There is a *very* negative article in the latest OS/2 e-zine... I'm referring to the "OS/2 Dead? IBM Snubs Game Developer" article. Look, people, we've got *plenty* enough of MS doomsayers preaching the impending death of OS/2 and have had those since the advent of true blue OS/2 way back in '92.
On reading the article the first time, I got the impression IBM killed dart, dive, endive, etc., while they were only relocated.. As it is, the only major software component killed was brender - Yeah, it would've been nice to have, but DOS game developers have been guite able to develop their own rendering engines for many many years now.. Surely OS/2 programmers are not so inept as to be completely unable to come up with their own?
Just, please, let's not spread the MS camp lies ourselves.
I appreciate your openness to consider the end of OS/2 for home users. This is a very realistic view.
I also agree that voice recognition does not fit into the new corporate user image of OS/2. Unfortunately this reflects again IBM's problems with a coherent strategy for OS/2. Even an "OS/2 for corporate customers only" needs Smartsuite more than voice recognition. How good is voice recognition without any applications supporting it? There is litle value to a talking network server.
To drop the game developer tools at least fits into the new strategy. However, one has to wonder what is saved by dropping joystick support.
The MS Support Policy we have with MS is that we get to have them answer ONE question for $195.00. They will pursue until they answer it, no matter how many calls it takes, and it will still only cost that $195.00. If they can't answer it, they don't charge you. Neat, huh?
These include any thorny programming question we may have. Like using stuff such as SNA server and so on.
When you're stuck, and only they can tell you how to unkink their screwy software, it's a lifesaver.
I don't have an answer as to whether Microsoft has different support policies. I do, however, have an observation. This is not the first time IBM has changed it's support policies and screwed over the supportees. I believe it was when OS/2 2.1 (it may have been Warp though) that IBM changed it's phone support policy. Originally the support center was open for a certain number of hours. With the release of this version the policy changed. The new policy is that the support center is available to you from 8am to 5pm in YOUR time zone. IBM has people sitting in the offices, working, however it is not possible to talk to them, or even to log a call.
I was not pleased by this service and asked to speak to a manager. I was told all the managers were busy, but if I would like to leave a voicemail message for them, calls were returned in two hours maximum. I elected this option, forgetting it was a Friday. I didn't hear from IBM that afternoon, nor Monday, or Tuesday, etc... When I finally did hear from them I informed them that I had solved the problem myself, and that whoever was in charge of Marketing/Support was obviously working for Microsoft.
So, this is not the first time IBM has made changes (I assume to "improve" service) that have irritated people. I am a lover of OS/2 who has been using it since version 2.0, but the road has been hard, and IBM seems to be doing it's best to make it harder.
Thanks for an excellent article on this "how to" article on automating connection and downloading of news files. It inspired me to try to impliment it for getting my mail at night. I have been using Ulitmail lite (since it's free).
I have tried using your approach of using Alarm Clock twice, once to start the conncetion and later to start the Umail. It works but there exists a more elegant solution. You can start the mail (or news reader) from pppdial. This has the added advantage that the mail program starts only if the connection is established. Also it gives the mail program five more minutes (the time your approach waits hoping that connection will be established) to do its downloading.
See the "response file" section of pppdial documentation html file for an example of how to start a program from pppdial.
It's interesting that Indelible Blue is taking orders already for Merlin and IBM Direct refuses to acknowledge that Merlin if forthcoming. The line I just got from IBM Direct is "the product isn't officially announced yet and therefore we cannot tell you anything about it for fear we will be held to our word if, for some reason, IBM changes something at the last minute." Not a bad corporate line, I must say.
The real question here is whether the upgrade Merlin will be a standalone version of the OS or will it always require a previous version to load. What would happen if one gets a new computer, harddrive or needs to reformat and reinstall? Will it be necessary to put on versions 3 just to install Merlin? No one seems to know. Do you?
Last month I purchased a new Aptiva c6y and found Win95 on the system. My salesperson assured me that OS/2 warp would work with my system. However today I recieved a call from IBM Custormer Relations today and found out that IBM is not going to support Warp for this machine! I just can't believe that IBM is not supporting its own computers.
The purchase of the Aptiva was made knowing that I could get Warp. I want to get Win95 off the computer. 95 has been a nightmare for me and the same problems have followed me to the Aptiva. In this house we own 6 computers. The oldest is a upgraded Acer the others were purchased over a 18 month period, all have 95 installed, all have problems. I need least one computer with a stable OS.
Do you have any inside information from IBM as to why they have elected to not include Warp on the Aptiva system?
Another way to create a copy of the current image in ColorWorks is just to press Ctrl-Ins and then Shift-Ins.
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