From the Warped Mind of the (On-line) Editor

By Mark Lewis, HPFS (On-line) Editor.


 * EULOGIES FOR OS/2 MAGAZINE(S) AND OS/2 - CREATIVE LABS SUPPORT

[I submitted this editorial to Martin too late for the hardcopy edition of HPFS, but here it is, my first for the newsletter. Those who've read Martin's piece may notice some similarity in viewpoints. This was purely coincidental, and it won't happen again. ;-) ]

Preaching to the converted often has few rewards for people who consider themselves missionaries on a great crusade. Add the pressures that come from having your faith challenged not only by the dominant ideology but by your own high priests, and it's not surprising to hear that a once-zealous advocate is giving up their vocation. This (and inadequate advertising revenue) was no doubt behind the decision by Miller Freeman to cease publication of OS/2 Magazine, the last newsstand periodical devoted entirely to our User Group's raison d'etre. Those of us who read OS/2 Magazine, (and, while they were still around, OS/2 Professional and OS/2 Developer) were well aware of their editorial faults, but there was a time not long ago when they were practically the only source for OS/2 news, product information, and operating and programming tips, thanks to the computer industry press and its obsession with Microsoft (or more precisely, with securing as much of MS's huge print advertising budget as possible by staying editorially friendly with the gang in Redmond). For that reason alone, the OS/2 mags were a welcome addition to my computer desk.

As might be expected, there are some people who take the demise of OS/2 Magazine as yet another nail in the coffin being fitted for our operating system, but others, including myself, recognize it as part of the continuing evolution of OS/2 away from the consumer market and towards its positioning by IBM within the business marketplace as the OS core of its enterprise technology. The home OS/2 user base was just too small to support an advertising revenue-driven print magazine, but thanks to the Internet and User's Group organizations like ourselves, the news, reviews, tips and tricks that were the main reason for picking up these mags are now found at websites like our own, and in electronic magazines like OS/2 E-Zine (based in Halifax), OS/2 Computing, Warp Online, OS/2 Connect and OS/2 zonE. So while we might lament the fact that there isn't a consumer market large enough to support even one OS/2 newsstand mag (while Windows-centric magazines flourish like weeds in a bog), the electronic alternatives more than make up for their disappearance in the amount and the currency of the information they provide to those of us who still prefer to use OS/2 as our OS of choice at home.

On the other hand, for IBM to be so focused on their corporate strategy that they ignore their established consumer base is simply bad business. Creative Labs Inc., maker of the popular multimedia boards SoundBlaster and VideoBlaster, has announced that it will no longer write OS/2 drivers for its new products, apparently because of the less-than-helpful attitude shown by IBM in providing technical assistance for their development. Since OS/2 users represent only a small fraction (about 5%) of its overall market, Creative Labs feels that IBM's unwillness to assist its efforts to support the operating system shows an obvious lack of commitment to the OS and the non-IBM OEMs who support OS/2, and therefore it's no longer in the company's interests to continue investing time or resources in the process.

The short-sightedness of Big Blue here is astounding, for it clearly sends the wrong message to OEMs and software developers. Why would any company, especially those with limited funds or manpower, even consider doing R&D; for OS/2 if IBM is unwilling to adequately support one of the industry's most respected and successful players? Without the complete co-operation of IBM in assisting the development of OS/2-friendly products in the corporate and the home marketplace, the prophets of doom who have predicted the death of OS/2 year after year may finally see their prophesies fulfilled.

In the meantime, if you want to let Creative Labs know that you use their equipment and would like them to continue to support OS/2 now and into the future, you can reach them through their "Contact Us" page on the Web at devsup@creaf.com.