From: sip1@ellis.uchicago.edu (Timothy F. Sipples)
Subject: Re: NT to be launched at Comdex/Spring,...
Reply-To: sip1@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: Dept. of Econ., Univ. of Chicago
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 00:03:15 GMT

In article <1993Jan22.071800.24060@ryn.mro4.dec.com> Peter.Mayne@cao.mts.dec.com writes:
>In article <GHENNIGA.93Jan20231606@ampere.ampere>, ghenniga@NMSU.Edu writes:
>>However, just to put in a counterpoint to the
>>$69 point, you can get a version of OS/2 comparable to your $69 dollar
>>version of NT for FREE merely by using the command "ftp ftp-os2.NMSU.Edu"
>>and a few "mget" commands!!
>The $69 includes a C/C++ compiler and the first release version of Windows NT.
>Comparable offer from IBM?

OK, here goes.

First off, the true figure is $89 for the NT CD-ROM.  Add the $20 for
shipping, remember.  (Or was it $30?)

IBM has released two Professional Developer's Kit CD-ROMs (October and
November) and the OS/2 2.1 Beta CD-ROM.

Each has cost just $15 -- including shipping via Airborne Express.
The November PDK and 2.1 Beta CD-ROMs are available by calling
800-3-IBM-OS2 in the U.S.  In Canada, call 800-465-1234.  For other
countries, please see the FAQ List.  That $15 is often waived,
actually.  (I don't remember ordering the 2.1 Beta CD-ROM, but it
arrived nonetheless.)

The CD-ROMs are more complete than the NT CD-ROM.  For example,
X-Windows, TCP/IP, NFS, LAN Server 3.0, Service Paks, Extended
Services documentation, C/C++, WorkSet/2, MMPM/2 Toolkit, Network
Transport Services/2, and several other goodies have appeared on one
or both of the PDK CD-ROMs, in beta or released form.

The catch?  The license to use the software expires at a certain date
a few months after release.  This occurs for two reasons.  One is that
IBM wants to keep developers on the freshest code available.  The
other is that certain products on the CD-ROM go golden.

I tend to prefer the IBM approach, but the policies are at least
comparable.  You can buy six IBM CD-ROMs for the cost of the NT CD-ROM
subscription (probably three or four CD-ROMs total, and you can't pick
and choose the ones you want).  The NT CD-ROM gives you a free copy of
the base OS (only), when available, but the IBM CD-ROMs offer more
complete functionality.  The IBM CD-ROM distribution also provides a
lower up front cost, which is that much more attractive to small
developers.

IBM has also joined with two vendors to supply excellent CD-ROM drives
at rock bottom prices -- much lower than any mail order offer.  They
are the Toshiba drives (3401?) at $450 internal and $500 external.  If
you don't want the model with Kodak Photo CD support and double spin,
you can get the 3301 for $50 less.

The IBM CD-ROMs also contain the diskette images (as well as the code
for installing directly from CD-ROM), so you can master your own set
of diskettes for any or all of the products you want, then use the
diskettes to install on any other system.  I don't think the NT
CD-ROMs supply this feature -- the target machine must have access to
a CD-ROM drive.

Finally, IBM allows you to use up to ten copies of the CD-ROM contents
within your organization.  I think the NT terms are similar there.
(The 2.1 Beta has even more generous license terms, obviously.)

>Complaints about requiring a CD drive may be riposted by complaints about
>requiring the ability to ftp.
>I have no idea what phone charges are in the US. Just for fun, how much does
>it cost to ftp OS/2? :-)

For most U.S. Internet readers, I would guess zero (since the
individual does not pick up the fixed cost, and the marginal cost of
any traffic is zero).

Local telephone calls (within one's city or nearby) are generally free
in the United States, so downloading the beta code from a local BBS is
also free.  (You can do so in Chicago, incidentally, by calling
Greater Chicago Online -- see the OS/2 FAQ List.)

Also, the 2.1 Beta CD-ROM (the same material available from BBSes or
via anonymous ftp) contains not only the OS/2 2.1 beta, but also the
OS/2 2.1 Beta Toolkit (with such things as the Information
Presentation Facility Compiler, complete online 32-bit API
documentation, headers, font editor, etc.) and MMPM/2 (multimedia
extensions for OS/2, which are going into the base 2.1 product).  The
CD-ROM also contains a draft copy of the 2.1 user's manual.

-- 
Timothy F. Sipples      | Read the OS/2 FAQ List 2.0i, available from
sip1@ellis.uchicago.edu | 128.123.35.151, anonymous ftp, in /pub/os2/all/info
Dept. of Econ., Univ.   | /faq, or from LISTSERV@BLEKUL11.BITNET (send "HELP")
of Chicago, 60637       | [Read the List, THEN post to ONE OS/2 newsgroup.]