OS/2 Warp Monthly Newsletter. January, 1996 Issue: Difference between revisions

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IRC, Usenet and the Web are very much complementary media.  If you are an OS/2 user at any level, you can find (and interact with) helpful people and information on all of them.  Dr. Raj hosts a weekly Usenet-posting for new users as well as a web sit e for programmers at http://venus.ee.ndsu.nodak.edu/edm2). In addition, you can send a note to Dr. Raj at North Dakota State University (please link this to phaniraj@plains.NoDak.edu).
IRC, Usenet and the Web are very much complementary media.  If you are an OS/2 user at any level, you can find (and interact with) helpful people and information on all of them.  Dr. Raj hosts a weekly Usenet-posting for new users as well as a web sit e for programmers at http://venus.ee.ndsu.nodak.edu/edm2). In addition, you can send a note to Dr. Raj at North Dakota State University (please link this to phaniraj@plains.NoDak.edu).


===ELECTRONIC 'SCAPES===
==ELECTRONIC 'SCAPES==
;What's Hot on the Internet
===What's Hot on the Internet===
by Maxine Senn-Yuen
by Maxine Senn-Yuen


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Virtual reality leads to all kinds of virtual experiences and virtual subjects, like virtual science.  You will soon be able to explore the solar system from any angle on earth (or the galaxy for that matter).  At the Real Audio (http://www.RealAudio.com) home page today you can hear real-time audio.  Object-oriented technologies like Java and OpenDoc may eventually allow real-time video on the Internet, which will vastly improve virtual reality in Cyberspace.  Imagine what we'll be able to do with that!!
Virtual reality leads to all kinds of virtual experiences and virtual subjects, like virtual science.  You will soon be able to explore the solar system from any angle on earth (or the galaxy for that matter).  At the Real Audio (http://www.RealAudio.com) home page today you can hear real-time audio.  Object-oriented technologies like Java and OpenDoc may eventually allow real-time video on the Internet, which will vastly improve virtual reality in Cyberspace.  Imagine what we'll be able to do with that!!


I once took a college course in Chinese history where the professor warned us not to blink, or we would miss 1,000 years of history.  The Internet is like that course.  It's changing so fast (and in some ways unpredictably) that it's nearly impossible to see where it's going till it's already there.  As more businesses go online, the commercial aspect of the Internet will undoubtedly expand.  And improved technologies will drastically change the look of the Web over the coming year.  Only one thing is certain -- by the time you read this, most of this information will already be stale.
I once took a college course in Chinese history where the professor warned us not to blink, or we would miss 1,000 years of history.  The Internet is like that course.  It's changing so fast (and in some ways unpredictably) that it's nearly impossible to see where it's going till it's already there.  As more businesses go online, the commercial aspect of the Internet will undoubtedly expand.  And improved technologies will drastically change the look of the Web over the coming year.  Only one thing is certain -- by the time you read this, most of this information will already be stale.


===Let's Brew Some Java! ===
===Let's Brew Some Java! ===
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The move to Austin is a "fresh start" at the beginning of a new year for the Dean family and for the Miller family. It's also a fresh start for the OS/2 development and support group. The movement of the Boca group will make the next generation of OS/2 Warp the best it can be in all aspects ranging from development to testing to support.  A new year....a new start.
The move to Austin is a "fresh start" at the beginning of a new year for the Dean family and for the Miller family. It's also a fresh start for the OS/2 development and support group. The movement of the Boca group will make the next generation of OS/2 Warp the best it can be in all aspects ranging from development to testing to support.  A new year....a new start.


==The Inside Scoop on the Next Release of OS/2 Warp==
===The Inside Scoop on the Next Release of OS/2 Warp===
(An Interview With the Product Development Manager)
(An Interview With the Product Development Manager)


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Q:  What's you new title and responsibilities with respect to the next release of OS/2 Warp?
Q:  What's you new title and responsibilities with respect to the next release of OS/2 Warp?


A:  Officially, my new title is Product Development Team (PDT) lead ... this is part of the new process IBM has adopted for team development.  In essence, the PDT leader takes on all the responsibilities of the Product Manager, but in addition signs a "contract" with the executive management team to deliver a product with certain key attributes within a predefined budget and schedule. The Product Development Team generally consists of seven to ten folks representing all the areas required to deliver and support a product. For example, the PDT has an Architecture / Design lead (Paul Giangarra) and a Worldwide Marketing lead (Jeff Howard). As a group, the PDT is charged with making all key decisions about the next release.
A:  Officially, my new title is Product Development Team (PDT) lead ... this is part of the new process IBM has adopted for team development.  In essence, the PDT leader takes on all the responsibilities of the Product Manager, but in addition signs a "contract" with the executive management team to deliver a product with certain key attributes within a predefined budget and schedule. The Product Development Team generally consists of seven to ten folks representing all the areas required to deliver and support a product. For example, the PDT has an Architecture / Design lead ([[Paul Giangarra]]) and a Worldwide Marketing lead (Jeff Howard). As a group, the PDT is charged with making all key decisions about the next release.


Q:  What is the current development status?
Q:  What is the current development status?
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A: You should look for it in the second-half of 1996.
A: You should look for it in the second-half of 1996.


 
==WARPED, ETC.==
 
;Getting Started with OS/2 Warp  
 
WARPED, ETC.
Getting Started with OS/2 Warp  


The new OS/2 Warp makes it easier to do more with your computer and your time, while other operating systems still keep you waiting. With OS/2 Warp, there's no need to wait any longer.
The new OS/2 Warp makes it easier to do more with your computer and your time, while other operating systems still keep you waiting. With OS/2 Warp, there's no need to wait any longer.
Order OS/2 Warp and LAN systems products today by contacting your IBM Authorized Reseller or call IBM directly.
Order OS/2 Warp and LAN systems products today by contacting your IBM Authorized Reseller or call IBM directly.
 
<PRE>
         Country              Telephone number
         Country              Telephone number
Argentina        319-6666  
Argentina        319-6666  
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Ask for Representative 239. You will receive a special introductory membership for IBM customers.
Ask for Representative 239. You will receive a special introductory membership for IBM customers.
</PRE>


==Staff Biographies==


Staff Biographies
'''Jose De Jesus''' works as a contractor for IBM, debugging VDM and  (soon) WorkPlace Shell applications. He is the author of "Borland  Pascal With Objects 7.0," published by MIS:Press in 1993. He can be reached at 73141,317@compuserve.com.


Jose De Jesus works as a contractor for IBM, debugging VDM and (soon) WorkPlace Shell applications. He is the author of "Borland  Pascal With Objects 7.0," published by MIS:Press in 1993. He can be reached at 73141,317@compuserve.com.
'''Jeri Dube''' has been working for IBM for 12 years now. She is currently working as a Senior Marketing Support Rep, putting together communication vehicles for OS/2 Warp and LAN Server. She swears this is the best job she has had in a long time. Outside of IBM, Jeri spends time with her family, scuba diving, and practicing Yoga. Her favorite quote is: " Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced not by being sober, cautious and responsible but by being playful, rebellious and immature."Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker. Contact Jeri at Internet:jdube@vnet.ibm.com.


Jeri Dube has been working for IBM for 12 years now. She is currently working as a Senior Marketing Support Rep, putting together communication vehicles for OS/2 Warp and LAN Server. She swears this is the best job she has had in a long time. Outside of IBM, Jeri spends time with her family, scuba diving, and practicing Yoga. Her favorite quote is: " Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced not by being sober, cautious and responsible but by being playful, rebellious and immature."Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker. Contact Jeri at Internet:jdube@vnet.ibm.com.
'''Steve McNally''' develops promotions with Marketing Reps as the Editor for the IBM US Promotions and Price Actions Board. He spends his free time with his wife Kim and ten-month-old daughter, Olivia Hope, and tries to put in as much time as possible writing fiction of all shapes and sizes. A quote that came to mind while composing his bio was "It's like a sauna in here" -- Cosmo Kramer, in the sauna at a health club. He can be reached at smcnally@vnet.ibm.com


Steve McNally develops promotions with Marketing Reps as the Editor for the IBM US Promotions and Price Actions Board. He spends his free time with his wife Kim and ten-month-old daughter, Olivia Hope, and tries to put in as much time as possible writing fiction of all shapes and sizesA quote that came to mind while composing his bio was "It's like a sauna in here" -- Cosmo Kramer, in the sauna at a health club. He can be reached at smcnally@vnet.ibm.com
'''Maxine Senn-Yuen''' joined IBM's Worldwide Marketing Program as an Associate Program Administrator in 1995Maxine is an incipient yuppie who enjoys golf and shopping at the Gap. She can be reached at MaxineSY@aol.com.


Maxine Senn-Yuen joined IBM's Worldwide Marketing Program as an Associate Program Administrator in 1995. Maxine is an incipient yuppie who enjoys golf and shopping at the GapShe can be reached at MaxineSY@aol.com.
'''Collin Summers'''' company has been contracted by IBM to help in central Illinois with OS/2 LAN Server and all those other PC Software type stuff.  Before IBM took up all his time, he did independent computer consulting in many areas, but focused on OS/2 work (Guess that's how he ended up working with IBM). Collin spends his free time, when there is some, tinkering around and looking for new and better ways to use computersOf course, he only runs OS/2 and OS/2 LAN Server on his business' LAN. Collin is available at Internet: summers@vnet.ibm.com or 73422,3364@compuserve.com.


Collin Summers' company has been contracted by IBM to help in central Illinois with OS/2 LAN Server and all those other PC Software type stuffBefore IBM took up all his time, he did independent computer consulting in many areas, but focused on OS/2 work (Guess that's how he ended up working with IBM). Collin spends his free time, when there is some, tinkering around and looking for new and better ways to use computers.  Of course, he only runs OS/2 and OS/2 LAN Server on his business' LAN. Collin is available at Internet: summers@vnet.ibm.com or 73422,3364@compuserve.com.
'''Jerome Yuzyk''' graduated from the U of Alberta in 1984 with a B.Sc. Psychology, specializing in Human and Machine VisionIn 1993 he set out on his own, forming BRIDGE Scientific Services. He consulted to various large and small business in the Edmonton area. Being an OS/2 user since 1992 in the midst of a sea of ignorance and misinformation Jerome started CAOS/2: Central Alberta OS/2 Users Group in August 1993. The group has grown to 100+ members since then. In October of 1994 he joined IBM Canada as a Retail Marketing Specialist, travelling the prairies talking to retailers, consultants and user groups about OS/2 Warp and OS/2 products in general. He also just started teaching OS/2 courses for IBM Education Services. When he's not doing any of that he's a hobby gardener and amateur landscape designer. And when not doing *that*, he takes apart various rooms in his house and (sometimes) puts them back together again.
Jerome can be reached at Internet: jerome@supernet.ab.ca.


Jerome Yuzyk graduated from the U of Alberta in 1984 with a B.Sc. Psychology, specializing in Human and Machine Vision.  In 1993 he set out on his own, forming BRIDGE Scientific Services. He consulted to various large and small business in the Edmonton area. Being an OS/2 user since 1992 in the midst of a sea of ignorance and misinformation Jerome started CAOS/2: Central Alberta OS/2 Users Group in August 1993. The group has grown to 100+ members since then. In October of 1994 he joined IBM Canada as a Retail Marketing Specialist, travelling the prairies talking to retailers, consultants and user groups about OS/2 Warp and OS/2 products in general. He also just started teaching OS/2 courses for IBM Education Services. When he's not doing any of that he's a hobby gardener and amateur landscape designer. And when not doing *that*, he takes apart various rooms in his house and (sometimes) puts them back together again.
==FEEDBACK==
Jerome can be reached at Internet: jerome@supernet.ab.ca.
===Survey===
FEEDBACK
Survey


We want to produce a quality newsletter that meets your needs. Please take a few  minutes to answer the following questions and send your responses to:
We want to produce a quality newsletter that meets your needs. Please take a few  minutes to answer the following questions and send your responses to:
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_____ Yes  _____ No
_____ Yes  _____ No


6.  Optional                                     
6.  Optional                                     
Name:
Name:
Address:
Address:
City, State, ZIP:
City, State, ZIP:
E-Mail Address:
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COMMENTS:  Please offer any ideas/suggestions to improve the newsletter. _________________________________________________________________
COMMENTS:  Please offer any ideas/suggestions to improve the newsletter. _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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Thank you for answering this survey.  We make improvements based on what you tell us!
Thank you for answering this survey.  We make improvements based on what you tell us!


OS/2 Warp and LAN Server Customer Reference Form
OS/2 Warp and LAN Server Customer Reference Form
If you would like to share your experiences with OS/2 Warp or LAN Server, please fill out the following form and get it back to us. We are especially interested in entrepreneurs who use OS/2 Warp or LAN Server and people who use these products in unusual circumstances.
If you would like to share your experiences with OS/2 Warp or LAN Server, please fill out the following form and get it back to us. We are especially interested in entrepreneurs who use OS/2 Warp or LAN Server and people who use these products in unusual circumstances.


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GENERAL INFORMATION:
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Name:
Name:
City:  
City:  
State/Province:
State/Province:
Country:
Country:
Fax:
Fax:
Email Address:
Email Address:
Street/P.O.Box:
Street/P.O.Box:
City: State/Province:  
City: State/Province:  
ZIP/Postal Code:
ZIP/Postal Code:
 
INDUSTRY: ____Communications ____Cross Industry ____Distribution ____Education ____Finance ____Government ____Health ____Insurance ____Manufacturing ____Petroleum ____Process ____Transportation ____Travel ____Utilities
INDUSTRY: ____Communications ____Cross Industry ____Distribution ____Education ____Finance ____Government ____Health ____Insurance ____Manufacturing ____Petroleum ____Process ____Transportation ____Travel ____Utilities
 
SIZE:
SIZE:
Annual Revenue US$: ____< $5M ____$5 - 50M ____$51 - 100M ____$101 - 500M  
Annual Revenue US$: ____< $5M ____$5 - 50M ____$51 - 100M ____$101 - 500M ____$501 - 999M ____$1 - 10B ____> $10B
____$501 - 999M ____$1 - 10B ____> $10B
No. of Employees: ____Small <100 ____Medium 100-500 ____Large > 500
No. of Employees: ____Small <100 ____Medium 100-500 ____Large > 500
 
No. of Students if College/University: ____<5000 ____5000 - 10000 ____>10000
No. of Students if College/University: ____<5000 ____5000 - 10000 ____>10000


  BACKGROUND:  (Briefly describe the business or situation where you used the products.) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
  BACKGROUND:  (Briefly describe the business or situation where you used the products.) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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OS/2 Warp
OS/2 Warp  
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/newsletters.html
http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/newsletters.html
Volume 8:  January, 1996
Volume 8:  January, 1996


SHAREWARE AND COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE
[[Category:OS/2 Warp Monthly]]
USER POWER

Latest revision as of 15:48, 28 April 2024

  • January, 1996 Issue

Welcome to the OS/2 Warp Monthly Newsletter

The holidays have come and gone -- the new year is now here. It's now time to get down to business and actually commit to the resolutions you may have made New Year's Eve. Personally I do not make resolutions because I prefer to evolve as the year goes by. I tend to run my life with an ethnically generated error correction code that comes with an added guilt feature, not usually available for computers.

If you do make resolutions and you want something easier to accomplish than changing a bad habit, here are a few warped suggestions. Update at least half of the Windows applications running on your OS/2 Warp system to native, OS/2 exploitive applications. (For a list of possible apps, see the Miller Freeman index at http://www.mfi.com/softwareguide/OS2-Solutions/homepage.html) Convert at least one friend or colleague to OS/2 Warp or OS/2 Warp Connect. (Remember: friends don't let friends run junk.) Learn to use OS/2 Warp better. Find at least one feature that you don't use now and start using it. (See the Product Tips articles in this and prior issues for some good ideas.) Set up your own homepage. Learn more about objects. Read at least one article a month on this topic. (A good start is our November newsletter, if you haven't read it already.)

The new year is also about changes and new beginnings, so that is the focus of this month's newsletter. We look at new trends on the Internet in Maxine Senn-Yuen's article What's Hot on the Internet. Jose De Jesus looks at Java, the object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems and recently licensed by IBM. Collin Summers reviews a new application called Xtra! Xtra! that lets you create a personalized newspaper from on-line sources. Karla Myers interviewed a couple of members of the Boca development team to see how they feel about making a fresh start in Austin. Most exciting of all, we have included sneak preview information on Lotus SmartSuite 96 for OS/2 Warp as well as an interview with the product development manager for the next release of OS/2 Warp.

One final change to announce: Maxine Senn-Yuen, who has contributed greatly to this newsletter, is leaving IBM for a new beginning as the marketing director for a real estate company.

Enjoy this issue! As for the new year -- make and keep those warped resolutions.

Jeri Dube

SHAREWARE AND COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

Xtra! Xtra!

by Collin Summers

Xtra! Xtra! read all about it...

Xtra! Xtra! is a new program that allows you to create your own personalized newspaper from on-line sources. You can use it to follow just the news, stock, sports or weather information that interest you, without seeing any of the stuff that doesn't . You can also set Xtra! Xtra! to deliver the latest news when you want it, giving you current information at your fingertips.

I downloaded a demo copy from the Sublime Software forum on CompuServe (GO SUBLIME). The install program was nice enough to tell me that it was about to create an ini file to keep track of things. (Most software just does it without telling you.)

Once installed, I fired Xtra! Xtra! up and went straight to Settings. (I don't usually read "readme" files until I encounter problems.) There I found a very informative information box across the bottom of the screen explaining the Settings notebook. All areas of the Settings notebook had context-sensitive help, so the information box displayed different information as you moved your mouse. The Setup gives you the option of taking a self-guided tour/tutorial of the product. The entire Setup procedure was straightforward.

I then went to Newspaper and selected Get Newspaper (as this seemed like the thing to do). Up popped another box with familiar sections of a newspaper (front page, sports, weather and so on) to check or uncheck. I selected the sections I wanted from the list and checked the option to overwrite the old stories. I then hit the Customize Section button. From here, I could narrow the criteria for selecting stories by entering key words the computer should search for when downloading stories.

After you've used Xtra! Xtra! once, it allows you to browse the headlines of the stories it retrieved to help you determine what keywords best describe your preferences. This seemed like a great feature to me since I like to scan the news, and only read articles that look useful. Xtra! Xtra! reduced the time I usually spend scanning a whole newspaper. You can even select the stocks that you follow and the program will tell you how much your portfolio is currently worth, if you enter how many shares you own. There's also an option to have the newspaper automatically printed once it's downloaded.

When I felt ready to get my first newspaper, I hit Get Now and let Xtra! Xtra! do its stuff. A nice status bar pops up on the screen and shows how far along the Get News process is. The program also tells me what it's doing, like Entering AP On-line Service. While the Get News process was underway, I went to the Help section to see what Sublime Software had provided. I noticed a Tip of the Day and selected it. While I was reading the window of tips on using Xtra! Xtra!, the program displayed the articles it had downloaded in the background. Multithreading is a definite plus for Xtra! Xtra!.

Reading the news was very easy. The articles are organized into sections (front page, news, sports and so on). To read articles in a particular section, click on the corresponding section tab. A scroll box shows the headlines in that section and a text display tells you how old a news item is. You can scroll down through the stories from the scroll box or text display.

Once all the news is retrieved, an on-line report tells you what happened and how long it took. This information is important if you want to monitor your time spent on-line. At this point, you can easily print the paper if you didn't set it up to print automatically. Even the print function has options! (I do love a configurable program.) Selective Printing lets you print just the most important stuff to read over breakfast or lunch and leave the rest on the computer, or you can print it all. Using Faxworks from the BonusPak, you could have your personalized newspaper faxed to you -- if you're away from your computer. The news printouts have nice titles and are easy to read. The print size is much like that of a typical newspaper's.

Another handy feature is the Autotimer function where Xtra! Xtra! is preset to get the newspaper on its own. You can set it to retrieve news at varying intervals from every minute to every 60 days, and increments in between. It can also automatically print the newspaper when it's done.

Xtra! Xtra! does have a few negative quirks. The program doesn't drag-and-drop fonts and colors properly. The colors and fonts change when you drag-and-drop changes, but quickly revert to their default settings. This feature should be fixed because almost all good, native OS/2 software should support this function. Of course, colors and fonts are not essential to accomplish what the program was designed to do. In future versions, I'd also like the ability to download graphical weather information, and display or print that as well. Overall, this application was very solid, and I couldn't find any significant bugs.

Xtra! Xtra! is very easy to use and setup. The interface is very easy to understand and the self-guided tour is helpful. The on-line help was also very thorough. Xtra! Xtra! is a must have for the traveling businessperson who wants to get news in an up-to-date and easy-to-use format. It's also perfect for the home or office. What could be better than having a completely personalized newspaper waiting for you at the printer every morning when you wake up or walk into the office? Xtra! Xtra! makes the vast amount of information available on-line more useable. For more information on Xtra! Xtra! for OS/2, visit their home page at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/sublime.


  • This article is based on the author's personal review of the product and should not be viewed as an IBM endorsement of such product.


PMView

by Maxine Senn-Yuen

PMView version 0.92 is a graphics viewer and editing tool for OS/2. This software package offers many useful features for viewing, enhancing, organizing and converting a wide range of graphics formats, including BMP, EPS, GIF, IFF, JPEG, Photo CD, PCX, PIC, PPM, PNG, TIFF and TGA.

PMView has a narrow learning curve, so you can start using the software right away. When you select File Open, PMView searches for all the graphic files in your current directory. If the program has already created thumbnails for your graphics, they will be displayed along with the file names in the File Open window. The program can be set to automatically create thumbnails of all the graphics in that directory in the background while you work on your computer. Once the thumbnails are created, you'll have a handy graphical index every time you re-open that directory in the future. The thumbnail facility takes the guesswork out of finding the right image. You can also setup PMView to create thumbnails only when a graphic is loaded, saved or converted. This option is best for users with very large graphics collections on CD-ROM.

You can perform many operations on your graphics from the File Open dialog box, without ever opening a single image. Right-click on any thumbnail, and you'll see a list of options for that file. You can check the file size, image size and color depth of that graphic here. You can also rename or convert the image into a different format. Right-click in the File Open window (but not on a thumbnail) and you'll get a list of viewing options. Here you can sort your thumbnails by image size, type, file name and file size. You can also randomly scramble your thumbnails if you prefer less, not more, organization. Choose the Sticky Select option if you want to select multiple thumbnails with only your mouse. This feature is great if you want to convert a batch of files into a different format, or if you want to create a slide show.

The Slideshow function is another unique feature in PMView. Open multiple thumbnails from the File Open window and the Slideshow will automatically launch. Or you can start the Slideshow by drag-and-dropping graphic files on to the main PMView window. The Slideshow is an easy way to create and practice business presentations.

PMView has decent, though not comprehensive, editing tools. The program lets you crop, stretch, rotate or flip any image. When you select a rectangular portion of an image, a handy Track Info box tells you the size and location of the selected area, and lets you type in a new location or size. PMView's handy Screen Capture utility lets you capture any portion of your desktop, including parts of a window that lie outside the visible screen.

PMView offers some important image enhancement features as well. The package includes several filters you can apply to your graphics to create special effects (like an "embossed" effect). You can also create your own user-definable filters. In addition, PMView lets you adjust the brightness, contrast and red-green-blue balance of your graphics. You can convert the color depth of any image from color to black-and-white to grayscale. You can correct the Gamma factor, create a negative or "solarize" your graphics. You can even save an image with more colors than your video card or monitor can display. If you make a mistake while editing a graphic, you can simply undo your last change. Although the program has only one level of undo, it has a useful recall function that reloads any of the last eight files viewed.

PMView has some very handy features for creating graphics for the Worldwide Web. It allows you to save GIF files in interlaced mode, with transparent backgrounds or a background color you specify. This feature is important if you want to create eye-catching HTML 3.0-compliant Web pages. You can also save your JPEG files as something called progressive JPEG, which lets Web browsers load the images progressively, like interlaced GIF.

Printing is a snap with this software. PMView uses your standard OS/2 printer drivers, but allows you to modify your printer setup to print your graphics optimally. For example, you can adjust the Gamma of your printed output from the Print dialog box. Or you can print your graphic across more than one page to create poster-sized hard copies.

Context-sensitive help is available throughout PMView. Hit F1 at any time, and you'll get help for the task you're trying to perform. Although the program doesn't have a tutorial, you can probably learn to use most of its features from its well-organized help contents which describe, menu-by-menu, all of PMView's features. The help index also includes Frequently Asked Question for some functions. In addition, the authors Raja Thiagarajan and Peter Nielsen are very responsive to users' questions or suggestions.

On the whole, PMView was easy to use and had a smooth, polished feel. The program was very well-threaded and ran quickly on my 486DX2-66 (although the authors say it has been optimized for Pentium processors). The slideshow and thumbnail functions were most impressive. Serious graphics users will also appreciate the customizable filters and other graphic enhancement features. All in all, I think PMView's $40 registration fee is well worth the price for such a fast, complete graphics package.

PMView is now available in both English and French versions. To download a copy, visit http://copper.ucs.indiana.edu/~sthiagar/PMView/PMView.html or http://www.wilmington.net/bmtmicro/catalog/PMView.html The shareware version is a full-featured app with no "disabled" functions, so you can test all the program's features before you register. If you have limited graphics needs, then less expensive shareware programs like PMJpeg will probably serve you adequately. But if you work with graphics all the time or have large, disorganized clipart collections, then I highly recommend PMView.


  • This article is based on the author's personal review of the product and should not be viewed as an IBM endorsement of such product.

Creating a New Look for Your Desktop

by Collin Summers

It's a new year and what better way to get off on the right foot than a new look for your desktop. One of the best things about OS/2 Warp is its flexibility. With the right tips, a few extra tools and some imagination you can configure your OS/2 Warp desktop be anything you want it to be. Here are some utilities and other odd and ends to add a little flair to your desktop.

The first thing you can do is jazz up your icons. The OS/2 Online Gallery (http://warp.eecs.berkeley.edu/os2/gallery/gallery.htm) is a good place to start. My favorite icons are in the collection at edsico31.zip. If you check out this directory you'll find thousands of icons from which to choose.

To help you keep track of your icon collection, you can use Icon Ease (IconEase_2-02.zip) or Icon Heaven (FrobozzIconHeaven_1-13.zip). These little programs allow you to sort your icons any way you want. You can then easily switch icons by dragging them to Icon Ease. To change an animated icon, you hold down the shift key while you drag.

A good background is always important for creating the right desktop mood. You can find lots of shareware and freeware bitmaps at http://hobbesarchive.com/?path=%2fpub%2fmultimedia%2fimages. The OS/2 Online Gallery also has many bitmaps you can preview. Once you find one you like, drag and drop it onto your desktop using WebExplorer, and of course, OS/2 Warp. Another great place to find bitmaps is http://warp.eecs.berkeley.edu/os2/gallery/textures.htm.

OS/2 Warp also gives you the flexibility to add some sparkle to your title bars and other screen text. You can sample hundreds of fonts at Hobbes (http://hobbesarchive.com/?path=%2fpub%2fmultimedia%2ffonts). The Internet Font Browser (http://cuiwww.unige.ch/InternetFontBrowser.html) is also worth checking out.

Once you have fonts, bitmaps and icons, you can try designing your own color scheme with OS/2 Warp's Scheme Pallet. You can use Scheme Pallet to change the colors and sizes of most things on your desktop. If you want to edit the color scheme, click the second mouse button over any WorkPlace Shell part in the Edit Scheme Pallet window. This lets you change that part without having to scroll though the long list of possible things to change.

Colors, fonts and graphics are always nice, but you can also add other features to enhance your desktop. A program called Xit (X-it_2-6.zip) adds a quick close button to your windows, so you don't have to double-click to close things. Behold (Behold_2-3.zip) keeps track of your mouse as it runs around the screen and Mouse Odometer (MouseOdometer_1-00.zip) tells you how far you've moved the mouse.

Speaking of mice (or is it mouses when speaking of hardware?), you can find many pointer replacements on the 'Net. At ftp://hobbes.nmsu.edu/, you can choose almost anything from Star Trek to cartoon hands. Just unzip the pointer that you want into its own directory and then use the Mouse Settings inside the System Setup folder to switch pointers.

Of course, you can always use NPS WorkPlace Shell Enhancer and Object Desktop to perform some heavy-duty remodeling of your desktop. Both OS/2 Warp applications provide lots of great tools and special effects for your Warp'd desktop.

Then there's FileBar (FileBar_2-05.zip). This utility adds a pull-down menu across the top or bottom of the screen. If you have a third mouse button, it lets you click it to view the task list. The really great part about this is that you can open the task list using the mouse without having to be over an empty part of the desktop. You can build lists of programs to easily launch from FileBar. You can also create nine virtual desktops with this gem.

If you ever wanted a trash can instead of a shredder, check out (TrashSqrt_1-141.zip) or (WPSTrashCan_2-7-1.zip). They have great trash can options. With a trashcan you drag your unwanted files and junk to the trash can. When you're ready, you just empty the trash. And if you need to, you can rummage through the trash to retrieve something you tossed in by accident.

If you've been looking for a neat way to switch between running tasks, Task Bar (TaskBar_2-62.zip) and FM/2 Task bar (FM2_TaskBar_1-08.zip) allow you to bump your screen edge to select which program to bring to the front. These are great utilities for mouse jockeys.

To add more or different toolbars to your desktop, try New Pad (NewPad_1-00.zip). Let's say you want to create a new toolbar with games. Just run NewPad and tell it what you want to call your new toolbar ("FunStuff"). The program will create a toolbar called FunStuff on your desktop, and you can drag-and-drop whatever objects you want onto that toolbar. Remember, you can also launch one toolbar from another one. Or just put shadows of new toolbars in your Startup folder if you want them to open every time you reboot.

So if your New Year's Resolutions include changing your environment, you can always dress up your OS/2 Warp desktop and have more fun working on your computer this year.


  • This article is based on the author's personal review of the product and should not be viewed as an IBM endorsement of such product.

PRODUCT TIPS

Upgrading your system

by Jerome Yuzyk

So the new year is upon you and one of your resolutions is to make positive changes in your life. One significant positive change you can make is to upgrade your system. You can do it in one of two ways:

  • upgrade your hardware so OS/2 Warp runs better or
  • upgrade your operating system to OS/2 Warp.
Upgrading your Hardware

Hardware is changing so quickly that components may change in cost and fundamental technology so significantly that the only appropriate upgrade is to replace the machine with whatever you can. A current example is Random Access Memory (RAM). It used to be sold in 30-pin SIMMs (Single Inline Memory Modules, for those who care), but is now being overshadowed by 72-pin varieties, making the 30-pin stuff and systems boards that accommodate it increasingly hard to find. But in many cases just upgrading several key components can give a three year old PC a new lease on life.

For OS/2, I usually use a specific sequence to determine what component(s) to upgrade for the best effect:

Random Access Memory (RAM): You can never have too much, and OS/2 will show its gratitude. Rather than using your (very, very much slower) hard disk for storage, it will keep more of itself and your programs in memory. With many applications in RAM, multitasking works a lot faster.

Processor/System Board: OS/2 Warp can only do so much with just memory. It will do its best to use whatever processor "horsepower" you have. But if you feel like your system is running a little sluggish replacing a 386 with a 486 or Pentium can have a tremendous impact on performance for about 1/5th the cost of a new machine.

Disk: Usually the need to get a larger disk is driven by the simple need for more space. In addition, a new drive can offer a noticeable speed boost, especially when combined with a new disk controller. Plus, the newer drives are providing increased speed with 3-4 times the capacity for the same cost as older models..

Video: This upgrade is more "feel" than "real." If things display faster, then they seem to operate faster. The actual time saved is insignificant outside of graphics-intensive environments. Graphical interfaces make this even more apparent though, and a faster video card makes a good upgrade if you've already taken care of the previously mentioned items.

Extras: You may want to upgrade individual components to give your system more function. Buying a CD-ROM can really enliven a system as can adding video and sound capabilities. As your needs change, you may find yourself needing to add a tape drive for backup or a faster modem, especially if you spend a lot of time surfing the Internet.

Becoming a New OS/2 User The trickiest thing about having prior experience with something like computers is that when you try a new one you expect that it to behave like the ones you've used before. This can be an obstacle to seeing the benefits of the new one as you try to do things "the old way." For some people with DOS/Windows or Macintosh experience this can make learning and adjusting to OS/2 Warp slightly harder (for a little while) than if they knew nothing at all.

Note to past Windows users: Each folder or window has three buttons at the ends of its title bar. The left end has the menu button. At the right end are the minimize and maximize/restore buttons. This is the same as for Windows, except that in OS/2 the minimize button actually puts the open folder (or window) into the background, still running and still consuming resources. In Windows, there's no difference between minimizing a folder and closing it. To actually close a folder or window in OS/2, you need to double-click the menu button. I've walked up to OS/2 systems and found 40 or more minimized folders and programs in people's Window Lists - no wonder the machine "got slower and slower."

So, the best advice I can give is to keep an open mind, and try to see how all the pieces work together. Spend some time seeing how things like objects work without comparing them to what you already know. Try multi-tasking a couple of programs at one time. You can figure out the best way to manage them and get used to your PC doing things that you don't necessarily initiate.

You also should be informed. Don't be afraid to read the material included in the OS/2 Warp box. A lot of trouble that new users have stem from an almost-primal urge to grab a couple thin disks and a CD from that box, toss the rest aside, and dive right into installing. They revisit the box only when trouble arises, by which time any clear-headed approach to reading any of the enclosed documentation is often difficult or nearly impossible. OS/2 Warp also offers several well-written on-line aids. The tutorial can get help you get started and the help functions are designed to help with the most common issues. You've already paid for that stuff, so use it!

There are a few other sources of information for new users in previous issues of this newsletter. For a look at general tuning and performance tips, useful whether you have a little or a lot of computer resources, see OS/2 Warp on a shoestring. If you're putting OS/2 Warp on a system that will not be used to boot DOS, you should definitely consider using the HPFS file system, especially if you have a large hard-disk. If you want to get some unique ideas on how to use OS/2 Warp's features to your advantage, see Turning your PC into an office appliance. This article explains how an OS/2 Warp system can work for you, even while you're not there. And there's also the Just Add OS/2 Warp Kit, found at http://www.ibm.com/pspinfo/drk95.html, that has a set of utilities to make your move to OS/2 Warp as easy as possible.

Finally, don't be afraid to experiment. Do it carefully. Create a test folder of your own and "play" in that folder, creating, moving and deleting objects. Use your right mouse button on various icons to see what an object is and how much it does.

Whether you upgrade your hardware or your operating system, it can make a positive difference in your life. When you do it, relax and have fun with your new system. Remember that in the big scheme of things it's just a computer and it really can make life easier.

ENTREPRENEURS

Dr. Raj and OS/2 on IRC

by Steve McNally

Doctor V. Phaniraj is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at North Dakota State University. He first encountered OS/2 (Version 1.2) as a grad student doing cooperative work with the Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, California. Today he uses it for everything he does with a computer. Dr. Raj, as he is known, is one of the hosts at #OS/2, the real-time Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel that deals exclusively with OS/2. He also hosts an OS/2 Usenet group and a programmers' web site.

Dr. Raj - the Professor Entrepreneurs aren't always in the game for themselves alone. They need not all be businesspeople doing entrepreneurial activities in the working world. There are those who take risks with ideas, implement them in their worlds and, by doing so, show the rest of us what can be done with new technologies. Dr. Raj fits into this class of entrepreneur

One of Dr. Raj's latest projects has been to virtualize his classroom through the use of video conferencing and the Internet. This semester, Dr. Raj has his students doing assignments online. He has handouts, schedules, problems and examples the students can use on the Intro. to Computing Home Page (http://venus.ee.ndsu.nodak.edu/ee/Courses/ee173). This site is a depository of information the students need to get their assignments done. Since it's all online, it's always available.

For his older students, he plans for more virtualization of the classroom through video conferencing. "We want to do design reviews with the remote companies who sponsor our senior design projects. The students need to meet with their sponsoring company's engineers every few weeks, and we'd like to do that over the video-conferencing systems if possible . This will save the students, and the University, time and travel expenses."

The rollout for the video conferencing will occur over the next two years. It will start small, with portions of classes being held within the campus over ISDN lines, and will grow over time. "IBM's Person-to-Person has some video-conferencing capabilities, and hopefully there'll be more native OS/2 stuff coming out of IBM. There's a guy at #OS/2 who's writing something. He's a good programmer. By the time we're ready to offer more classes, and maybe offer them to students off campus, we're hoping that the applications will be there."

Dr. Raj likes the senior projects to be of value in the real world. "We mostly have biomedical-oriented ones; stuff for the handicapped. And we have some involving agricultural applications. Usually we get a request from a hospital who has a patient who needs something. We build it, and it goes to the person who needed it." Last year, one of the projects was a cane with radar in it. A project his seniors will be working on this year is a foot-operated mouse. Students create something that will make life easier for someone, and they have the satisfaction of seeing their homework put to good use.

All the computers in the Electrical Engineering students' labs are OS/2 systems. "We need the solid and reliable multitasking environment. Even when the main app we use isn't native to OS/2, we run it under OS/2 and can still do work on the system while le the analysis is running." The Professor learned early that when you need stability and flexibility, OS/2 is the way to go.

Dr. Raj - the #OS/2 Host Internet Relay Chat enables you to have real-time conversations with other people on whatever channel you choose. #OS/2 is a twenty-four hour-a-day channel that features discussions carried on by the hosts or proctors (like Dr. Raj), people who drop by, and a helpful automaton called OS2bot. Hanging around #OS/2 is like being at a users group: There are several conversations going on simultaneously and you're free to join or just listen in on them. If at any time you'd like start a private discussion, that's possible too. The people who are more vocal tend to be more experienced users, but Dr. Raj and the other hosts (as well as some of the "regular" people) are helpful to anyone who asks a question. The hosts have the "@" in front of their nickname. @RajV is the Professor.

OS2bot is always on the channel and anyone can utilize his services. He can help you search Hobbes for the piece of software you're looking for, point you out to any number of OS/2-related resources, or spit out a Star Trek quip. When you're on #OS/2 (or really anywhere in IRC), you can issue the command /msg os2bot help, and he will give you the list of available commands. OS2bot is coded completely in REXX (by several of the people at #OS/2 including Dr. Raj) and can help you do anything from finding a domain name to looking up a business' phone number from the national Yellow Pages.

If you do not now have IRC-capability, you can get IBM's Netcomber (ftp://hobbes.nmsu.edu/os2/network/tcpip/netcomber.zip), an entire suite of Internet apps for The Internet Connection for OS/2, or try the GammaTech Internet Relay Chat demo (ftp://hobbes.nmsu.edu/os2/demos/gtirc104.zip). The Home Page for #OS/2 (http://venus.ee.ndsu.nodak.edu/os2) will give you a good rundown on what you'll see on the channel as well as additional IRCs for OS/2 applications. There's a shareware page as well as pointers to the home pages for other #OS/2 denizens.

IRC, Usenet and the Web are very much complementary media. If you are an OS/2 user at any level, you can find (and interact with) helpful people and information on all of them. Dr. Raj hosts a weekly Usenet-posting for new users as well as a web sit e for programmers at http://venus.ee.ndsu.nodak.edu/edm2). In addition, you can send a note to Dr. Raj at North Dakota State University (please link this to phaniraj@plains.NoDak.edu).

ELECTRONIC 'SCAPES

What's Hot on the Internet

by Maxine Senn-Yuen

1995 was the year of the Internet. In recent months, it has been nearly impossible to avoid the ever-present newspaper headlines trumpeting the 'Net's importance. But Internet mania is more than just a product of the media's fascination with the latest high-tech novelty. The World Wide Web has experienced consistent, exponential growth over the last year, and is expected to continue growing at ever-higher rates through 1996. Analysts estimate that the Web doubles in size every 53 days. Yahoo, an Internet search engine, gets 3,000 new Web sites submitted every day. And a recent Nielsen survey estimated that 24 million people use the Internet in North America alone. With all this activity, 1996 seems poised to be remembered as the year Cyberspace became a pervasive part of everyday life, like a telephone or television.

The Internet is growing and evolving so rapidly that it's becoming more and more difficult to keep track of the latest developments. If you only use the Internet for e-mail, you're probably missing the big picture of where the Internet is headed. You're also not taking advantage of the cutting-edge technologies and capabilities of the Internet.

Early Internet pioneers expanded its communications capabilities so you could have conversations with people, instead of sending e-mail messages back and forth. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels, like the "chat rooms" commonly available through online service providers, were a convenient medium for people to hold spontaneous, free-wheeling discussions. But even IRC is fading fast as technology advances. IRC requires special communications programs on your PC, but the latest Internet "chat" channels are Web-based, so you can converse with others on the Internet using your Web browser. Web-based chat rooms will eventually incorporate graphics and audio. In fact, if you're tired of plain text e-mail or chat sessions, you have a variety of multimedia options today, and will have many more in the future. If you want to send a graphic greeting, fill out a postcard at the Electric Postcard Page (http://postcards.www.media.mit.edu/postcards). The site will then notify your recipient to come "pick up" the postcard. Real-time voice communication over the Internet is also becoming a reality with new programs like InterCom for OS/2 (http://revsoft2.is.net/ic/intercom.html).

Not only can the Internet facilitate communication between people, but also between people and computers, fax machines, cameras, robots and other machines. 'Net legend holds that one of the earliest implementations of Web-connected cameras occurred when some university students focused a camera on their dorm's coffee pot and connected it to a computer. The camera setup allowed the enterprising students to see from their rooms if there was enough coffee in the pot to warrant the walk down the hall. You can still view the Trojan Room Coffee Machine at http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/coffee/coffee.html.

The principle of a Web-connected camera has already been taking to much higher levels. There are now some very sophisticated implementations of Web cameras focused on everything from the current weather to traffic. The Los Angeles Traffic Report page (http://www.scubed.com/caltrans/la/latransnet.html) includes photos of traffic at various places in the county, and maps showing points of particularly horrendous congestion. The photos and maps at this site are refreshed every 20 seconds.

Just seeing real-time video via the Internet isn't true interactivity. The most cutting-edge sites give you some control over the camera or other machine at the remote site. For a terrific example of this, visit the Tele-Garden at http://www.usc.edu/dept/garden. This site features a camera and robot arm in the middle of a garden. Click on an image map of the garden to change the camera's viewing angle. The most amazing thing of all -- you can plant seeds, water them and monitor the progress of your seedlings over the Internet.

WebFax (http://www.ua.com/webfax-instructions.html) shows the possibilities of connectivity between fax, phone and Web. Call their number to have a hard copy of any Web site (including graphics) faxed to you. If the Web site includes audio clips, you'll hear the audio portion over the phone.

In addition to these improvements in communication and interactivity, the Web feels a lot more real and live today, a true virtual reality. One of the innovators in Web realism was the Frog Dissection Page that let 'Net surfers dissect a frog layer-by-layer, organ by organ, in all its gory detail. Today, there are more than a dozen sites where you can dissect a frog. Now you can also dissect a variety of other organisms, from a worm to a human cadaver. One widely-acclaimed site lets you view the microthin cross-sections of woman. These sorts of sites are interesting for laypeople and 'Net surfers, but also promise to expand the frontiers of the burgeoning field of telemedicine. Imagine, sometime in the near future, medical students around the world being able to explore the latest medical mystery in a distant country from their PC.

Virtual reality leads to all kinds of virtual experiences and virtual subjects, like virtual science. You will soon be able to explore the solar system from any angle on earth (or the galaxy for that matter). At the Real Audio (http://www.RealAudio.com) home page today you can hear real-time audio. Object-oriented technologies like Java and OpenDoc may eventually allow real-time video on the Internet, which will vastly improve virtual reality in Cyberspace. Imagine what we'll be able to do with that!!

I once took a college course in Chinese history where the professor warned us not to blink, or we would miss 1,000 years of history. The Internet is like that course. It's changing so fast (and in some ways unpredictably) that it's nearly impossible to see where it's going till it's already there. As more businesses go online, the commercial aspect of the Internet will undoubtedly expand. And improved technologies will drastically change the look of the Web over the coming year. Only one thing is certain -- by the time you read this, most of this information will already be stale.

Let's Brew Some Java!

by Jos‚ De Jes£s

The Internet, especially the World Wide Web (WWW), is having an undeniable impact on our way of communicating. For many people, typing "http://www..." on a computer has become as common as dialing 1 plus an area code on a telephone. Every day, tens of thousands of users visit the Web, and about 500 new Web pages go on-line 500 each week. Mention WWW to a Web author these days and in two minutes (or less), you'll hear "Java!" "Coffee?" you might ask. Not exactly. People are already wired on the drink. This is something new.

What is Java?

Java is an object oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems specifically for network computing. Java allows people to create Web pages that have animation, audio, and real-time capabilities. With Java, programmers can build stand-alone applications or small pieces of code (applets) embedded into HTML documents. Java-capable browsers can directly execute the code in applets to perform specific tasks such as rotate an image, or process input from the user.

Java is platform-independent. Instead of producing an executable module, the Java compiler (javac) creates bytecodes that consist of machine-independent instructions. At the moment of running the application, the Java Interpreter (java), and the Java runtime system interpret the bytecodes and translate them into specific instructions for the machine under which the Java environment is running. Because of this, the same program will run without changes on any Java platform. Java is deliberately similar in syntax to C and C++, but improves on some of the difficulties and common pitfalls with these languages.

Developers are rushing to take advantage of Java. Dozens of companies have licensed the Java language, and more than 28 major corporations, including IBM, Netscape, Novell, Hewlett Packard, and Apple Computer have announced early support for Java. Hundreds of users visit Java sites on the World Wide Web each day--and those numbers keep growing! Sun's Java Development Kit (JDK) is available over the Web at: http://www.sun.com or anonymous FTP from Sun at fpt.java.sun.com. Sun expects to ship a complete version of the Java Development Kit soon.

IBM is definitely brewing Java! IBMer Mike Cowlishaw is leading a team porting the Java Development Kit to OS/2. This project, taking place at IBM-Hursley Park, will allow users to develop, and test Java programs under OS/2. They expect to have a Beta version of the JDK for OS/2 available early this year. Other ports underway include AIX, and Windows 3.1. To get the latest news on the port status, visit the IBM Java Home Page at http://www.hursley.ibm.com/java.

This is the first of a series of articles that will teach you how to use the Java for OS/2 environment, and the Java programming language. To feel comfortable with these tutorials, you should have at least a passing acquaintance with a structured programming language, and a general understanding of the Web. This first part will only give you a very brief overview of Java, just enough information to get you started.

Some companies are creating simpler versions of Java (i.e. JavaScript), and integrating them into their products as "scripting" languages. These sublanguages will allow people who don't know much about programming to easily include Java code in their Web pages. This article and the ones that will follow will focus on the full-fledged Java language.

Structure of a Java Program

The easiest way to learn a new programming language is by example. So let's begin with a simple program:

import java.system;

class hello {

   public static void
   main(String.args[])
   {
      System.out.println("Hello, Java World!\n");
   }
}

Java programs reside in units. Just like a C program can be made up of several source files, Java programs can consist of several units. Each unit has the following components:

The Package Statement

A package statement identifies a collection of classes and interfaces under one name. A package statement is really a unit's passport to other units. If you do include a package statement in a unit (as in the example above), the unit will be considered the default package with no name, which means you cannot import it to other classes.

The following example declares a unit as a package titled MyPackage:

    package MyPackage; 
Import Statements

The import statement allows you to include classes and interfaces from other packages in your unit. For example:

    import Validators;

This code fragment imports all public classes of the Validators package into the current unit.

Class Declarations

This section contains the declarations of your Java program's classes.

Interface Declarations

This section contains the interface code for each class declared in the Class Declarations section.

With this new information, you can now try to identify the components in the program listed above. Don't worry if you are still a little confused. The structure of a Java program will sink in almost naturally as you start coding.

As tempted as you may feel to plunge right into the programming, resist! First, you should learn how to use your working environment, mainly the Java Compiler for OS/2, which will soon be available in Beta. The other tools, such as the profiler, disassembler, and debugger, can wait until you have acquired additional experience with the Java language.


Compiling Java Programs

The Java Compiler creates bytecodes from your source code. These bytecodes consist of machine-independent instructions that the Java Interpreter and the Java runtime system can interpret efficiently.

To compile a program, you type:

            javac [file.java]

[file.java] is, of course, the name of the Java program you are compiling. This creates a file with the extension .class. Next, you must run the Java Interpreter on the new class:

            java [file]

Do not include the .class extension. The Java interpreter already assumes the application has a class extension.

Now let's briefly look at the available Java compiler options. These parameters work both for javac (the compiler) and java (the interpreter):

-g This option generates debugging tables that external debuggers could use to find information about line numbers, variables, and methods.

-ng This option disables the generation of debugging tables. Use this option if "-g" is the default in your runtime system.

-O This option optimizes your compiled class for speed through inline methods. Using this could make your Bytecode files larger but faster, so use this option if runtime speed is more important to you than space.

-debug This option displays a trace of your program's code to help you easily identify failing parts.

-nowarn This option turns off compiler warnings.

-classpath This option lets you change the path of referenced classes.

-verbose This options echos compiler and loader information. Use this argument to see which packages are being loaded while your program is running.


Introduction to the Java Language
Tokens and Separators

Tokens are the smallest meaningful elements in a programming language. Java tokens include keywords, identifiers, literals, and operators. Between any two tokens there must be at least one separator. Separators can be blanks or comments.

Blanks

A blank, as its name indicates, consists of anything that produces a blank on the screen, such as a space, tabulation, or carriage return. Blanks separate tokens from each other, and at least one must exist between any two adjacent tokens. Conversely, since the lexical scanner can only distinguish between tokens and separators, you can use any amount of blanks to make your programs clearer.

Comments

Java programmers use three types of comments, two of which come from C and C++:

/* This is a C comment */ 
// In C++, the rest of this line is a comment 
/** This is a Java comment used for documentation */

The first line denotes a C-style comment. Like in C, Java's lexical scanner ignores any text between /* and */. The double-slash, adopted from C++, makes a comment out of the rest of a line. Finally, the /** and */ combination is a new type of comment introduced in Java to easily create program documentation using the Document Generator (javadoc).

Keywords

Like in other programming languages, keywords have reserved meanings, and cannot be used for anything else. Java keywords include:

abstract continue for new switch boolean default goto null synchronized break do if package this byte double implements private threadsafe byvalue else import protected throw case extends instanceof public transient catch false int return true char final interface short try class finally long static void const float native super while

As you learn more about Java, you will see what these words mean in the language.

Identifiers

An identifier is any text string that identifies a program component. Identifiers can start with a letter, an underscore mark, or a dollar sign. Except for the first character, an identifier can also contain digits.

Java supports the Unicode Character Set, which is based on the Unicode Standard, Worldwide Character Encoding, version 1.0, volumes 1 and 2. Unicode is a character coding system that supports the principal written languages of the world. It is an effort to globalize software for major operating systems.

For more information about Unicode, visit http://www.stonehand.com/unicode/standard.html

Literals

A literal is a value expressed as itself in a program. Java supports five types of literals: integer, floating point, Boolean, character, and string. For example, the following are all valid literals:

   7
   3.1415
   true
   "M"
   "Hello, Java World!"
Basic Data Types
1. Integers

Integers in Java have specific sizes that are not hardware-dependant. Java supports four types of integers: byte (8 bits), short (16 bits), int (32 bits), and long (64 bits). Unlike in C and C++, the sizes of these types are the same on any platform. Whether a Java program runs on a PC, or on a powerful workstation, the sizes of its data types are always the same. This is one of the advantages Java has over C/C++. The declaration of integers is simple: as with most types, you write the type followed by the name of variable. For example:

byte number1;        // variable number1 is 8 bits long 
short number2;       // variable number2 is 16 bits long 
int number3;         // variable number3 is 32 bits long long 
number4;        // variable number4 is 64 bits long
2. Floating Point

Java supports 32-bit, single-precision floating point types, and 64-bit, double-precision floating point types. Respectively, you must use the float and double keywords:

float realnum1;      // variable realnumber1 is 32-bit, single precision 
double realnumber2;  // variable realnumber2 is 64-bit, double precision 
3. Boolean

Java uses the literals true and false for Boolean values. For example:

Boolean TheDukeDances;  // TheDukeDances can either be true or false ....
if (TheDukeDances == true)    beginparty 
else   noparty;   ...

Notice that Java Booleans are not ints, so they will not work as such in conditional statements. For example,

if (TheDukeDances) //This is illegal {  ... }
4. Character

Character literals are of type "char," and belong to the Unicode character set. Char types are represented as unsigned 16-bit integers.

5. String

A string can be zero or more characters enclosed within double quotes. In Java, strings are objects of type "String," instead of arrays of characters like in C and C++. Being objects, you must declare instances of type String, in this manner:

String Mystring = "Hello, World"

This declares Mystring as an object of type String, and initializes it to "Hello, World."

Array

An array is a list of values, of the same type, that can be referenced under the same name using different indexes. Java arrays are instances of subclasses of the class Object. Arrays, in turn, are considered first-class objects that cannot be subclassed. You can create a subclass of type Array for objects of type char, ints, and floats. For example:

int myarray1[] = new int[12];   // declares an array of type int

Notice that you must create arrays using the new operator, and the left-hand side of the declaration cannot have the array's dimension. Although Java only directly supports one-dimensional arrays, you can implement two-dimensional arrays as arrays of arrays. For example:

int myarray3[] = new int[12][7]; // declares a 12 x 7 array of type int

Well, that's it for now. You should have enough ammo to hack around with the Java Development Kit. You will see arrays (and most of this) again in the coming lessons. The next mini-tutorial will give you an object-oriented programming primer and explain more about classes and packages. If you want to jump ahead of schedule, feel free to view the Java documentation on classes at: http://java.sun.com (the documentation section).


FEATURES

Sneak Preview: Lotus Desktop Solutions for OS/2 Warp Users

Lotus Development Corporation has long been committed to serving the needs of the OS/2 community. Since 1990, Lotus has been delivering award-winning desktop applications that fully exploit the power of OS/2. The company's leading SmartSuite for OS/2 combines powerful stand-alone business applications into an integrated package that provides a total software solution for thousands of users around the world. Now a member of the IBM family, Lotus stands poised to deliver its most innovative line of desktop OS/2 applications ever.

Historically, Lotus OS/2 applications have emphasized strong Workplace Shell integration and support for OS/2's powerful features (multithreading, multitasking, customization using REXX, and cc:Mail's System Object Model support.). Built from the ground up specifically for OS/2, the applications take advantage of OS/2's advanced capabilities. Lotus plans to continue to optimize its next generation of desktop OS/2 applications for the OS/2 environment, yet make them functionally equivalent to versions on the Windows platform through the use of IBM's Developer API Extensions for OS/2. This means the upcoming OS/2 application releases will be more feature-rich and comparable to other versions than before.

Over the past few months, Lotus has provided sneak previews of Lotus Word Pro 96 Edition for OS/2 Warp and other Lotus SmartSuite 96 Edition for OS/2 Warp applications, including most recently Fall Comdex in November 1995, in order to show OS/2 customers what is coming soon in SmartSuite 96 for OS/2 Warp. The design goals for Lotus' 96 Edition OS/2 Warp applications cover three broad areas:

  • Team Computing
  • Productivity
  • Integration
Team Computing

Team Computing features allow users to easily share information and work with others, expanding the scope of desktop computing from personal to team productivity. Lotus next generation of OS/2 desktop applications will incorporate several revolutionary tools to help workgroups improve productivity by gathering, processing and distributing information.

For example, the TeamMail feature lets you send any kind of document to others, or route it to a list of people sequentially. TeamReview provides a step-by-step, easy-to-use guide for sharing and collaborating on a document. First you choose editors with whom you want to share the document. Then you set the editing rights for each editor. Finally, you determine how the document will be distributed (via floppy disk, across networks, e-mail or with Lotus Notes). It's that simple! The addition of simple markup tools and document control features also help your team work better together. Another helpful tool, TeamConsolidate, lets you combine multiple edited documents into one document.

New Internet features will allow you to publish a document on the Internet directly from Word Pro 96. Word Pro 96 will let you browse and import files directly from the Web, and open and save files from FTP servers. Users will be able to access, share and publish work across the Internet, enabling you to collaborate with anyone, anywhere. Word Pro 96 will also support HTML, the formatting language used to create documents on the World Wide Web. This HTML feature lets you design and create fully-formatted Web documents from your familiar WYSIWYG Word Pro 96 environment. Lotus Freelance Graphics 96 Edition for OS/2 Warp presentations can also be created in Web format, which will allow viewers to see the presentation on the Internet using any Web browser.

Productivity

For individuals or teams, productivity is all about getting the job done faster and more efficiently. Word Pro 96's productivity features give users everything they need to create any kind of document quickly and easily. New SmartMaster templates will provide a powerful and easy way to create professional-looking documents automatically. They not only set up the look of a document, but can also assist in creating high-quality content. SmartSuite 96 for OS/2 Warp will contain hundreds of different SmartMasters to help with just about any task.

Lotus Word Pro 96 and other Lotus SmartSuite 96 applications for OS/2 Warp will include SmartSense tools that know what you are working on, so you get the right tool at the right time. For example, automatically correcting typing and editing errors -- Word Pro 96 highlights misspelled words as you type your document. You don't need to run your spell checker when you're done. Word Pro 96 will also let you divide long or complex documents into tabbed sections. If you want to quickly jump to chapter 20 in your Great American Novel, simply click on the corresponding tab.

The new Lotus InfoBox, common to all 96 Edition application for OS/2 Warp, lets you change all the attributes of any item in one dialog box, and displays your changes dynamically as you make them. So whether you're working with text in Word Pro or a drawing in Freelance Graphics, the InfoBox lets you change all the attributes of the object you're working on. Furthermore, a new Task-Sensitive Interface gives you the tools you need only when you need them. For example, when you create or edit a chart, all Lotus Chart editing tools appear automatically.

Altogether, more than 1500 customer feature enhancements will be incorporated in the upcoming release of Lotus Word Pro 96 Edition for OS/2 Warp alone.

Integration

Lotus takes a task-based versus technology-based approach to integration. SmartSuite 96 will build integration into each application by looking at the cross-application tasks that users perform most often, then finding ways to automate the process needed to complete that task. The net result: SmartSuite 96 will provide seamless integration between its apps, allowing users to work easily with information across applications and with other users.

A key component of SmartSuite integration, is the new Lotus SmartCenter 2.0 for OS/2 Warp, a convenient and powerful tool that helps you organize your work. It provides a single place to store and access your applications and documents, and provides direct access to frequently used OS/2 desktop tools.

The new LotusScript programming language will also be built into SmartSuite 96 for OS/2 Warp applications, and will support integration of the REXX programming language with scripts. LotusScript allows users to automate data management tasks, control workflow and modify the appearance of SmartSuite 96 applications using an industry-standard, object-oriented BASIC-like language.

The Final Word

Lotus expects to enter beta shortly for the Lotus Word Pro 96 Edition of OS/2 Warp, and expects to begin shipping its next generation of OS/2 Warp applications during the first quarter of 1996. For the inside scoop on Lotus' SmartSuite 96 Edition for OS/2 Warp, visit Lotusphere '96 (http://www.lotus.com/lotspher/) which will be held at Walt Disney World from January 21-25. Also, stay tuned to this newsletter for the latest news on Lotus desktop applications for OS/2 Warp.� OS/2 Warp Goes West by Karla Myers

Last September, IBM boldly announced the consolidation of all development and product service for OS/2 to Austin, Texas. It meant that the team in Boca Raton, Florida had to prepare to move to Austin. The announcement of the move came as a surprise to most employees at the Boca Raton site.

Jeff Dean, Product Development Team Lead for the next version of OS/2 Warp, had been considering a move to Austin for some time, so he was already mentally prepared for the move. Stacey Miller, Product Strategist for the Developer Connection for OS/2, was equally excited. "Austin is a young, growing city with lots of opportunity. I have heard only positive things about living there.... I'm looking forward to it!"

From a business perspective, the move and the consolidation make a lot of sense to both Jeff and Stacey. "The move will allow two separate development sites to pool their resources and enthusiasm to build ever better products," Jeff said. It also will shorten the product cycle. Stacey adds, "I believe that communication will improve and the teams will become more effective and productive. I think this will bode well for the future of OS/2." From a professional standpoint, Jeff said the move is an easy process. "I deal with so many people in Austin already, I concluded my job would become easier and more effective in Austin. Of course, if they had moved to Boca, we would have seen the same improvement."

From a personal standpoint, Jeff and his wife quickly made the decision to move. This made the relocation became much less emotional and stressful. However, Jeff notes, "we have had to deal with the fact that both our families live in various parts of Florida and we'll have to travel farther to visit. Both families are, however, looking forward to visiting Texas."

The move has been straightforward for Stacey. "Most of my group is moving intact, so professionally, I think things will take care of themselves. Personally, I'm looking forward to being closer to my family. I will enjoy being out west again, having grown up in Phoenix. Inexpensive flights home are a plus too."

Any move can be a challenge. Any move during the holidays is a little more of a challenge. But Jeff and his family have jumped into the adventure with vigor. "So far, the move to Austin has only been challenging in the sense of trying to get everything done in such a short period of time while dealing with the holidays, the job, and kids," Jeff said.

"We've been too busy to really think about the move," Stacey said. "We just completed development of DevCon 9 Special Edition with a general availability date in January. I think the biggest challenge is trying to concentrate on both work and on all of the personal stuff you need to do."

Both Stacey and Jeff agreed that the search for housing proved to be an easy one since there was a lot to choose from in the Austin area. Stacey found a home in a beautiful new development. "Currently, we live on acreage in West Palm and we are going to a 'real community'. I think that this will be a good change for us (and our dogs!) I think the cost of living is less in Austin, based on the two trips I've made there, particularly gasoline and automobile insurance," Stacey commented.

"Finding a new home seemed to be pretty easy," Jeff says. " Actually, from a house perspective, we are very much looking forward to a new home in a new city -- things to discover," he continued. "I think we are going to enjoy the new things to do. It really doesn't matter where one lives, there are always new adventures to have. The more moderate weather, hills, and family focus are things that look very attractive to us."

The move to Austin is a "fresh start" at the beginning of a new year for the Dean family and for the Miller family. It's also a fresh start for the OS/2 development and support group. The movement of the Boca group will make the next generation of OS/2 Warp the best it can be in all aspects ranging from development to testing to support. A new year....a new start.

The Inside Scoop on the Next Release of OS/2 Warp

(An Interview With the Product Development Manager)

In 1996 the OS/2 Warp product family will continue to grow and evolve. Ninety-six brings the introduction of new products like OS/2 Warp Server and new technologies like the IBM Microkernel. With so much to anticipate, we thought this would be a good time to talk to Jeff Dean, the man largely responsible for shaping the next client version of OS/2 Warp.

Q: What's you new title and responsibilities with respect to the next release of OS/2 Warp?

A: Officially, my new title is Product Development Team (PDT) lead ... this is part of the new process IBM has adopted for team development. In essence, the PDT leader takes on all the responsibilities of the Product Manager, but in addition signs a "contract" with the executive management team to deliver a product with certain key attributes within a predefined budget and schedule. The Product Development Team generally consists of seven to ten folks representing all the areas required to deliver and support a product. For example, the PDT has an Architecture / Design lead (Paul Giangarra) and a Worldwide Marketing lead (Jeff Howard). As a group, the PDT is charged with making all key decisions about the next release.

Q: What is the current development status?

A: The best news about the new release is that we are starting from a solid development base. We will begin adding the new features on top of the latest service pak. This allows us to build on top of the most mature operating system in the industry and on top of OpenDoc and the Developer API Extensions. In addition, much of the newer functions we implemented for OS/2 Warp (PowerPC edition) were done in portable C/C++ code so moving it onto OS/2 Warp will be straightforward. In addition, the design of many of the newer features has begun in earnest and the development team is chomping at the bit to start the coding and testing work to get the release ready for shipment. However, the new release will be an exciting development project because we know we have much to do to satisfy the growing demands of our customers.

Q: What's the most exciting aspect of developing this release?

A: Probably the fact that we have a chance to introduce some really exciting new technologies that will make Network-centric computing possible and effective. The user interface work and the internet enhancements are the most visible pieces of the release. Overall, from my perspective, the best part of developing it will be working closely with the best development team in the industry.

Q: What's the greatest development challenge?

A: As with nearly all software development projects, the challenge is always to balance function, schedule, and budget. This project is certainly no exception. I've been involved in every release of OS/2 and I've never seen one go out the door where we didn't disappoint someone that wanted that one last feature.

Q: What, if anything, will you do differently for the new release than you did for the previous OS/2 releases?

A: With our ever-shortening development cycles, we have had to take a hard look at how we introduce new code into the product. Our challenge is to marry the creative process that allowed developers to "party" on the code (i.e., introduce function whenever they finished or thought of some new stuff) and the traditional structured code development process (i.e., design reviews and code walkthroughs). Only with solid defect removal before the code is "delta'd" into the product will we meet our very aggressive schedules and quality commitments.

Q: How many people are working on this release?

A: This is always a hard question to answer finitely, but in general, we should have around 500 people working on it between now and when we ship.

Q: When should we expect the first beta?

A: We are expect to ship the first Beta in the second quarter 1996.

Q: When is it going to ship?

A: You should look for it in the second-half of 1996.

WARPED, ETC.

Getting Started with OS/2 Warp

The new OS/2 Warp makes it easier to do more with your computer and your time, while other operating systems still keep you waiting. With OS/2 Warp, there's no need to wait any longer. Order OS/2 Warp and LAN systems products today by contacting your IBM Authorized Reseller or call IBM directly.

        Country              Telephone number
Argentina         	319-6666 
Australia               	62-1-132426
Austria                  	43-1-21145-2500
Bangladesh           	880-2-231-022
Belgium                	02-225-3333 
Brazil                  	0800-111426
Bulgaria               	0035-92-731076 
Canada                	1-800-465-7999 
Chile                   	800-203037 or 56-2-6332292 
China                   	86-10-437-6677
Croatia                 	0038-51-624500 
Czech Republic   	00422/67106111
Denmark             	45-45-93-45-45 
Finland                 	358-0-4591
France                 	16-38-55-7055 
Germany              	49-1003-317131 
Hong Kong          	852-2825-7878 
Hungary               	00361/1654422 
India                     	91-80-526-8344 
Indonesia             	62-21-523-8200 
Italy                      	167-017001 
Korea                   	822-781-6114 
Malaysia               	603-735-8828 
Netherlands          	030-383773 
New Zealand        	0800-801-809 
Paraguay              	595-21-444094 
Philippines            	63-2-892-3026 
Poland                  	00482/6251010 
Portugal                	1-7915900 
Singapore             	65-320-1234 
Slovakia               	00427-786-403 
Slovenia                	0038-661-1252-154 
South Africa          	0800-126126 
Spain                     900-100-400 
Sri Lanka               941-440-810 
Sweden                 	08793-1000 
Switzerland            01436-7478 
Taiwan                   886-2-776-7658 
Thailand                	66-2-273-4286 
United Kingdom   	01329-242728 
United States         	1-800-436-2255 
Uruguay                	598 2 923617

For Developers: The Developer Connection for OS/2 
The Developer Connection Device Driver Kit (DDK) Order Numbers North and South America:
 Brazil            		0800-111205  
                		(The Developer Connection for OS/2)      
                    		(011) 866-3222   
                    		(fax - The Developer Connection for OS/2)   
                           	02-1-800-6120 
                         	(The Developer Connection DDK) 
Canada               	1-800-561-5293
Mexico             	91-800-00639 
Mexico City           	627-2444  
United States      	1-800-6DEVCON           
                                	         (633-8266) 
                         	1-303-330-7655 (fax)

In Asia Pacific: The Developer Connection can be ordered in Asia/Pacific countries. Please ensure that you dial the international access code applicable to your country before the listed phone number. Note that 61 is the country code for Australia.
   61-2-354-7684 (phone)      61-2-354-7766 (fax)

In Europe: The Developer Connection can be ordered direct from the IBM Software and Publications Center (SPC) in Denmark if you live outside the US, Canada, Asia/Pacific, Brazil, or Mexico. Please ensure that you dial the international access code applicable to your country before dialing the appropriate phone number. This applies to both telephone and fax orders. Operators speaking the following languages are available. Note that 45 is the country code for Denmark.
    Dutch 		45-4-810-1400         
    Italian  		45-4-810-1600 
    English 		45-4-810-1500 
    Scandinavian  	45-4-810-1300  
    French 		45-4-810-1200    
    Spanish  		45-4-810-1100  
    German 		45-4-810-1000  
                   			45-4-814-2207 (fax)

Electronic Support for Developers is provided through CompuServe, OS/2 BBS, and the Internet. Obtain technical support or use the forums to exchange messages, ideas, comments, or concerns with The Developer Connection for OS/2 team or other members.

The dedicated Developer Connection section on CompuServe is located in the IBM OS/2 Developer Forum 2. To obtain access to this section, please send a note with your subscription number to the Developer Connection Administrator at CompuServe user id 73423,2767. You will receive notification or access to the Developer Connection q section within 2 business days.
To access the forum, type GO OS2DF2 at the ! prompt; then, select the Developer Connection section.

For CompuServe membership information, call one of the following numbers:                 
   From Germany: 			0130 37 32 
   From the United Kingdom: 		0800 289 378 
   From other countries in Europe: 	(+44) (+272) (255 111)                   
   From the U.S.: 			1-800-524-3388                  
   From elsewhere: 			1-614-457-0802

Ask for Representative 239. You will receive a special introductory membership for IBM customers.

Staff Biographies

Jose De Jesus works as a contractor for IBM, debugging VDM and (soon) WorkPlace Shell applications. He is the author of "Borland Pascal With Objects 7.0," published by MIS:Press in 1993. He can be reached at 73141,317@compuserve.com.

Jeri Dube has been working for IBM for 12 years now. She is currently working as a Senior Marketing Support Rep, putting together communication vehicles for OS/2 Warp and LAN Server. She swears this is the best job she has had in a long time. Outside of IBM, Jeri spends time with her family, scuba diving, and practicing Yoga. Her favorite quote is: " Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced not by being sober, cautious and responsible but by being playful, rebellious and immature."Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker. Contact Jeri at Internet:jdube@vnet.ibm.com.

Steve McNally develops promotions with Marketing Reps as the Editor for the IBM US Promotions and Price Actions Board. He spends his free time with his wife Kim and ten-month-old daughter, Olivia Hope, and tries to put in as much time as possible writing fiction of all shapes and sizes. A quote that came to mind while composing his bio was "It's like a sauna in here" -- Cosmo Kramer, in the sauna at a health club. He can be reached at smcnally@vnet.ibm.com

Maxine Senn-Yuen joined IBM's Worldwide Marketing Program as an Associate Program Administrator in 1995. Maxine is an incipient yuppie who enjoys golf and shopping at the Gap. She can be reached at MaxineSY@aol.com.

Collin Summers' company has been contracted by IBM to help in central Illinois with OS/2 LAN Server and all those other PC Software type stuff. Before IBM took up all his time, he did independent computer consulting in many areas, but focused on OS/2 work (Guess that's how he ended up working with IBM). Collin spends his free time, when there is some, tinkering around and looking for new and better ways to use computers. Of course, he only runs OS/2 and OS/2 LAN Server on his business' LAN. Collin is available at Internet: summers@vnet.ibm.com or 73422,3364@compuserve.com.

Jerome Yuzyk graduated from the U of Alberta in 1984 with a B.Sc. Psychology, specializing in Human and Machine Vision. In 1993 he set out on his own, forming BRIDGE Scientific Services. He consulted to various large and small business in the Edmonton area. Being an OS/2 user since 1992 in the midst of a sea of ignorance and misinformation Jerome started CAOS/2: Central Alberta OS/2 Users Group in August 1993. The group has grown to 100+ members since then. In October of 1994 he joined IBM Canada as a Retail Marketing Specialist, travelling the prairies talking to retailers, consultants and user groups about OS/2 Warp and OS/2 products in general. He also just started teaching OS/2 courses for IBM Education Services. When he's not doing any of that he's a hobby gardener and amateur landscape designer. And when not doing *that*, he takes apart various rooms in his house and (sometimes) puts them back together again. Jerome can be reached at Internet: jerome@supernet.ab.ca.

FEEDBACK

Survey

We want to produce a quality newsletter that meets your needs. Please take a few minutes to answer the following questions and send your responses to: - FAX: 407-982-8888 - INTERNET ID: JDUBE @ VNET.IBM.COM - MAIL: Jeri Dube

                IBM Personal Software Products
                1000 51st Street  
                Boca Raton, Fl 334

- IBM VNET: BCRVM1(WARPWIRE)

1. What other information would you like to see published in this newsletter? ________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

2. Is the length of the newsletter:_____ Too short _____ Too long _____ Just right

3. Does this newsletter improve your product knowledge of OS/2 Warp and LAN Systems products? _____ Yes _____ No

4. Do you currently have an OS/2 Warp or LAN systems product installed? _____ Yes _____ No

5. Do you plan to have an OS/2 Warp or LAN systems product installed? _____ Yes _____ No

6. Optional

Name: 	
Address: 	
City, State, ZIP: 	
E-Mail Address: 		
COMMENTS:  Please offer any ideas/suggestions to improve the newsletter. _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Thank you for answering this survey. We make improvements based on what you tell us!

OS/2 Warp and LAN Server Customer Reference Form

If you would like to share your experiences with OS/2 Warp or LAN Server, please fill out the following form and get it back to us. We are especially interested in entrepreneurs who use OS/2 Warp or LAN Server and people who use these products in unusual circumstances.

 -  FAX:  407-982-8888
 -  INTERNET ID:  JDUBE @ VNET.IBM.COM
 -  MAIL:  Jeri Dube 
                   IBM Personal Software Products 
                   1000 51st Street
                   Boca Raton, Fl 33434

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Name: 	
City: 	 
State/Province: 	
Country: 	
Fax: 	
Email Address: 	
Street/P.O.Box: 	
City: 	 State/Province: 	 
ZIP/Postal Code: 	

INDUSTRY: ____Communications ____Cross Industry ____Distribution ____Education ____Finance ____Government ____Health ____Insurance ____Manufacturing ____Petroleum ____Process ____Transportation ____Travel ____Utilities

SIZE:
Annual Revenue US$: ____< $5M ____$5 - 50M ____$51 - 100M ____$101 - 500M  ____$501 - 999M ____$1 - 10B ____> $10B
No. of Employees: ____Small <100 ____Medium 100-500 ____Large > 500

No. of Students if College/University: ____<5000 ____5000 - 10000 ____>10000
BACKGROUND:  (Briefly describe the business or situation where you used the products.) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

NEED: (What problem/situation existed which caused you to seek a solution using OS/2 Warp and/or LAN Server?) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF SOLUTION: (Please provide a detailed description. Describe any mission critical applications. For a networking solution, include a description of the network.) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________³ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

BENEFITS: (Please describe business or personal benefits.) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________


OS/2 Warp 
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/newsletters.html
Volume 8:  January, 1996