EDITORIAL PAGE


THE OS/2 DEATH WATCH

My parents purchased an HP Pavilion PC last month and asked me to set it up and fine tune it for them. My first inclination was to reformat the hard drive and install OS/2 Warp 4 over the copy of Windows 95 which came preloaded on the computer. However, I balked at this decision. I had attended several demonstrations of Windows 95 in the past, and dabbled with it on my neighbors' machines, but I decided to try and earnestly work with it to see what all the hoopla was all about. What a nightmare; not that the HP was a bad computer (its actually an impressive bit of gear), it was the operating system that bedeviled me.

Within the first two days I was able to crash the operating system three times while trying to execute some rather simple tasks (subsequently I have been able to crash it several times). I also discovered multitasking in Win 95 was just about as primitive as Win 3.x. As a small example, I setup a simple DOS command file to back up some key files from the computer. While this was executing, I initiated another program. When I came back to check the back-up, I discovered it had frozen until I changed the focus to the back-up window. I had also setup several shortcut icons and ran into the infamous Windows 95 problem of losing directory/file paths due to the lack of a true system object model and a clunky file management system still accompanying Win 95. Yaddy-yaddy-yaddy. Windows 95 is still DOS in sheep's clothing.

Although I had heard all of this before, I was now actually experiencing it firsthand. Everything I had taken for granted with OS/2 was simply not there in Windows 95, nor does it look like it will be included in Windows 98 (99?). I kept muttering to myself incredulously, "And OS/2 is losing to this?!" The only thing I can say in favor of Windows 95 was the impressive number and variety of programs that run on it. But bottom-line, I was simply appalled the market would tolerate such cheap crap. But it does, willingly. As we all know, Windows 95 remains the de facto standard on today's PC platforms - a fine tribute to the Microsoft marketing juggernaut.

As IBM has stated on several occasions, they intend to market OS/2 at the enterprise level only. This is most unfortunate for SOHO (small office, home office) users who really want an industrial strength operating system like OS/2. IBM's position: Tough Luck! This is a terrific marketing blunder on IBM's part. Instead of winning over the hearts and minds of the public with an exceptional product, they are content with only corporate accounts, where more and more are jumping ship to Windows NT or Windows 95. But then again, you have heard this all before.

There is no doubt in my mind that OS/2 is the right operating system for ALL types of PC users, commercial or residential. Yes, IBM should maintain its Java initiatives as well as the WorkSpace On-Demand, but these are investments in the future that will not become a part of mainstream computing for at least three years, assuming OS/2 can survive until then. In the meantime, IBM should implement full Win32s support in OS/2 to allow the use of the many fine apps available and devise a marketing program to educate the public on what they are missing.

Unfortunately, none of this will happen and OS/2 will quietly slip away into obscurity. The OS/2 death watch has begun. As evidenced by the Sound Off! section of this newsletter, OS/2 users are simply not buying IBM's overused public relations stance that all is well and they are doing everything possible to perpetuate the product. IBM and PSP in particular has lost credibility with the OS/2 faithful.

Due to other commitments, I will be unable to attend the Warpstock 97 conference in California at the end of October. However, I'm hoping OS/2 users will press the attending IBM brass regarding product development issues and corporate commitment to the product. In fact, wouldn't it be interesting (and newsworthy) if Warpstock attendees staged a walkout protest during the IBM keynote address should IBM maintain their staid p.r. position that "everything is great and we have no interest in the input of our users"? There is an old expression in medicine that says, "You can't treat a patient unless he knows he is sick." It is unfortunate that such a stunt as a walkout is necessary to make IBM aware that OS/2 users are not happy with the status quo.

- Tim Bryce
Editor, OS/2 CONNECT

Copyright © MBA 1997