Newsgroups: bit.listserv.win3-l
Date:         Thu, 23 Jul 1992 14:37:45 EDT
From:         Turgut Kalfaoglu <TURGUT@FRORS12.BITNET>
Subject:      New Information On OS/2 Part 2
X-To:         PCTECH-L@TREARN.BITNET, win3-l@uicvm.BITNET

  RESPONSE TO MS DOCUMENT ON WINDOWS 3.1 VS OS/2

           There is so much misleading information in this document
 that it is hard to know where to start.  Following are some brief
 responses to individual items.

 RELIABILITY

 -  Microsoft claims that Windows 3.1 eliminates UAEs (Unrecoverable
      Application Errors).  It doesn't eliminate them, it renames
      them to GPFs (General Protection Faults).  When a GPF occurs
      it still recommends that you reboot your system.
 -  Win 3.1 still does not make use full use of the 386 hardware
      protection as OS/2 does.

 MINIMUM CONFIGURATION COMPARISONS

 -  MS's tables are apples to oranges comparisons
 -  The tables quote system requirements for the most basic,
    limited-function mode of Windows' three modes.  Then, when
    functions are compared, MS quotes the function of the mode with
    the largest system requirements.

      The Microsoft advertisement on Windows 3.1 vs OS/2 performance
 is misleading.
      The scenarios in the ad are a narrow subset of the kinds of
 work that a user might perform.  It is true that when running
 Windows applications one at a time with nothing else on the system,
 OS/2 will run about 20 to 25% slower.

       However, DOS apps run faster on OS/2.

      And when more than one task is being done, OS/2's performance
 advantage becomes evident.  Because of OS/2's superior multitasking,
 it can run background tasks --  such as file copying, communications,
 or spreadsheet recalculation --  with no visible impact on foreground
 work.  With Windows, the cursor movement can lag behind the mouse
 movement, and displaying of characters can lag behind keyboarding to
 the point where system becomes almost unusable until the background
 job is done.

      An illustrative scenario from National Software Testing
 Laboratories (NSTL):  To load MS Word for Windows on a Mod 57 with
 nothing else running takes 7.2 seconds with Windows 3.1 and 9.3
 seconds with OS/2 2.0.   If you do the same load with an XCOPY in
 the background, Windows load time jumps to 41.1 seconds, compared
 with 15.3 seconds for OS/2.

      In addition, we're continually working to improve performance.
 In the fall, we're planning to improve performance for all systems,
 but especially those with the minimum configuration of 4MB RAM.


 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 MS TESTING METHODOLOGY

 -    An objective performance tester would question the methodology.
 -    The results published are for very small subtasks
 -    The test scenarios appear to be Microsoft's own, not that of
      an objective third party.  They say the scenarios are "like
      PC World's", but what does that mean?
 -    They have not identified the vendor performing the test
 -    They did not indicate the specific configuration.  This makes
      it difficult for another party to replicate and validate the
      tests.

 OS/2 APPLICATIONS

      As applications become available that take advantage of OS/2's
 capabilities, e.g. multithreading and 32 bit, OS/2 performance can
 be expected to get even better.

 THE NUMBER OF OS/2-CAPABLE MACHINES
 -  MS quotes Infocorp as a source.  Infocorp says they do not
    recognize the number attributed to them.
 -  Infocorp says 28% of the install base is OS/2-capable
 -  The majority of machines shipped today are OS/2-capable
    This percentage will grow very rapidly in the next few years.
 -  Microsoft's numbers for Windows-capable machines include 286s,
      which don't support the full Windows capability

 OS/2's OBJECT-ORIENTED WORKPLACE SHELL

 -  MS says the OS/2 Workplace Shell requires a learning curve.
 -  This depends on where you're coming from.  MAC users are
    usually instantly productive, new users likewise learn quickly.
 -  Much as DOS users had a short learning period to move to the
    next generation interface -- Windows,  Windows users will
    have a short (a few hours) learning period to become familiar
    with the next generation object-oriented Workplace Shell.
 -  Windows users who have become familiar with the WPS find the old
    Windows GUI to be primitive by comparison.
 -  Users can always choose to have it the old Windows way and
    operate with menus instead of objects.  They can even choose an
    option which gives the screen the look and feel of Windows.

 CONNECTIVITY

 - MS says OS/2 has limited host connectivity.  Unsaid is the fact
   that they're talking about the OS/2 base product only.
 - The connectivity is delivered in OS/2 Communications manager, the
   most comprehensive host connectivity tool available
 - All the DOS/Windows asynch emulation packages work on OS/2 as well

 NETWORK CLIENT

 -  No company has more experience and capability in networking than
    IBM.
 -  OS/2 is the industry's best desktop client for connecting to
    complex enterprise networks.

 APPLICATIONS

 -  MS shows tables comparing the number of OS/2 graphical apps with
    Windows graphical apps
 -  Since OS/2 runs DOS, Windows and OS/2 graphical apps, OS/2 will
    always have the most applications

 INSTALLING DOS-BASED APPS

 -  MS makes a point of the difficulty of installing DOS apps on OS/2
    -- configuring settings, etc.
 -  Very misleading.  We ship a default setting that will run most
    DOS apps just fine.
 -  OS/2's settings capability gives you flexibility if you want it
 -  In our opinion, OS/2's DOS settings dialog is easier to use than
    Windows' PIF editor.

 FLEXIBILITY

 -  MS tries to turn a virtue into a vice by decrying the fact that
    OS/2 offers the user choices in interfaces: command lines, menus,
    or object-oriented.
 -  We believe in letting the user have it their way.

 WIN 3.1 ON OS/2

 -  MS says OS/2 runs a modified version of 3.0.  One of the key
    modifications IBM made is the kind of parameter validation MS
    touts as a reliability improvementin 3.1.
 -  Win 3.1 on OS/2 will be available in the fall.


 INSTALLATION

 -  It takes longer to install OS/2's 20 diskettes than Windows' 6.
      True.  That's because you get so more with OS/2:
           - Three operating environments
           - The Workplace shell
           - Pre-emptive multitasking,  Adobe Type Manager, etc.
 -  In the fall, OS/2 will be available on 2 diskettes and a CD-ROM
 -  In the fall, automatic, unattended installation over a network
    will be enabled with the CID product

 WINDOWS HAS MORE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

 -  OS/2 has a full complement of development tools.
 -  Many of the leading edge tools originated on OS/2
 -  OS/2 is the preferred development environment -- even for
    Microsoft.

 WINDOWS SCALABILITY

 -  Pen Windows appls don't exist.  NT doesn't exist. Their
    scalability is not proven.
 -  The Microsoft portability guide clearly indicates problems
    running DOS/ Windows apps directly on NT.

 DEVICE DRIVERS

 -  OS/2 print drivers support 205 printers, which address the vast
    majority.  More are coming later this year.
 -  SCSI drivers are coming in June
 -  More display drivers are coming in the fall.

 FONTS

 -  Windows uses the proprietary TrueType fonts
 -  OS/2 includes Adobe Type Manager, the universally accepted
    industry standard.

 ____________________________________________________________________

 PRELOAD

 o    OS/2 2.0 at no additional charge

 o    IBM Mouse at no additional charge

 o    System is ready to use right out of the box
           No installation required

 o    The preload version of OS/2 has some additional
      features:

 o    Additional pre-installed information aids to help
        users get productive quickly

      -  Welcome and Quick Tour
      -  "For the DOS User" tutorial
      -  Application install tutorial
      -  Hardware system overview for hardware
      -  Service and support information

 o    Additional useful utilities

      - Uninstall utility  for easy pruning of unrequired
           features
      - Bootable diskette and System Backup Utilities to easily allow
           you to backup and protect your system.

 o    Additional Workplace Shell folders to better organize the
           additional features on your desktop
      -  Welcome and Quick Tour Folder
      -  Additional Tutorials Folder
      -  Features Folder
           -  Service and Support Folder
           -  About Your System Folder
      -  Applications Folder
      -  Configurations Tools Folder
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