OS/2 Warp Weekly Newsletter - 1995-07-14
THE OS/2 WARP WEEKLY - A production of PSP Worldwide Marketing Support
Covering information relevant to OS/2 Warp and LAN Server
The 7/14/95 Issue (A real collector's item)
The OS/2 Warp Weekly is now available on the Internet at gopher://os2info.austin.ibm.com/11/nl/os2news/os2news.70.
OS/2 Warp Number One in User Satisfaction
The July 1995 special issue of PC Magazine presents the results of their annual Reader Support and Satisfaction Survey.
Some excerpts:
- "Just as in last year's survey, OS/2 was the only operating system that scored significantly better than average for overall satisfaction."
- "OS/2 also received a significantly better-than-average score for likelihood of being recommended, and this year it didn't have to share that honor with Microsoft Windows."
- "OS/2 was given significantly better-than-average scores for its BBS support, built-in-help, and tutorials."
Here are the details from the PC Magazine Support and Satisfaction survey. The survey yielded 8,435 responses out of 17,000 surveys sent to random PC Magazine subscribers. 4% of respondees were OS/2 users. The scale is from 1 to 10 where 1 is "not at all satisfied" and 10 is "very satisfied"
Operating systems | Product Satisfaction | Overall Support | Doc | BBS Support | Builtin help | Tutorials | Replace Disks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MS Windows | 7.8 - | 7.4 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 8.4 |
MS Windows NT | 8.4 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 7.6 | 6.9 | 6.2 | 8.0 |
MS DOS | 8.4 | 7.6 | 7.1 | 7.6 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 8.3 |
OS/2 | 8.8 + | 7.8 | 7.2 | 8.3 + | 7.8 + | 7.7 + | 8.3 |
PCDOS | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.2 | 8.0 | 6.7 - | 6.4 | 8.5 |
Average | 8.3 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 7.8 | 7.1 | 6.7 | 8.3 |
+ = Significantly better than Average - = Significantly worse than Average
Smith Barney Praises OS/2 Warp
After visiting PC Expo on June 21, Smith Barney, the financial services firm, had high praises for OS/2 Warp. They were particularly impressed with OS/2 Warp's memory management capabilities. Smith Barney was present at the IBM booth when an OS/2 customer enthusiastically exclaimed that the memory runs more efficiently as the number of running software applications increases. Smith Barney contrasted OS/2's excellent memory performance with that of both Windows 3.1 and the Windows 95 beta. In addition, Smith Barney praised OS/2 Warp Connect's network and Internet connectivity features.
OS/2 Platform Fix Support Reacts to Customer Requirements
On July 7, IBM announced a new fix support strategy that satisfies the needs of our customers while providing a more affordable service environment for the high-volume, low-priced OS/2 platform products. Effective September 1, 1995, customers will see improved fix quality that translates to even greater system stability. Smaller FixPaks with more stringent testing will ensure this improved quality commitment. In addition, customers can gain greater control of their software operating environment through a fee-based Custom Fix Support option.
Highlights of the new fix strategy include:
- Standard Fix Support
- Custom Fix Support
- Product Service Life 'Currency'
- National Language Version (NLV) Support
- Enhanced Communications of Fix Availability and Contents
- Common Product Install and Service Tools
The new OS/2 Platform Fix Support Strategy is applicable worldwide and applies to all future platform product releases (NS, PSP, and SWS) and their National Language Versions (NLV) including double byte character set (DBCS) versions. Additionally, the new fix strategy is applicable to the following list of currently released PSP products.
- OS/2 Warp V3*
- OS/2 Warp V3 WinOS2
- OS/2 Warp Connect V3
- OS/2 SE 2.1 32 BIT
- OS/2 SE 2.11 32 BIT
- OS/2 LAN SERVER 3.0
- OS/2 LAN SERVER 4.0
- LAN DISTANCE CONNECTION SERVER-8 PORT
- LAN DISTANCE CONNECTION SERVER-32 PORT
- LAN DISTANCE REMOTE
The changes and enhancements to the OS/2 Platform Fix Support Strategy have been designed to provide a clear and consistent set of maintenance policies and practices across the OS/2 platform. A preventive maintenance capability is provided through the preventive maintenance FixPak. This new fix service approach has been reviewed with numerous customer focus groups and validated to address many of the service requirements in their diverse environments.
The new OS/2 Platform Fix Support Strategy will provide:
- A consistent fix strategy across the OS/2 platform
- A standard fix support option provided with product license as part of product program services
- Responsive and stable fix support across the platform products
- Fix methodology and approach which consistently produces high quality FixPaks across the platform products
- Offerings which expand customer fix support options
- Opportunity for customers to have their unique service requirements addressed
- APAR reference and FixPak information posted on BBS and Internet
For more information on the new OS/2 Platform Fix Support Strategy, visit the Warp Migration Assistant at http://pscc.dfw.ibm.com/warpmi/ or contact the OS2FXS CFORUM via TalkLink.
New OS/2 Tool Suite Gives VARs More Control
Development Technologies, a Forest Acres, S.C. company, is offering a suite of OS/2 tools that enable customization and management of OS/2 desktops. This suite is particularly useful to Value Added Resellers (VARs) who adapt OS/2 Warp systems to suit particular customer requirements.
IBM OS/2 LAN Server Is the Leading Application Server
According to International Data Corporation (IDC) OS/2 and LAN Server is the leading application server on Intel-based computers. OS/2 and LAN Server surpass NT Server, Windows for Workgroups, Netware and Unix in this realm of application servers.
Help Design Future IBM LAN Products
IBM is offering an opportunity for direct, informal links to LAN Server development, one-on-one and group teleconferences on LAN-related issues, participation in LAN-related surveys and the chance to input your requirements directly to those responsible for the design of future IBM LAN products.
If you are a current IBM LAN Server customer, are planning to install LAN Server or know customers who are, send your name, company name, mailing address and both your voice and fax phone numbers to:
- LAN Systems Requirements Planning
- 11400 Burnet Road, Internal Zip 9164
- Austin, TX 78758
- or call (512)838-0580
- or fax (800)456-3838
- or e-mail lnsysreq@vnet.ibm.com
They will provide you with a complete set of questions and answers along with an enrollment form. If you decide to take advantage of this opportunity, return the enrollment form to the above address. Your enrollment will be formally acknowledged and your name added to their list of customers willing to work with them on LAN-related topics of interest.
IBM Online Library CD-ROM: OS/2 Collection
The OS/2 Collection now available on CD-ROM contains over 515 online books for over 103 products for the OS/2 platform. It provides access to product publications on a variety of products such as OS/2, LAN Server, DM/2, and NetView.
The books are viewable using the Library Readers or any of the Book-Manager READ products (included on the CD-ROM). Programs are also included to copy books to workstation storage and to allow uploading to MVS or VM.
Price: $100.00 USD To order, call 1-800-879-2755 or call your IBM representative. Order #SK2T-2176.
Multimedia Applications for OS/2 Warp
PentaSoft Informationssysteme, a German software distributor, has several OS/2 Warp multimedia software titles available, including:
- "Qest": a high level authoring, prototyping, and productivity tool only for OS/2 which works with the native OS/2 controls and MMPM/2. "Qest" is available for $2500 (DM 3500).
- The complete video production series from proDAD. The series includes the video titling system "MonumentTitler," the video effects generator "Adorage," and the soft video player "ClariSSA." Next year the video directing and cutting system "Cavin" will be released.
- "NotaMusica 2.0: a music program designed to edit and print musical notation and play WAV and MIDI files with MMPM/2. This package costs $120 (DM 169).
PentaSoft can be reached at: Phone +49/(0)40/67391-050
FAX +49/(0)40/67391-051 Internet: 100130.461@compuserve.com
New On-line Service Boosts OS/2
C|NET is a startup on-line service associated with the SciFi Channel. They have a regular show on the SciFi Channel every Saturday. C|NET endorses OS/2 Warp on their television show and online service. They also have OS/2 as a search option in their shareware download area and will perform a world wide search of HOBBES and other OS/2 sources. C|NET is currently conducting a new member contest with OS/2 Warp Connect as a second prize .
For more information, e-mail them at support@cnet.com
New Books on OS/2 Warp Programming
Three, third-party source books on OS/2 Warp programming have recently been published by Wiley. They are: "OS/2 Warp Control Program API" by Marc Stock (ISBN 0-471-0388703), "OS/2 Warp Presentation Manager API by Joel Birnbaum, edited by Marc Stock (ISBN 0-471-02873-3), and "OS/2 Warp Workplace Shell API" by Mindy Pollack, and edited by Marc Stock (ISBN 0-471-03872-5).
Another new book from Wiley that may interest OS/2 developers is "Developing Multimedia Applications Under OS/2" by William Lawton, Bradley Noe and Marcelo Lopez (ISBN 0-471-13168-7).
Installing OS/2 Warp Connect on an IBM ThinkPad 755C
If you have, or will be installing, OS/2 Warp Connect on a 755C using an IBM PCMCIA Token-Ring credit card adapter you should obtain and install new IBM PCMCIA Token-Ring Driver Diskettes. These drivers will support all current IBM Token-Ring PCMCIA adapters, including the new Auto-Sensing adapter.
To obtain the required diskettes:
- Connect to the IBM PC Company Web site: http://www.pcco.ibm.com/
- Select the File Library
- Enter treng301.zip into the Search String field and select Search
- Download the file to your system
- Unzip the file
- Make the two diskettes
If you have already installed OS/2 Warp Connect in this environment you may or may not be experiencing problems. In either case you should update your system with these drivers by running MPTS and selecting the INSTALL option to update your drivers.
You may update your OS/2 Warp Connect Server(s) when you build your next 755C boot diskettes. When you get to the screen to select your adapter select OTHER Adapter and insert diskette number one from the diskettes created in step 6 above. This will update the server and all subsequent installations using the IBM PCMCIA Token-Ring driver will automatically get the new drivers.
Warp'd Humor
Diplomacy - the art of letting someone have your way.