From: arakins@iastate.edu (Andrew R Akins)
Subject: Why I'm sticking with Windows
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 19:10:46 GMT

  OK. I've decided to stick with Windows, rather than switch to OS/2.
These are my reasons:

  1. I have Windows. I don't have OS/2. Simple. I am a college student as
well as my own programming house, I simply don't have the capital to be
purchasing software left and right. Yes, OS/2 is only $50.00 with the
special upgrade, but $50 dollars is a decent chuck of money in my books.

  2. Hardware Requirements. I have the following machine:

     Haupauge Renegade 386-16 with 387
     110mb EDSI Drive
     5 MB Memory
     Paradise SVGA driving a NEC Multisync 2a
     

Now yes, OS/2 will fit quite comfortably on the above machine. But I also
have to have:

     Borland C++ with Application Frameworks (completely installed)
     Various Word Processing, Database, and Spreadsheet programs
     Accounting Software
     Communications Software
     BBS Software
     My source code, programs, libraries, debugging tools, etc...

Right now, with Windows 3.1 installed, I have 11.2 megs free.


  3. Windows Works. I sympathize with everyone who has been having problems
with Windows 3.1, but I have had nothing but smooth sailing with my copy. It
installed perfectly, and I havent had a single error. Yes, I currently can't
use my Turbo C++ for Windows, but Borland has promised me a patch to fix my
copy later, and all of my other programs run perfectly.

  4. I don't NEED to maultitask. Task switching is enough for me. My machine
is fast enough to get done formatting and disk accesses done before I get
bored.

  5. All I really want to run or write is Windows stuff. Yes, OS/2 runs 
windows. Maybe it even runs it better. Maybe it runs it safer. But, look
at it this way: My Sony CD player plays CDs. It plays them well. Sure,
Maybe NAD CD players are better...but that doesn't lessen the value of
my Sony. The same hold true with Windows. My stuff runs fast enough, and
things don't crash (at least they don't to me). So why switch?

  6. Windows NT is coming. 'nuff said.

  7. The Market is windows oriented. Yes, OS/2 can run windows stuff. But
the market (the people) are still going to think "Windows" and buy 
MS-Windows and windows programs. So that is what I am going to write, and
I am going to write it in Windows.

  8. Loyalty. This is the only non-logical reason for sticking with Windows.
It's a good program, and I have grown to love it. Microsoft has been good
to me, always answering my questions and getting me upgrades nice and
quick (I've been a Windows user since the beginning, before 3.0). I'm that
way with Borland too...even if Microsoft C++ is the BEST system every, I'm
going to stay with Borland because I like it, it does what I want, and
Borland has treated me well. So I feel they deserve my continued support.

  Well, that's it. However, I would recommend all of you Windows users out
there to take a look at OS/2 -- it is impressive. I had the opportunity to
use it yesterday, and it seemed to be able to do everything that the
supprters of OS/2 say it can do.

  So keep an open mind, and give it a chance. I did. I simply decided that
in the end, my intrests were with MS-Win.

  Please no flames, just comments.....

-- Andy Akins
   Iowa State University
   arakins@iastate.edu


Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms