From: cj00+@andrew.cmu.edu (Carl B Jabido)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy
Subject: Better outlook for OS/2?
Date: 6 Oct 92 11:38:27 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.YeoSgnS00YUnFRx2dN
Organization: Sophomore, Math/Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Well, these clips have probably been on the bboard already, and I know
at least one has but anyway. . .

In PC Sources Oct 92:

"Interest in OS/2 2.0 is rising, say 42 percent of the 100 Fortune 1,000
companies surveyed in a recent report by market research company
Forrester Research.  Moreover, PC users who need to operate 32-bit
applications will choose OS/2 over Windows NT, according to the report."

Next, there are two charts.  The first one is a pie chart breakdown of
predicted "1995's Market for advanced operating environments":

Windows 4.x    54%
OS/2 2.x       23%
Unix           10%
Windows NT     10%
Other          3%

Then, a breakdown of the most important features in OS/2 2.0 as cited by
percent of 100 Fortune 1,000 companies:

DOS/Windows integration          26%
Workplace Shell                  17%
Communications/Network           14%
Ability to control advanced PCs  14%
Graphical User Interface         11%

"Product delays, costly hardware requirements, and the slow emergence of
32-bit applications will plague NT, Forrester says.  OS/2, on the other
hand, exhibits such strengths as multitasking capabilities,
communications and networking features, and the ability to control
highly sophisticated PC's.  
. . .
Forrester also predicts, however, that Microsoft will include 32-bit
memory addressing, Win32 API, and better multitasking in Windows 4.0. 
As a result, users with minimal 32-bit application needs will opt for
the operating environment."

[I find some of the second paragraph: "OS/2, on the other hand. . ." not
to be that true.  Especially communications and networking features;
OS/2 has them, but not as part of the standard package.  Multitasking
features: NT will have the same features.]

Next, we goto Windows Magazine Oct 1992:
[I was surprised to find this in Windows Mag!!]

First, for those who are touting NT's ability to run on multiplatforms,
we have "Silicon Graphics: NT's Future is Performance-Limited" from
which some excerpts follow:

"Kidd, (director of marketing for sight and sound at SGI), repeated that
SGI remains committed to Windows NT as a general-purpose platform for
business users, and sees it as a breat boon for SGI sales throughout the
end of the decade.  But he fears that Windows NT could run out of gas
for leading-edge applications that depend on getting maximum performance.
. . . 
Kidd noted that UNIX is distributed with its source code, which vendors
can change.  In real-time and specialty applications, even with
pre-emptive multitasking, vendors may need to adjust the system to
provide longer uninterrupted processing cycles-something not possible
under NT.  According to Kidd, UNIX, rather than Windows NT, will
continue to be the operating system of choice for those who want the
absolutely best performance and are willing to sacrifice compatibility
to get it."

And now, about Cairo. . .

"Future Microsoft OS Criticized"
"Microsoft's Jim Allchin gave the first public demonstration of
Microsoft's planned Cairo object-oriented operating system to a
skeptical audience at this summer's Object World Conference in San
Francisco.  His presentation was ridiculed by fellow panelists Steven
Jobs and Joseph Guglielmi (of Taligent).
. . .
Jobs called the demonstration "very bizarre," and likened it to any of a
number of existing free-text search applications.  Allchin had to reboot
his computer during the demonstration, and the audience laughed as text
filled the screen.  "Ten years, and it's still a mess when you boot. 
Why should we believe in two years Windows will be easy to program?"
Jobs asked."

A few tidbits:

From "OS/2 to `Slipstream' OS/2 2.01":
"a source familiar with IBM's marketing plans told us that more than 3
million copies are expected to ship by the end of the year."

From Byte, Oct 1992, Nanobytes:
"Jobs pulled no punches when he demonstrated NextStep 3.0, the latest
version of the Next Operating system slated to ship in September. 
Dismissing his competitors' product as vaporware, Jobs said the Next
system is the leading object-oriented computer on the market. 
Microsft's Allchin protested that NextStep-which is layered atop Unix
and Mach-is not a true object-oriented operating system and that
NextStep 3.0 was originally scheduled to be released in June.  "OK, so
we slipped 60 days," Jobs responded, "but at least we have a product to
ship."

[NextStep is not shipping in September though.  It's been delayed to the
same period as NT, 1Q93.  Beta testing should begin in October or
November]


I guess that's it for now. . .

Carl Jabido
cj00@andrew.cmu.edu
carl@captainjack.ws.cc.cmu.edu