OS/2 e-Zine! - Linfield's Line

Linfield's Line

- by Kevin Linfield

Computers and Marriage

ere it is, the middle of April, and although Linfield's Line is due Real Soon Now (RSN), I've been very busy. As you probably guessed from the title, by the time you read this, I will be married (April 27th at 4:00pm EST if all goes well). With marriage on my fiancee's and my minds, how much time do we have for computers? Well, lots actually. I am gaining a Windows 3.1 user, since that is what Sprint Canada uses on its PCs, and she is gaining an OS/2 (and UNIX) nut.

Living with Different OSes

It is not as if our use of a computer operating system dictates our lives. I am quite comfortable under virtually all operating systems (including all flavours of Windows and a slew of different UNIXes) and I do not try to be evangelical to her. Yet knowledge is power and over the years I have been able to convince her (many would say brainwash) that OS/2 is the best choice for a PC operating system. She knows that it can run DOS, Windows, and native OS/2 applications. She has used Microsoft Word and DeScribe and doesn't find either to be leaps and bounds better than the other. When she is with co-workers and the topic of computers comes up, she is quick to defend OS/2 and try to spread the word for me. Believe it or not, she has even volunteered with me at Team OS/2 events such as the last Toronto COMDEX and a local ComputerFest trade show.

Wedding Programs

While we were planning our wedding, my bride-to-be suggested we get a computer wedding program. A quick trip to over five local computer stores convinced us that a) there are not a lot of wedding programs, and b) there was no way in heck we would be able to get an OS/2 program. We ended up getting a DOS program that appeared to be fairly complete, but with the wedding a week away, let me advise anyone else out there that a computer wedding program is a waste of money. Use a pen and paper, and get books and magazines instead. In the time it takes to learn the program, enter the information, and then try to do something useful, you will have been married already.

What I ended up using was DeScribe word processor as a Desktop Publisher to make the wedding programme (two column landscape complete with pictures) and IBM Works spreadsheet for the budget and expense tracking. No need for anything else.

The Honeymoon

Sorry, no "hubba hubba" here, but I would like to mention that my bride has offered to let me bring the notebook computer on the honeymoon. Frankly, I was shocked. What sane wife would let her new husband bring the computer (with games and the Internet Access Kit) along on one of the most special of all vacations? Maybe it was a test, but so far I have indicated that I am leaving it home. Hence, I will not be able to reply to e-mail or comments about Linfield's List until some time in May.

Concluding Remarks

Well, I apologize to those who checked out Linfield's Line looking for more rumours, gossip, or dirt on OS/2. But right now, Doreen is the one that I have to spend time with, not my computer (will it ever forgive me?). Merlin beta has been delayed until June, and don't expect it to be released until just before fall COMDEX in Las Vegas. Until next month, this is Kevin Linfield signing off, saying thanks for reading this, and don't worry, I will have LOTS of fun on my honeymoon with my new bride.

Kevin Linfield is a freelance Writer for Canada Computes! and OS/2 e-Zine!, Vice President of the Toronto OS/2 User's Group and maintainer of Linfield's List: Best OS/2 Freeware.

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