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Just a short note to say that I find your e-Zine superb. The content, graphics and layout are nicely done. I particularly like the application reviews and the interspersed graphic images of the various screen shots. I don't have direct internet dialup so I must call long-distance to collect my copies via a BBS network. It's worth the trouble.
Thanks August, we appreciate the compliments. We all work very hard to bring OS/2 e-Zine! together. Don't forget though, we take criticisms too. If there is anything we can do to improve, just let us know!
- editor
I just filled out the newest questionnaire. It would be helpful to have added the question of "How often do you use them?" I have a large number of Windows programs installed, including Microsoft Office 96, but I seldom ever use them.
I wear many hats and work several jobs simultaneously, so software programs are like tools. You pick the right one for the job at hand. Had you asked "how often?" you would have received a much more interesting, and rather different response than what you are going to get.
The funny thing is that I am a registered user, and purchased, a large number of native OS/2 programs, yet my favorite programs, and the ones I use most of the time are DOS programs (WordPerfect 6.2, Quattro Pro 5.6, Quicken 7.0 for DOS, and Lotus Magellan). I like text-based apps, hate the mouse and GUI's. OS/2 is fantastic at running (multitasking) DOS programs.
The other question you missed is programs ported fron Unix.
Your points are valid but for this month, we're trying to gather data similar to what ISVs would be interested in. Their main concern is with either selling an app or getting it out to as many people as possible so they can claim market share. We will try to address your questions in a future issue.
- editor
I only have one Windows program that I really use -- Quicken 4. I know there are a couple of OS/2 equivalents but it would be a lot of trouble to change. Ditto for the only DOS program I still use (at home) -- Laplink V.
Just like last month, when filling out the survey I felt like I was forcing a round peg into a square hole. Let me explain why. I like the idea of your surveys but I also feel they don't go far enough. For example this month you asked about installed programs. Most of my installed stuff is games my kids play (although I did get addicted to Avarice and Digger) but most of the programs the computer was bought for (Inet apps, WP, Database, programming etc.) are OS/2. Just plugging in pure numbers doesn't show what system people are using for what. Perhaps follow-up surveys might be useful to software companies and such.
I think it's a good idea as long as the sum is nominal. All too often beta testers just want freebe software. Too often, results of doing the JOB of beta testing are not returned to the developers. Also, I think developers need a certain amount of support so they can live thus granting the freedom to write for OS/2 (I realize they can support OS/2 and Win32).
I just wanted to add a couple of things to this debate. For starters, I don't know of any paid-beta program where the final release isn't available for free or a substantial discount. In addition, a paying beta testers is actually paying for something that other people don't get:
1) since it's a limited beta, the developer will more likely listen to him and his ideas than if 100,000 people downloaded it and started sending email.
2) A closed, hand-picked beta team would mean that you would have to qualify to beta-test the product. With a paid beta, anyone who wants to test it and try it can, provided he has the money, which is usually a lot easier to get than some special hardware that makes your testing platform unique. This is a big deal. I've been turned down as a beta tester because my application was too late or I didn't offer anything to the mix. 3) Some people think that they are paying for the privilege of playing a game early, and the privilege of affecting the development of the game with their ideas.
4) With a free, open beta, the number of testers can run in the tens of thousands. This means that the more testers you get, the more of a problem it becomes. If these 10,000 were paying to test it, then you can take the money to develop resources to handle that many testers.
I have never volunteered to Beta test software. Don't plan to. If a developer wants me to test product for them they will have to pay me.
There are a lot of folks I know that enjoy beta testing. They see it as a hobby or educational tool. These people would likely pay a small fee to play.
There are people who will set up bogus beta programs to collect fees for something they never plan to do.
I don't think you can conclude the argument either one way or another.
The real answer is somewhere in a gray middle.
As for support. Some developers see support as a burden to them. I see a support call as a burden to me.
If I have to call support, there is something wrong with the product, (which includes documentation).
As a customer I am doing the software house a favor by calling, in effect paying to beta test.
Software is complex, I don't expect perfection. I do expect problems to be minor and resolved cheerfully.
The exceptions, there is always some gray. There have been times when I have called about what I saw was a defect in product A, when in fact it was product M. When company A helps me with product M, they just bought customer loyality.
Company M just got a black eye.
Paid beta programs are fine as long as the program in question is actually ready for real beta testing before the program starts. As an example of how _not_ to do it, I would have to point to Stardock's Entrepreneur program. I joined this program a _very_ long time ago. So long that I couldn't even begin to tell you with any accuracy when it was. One year? Two years?
At any rate, calling Entrepreneur ready for beta at that point was like saying two teenagers on their first date would soon become grandparents. The program was little more than a concept, yet they were accepting money from people to join the beta program. By joining the program I essentially became a venture capitalist, risking my money that the program would eventually be developed, with a only a small, predetermined payoff (price break on final product) possible. Had I known all this at the time there's no way I would have invested in this product.
The way it should work is that investors, those who stand to get a real return on their investment should the product become successful, fund the development of the product. The beta program participants should pay for the product, with a price break for helping out with the testing. They should not be funding the development.
I was recently reading about the MAD survey that ZDNet did to get Netscape and Microsoft to come to some sort of an agreement to accept the WC3 standard pertaining to HTML. After reading the article and finding out that over 1000 webmasters responded to the survey I got to thinking. I thought wouldn't it be really great if some were to post a similar survey asking users whether they preferred having just one choice for an OS (i.e. Windows NT) or whether they would prefer several different options.
After doing some further reading about how Microsoft has tried to use the same strong arm tactics to dislodge Netscape from the browser market I really believe that computer professionals would like an opportunity for real choice. The real difficulty is in getting someone to post a survey like this on a neutral web site like WC3, ANSI or the DOJ web site.
I am confident though that once the people speak, Microsoft will have no choice but to listen. The reason for my confidence lies in the simple fact that in February of 1997 the FCC was swamped with over 300,000 email responses opposing a plan to allow access charges on ISP's of $.03 minute. And giving the fact that Microsoft has just seen fit to raise the price of Windows NT in absentia of any real competition I think a survey like this would at the very least raise some eyebrows in Washington, particularly in the congress and at the Dept. of Justice.
I just read your article about HP VetraXU. Just a few questions:
Is there any difference between the Pentium II and Pentium Pro, besides the MMX?
Which do you think is the best monitor? Eizo, Sony, or NEC?
Yes! While I'm not an authority on this subject, here's what I've learned. Pentium II is a faster chip overall compared to Pentium Pro, but it is optimized to run 16-bit operating systems better. Pentium Pro is intended for true 32-bit operating systems.
There are also a number of differences with cache location and the style of the pin-outs in the sockets. Pentium Pro does not have MMX, but should also wind up being less money than Pentium II. If you need MMX and want to buy Intel, then Pentium II is the way to go. Otherwise, Pentium Pro is a very strong argument unless you're running Windows 95.
Honestly, depending on the specific model, I don't think you'll go wrong with any of these brands of monitors! I'm still a big NEC fan myself, but I must say that Eizo has impressed me with their newer line of late. The only thing that got me to use an Eizo to start was it was the brand my company chose for the project I'm working on. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to tell you much about them. What I look for today is overall usable viewing area, total physical size, speed, resolution, and compatibility with the rest of the system. You'd be surprised at how many times people still go out and buy really hot video cards that their monitors just can't keep up with.
I know that's not much help, but honestly I think all of these brands are certainly capable of doing a great job -- especially in their higher end models. Which one you should actually choose is more a matter of individual style, and taste.
In reference to the Editor's note "OprahS/2 Advocacy", I've been doing the same thing and finding much the same results, which are very positive. I recently purchased a Kensington Expert Mouse 5.0 (trackball) because it had a "Ready for OS/2 Warp" logo on the box and I'd used their older one before. Of course, the actual OS/2 drivers weren't included since they only put in one floppy, but the manual showed how to install them and work with them, and a quick download off their Web site got me the drivers which included a version of their mouse control panel for OS/2.
I was impressed. Now, I could have sent a note complaining that since their product costs about $100, they could bother to put in another floppy disk with the OS/2 drivers, and that it would be nice if the OS/2 version of the control panel weren't several versions older than the Windows one, but instead I figured a better way to get an updated OS/2 control panel would be to just thank them for supporting OS/2 and for supporting it with more than just a basic driver and show that we OS/2 users really appreciate companies who make that extra effort.
I haven't gotten a promise of updates, but I did get a nice "you're very welcome" reply.
Maybe this is what we should have with Creative Labs a while back. I encourage OS/2 users to do this to every vendor that supports them even a little for both software and hardware. Hardware might not be as obvious because if I purchase an OS/2 software package, that tells the vendor implicitly that I, an OS/2 user, am out there, but if I purchase a piece of hardware, the vendor doesn't know. So always send in the registration and check that box on the survey that says you use OS/2 or write it in as "other".
My personal feeling is that we should compliment the people that don't get our attention normally. By that I mean device driver developers at hardware vendors, software developers and support personnel that normally get none or negative feedback, and I don't mean the OS/2 people but the ones that work at companies that are mostly non-OS/2 based
Let me suggest:
And, dont forget to send Bill Gates a greeting to thank him for once supporting the operating system that will soon have its 10th birthday ;-)
I just read the latest OD tips section, and it was suggested that the minimized window viewer could be dragged to the Control Center to add task switching capability. What I would like to know is if there is some way to include all running tasks, not just the minimized ones. I imagine that you would somehow have to create a WPS folder-like class to do this but I don't have brains or the software to do it.
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