[297] in OS/2_Discussion
today`s New York Times. . .
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (klund@MIT.EDU)
Tue Oct 25 14:56:31 1994
From: klund@MIT.EDU
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 94 14:55:41 -0400
To: giaime@tristan.mit.edu
Cc: os2partners@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: Joseph Giaime's message of Tue, 25 Oct 94 14:00:51 EDT <9410251801.AA25433@MIT.EDU>
> Today's NYT, in the Science times section, had an over-the-top
> declaration of war against OS/2. There were a few factoids, but mostly
> the columnist just flamed and flamed and flamed.`
>
> I suggest someone with more time than me (I'm writing a thesis...)
> respond with a letter to the editor, nominally from the MIT users group.
How about a response from IBM?
=====================================================================
Responding to today's New York Times article, A Stormy Voyage On OS/2
Warp, PSP Media Relations distributed the following information to
55 worldwide bulletin board sysops for posting. PSP Media Relations
took this tactic after repeated attempts to work with Mr. Manes on
a much more informed approach to software review.
=====================================================================
From: IBM PSP Media Relations 10-25-94
Dear Customer:
Regarding the NY Times review of Warp in the Science section of
the Tuesday, October 25 paper; we feel it's important to let you
know that we spent considerable time addressing the concerns the
writer has with OS/2 Warp. Unfortunately, Steve Manes
fundamentally disagrees with our positioning of Warp as an
operating system, and thinks we should market it strictly as a
Windows utility, and therefore thinks we haven't done an adequate
job of "fixing" Windows.
We spent a significant amount of time with Manes, discussing his
issues:
* Warp does not include device drivers for an Epson color
printer and a NUMBER NINE video card that were just introduced.
Response: we have plans to support it by year end, issue was
simply timing of Epson's and NUMBER NINE'S announcement,
nothing technical.
* Windows under Warp is slow. Response: he used the Ziff
Davis benchmark designed for testing Windows 3.1
applications, not 32-bit operating systems. Ziff
acknowledges that it is not an adequate test for OS/2
performance.
* Warp adds layers of complexity to an already-cumbersome
Windows environment, and the Workplace Shell is too different
from Windows. Response: this is where he wants IBM to fix
Windows, and misses the point that we're trying to convert
Windows users with a better product.
Some background: Manes co-authored the book "Hard Drive" on
Gates. He doesn't particularly like any OS and has had occasion
to trash Windows, OS/2 and Apple's System 7.5.
=========================================================================
Please send a note to Andrew Simpson (asimpson@boston.vnet.ibm.com)
if you would like any additional information.
