Faithfull reader, OS/2 user since 1992. It's my feeling that we'll only see as much OS/2 coverage in PC Magazine as there is OS/2 market share in the real world. PC Magazine wants to follow, not lead.
I read with interest and enjoyment your letter to the editor of OS/2 e-Zine! about IBM and acronyms such as APAR.
Yes, your "snobbery. They are smart and I am not" is right. Your background in computer science has nothing to do with it; few chaired professors of computer science would know what APAR abbreviates and many of them have never heard of it.
Abbreviations can be good, but your example of APAR is more, it is an example of the broad use of acronyms as a secret language for simple things and goes way back, is deeply ingrained, and has lots of causes, few of them good. When a glass house had a huge staff organized with microfine specializations like industries of 70 years ago, secret language didn't hurt too much. Now with most present and potential OS/2 users, it and the larger traditions of obscure communications it is part of are one of the most serious obstacles facing OS/2.
This whole retreat from clear communications into the obscurity of a secret language for simple things is not "smart".
This reminds me of the Old World maxim: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice,
shame on me."
To be completely honest, I have in recent months been toying with the idea of actually giving up on OS/2. Really, the only thing that has prevented me from doing so to this point has been the lack of alternatives. If the stuff Microsoft has been putting out wasn't such crud, I probably would have switched.
Why? It is, unfortunately, the lack of mainline applications, and I stress the word 'mainline'. I'll be the first to admit that there are thousands of OS/2 apps out there, but most are utilities or speciality applications. No, I refer to mainline applications that are in use on 90% of most people's computers, and this is, I believe, the core reason why OS/2 simply has not been able to compete effectively with Windows.
Let's run through the list:
I honestly don't see how OS/2 will ever become more than a niche player until it gets garners some of these mainline applications. Buying Lotus helped, but none of those applications have a great deal of market share. Corel has experience with OS/2 and may, if they get enough support from IBM (which is doubtful), produce another WordPerfect.
I still adore the operating system, but I honestly grow tired of forever using only Windows applications on it. I do hope the new Lotus applications are worthwhile or I will certainly be in the market for a new OS.
I believe they will.
Regarding Chris Wenham's Rant.
I completely agree with your attitude. I have had a subscription to PC Magazine for several years and that is one of the most pro-Microsoft, anti-OS/2 publications I have seen in a while. John C. Dvorak was the only pro-OS/2 person on the staff. It seems like the politics of the publication have won. Now he has jumped off the OS/2 ship and boarded with Microsoft.
My dilemma: to renew or not to renew my subscription.
Cliff Kelley
- Cliff, after having read PC Magazine for several years I feel that they're putting more OS/2 related articles and material in there than ever before. Note the recent utilities roundup article in which they dedicated an entire section to OS/2 programs like Object Desktop and Gammatech Utilities. Also note that they now have Brian Proffit of OS/2 Magazine as one of their technical advisors. I also don't think that they would have published as many letters from OS/2 users as they have unless they had seriously got the message from us.
Utility Suites Reviews.
Back in Issue #5, you made mentioned in your "Coming Soon" section that a review of Gamma Tech Utilities and Grahams Utilities would be in Issue #6 then you indicated the same thing in the "Coming Soon" in Issue #6. In light of what happened with DeScribe Inc at that time, I had thought that the reviews was dropped so you can focus on what was happening. And, thought that I would catch the reviews in the next issue. I was really looking forward to seeing that review. What happened? You did manage to include the reviews for ColorWorks
and the other graphics programs., yet I saw nothing about Grahams Utilities and Gamma Tech Utilities 3.0. Was the review dropped or something?
- you're completely right, we made a mistake. In fact we had hoped to have those reviews ready for both the past issues but we have been waiting for the newer versions of the suites to better inform our readers.
More Three Letter Snobbery
Dear Mr. Dodson,
I strongly disagree with Dave Dobson's May 6 letter accusing IBM of being obscurantist for using acronyms. Is Mr Dobson elitist because he uses such bewildering terms as AC, DC, LASER, MPG, RADAR, RBI and TV? IBM uses acronyms and other abbreviations for the same reason as the rest of us; to save time when the same phrases keep recurring. I find the average sports broadcast to be just as confusing as the Warp docuementation; should I accuse the broadcasters of being obscurantists?
Windows 95 Disappearing?
In your column which asked if Windows 95 would disappear, the author said that W95 had fulfilled its objective, even if its sales were below expectations. There is another interesting way in which it fulfilled its objective. W95 was a stopgap to fill the niche between W3.1 and Windows NT, which was not yet ready for prime time. In this role, W95 has performed admirably. Since W95 does not live up to the hype, it has heightened the anticipation and demand for NT.
Giving Up on OS/2?
I've been browsing the latest issues of OS/2 e-Zine. I've used OS/2 since v2.0 and I have a couple of comments that may be of interest.
The list is simply endless. The fact is, most people do not want something terribly unique in their applications. This is not simply a herd mentality. There is abundant information (e.g., How-to books and others using the software) on these mainline applications, and import/export
utilities for them. Ever try to hand someone a DeScribe document and expect their Word for Windows to be able to import it?
- well Anthony, I'd take exception to a few things you mention (WordPerfect is dead in the water so it's hardly a contender and WordPro and the rest of the SmartSuite 96 may actually be worth the wait it seems) but overall I realize you are right. These are legitimate concerns for any user. I just hope things improve before you (and others like you) decide you have to leave.
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