people have grown accustomed to will not have a version 5 or 6, etc; But rather be left as is with a few FixPaks along the way to make the transition easier. I use OS/2 as my main client because I appreciate it's power, stability, salability and much more it's usability. I believe this is an outrage and deserves the full attention of the OS/2 community as a whole. I have been searching of ways to express this outrage in a productive manner which may have an impact as well. What makes this of the utmost urgency is that while certain key figures associated with OS/2 like Richard Seibt stood by the OS/2 client they are making certain indications that there will not be an upgrade such as OS/2 5 for the client. So if you feel as strongly as I on this topic then you will definitely want to go to the two following sites so as to make an impact.

Write IBM's current CEO, Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., at: http://www.ibm.com/cgi-bin/email-lvg.pl and be sure to express your concern, outrage and whatever else you may feel towards the possibility of there not being another version of the OS/2 client.

Martin Alfredsson of Sweden plans on approaching IBM with an offer they can't refuse; see his web page at: http://www.jmast.se/warpx/21warp.htm. Go to the end of the page and enter your name, e-mail address and the amount of copies/licenses you would buy at $100 a piece if OS/2 version 5 was to be released. Then click the "If I had OS/2 Warp 5" button on the bottom, your vote is counted.

- Dr. Walter R. Thomas
Miami Beach, FL, USA
June 3, 1998

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