I just wanted to make a few comments regarding OS/2. Prior to owning OS/2, I had heard of it's incredible stability. Well, my experience over the 3 months that I've run OS/2 is not the same. It has been quite unstable. I'm running Stardock's Control Center and Process Commander. I also use Netscape Navigator 2.02.
I e-mailed Stardock about a problem w/the Control Center, but never heard back. On numerous occasions, I have clicked on the Drive button on the Control Center and my system has locked up. This problem doesn't seem to occur when I use OS/2's drive folder.
The other big problem is w/Netscape Navigator. It has crashed my system numerous times, as well. Process Commander doesn't seem to fix this either. Out of the blue, Navigator locks up and my hard drive grinds away, creating a gargantuan swap file. Usually, I can fire up PC and get the machine rebooted before I get an error message saying I have run out of space for a swap file.
These are the biggest dissappointments for me. I am interested in hearing your comments and any suggestions for solving these problems.
Naturally not all OS/2 users have the same experiences. Luckily, most of us find OS/2 to be very stable and we can only sympathize with your problems. We asked Stardock Systems to reply to your message since you specifically mentioned a few of their apps. Here is what they had to say:
Dear Mr. Williams,
We're sorry to hear that you're having trouble with OS/2 on your system. We can offer you some answers for the problems you're experiencing, hopefully these will improve the stability of your system so you can appreciate your new operating system.
First of all the problem you reported regarding the drive button on the Control Center hanging your system, was fixed with our first update FixKit 1 which is available from our web page.
Additionally we have made some recent changes in our tech support department so please try us again, and I think you'll find that we are more responsive.
As to your complaint about Process Commander's ability to stop Netscape Navigator, all I can say is we're doing what we can. While Process Commander can overcome many of OS/2's weaknesses in the area of stability there are some situations where it's too low level for us to intervene, obviously the Navigator crashes that you've experienced fit into that category. We made a number of enhancements in Process Commander FixKit 1 specifically to deal with Netscape, but there's only so much we can do on our end. Ultimately, your stability problems regarding Navigator rest with the company that made it and not with our product.
Thank you,
- Alexander Antoniades
Stardock Systems
Given the environmental cost of the tree's worth of unsolicited paper junk mail I receive every week, I think I prefer the electronic kind. And hey, someone will probably take you up on your suggestion before too awful long to build some intelligent rexx filters for killing spam.
In the mail header there is a field called message-ID. What I usually do when receiving e-mail spams is to get the last part of the message-ID, which identifies the system the message originated from, prepend "postmaster", and voila, there goes the mail forwarded to postmaster@spammer.net with a request that they take actions with regards to the responsible person or company. Actually, you don't need to forward the mail. You can save bandwidth by just sending the message-ID
It works too, at least sometimes, and it is much better than mailbombing back. That earns nobody's respect and wastes even more bandwidth.
Here, here! And a hearty AMEN!! I can't believe the number of peices of junk I get in my in-boxes any more. I have three e-mail accounts and it takes considerable time to flush these nasties out! I'm not even sure how some of these places got my ID. They must be buying from any one of the others that get the replies, ignore them and resell your 'active account' ID.
Maybe we need to start a petition to the FCC or some other governing body to put some control onto this. In the mean time, and I hope this gets out to those that are sending this JUNK, I am deleting without reading. Bottom line, if you have to push your product on me rather than display it and let me choose, then it is nothing I wanted anyway. Keep it to yourself!
About SPAM filters. Not to start a "My Emailer/Your Emailer" thing, but MR/2 ICE's filters are very good for spam. Most of the users on the mailing list have spam filters set up using the free-form filters, and are very willing to share. The only thing you have to do is add the addresses.
Just a little help.
Documentation on the free-form filter syntax is available off MR/2's home site.
This has been a subject of regular discussion in the comp.dcom.telecom newsgroup (telecom-digest).
The only way to get rid of the spammers will be to have the word get out that the effort to use electronic communications won't get enough results to make it worth the effort.
And you're right on the money about the guys that use the remove requests to confirm the presence of an address. I did an experiment with this on a dummy account -- junk volume dramatically increased with only one response...
I suppose one key to look for would be something along the lines of "please forgive this intrusion" or "we're glad you subscribed to our list" (as if people would voluntarily subscribe to descriptions of pyramid schemes...)
I guess you guys haven't already figured this out, but the counter statistics by Microsoff on the OS/2 banking industry didn't discuss any pertinent info on what OS was running teller machines. The graph showing who does teller machines was covering hardware, not software (I didn't even know IBM made teller machines). Pay no attention to those statistics, they either don't apply, or don't make sense.
One thing you didn't notice with regard to Microsoft's response to the IBM press release is that, while it took them 8 months to respond, they are trying to convince you that they responded in timely fashion.
Look all the way down to the bottom of the page, where the "Last Modified Date" is sitting centered on the page. July 23, 1996 - the day of IBM's press release.
Thanks again for a straight forward observation on a topic that has become a hot button issue for many of us. I am curious about your opening statements about the Microsoft home page.
If it's true (and I am not challenging your premise) that Microsoft went through great lengths to pull a favorable OS/2 article, repost it after they were found out, but with facts (?) more favorable to their products; then they are really demonstrating lack of faith in their flagship OS.
As for the article itself, who cares. We're talking about desktop operating systems, not eschatology. People pick an OS for several reasons, corporations do the same. I would prefer an OS that just runs my programs with little or no effort on my part, but the industry would not give me that choice! OS/2 fit my needs, which is why I use it. I am not arguing what OS provides the best performance, since there is a flood of info available to confuse even the most experienced power user. There are a lot of people who I respect who use Windows. Others are using GEOS and Linux. The biggest problem I see with OS/2 is that it is not designed for the home PC user.
However, you point out a petty action by MS that should not be overlooked. The fact that OS/2 outdoes Windows in a particular market segment may be good news for IBM, but not disastrous for Microsoft. They still control the desktop market, albeit with Win 3.x not Win 95 or Win NT.
There is a lot of printed and electronic words concerning MS, Bill Gates and the "failure" of Windows. A recent opinion article on the Web discussed MS attempt to buy itself a favorable press with its MSN deal with NBC. A lot is written by folks who may have an axe to grind, but it reveals clues about Microsoft's perception of its fragile hold on the desktop market.
You think Microsoft, who has done alot for the PC industry would concentrate more on accepting reality, learning what the other guy has that draws people and work on improving what MS produces. We know Windows enjoys its enormous success due to the fact it was preloaded on almost every PC before the Microsoft/Dept of Justice agreement. The pro-Windows media wields enormous influence on the market, so we will continue to see Microsoft dominance in the market for years to come.
Still, even with all of favorable press, it appears that Gates and crew are cirling the wagons. Your articles opening statement adds more credence to the discussion.
Hi .. saw your writeup on NetRexx .. thanks!!
One comment -- your 'problems' section isn't accurate. Use of the Rexx class/runtime is optional (and even if you do use it, it's very unlikely that it would all be needed by an applet).
The Tablet applet -- on the NetRexx home page -- is written in NetRexx and uses none of the Rexx classes, in fact the .class file is smaller than the image at the top of the page! It also runs just as fast as if it were written in Java; there are no unnecessary conversions.
Mike Cowlishaw
The above letter was received in relation to an error we originally printed in our NetRexx review. We immediately corrected the article but decided to print the original letter too, to make sure no one thought we were trying to hide our error!
- editor
5:00 am, and I'm just about to have a nap before my 8:30 programming final, and I noticed my netscape mail indicator is doing the happy dance. That little wiggling exclamation mark always brightens my day. What's in the inbox? A notice from OS/2 e-Zine!, notifying me of a brand new edition.
Well, an hour later, I've finished reading and I just wanted to tell you how glad I am to have an OS/2 resource like this around. It reminds me that the community is alive, that real things are happening with Warp, and that the tirades from everyone else are maybe worth it. :)
I'm off to fix a 95 peer-to-peer network, until next month, I thank you most sincerely.
Hey, no problem!
- editor
Missed your tips on ColorWorks - hope this is not to become extinct and only arose because a very busy schedule prevented your regular column.
I'm quite flattered that my column was missed this month :-)
You're right, the column was delayed because of a busy month. I didn't get around to finishing April's column until it was -really- too late to add in at the last minute. We decided it'd be best to hold it until the may issue of e-Zine! instead.
You really should take a look at the REXX program CUBE.CMD if you want a really sophisticated text file manipulation program. It has many features that are a lot easier to use than RXMULCH. You can get a copy of CUBE (and my port of CUBE to Object REXX, OCUBE) at http://www.csgint.com/orexx in the Downloads section.
CUBE is one of the most useful programs I have ever encountered. In my work (custom OS/2 installations) it is invaluable. It is not necessarily a masterful piece of REXX coding, but it works.
Check out http://www.nando.net/newsroom/ntn/info/041897/info20_1316.html for a VERY good review of ZOC, OS/2's premier communications program. Unfortunaly, OS/2 is only mentioned towards the end of the article, but at least it is there. And Windows users have one more reason to switch.
You have an article in the latest issue about vector drawing programs for OS/2, and I thought that I should mention PMDraw, a piece of IBM Employee Written Software, which is fairly simple, but also reasonably powerful. It is highly configurable, and best of all, it is free.
I have to agree with your article on Stardock. The bad reputation that OS/2 users have is somewhat deserved. Stardock is simply the best thing to happen to OS/2. Period.
I am what I consider a not too creative thinker when it comes to new product ideas. This is especially true where it concerns a marketable piece of software. However, and this is a BIG however, I have been writing client/server applications for the corporate market for almost 20 years. I have been developing OS/2 software since I got my grubby little hands on the Microsoft 1.0 Beta's in late '86.
My question, or suggestion, is this: Could you put up a ... for lack of a better phrase ... project request page or somesuch to me, a software developer, an idea of what applications the OS/2 community wants. This can include titles of Windows software packages that we would all like to see on OS/2. I just don't know which ones to give priority to.
Thanks in advance.
Well readers, what do you think? Does the OS/2 community need another requested products page or does one of the current pages suffice? What products would you like to see developed for OS/2?
- editor
Hi Harry. Just wanted to say "thank you" for the OS/2 cartoons I see on OS/2 e-Zine! I have them all printed out and hanging on my desk overhead bin much to the consternation of management I'm sure......
Thanks for your comments. I'll crank them out till I burn out or OS/2 dies out, whichever comes first.
Your reader survey is one of the best things you've come up with! I've always wondered how other OS/2 users' configuration looked like.
Hey guy, Just take a run down to your local 'Shack and ask for the X-10 module that has the contacts that connect momentarily in response to an X-10 command. Wire this up to your garage door opener. Install the computer interface. Program the command and Voila! Instant "Open Sesame."
I don't know how useful it is to open your garage door from your den, but thanks for the idea.
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