Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy
Distribution: jadpc2
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 10:11:46 -0800
From: Craig_Swanson@f514.n202.z1.fidonet.org
Subject: CD-ROM, networks
Comment-To: Joe_Discar@f514.n202.z1.fidonet.org
Reply-To: Craig_Swanson@f514.n202.z1.fidonet.org
X-FSC-PATH: 202/514

 JD> If IBM really wants to compete against Windows 3.1, they should
consider
 JD> throwing, at least, rudimentary network support (ahhh, but if
TCP/IP came
 JD> in the box, there would be no contest!) and support for
up-and-coming
 JD> peripherals like CD-ROM (heck, their Ultimedia PC's *come* with
CD-ROM
 JD> drives... and OS/2 out of the box doesn't support it?!)

OS/2 2.0 supports CD-ROM right out of the box.  The problem is that
the audio command set of CD-ROM players is not standardized and many
of the older CD-ROM players use proprietary interfaces, not SCSI. 
Both OS/2 and NT are probably not going to have much support ever for
non-SCSI CD-ROM, but the next release of OS/2 (probably shipping in
December) will reportedly support these CD-ROM players:

============

 For the December 1992 release of OS/2, IBM has committed to 
 providing  support for the SCSI-attached CD-ROM drives listed 
 below.  This  includes support for both data and audio. It is 
 important to note, that  the CD-ROM driver requires a SCSI 
 adapter driver which is also  supported by OS/2.  This 
 includes IBM, Adaptec, and Future Domain,  which are 
 currently included in the shrinkwrap.  The Trantor SCSI  
 adapter driver is available from Trantor.

     IBM           CD-ROM I, CD-ROM II
     Hitachi       CDR-1750, CDR-3650U, CDR-3750
     NEC           CDR-35, CDR-36, CDR-37, CDR-72, CDR-73, CDR-74
                   CDR-77, CDR-80, CDR-82, CDR-83, CDR-84
     Sony          CDU-541, CDU-561, CDU-6111, CDU-6211, CDU-7211
     Texel         DM-3024, DM-5024, DM-3020, DM-3021, DM-3120
                   DM-5020, DM-5021, DM-5120
     Toshiba       XM-3100, XM-3200, XM-3300 series

 In addition, the following OEMs are developing CD-ROM drivers for 
 their non-SCSI attached CD-ROM drives.  These drivers will be
 distributed by the OEM.

    Hitachi - 1503S, 1700S, 3600, 3700  (ISA bus only)
    Creative Labs - Soundblaster Pro    (ISA bus only)

======

 JD> Sure, why pay for it if you don't need it?  MS-DOS takes up 2-3
MB's on
 JD> my computer--90% of the programs I don't use.  But just because I
don't
 JD> use it now, doesn't mean I won't use it later.  If MS can do it
for DOS
 JD> (ala SHARE.EXE) and for Windows (built in support for networks
such as
 JD> Novell and Lantastic et al), and still keep the price ($129 for
Windows)
 JD> within reach, why can't IBM do the same?

Microsoft provided hooks to these networks, they did not include the
entire network package in the Windows box.  Network software interacts
closely with the operating system and it is not reasonable to expect
DOS network software to function transparently with non-DOS operating
systems.

IBM is reportedly working on a peer-to-peer network software offering
similar to Windows for Workgroups.  From what I've heard so far, it
will probably be based on the work done for LAN Server 3.0 and some
Lotus products like cc:Mail for Workplace Shell.

IBM's base level TCP/IP package lists for $200 and the NFS server
option is another $150.  Frankly, though, I don't think these are very
useful except to people who are working in companies with Unix
machines.  Compared to the total numbers of companies with networks,
this is not a very large percentage.


--- Maximus/2 2.01wb
 * Origin: OS/2 Connection @ La Jolla, CA  <619-558-9475> (1:202/514)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy