From: johnsd2@vccsouth16.its.rpi.edu (Daniel Norman Johnson)
Subject: Re: 7.1 vs. OS/2 and Windows NT
Reply-To: johnsd2@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 23:50:29 GMT

In article <1avro0INNdl0@matt.ksu.ksu.edu>, nan@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Nan Zou) writes:
|> bcoleman@hayes.com (Bill Coleman) writes:
|> >nan@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Nan Zou) writes:
|> >> bcoleman@hayes.com (Bill Coleman) writes:
|> 
|> [ some System 7 features vs. OS/2 features...]
|> 
|> >>>* Support for "live copy and paste" between applications that aren't running
|> >> Don't know what that means.
|> 
|> >If you change something in document A that you've pasted into document B,
|> >the changes get updated in B.
|> 
|> Hmm, sounds like DDE, no?

Nope, not a bit. Sounds a lot like OLE tho.
But OLE has somewhat limited abilities next
to publish and subscribe. (it is easier
to use tho)

[deletia- Device Independant Graphics]
|> >>>  to differing bit depths. The ability to support multiple monitors with
|> >> 
|> >> I tried running Wing Commander, a 256-color DOS game on a 16-color PM
|> >> desktop, the window gets dithered into 16 colors and the game runs, not
|> >> too pretty but it runs.
|> 
|> >How about OS/2 applications, not DOS apps?
|> 
|> The Pallatte Manager will do its best to allocate the desired color for
|> each application.

Maybe _you_ can tell me then. How good is this? What does
OS/2s palette manager do, and how well? Comparted to the
Mac Palette Manager.

|> >>>  differing depths, and to change the depth on the fly. (Not, Not)
|> >> 
|> >> Multiple monitors is theoretically possible if hardware exists.
|> 
|> >But it doesn't. And can you change the depth on the fly? (Windows can't)
|> 
|> Let's leave the question unanswered until the hardware comes out.

C'mon. The hardware is commonplace. All we are talking about is
a video card and a monitor. All u need is more than one slot,
so you can fit the cards in.

I dont think windows OR OS/2 can use such a setup tho.

[deletia- Human Interface Guidelines/CUA '92]
|> >>>* Support for the localization of Sorting order, Data and Time formats,
|> >>>  currency, measurement, calenders and numbers (Not, Not)
|> >> 
|> >> Windows yes, OS/2 yes.
|> 
|> >Perhaps I missed some of these.
|>
|> I know in WPS you can sort the icons of a folder in name/size/date/etc
|> order, also you can setup the date/time/currency formats.

That's not what he meant. The MacOS provides library routines to
format numbers and dates, and compare strings. These routines
are sensitive to various non-English punctiation marks and other
fun things. (ae blended together, etc) When moved to annother country,
a Mac can be localized so that it follows the comparison conventions
for that country. The upshot is everything sorts right.
 
|> >>>* Standard support for temporal data, graphics data compression, both for
|> >>>  static and real-time graphics and sound. (QuickTime) (Not, Not) 
|> >> 
|> >> Different standards, MPC and Ultimedia.
|> 
|> >Incomplete standards. They both require specific hardware. Ouch. QuickTime
|> 
|> Specific hardware?  Not necessarily, you can run multimedia apps with
|> existing hardware, even digitized sound from the internal speaker/
|> beeper.  But QuickTime also needs specific hardware, for starters, you
|> need a Mac, ;-) also you need the ROMs with 32-bit QuickDraw in them.
|> Right?

:)

Not quite right, but close. MPC requires a CD-ROM and a 386, last time
I checked.

Also, QuickTime does indeed require a Mac (tho I hear this is gonna change)
and it runs only on Color macs with 32 bit Quickdraw, but it doesn't
care if it comes from the ROMs or the system. it works fine on my
IIcx (old-fashined 8 bit color quickdraw, but system 7 so it gets 32 bit
color quickdraw patched in)

|> I don't know why you would think the multimedia standards of Windows and
|> OS/2 are incomplete, specific examples?

I dont think they are incomplete. But they do cost extra, and require
special hardware. (well, the Windows one does, I dunno 'bout OS/2)

|> I have a little file here that documents certain parts of the multi-
|> media standard, some excerpts from the forward and table of contents:
|> 
[deltia- big nasty excerpt]
|> 
|> If you want I can send the file to you (all 260K of it), although I
|> doubt you'd be interested.

So where's the animation w/ sound format?

|> >doesn't, although it fully supports additional hardware. 
|> 
|> And so does Windows and MMPM (Multimedia PM), why is it considered an
|> avdvantage of QuickTime when it supports additional hardware and a
|> disadvantage of Windows and OS/2 when they can do the same?

They REQUIRE additional hardware. (according to what I've read);
That's the problem.

|> >>>* Standard color picker (Not, Not)
|> >> 
|> >> What is it?
|> 
|> >It allows you to choose colors via a standard interface. There might be
|> >something for OS/2 in this vein.
|> 
|> I think I know what you mean here, OS/2's pallatte and color object (you
|> use these to configure how WPS looks) both use a color-wheel thingy for
|> you to specify colors.  Other apps may present their own interface.

Does the OS/2 provide a standard facility they can use?

|> >>>* Automatic slot conflict resolution (NuBus and Slot Manager) (Not, Not)
|> >>>  ( MCA helps, but it isn't automatic )
|> >> 
|> >> Hardware issue, both MCA and EISA have auto device configuration,
|> >> running some register setup program during device installation.
|> 
|> >Important hardware issue. Hardware is part of the system.
|> 
|> But that's not what we're talking about here, we're supposed to talk
|> about features of System 7 and OS/2.

If you like. I was just babbling myself. (didn't you notice? :)

[deletia- pre-empting, memory protection]


-- 
			- Dan Johnson
And God said "Jeeze, this is dull"... and it *WAS* dull. Genesis 0:0

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