Dear editor,
Last night I was browsing through messages in comp.os.os.apps and came across your announcement of the debut of OS/2 E-Zine. This morning I tried the listed URL and found your commendable first issue. Auspicious beginnings!
I thought the reviews were interesting and informative; I look forward to seeing more.
[...]
The beta section of the magazine will be a real draw; I know I'm always
interested in hearing about software in development.
Once again, congratulations on your first issue!
Regards, Larry Ayers
Thanks!!!
What a beautiful layout! and I liked the variety of articles and the quantity. Don't bring it out more often if you have to cut down on volume.
See you soon!
Eric
I just read through your new magazine, and I am quite favorably impressed. The articles are all well written and well thought out. The graphics are not overpowering, but add a subtle touch of professionalism.
I have enjoyed working with OS/2 for the past 5 years (remember 1.2?). It has been the path seldom traveled in our industry. Hopefully folks like you can wake up those meserized by Bill Gates glitter that there is a much better alternative to the already outdated Win95.
hwmiller@calon.com
Hi!
I just wanna say, great going! Keep it up, don't give up!
And please, try to make it monthly.. or even better every two weeks?
Good luck..
Yours, Roberto Chaves
- No problem! We are publishing monthly and we will soon increase to bi-weekly.
I just wanted to drop my few cents' worth here. When Trevor announced this electronic magazine, I took a quick look at one or two parts but didn't really look too closely at the magazine. While I admit I still haven't looked at all of the first issue, I'm currently taking a much closer look.
All I have to say is good job on the layout.
As the publisher of EDM/2, I know the amount of work it takes to make something look good on the web. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to make our site look as good as this one but we still have a ways to go.
Again, my congratulations on a job well done.
Larry Salomon Jr. ('Q')
President, IQPac Inc.
- Larry has recently announced that his publication has undergone a radical restructuring that has us here at OS/2 e-Zine! drooling with envy. You should probably check it out. Come one, come all. Join the Larry and Trevor mutual admiration society!
The background of the pages of the magazine is a pleasant, nonobtrustive background that makes reading easy. However, I notice lines running through it. Perhaps this could be fixed?
Michael Neice
While many of the graphics are professional looking, the yellow-green dithered OS/2 background is, uh, less than elegant. Maybe it looks better on a system with >256 colors?
Lou Mirand
- Expect to see a new background for issue #2.
First off, your new online magazine looks real nice. Keep up the good work.
Just a quick comment, on the pages where you have reviews of various OS/2 software products, on those pages that allow you to download files, could you please add the file size to the description of the file. It's hard to estimate how long it will take to download something without the file size. If something is quite large, I might want to do it later.
Ken Kahn
- Oops! I've already fixed this oversight. Thanks!
Fantastic zine.
Only one small glitch and that is for those of us still in the dark ages of the FAT file system. When you open the zine to read offline all HTML's are now HTM's and the index.HTML doesn't call them. Easy change so I did a quick find and replace in the index file, but EDITORIAL.HTML was too long and so I missed that one. Maybe you could have one for FAT's and one for HTML's. And I know I know I should be HTML but I'm a new user and have to take it one step at a time.
Batman@Burgoyne.com
- The long filenames with HPFS make it so easy to transfer between the office machine and the unix server that I completely forgot about this! I suppose we could modify future issues to conform to the 8.3 convention. Sigh.
First off I'd just like to say that the magazine is great! I really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for putting out a quality OS/2 publication. One suggestion I do have is to place the pictures in-line instead of giving them as links. With the multi-threading that WebX allows you can be reading the text while you are still getting the pictures and it will make the whole thing look nicer to the eye.
Paul
- This is a valid point but I'm not sure I agree. It is true that one can read the content while the pictures are loading, but on a memory-challenged machine (8 meg) it can cause a lot of HD thrashing to include too many in-line images. For now, we will be leaving most images as links in order to accomodate those who are still using low memory machines and low speed modems.
Hi,
With the large number of newsgroups that you are posting your message to, you might want to follow netiquette and add a "Followups-To: " header, pointing to one group where followups should be posted, or (by the use of 'poster') making all followups coming to you in e-mail.
And why not submit it to the moderator of comp.os.os2.announce?
Arnoud Engelfriet
- Truthfully this was just laziness on my part. I didn't take the time to think about the problem and make a decision. How about it? If we receive enough requests we will restrict our posts to c.o.o.announce. For now, I am restricting posts to c.o.o, c.o.o.advocacy and c.o.o.misc unless they are specifically relevant to other groups and using an appropriate "Followups-To: " header.
I was reading your 'Tips' section and I saw that once again some of the obsolete rmgrouped OS/2 newsgroups are being mentioned. In particular comp.os.os2 has not officially existed for a *long* time now (superceded by comp.os.os2.misc) and comp.os.os2.setup has also been superceeded by comp.os.os2.setup.misc. The old groups only survive because of lazy site administrators who do no like their junk group filling up with posts to these groups, and users who continue to post to them because they have not bothered to fetch a new listing of valid newsgroups. Please inform your readers about this. The correct set of OS/2 newsgroups is posted weekly as part of the "OS/2 New User Introduction" message in comp.os.os2.misc.
stephen@inisant.actrix.gen.nz
Thank you for a very good resource for the OS/2 Community.
While reading the Heath's hints section, I found a statement that I believe may mislead people. Heath states the the AskPSP database and program are included with OS/2 WARP. This gives the impression that it is included with all versions of WARP and it is not. AskPSP is only included with OS/2 WARP Connect. I would like to clear up that fact
for your readers.
Scott Denchfield
(Regarding my arguments for OS/2 development...)
I made this same argument to WordPerfect when they announced the end of OS/2 development. They could have been the leading word processor in a growing market again instead of another me-too product chasing Word for Windows; with today's announcement the Novell intends to sell WordPerfect, you have to wonder if they'll even be around in another year.
Here's another thought -- as DeScribe has shown, even a small company can develop for OS/2, Win3.1 and Win95. So for a compartively minor investment, any developer could open up new markets instead of chasing the old ones.
Frustrating.
Jim Hanrahan
Brad Wardell is a lot more the Stardock's "everpresent representitive on the 'net." He is the president!
He is the guy that wrote GalCiv and started this whole legacy of great apps. Worship him!
I've always wondered how he finds so much time for the internet, tho...
aaron_evans@mail.utexas.edu
I work for a large aerospace company that is developing hardware/software systems for in-flight entertainment on the BIG jets (747, Airbus, etc). Guess what OS we're using for all of the controls (VTR, Video on demand, gaming...) OS/2! Warp Connect in fact. You see, we found that it was substantially more reliable under adverse conditions than any competing OS for the hardware platform we are targeting (mostly intel processors). Just letting you know
that OS/2 development, while not for the general public, is going on.
Marc
Dear Sirs,
I'd like to correct a minor point in Chris's rantings ... That SmartSuite is a windows port. Please remember that Frelance/G and 123/G were both developed for OS/2 first, not the other way around. Those versions in the current Suite are minor upgrades to the original, designed for OS/2, versions.
-bob-
Really think that you should have mentioned that there is a FANTASTIC word processor for OS/2. It is called Describe and currently you can buy the Voyager CD rom version for $49. At this price is comes with a great hardcopy manual and NO support. I don't know what the price for a FULL support contract is but I paid $99 for my upgrade to the 5.0 version and it has unlimited support.
Lotus Smart Suite.... well your comments were right on but you failed to mention that a completely re-written 32 bit Suite is currently entering Beta test. Look for GA in early (my guess) 96.
Gene Gough
I think Chris's ranting about the "OS/2 is dead" issue is right on the money. We all know OS/2 is a great operating system, but it certainly doesn't help when there are publications such as "PC Magazine" out there who are absolutely biased towards Windows products.
I used to give this magazine the benefit of the doubt, until I read the September OS article comparing OS/2 and Windows 3.1, 3.11, 95 and NT. Isn't it interesting that the prices given for the Windows products were the "street" prices, but OS/2 Warp was only given the LIST price. Also, notice how the NT screen shot looked amazingly like Win95, even though this is a BETA product. Amazing.
Tim Paulus
- Chris replies: I have a sneaky suspicion that PC Mag 'doctored' the results of their benchmark testing and I'm looking over the speed tests of the same applications in more recent issues to see if they conflict. However that's just a 'suspicion' and not a fact.
I am -very- annoyed that they didn't bother to create OS/2 versions of their WinBench utilities to give the operating systems fair comparison. They used almost exclusively Windows applications to benchmark with, with only Mesa/2 being the minority exception. Another 'suspicion' is that they DO have an OS/2 version of WinBench, and maybe 'forgot' about it because the results they got were much too flattering... for us!
PMMail review--uninformed claptrap? [--Top--]
Oooooo....Kenneth Wolman should use a product before reviewing it.
The address function in PMMail is indeed not that hot, but it is not necessary to load the address book to send mail. Simply clicking on the 'To:' button will lead to cascade menus of groups and individual users, making it just as easy to send mail to one or forty people. A legitimate gripe here would be that the menus can be higher than the screen, resulting in inaccessible names.
Mr. Wolman should look at the big box labeled "Editor Preferences" under PMMail/Configure/Preferences to find how to set and external editor. It's as simple as including a path and executable. You are _not_ "forced" to use any kind of editor; and if Mr. Wolman is the OS/2 buff he claims to be he should try dropping the font of his choice into an edit window...he will have his new font. To be fair however, PMMail fails to remember this font change when it's closed down so the next time you run it, you have lost your font change.
I have enjoyed OS/2 e-zine, but I would encourage writers to simply admit if they have insufficient knowledge to make a proper review.
Jan A. Nedelka
Having read with interest your review of PMMail 1.1 in the premier issue of the OS/2-ezine, I must say I am a bit disappointed by your reviewer's apparent lack of experience with PMMail. He mentions the necessity to open an address book to use aliases. All one needs to do is right click in the "To:" field and select the appropriate address. Also, it's relatively easy to set up an external editor for use with PMMail. An editorial note did clear this up, but it does go to show the reviewer's ignorance of the product. I also take exception to the claim that PMMail is hard to set up or use. After setting up Ultimail/2 ANYBODY could easily handle setting up PMMail. It may be no better in this regard than Eudora, but it is certainly no worse. Finally, I've had no problems using PMMail offline. There is no way to save a partially completed message, but that's a minor shortcoming. Southside Software, in developing an extremely quick, native OS/2 e-mail client has made a great contribution to the OS/2 community.
Yours truly... James Prudente
Very nice piece. I "know" Ken from Opera-l.
I knew he was an OS/2 enthusiast.
I didn't know he was a poet.
Great Zine. Keep up the good work.
Harry Abraham
- Well, Kenneth started a bit of a flame war here at OS/2 e-Zine! For all who wrote in to defend their favourite email program, we apologize. As is mentioned above PMMail does do many things quite adequately. I personally registered and use PMMail and love it. However, as Kenneth accurately points out, there are some shortcomings in this version and if your email needs are demanding, PMMail may not be for you.
I have used both pmmail and Eudora as well as Post Road Mailer for OS/2. Which one do I use now? Post Road Mailer cause it blows the other two to bits. I am a registered user of Pmmail as well and am anxiously awaiting the release of version 1.5 to see how it compares to Post Road....any future articles looking at Post Road Mailer?
Zee
- Yep. Just as soon as PMMail v1.5 is out and we can fit it in we plan a feature comparison review between it, Post Road Mailer v1.03a and MR/2 ICE.
Thank you. I found that review to have very useful information. It was also pleasant to read.
It is a program I may need, but I didn't know enough about it.
The comparison with similar software is appreciated. The only thing missing is some idea of the price. I would have liked that. Too bad the source didn't have a home page
you could list.
judithr@primenet.com
- This is my fault! I have now corrected this and anyone reading the review can find the suggested retail price and SPG's brand new web site along with the other details at the bottom of the review. Thanks to all who pointed this out.
I've read your review of ZOC and can say that my own experience was less favorable: There is no search facility in the scrollback, the scrollback with my Pine mail server does not cleanly reproduce the screen, and text does not come across the terminal as cleanly as for LIVEWIRE. Also, 28.8 downloading doesn't seem to work, altho 14.4 does. In sum, I felt it was more show than functional substance.
Paul Zarembka
I downloaded "Zoc" late last year, tried it, registered it, and it has been the single best product that I have ever used, from the point of reliability, etc. From the message that came up about "Tomorrow is the author's birthday...", "Happy Thanksgiving", and "Happy Helloween" (yes, I know, but it was Marcus Schmidt's spelling), to the incredible back up from the author. I needed some help with a script. I faxed Marcus in Germany on a Saturday, got a reply on the Sunday, and 30, yes 30, faxes and a week later, the problem was solved, all at no charge. Is there another developer who would help so much, so quickly. I wish that IBM looked after their customers so well. Try it, there's nothing like it.
David Mackenzie
I think your assessment of ZOC was accurate and your comments fair and flattering. As a registered user of ZOC, I have written an PM based E-Mail reader/sender for SprintMail (c). We use it internally at Sprint and ZOC is the Communications package for it, integrated through Rexx code and Watcom's VX-Rexx. I say all of that, not to flatter myself, but to use as the basis for my next statement. The registration price is more than fair to me. My users can use the shareware version, try my Smail, and choose for themselves. Markus has always responded to my e-mails in 1-2 days and sometimes within hours of a problem, he has a
possible solution. With this kind of support, it should demand a good price. 70/100 dollars for a MATURE STABLE product is cheap, in my opinion.
Gaylen Fraley
And Some Odds and Ends... [--Top--]
I could really use a column that lists the current fix paks for WARP, BonusPak, drivers, etc.
Mark E. Patton
Can you comment in a future issue about the latest Fixpack for OS/2 Warp? How to, suggestions, reported troubles, etc.?
Thanks,
Jon Hayman
- Hmmm... I see a trend developing here. Anyone else want to see this?
I work for an office which is unfortunately stuck with using Windows software in spite of my expressing that OS/2 is a much more reasonable route for efficiency and maintenance. Complain I might, but those in charge would smile and say ... "Just wait for Chicago!"
I waited, and during my wait Chicago became Windows 95, and then a beta. And still, the smiles continued even though the news was that Windows 95 was being poorly received. "But, that problem will be fixed by GA," some would say.
And finally, when it came out -- it was realized that it wasn't a heck of a lot better than Windows 3.11, and certainly not worth the two year wait. But, a caveat was in order here: One only needs to upgrade all their software packages to 32-bit versions in order to cause Windows 95 to become what it ought to be! Or so they said.
Not only did the Windows 95 "slave" wait for two years, they ended up spending more money on software which, if they had used OS/2, they would have been able to continue using with greater stability and speed than they are realizing with the new, upgraded 32-bit software under Windows 95! What a waste.
Matthew S. Staben
- If I had a nickel for every sucker, no, wait a minute, what was it that P.T. Barnum said? Oh, whatever, with the number of Windows users out there we should all be rich by now.