From: bgm@cray.com (Bert Moshier)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: FYI: Letter to editor
Message-ID: <1991Dec26.120038.29014@hemlock.cray.com>
Date: 26 Dec 91 18:00:38 GMT
Organization: Cray Research, inc
Lines: 98


Everyone / Anyone:

FYI:  This is a letter to the editor of a Minneapolis / St. Paul
      computer news magazine.  I just thought you'd like to see it.

Bertram Glenn Moshier
Cray Research, Inc
655F Lone Oak Drive
Eagan, MN   55121-1560
Voice   : (612)683-5419
Fax     : (612)683-5307
December 23, 1991

Computer User
Editors
Adams Publishing of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Inc.
12 S. 6th St., Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN   55402-1572
Voice   : (612)336-9286
Fax     : (612)339-5806

Dear Sirs:

Disbelief and bewilderment were my emotions when reading Down to
Business ("Mixed Signals, Mixed Emotions" - December issue).  Kevin
Reichard clearly states "IBM failed to show OS/2 2.0" at the Fall 1991
COMDEX.  Where was Mr. Reichard?

IBM officially announced and showed OS/2 version 2.0 on Monday at 4:30
PM.  This included OS/2 2.0 running Windows applications SEAMLESSLY on
the Workplace Shell desktop.  Asymetrix Toolbook was one of these
Windows applications.  Lee Reiswig pointed out this was an application
that Microsoft's Steve Ballmer said would never run under OS/2 2.0.

The Minneapolis IBM branch held a full morning meeting the next day at
the Minneapolis Convention Center.  Showing the OS/2 2.0 highlights took
more than two hours.  This meeting was down to business, covering local
companies applications and local issues.  On the lighter side, Chuck
Pfalzgraf of IBM pointed out two facts.

     OS/2 version 2.0 would be available in April 1992 wherever DOS is
      available.

     OS/2 2.0 is like walking through doors instead of crawling through
      windows.

Mr. Reichard had a second chance to see OS/2 2.0 at COMDEX on Wednesday
morning.  IBM held a breakfast meeting and showed all the OS/2 version
2.0 features.

Mr. Reichard had yet a third chance to see OS/2 2.0 at COMDEX, a chance
to use it, and to own it.  OS/2 2.0 was at the IBM booths, where he
could bring his own applications and try them.  He also missed IBM
giving OS/2 2.0 beta copies away to the press and free OS/2 2.0 coupons
redeemable in April 1992.

For me, the question remains.  Where at COMDEX was Mr. Reichard?  Should
Mr. Reichard want to see a copy of 2.0, he can contact me.  I find OS/2
version 2.0 useful.  For example, I am writing, spell and grammar
checking this letter (on a laptop), while eating lunch at Fuddruckers.

The Grapevine column of this same issue did nothing to improve my
emotions.  It said OS/2 2.0 is officially behind schedule and may not be
out till summer 1992.  As one of the customers IBM consulted about a
March release, I can say this column is incorrect.  IBM's reasons for a
March release date are:

     Many customers said seamless Windows, 32 bit PM and LAN management
      were very important OS/2 2.0 features.

     IBM did not want to prime the distribution pipe, and then 3 months
      later release the above features and then restock store shelves.

One final item, officially OS/2 2.0 is not behind schedule.  How can I
say this when we know 2.0 has been in beta for 2 years?  Obviously,
someone keeps delaying it.  Yet, you will find the Fall COMDEX '91 was
the first and only OS/2 2.0 official announcement.  Reviewing the Lee
Reiswig 2.0 demonstration video tapes shows him saying December is an
internal IBM date.  One can order the tapes by calling 1-800-3IBM-OS2.

My grapevine says IBM will have two OS/2 releases in 1992.  The second
release (Fall '92, OS/2 2.1) will include over a dozen new features.
These new features will include:

     Kernel level data compression (Stacker in the kernel).

     OS/2 end-users being able to run Macintosh software seamlessly on
      the Workplace Shell.

     Multimedia extensions.

     2 GByte virtual address space per program, up from the current 512
      MByte limit.


Sincerely,

Bert Moshier