[965] in comp.os.os2.announce archive
ADVOCACY: CONNECT THE WORLD WITH MERLIN
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (TimB1557)
Mon Apr 8 12:17:55 1996
To: os2ann.DISCUSS@bloom-picayune.MIT.EDU
Date: 8 Apr 1996 14:59:31 GMT
From: timb1557@aol.com (TimB1557)
Reply-To: timb1557@aol.com (TimB1557)
Reply-to: timb1557@aol.com (TimB1557)
Submitted by: (TimB1557)
Source: (TimB1557)
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The following note was excerpted from the Editorial Page of the
April 1996 issue of the OS/2 CONNECT newsletter:
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CONNECT THE WORLD WITH MERLIN
A couple of weeks ago the Board of Directors of our local Tampa
Bay OS/2 Users' Group (TBOUG) met to discuss group activities
and plans. Since we're always looking for ways to promote OS/2,
discussions turned to how our group could best support IBM
locally in its promotional efforts. One idea was to conduct
demonstrations of OS/2 at some of the computer super stores in
the area (CompUSA, Computer City, and Egghead Software). This
would help educate both the consumer and local store sales
people alike. Although this type of demo could be easily
performed, we questioned why we should stop there. Perhaps a
more dramatic presentation could be done to showcase the power
of the product. Instead of a single demonstration, one store
at a time, an alternative plan was proposed: to conduct
several presentations throughout the Tampa Bay area
simultaneously on the same day all connected through a network.
This would allow a presenter in Tampa to show what was going
on at other stores in Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, etc.
But then again, "Why stop there?" Why not link into other user
groups throughout Florida? Again we asked, "Why stop there?"
Why not link all of the other OS/2 user groups around the globe?
Perhaps we could build a map of the world over the Internet
using OS/2 Warp Connect and OS/2 Warp Server. The map could
show who has logged on to the network over a 24 hour period of
time (such as user group name, location, time, etc.; perhaps a
graphic image such as a JPG or GIF file could be uploaded or
even an audio message could be placed on the map). Think about
it:
* It would invigorate computer super stores who have
historically taken a ho-hum approach to selling OS/2.
* It would dispel the belief that OS/2 isn't widely used.
* It would showcase the features of the product.
* The press would find it interesting media event in that one
computer product was able to easily link the world together.
* It would be incredibly simple to do (and cheap for IBM).
But when would be the best time to conduct such an event? How
about the launch of the next generation of OS/2 Warp Connect,
"Merlin," the version aimed specifically at the end-user,
scheduled for delivery around mid-year (perhaps July).
This is exactly what I proposed to John W. Thompson, Wally Casey
and other IBMers at the Warp Server launch in San Francisco.
Thompson in particular seemed to find the idea intriguing. From
IBM's point of view, the project would be simple to implement;
they would have to supply a dedicated Warp Server machine and
provide Internet access to it. They would, of course, also have
to supply user group volunteers with an advanced copy of "Merlin"
to demonstrate.
Recruiting user group or Team OS/2 volunteers should not be a
problem. We could probably garner the necessary volunteers from
the readers of OS/2 CONNECT alone.
IBM has not promised to implement this idea yet but they said
they would give it some serious thought. In the meantime, if
you or your user group are interested in participating in this
project, please drop me a line to express your interest. Please
include your name and title, user group name, mailing address,
country, telephone, fax, and e-mail address.
- Tim Bryce
Editor, OS/2 CONNECT
April 1996
TimB1557@aol.com
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NOTE:
OS/2 CONNECT is THE authoritative source for contact information
in the universe of IBM's OS/2 32-bit operating system and is
available in two forms: INF and HTML (at our web site).
World Wide Web Site:
http://warp.eecs.berkeley.edu/os2/connect
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