From: lansche@torolab6.VNET.IBM.COM (Martin Lansche)
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 93 17:02:50 EST
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy
Subject: Re: Doug Hamilton responds
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not those of IBM
News-Software: UReply 3.0
            <1993Jan22.170226.25917@ncsu.edu>

In <1993Jan22.170226.25917@ncsu.edu> JAMES MICHAEL BEESLEY writes:
>As far as 1.3s stability goes, when I was working for IBM a few
>months ago, well over 2/3s of their machines were running 1.3, and
>most had no plans to change (2/3 of the ones capable of running
>OS/2 that is). I only saw about 4 people besides myself running
>Windows, the rest had DOS and a 3270 terminal emulator. (most of the
>ones with OS/2 were using it as a 3270 emulator!)
>
>If OS/2 2.0 is the great productivity aid, why is even IBM not
> running it ?

I know that it may be hard to understand, but IBM is a very big
company. We have over 300,000 employees world wide, and they all do
very many vastly different jobs, from hardware and software development,
to manufacturing, from marketing, to support, from accounting
to chemistry, from MIS style shops (running the mainframes) to branch
offices in places like in Sarnia Ontario where they may have a few PS/2s
or 3270PCs.

It may be hard to believe to the followers of this group, but not
everyone in the company works on PCs, develops for OS/2, or works in
support of OS/2.  In a previous job I was a VM systems programmer who
used a 3270PC because I could use HLLAPI and 3270PC Control Program
to automatically enter keystrokes at a 3270 session which was connected
to mainframes spinning tapes all the time.
   Many (Most) IBMers who have PS/2s use them as terminals (you said so
yourself), and most are busy doing their jobs, and are uninterested in
spending time playing with OS/2 (or AIX).  If they are running OS/2 1.3
EE then they are probably running it because it provides them with 4
3270 screens (about 2 more than most would need).  When the local IS
folks say that they will be coming around and upgrading these machines
then they get OS/2 2.0.  Not that the user needed OS/2, but rather the
IS shop needed them to be at a common level of some software.

   Those people who are developing PC related products are using OS/2
2.0, actually probably the latest drop of OS/2 2.1 drivers from Boca.
(So fresh it is still steaming from the oven), well ahead of what is
being delivered outside.

   Why aren't the accountants using PCs?  Well because most of the
companies databases and accounting information has lived for 10+ years
in mainframes.


Please don't confuse OS/2 with IBM.  There is much more to IBM than
just OS/2 2.0 - ask a AIX/6000 S/W developer why they are not using
OS/2 2.0 and they won't even bother to answer.  And please 4 people
where you worked that used Windows does not count as a scientific
poll either.

Martin Lansche, IBM PRGS Toronto Lab, Canada
  ________________________________________________________________________
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   numessier.  Toi aina, mana, meldielto -- enga morion : talantie.
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   except the black one.  He has fallen.  (J.R.R. Tolkien).
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Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy