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I recently purchased a Spectre Notebook and to my surprise, everything works under OS/2. They have OS/2 screen driver on their web site, and their PCMCIA port (Cyrix chipset) works fine under Warp 4. So, I would like to thank them. (This company supplies the same notebook to Dell.)
Conectix has just released Virtual PC for the Mac which will allow any Mac user to run real Windows 95 on their Mac. This differs from the SoftWindows (soon to be at a Win95 level if not already) in that it does not emulate windows but rather the hardware of an Intel based PC.
What I want to know is if why the hell a Mac can do it, why can't Warp and why don't we have the same capabilities in Warp? An IS manager I know installed Windows NT on desktops when he would have preferred to install Warp simply because they needed to run because a key application they were using was being ported to Win32 and not to OS/2. They also needed to be able to read MS Office 97 files from clients but Warp doesn't run MS Office 97.
They had Citrix WinFrame but it was not suitable for everything. They can't wait for a Java port either.
So, if Connectix can run Windows 95 itself on a Mac, why can't IBM run Windows 95 under Warp?
After last month's readers survey, I have been reflecting whether or why at all I will need MS-Windows support in OS/2 in future. This month Chris ranted about SPG's leaving of the OS/2 platform. This brought me to write my opinion down.
We are users of a minor Operating System (OS) and standing in opposition to the best promoted and supported MS-Windows. Every time when looking for an application I mostly can not find any hint of the required OS, because it requires MS-Windows. Asking for the other OS, I know the answer in advance: "Windows is the most widespread OS, the market for others is too small". Only with a little luck there is an OS/2 version but often with additional cost.
In my profession as an electronic development engineer I need a lot of special applications like many other professions surely too. One special provider supports only Windows. That's what this provider has in common with many other firms delivering software tools. You really need their tools for your work and you must accept what they are able to do or change your provider. But what if there is only a few or less?
This is the reason why I can only switch to OS/2 at home. Bosses can understandably not be convinced to switch the offices or laboratories to any other OS due to the above mentioned reasons.
So what I really wish from all of us (including IBM) is that:
If anyone sees an application of interest in the Windows world and if you are able to program for OS/2 then convert it! If you have the possibility to gather detailed application information (e.g. features and global supplier) then publish it! If you know tricks to make the system better or how to program for OS/ 2 then let us know!
Get out and find e.g. the EMX C-Compiler in the Internet, get a good book of the C-Language and programming OS/2 (e.g. "The art of OS/2 warp programming") and tell us how you solved a special problem.
We all should not mourn long for any program that will not be supported for OS/2 in future. Let's create new ones - Let's make OS/2 a more versatile OS.
Well, OS/2 is really in big trouble in my point of view, and I dont really see much support from IBM. The other day, in a TV program, I saw a preview of MSIE 4.0 and I wondered how Microsoft is really serious at destroying Netscape. If what Microsoft wants to put as a standard with MSIE becomes the standard, we are in really deep, deep (and I mean) deep trouble.
First of all, if MS suceeds, OS/2 can't be said (if not already) as the best OS for internet. I mean, the Internet is relying too much in the Web, and our only decent browser is two generations back! Communicator won't even be professional edition, and I dont think MS will port MSIE to OS/2.
And if that becomes true, whats left, Java? Java is not all it is cracked up to be, and I think IBM must put out of its head the "only big enterprises" policy and work on a real solution, or we will see OS/2 die in not much time. This is my personal opinion.
Can you please post this on your site, if possible. This site is where OS/2 Users can make comments/suggestions/complaints about Netscape for OS/2. Maybe by bombarding them with letters (polite in nature, of course), they will act faster. As you might now or have experienced, Netscape/2 has many bugs which need to addressed/fixed.
http://service.software.ibm.com/reg/netscp/probrpt-reg
I feel that beta testers should be paid for their work. I, however, have no problem with the testers paying a nominal fee for the program provided that the program has at least reached a reasonably stable and useful stage of develpoment. This fee would be used to maintain a response database and all testers who have been resonably reliable in reporting should be provided with a fully registered copy of the final program with the same benefits, including free updates given to paying customers.
To be honest with you, I don't believe in Beta software, because people will abuse the system like many do with WordPro which was shipped with OS/2 Warp 4.
Beta software is produced so that the bugs can be eliminated. This can only be done by controlling the people who get the software and making sure of getting feedback. The only way to ensure this is to pay a outside company to test your software, as the general public will just use it because it is the next cool thing: and if the beta version is given away, who wants to pay for it!
I find the survey results impossible to believe. My contact with OS/2 users is in stark contrast to your "survey". Thank you, David
How about Matrox? With their excellent video cards (I love my Mystique), great driver support, and nice video control panel, they deserve a round of applause for the effort they put in. The drivers are absolutely top-notch.
Software-wise, I haven't checked Privateer II, but Origin supplied OS/2 settings in the README file for Wing Commander IV, which is more than many companies do. Just that little bit of extra effort made me send a note of appreciation to them.
Finally, a suprise - Creative Labs - Germany is working on OS/2 drivers for the AWE64 (check out comp.os.os2.apps, or .beta, I believe it was, for info on this). They deserve a thanks for continuing effort, even if the US portion of CL has decided to ignore OS/2 for further development.
I'd like to nominate Bruce W. Landeck. He has provided OS/2 users with one of the few personal/small business finance packages available for our platform and he has really gone above and beyond in shaping InCharge to the needs of his users.
If I had to pick a company that supports OS/2, I'd have to say that Matrox is at or near the top of my list. I'm currently using a Matrox Mystique, and have used many of their other products (Millenium, Impression) over the past few years, and have been quite impressed with their ongoing support and the real quality of their work!
I think MSR development might be a good choice for our accolades. They make a superior product at a reasonable price. It has allowed many users to use the economical tape drive devices available at our local computer superstore.
One thing I have noticed is that Win95 has problems accessing HPFS drives in certain conditions. Some programs like MYOB QuickBooks (Accounting programs) report that files/directories do not exist even though they do and appear in their file dialog boxes. If these files sit on a FAT drive then there is no problem at all.
IBM say this is a Microsoft problem, in the way that Win95 handles the SMB protocol. If it reads that the Server is using HPFS then it fails certain requests. When helping people win win95 clients on OS/2 networks it might be useful to mention this as this can save a lot a time later, with problem sovling and changing Files Systems. This is also the case for OS/2 Warp Server.
Justin Prewett
IBM has released a Quicktime Player for OS/2 multi-media Version 3.X and 4.X. This package should not be confused with Practice Corp's Netscape/2 Plug-in. The IBM Package can be found at http://hobbes.nmsu.edu. This player will play *.mov and *.qt Quicktime files and complies with Apple's February 96 agreement to support OS/2. Please put this in your next magazine. I'm sure many OS/2 users would love an OS/2 QT player.
File name QUICKTIME.ZIP Uploaded 7/26/97 19:00hrs
When I first started using OS/2, my sound card (ProAudio Spectrum) never worked correctly when switching between Windows & OS/2 programs. I then visited a site promoting the Crystal Semiconductor chipset. I found that Turtle Beach used the Crystal chips. I purchased the Tropez Plus model and the drivers worked correctly for all programs (Windows, OS/2 & NT). The volume doesn't fade as was the case with the PAS card. I can definitely give the Tropez Plus a "buy" recommendation.
Bert Broekstra
I have been using OS/2 Warp since version 3. I read your article about thanking software manufactures for their support for OS/2 Warp. I believe that is a great idea. We need, as users, to show support for software that all ready exists and software that needs to be developed. Talking about it in chat rooms and other places is not going to work. We need to go straight to the source and that is the companies that develop the software. We need to show them that if they develop it we will buy it and support it.
Enjoyed the article. I wish Mr. Wardell had written a paragraph or two on the Microsoft and IBM breakup.
I just got through reading your article on the Epson Scanner. While the article was indeed useful, my interest in a scanner had to do with using it for optical character recognition. Nowhere were the capabilities of OCR scanning under OS/2 with this particular scanner mentioned.
I would suggest to you that a follow up article on OCR scanning with this same scanner to be a nice one, since using a scanner for OCR is also a vital function of a scanner, to some of us.
I just finished reading Chris' tip for creating bevel-edged buttons with Embellish.
I recently bought this package because it appeared to have the feature (and price) I required without many extras offered more expensive packages that I didn't need.
I'm not an artist, so I don't always grasp the concepts in the manual well (I'm still meditating on masks, hoping a light bulb will pop on soon).
Give us more! I hope this means Chris will continue to include Embellish in his tips, etc. That would certainly keep me coming back again and again.
In your comparison of Neon 2D with LogoArt, you keep mentioning that Neon doesn't allow paragraph text. But, it does! Just right click the (box and circle) drawing icon, and select "path text" This is in the Demo that you can download from their site. Maybe it wasn't yet supported in the version you reviewed...
BTW, I like the reviews very much. While I'll still download demos to get a closer look, I at least get a little feeling for the programs that are available, and which ones I should look at.
To get back to the review... Is it just me, or does Logo Art seem much more user friendly than Neon2D? While the latter can do more, boy did they make some things awkward! Just try to make a gradient for example. I think I like Logo Art better on that part. Neon 2D seems a little like Colorworks.... It's very powerful, but far too cumbersome to use, if it's not your every day business. While other programs are less powerfull it's more easy to do things.
Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later, and now I guess I'll have to take a deep breath and jump in head first.
In my latest review of NeoN 2d Vector, I stated that the program had no way to create a "block of text," where the text would wrap around in a pre-defined area. I was wrong: I have just been informed by someone else who has been testing the demo that this can be done if you draw a rectangle or ellipse and then choose the "path text" command.
Quite frankly, I am very embarrassed that I didn't catch this, and I feel it has compromised the quality of my review. I hope to be able to include this information in the original article, or perhaps ad an addendum to the original article, so that anyone reading it in the future will not be misinformed.
I would also like to thank Anthony de Vries for emailing OS/2 e-Zine! with this information.
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