From: linstee@dutecaj.et.tudelft.nl (Erik van Linstee)
Subject: Re: OS/2 shipments
Organization: Delft University of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 18:13:36 GMT

robert.heuman@rose.com (robert heuman) writes:


>Date Entered: 01-25-93 05:47
>To enter into the discussion (:-)) of the number of copies of OS/2 
>shipped by IBM, do not believe that the number means that number were 
>sold.  For example, I just received an upgrade to the Extended 
>Services, (new version, to work with Advanced LAN 3.0). Guess what, 
>included was a copy of OS/2 2.0 (without the service pack, of course), 
>which I did NOT need.  I already had it.  So now I have two (2) copies 
>of OS/2 for one machine!  Of course, IBM will count that as another 
>copy of OS/2 shipped.... which it was.  That I did not need it, and 
>did not really want it, doesn't count, does it?

>Enjoying the IBM crapola.  I have a SVGA card with 512K, and see that 
>the 2.1 beta will not support it.  Do they really expect me to move to 
>it if they will not support MY requirements:
>1. 1024x768x16, NOT 1024x768x256,


What brand do you have? Surely you should go check with the
supplier of the card.

>2. Proper password security (as far as I can tell, it is NOT there),

Agreed, though not compelling to everyone.

>3. The ability to have a window near the bottom of the screen and NOT 
>have the menu go off the bottom when I click on the top left button,

Yes.

>4. The ability to print without replacing my three year old, 8 bit 
>buss parallel printer card,

Why would you have to?

>5. The proper recognition and support for my 16550A uart,

I thought it was.

>6. A CONFIG.SYS that actually makes sense,

I don't quite see the problem with that, except maybe that some
changes should need a reboot.

>7. Documentation that tells me something and does not say "if you 
>want this information, purchase XX.XXXXXX from us"... Like how do I 
>redirect LPT1 to LPT1.OS2?  I cannot find it in ANY of the offline or 
>online documentation.

Redirect lpt1 to lpt1.os2? Can you specify?
Which reminds me, there is an lpt1.os2 in the (MS) Windows printer
setup dialog. You can connect a printer to lpt[12], com[1234], file
and lpt[12].os2. I am not quite sure what it is for, just
thought it rather strange.

>8. A description (PRINTED) of all of the executables included with 
>OS/2, so that something like DSPINSTL can be figured out!

Yes.

>9. Control over the screen fonts, so that I can select the specific 
>font I want for EACH purpose in menus, windows, etc., instead of one 
>for global use. (Sorry, I really believe it is two, but that is 
>insufficient)

Yes.

>10. An explanation of how to make programs such as VPPROF (the GEM 
>environment) and WordPerfect work in a DOS window under OS/2, yet 
>still work under DOS when the user does a BOOT /DOS. The explanations 
>supplied are an insult to any user without the inclination to 
>experiment for hours. (There aren't any!)

I have no problem running WP in a dos window under os/2, except
that it seems to hogg the CPU just sitting in the background.

>11. An installation procedure that does NOT require me to feed through 
>disks 8-15 to install two items, one on disk 8 and one on disk 14, as 
>a subsequent install, then have to run the service pack (disks 1, 2 
>and 12, and then, every time, the Display driver disk even though the 
>display driver is NOT being changed?  Who has all that time to waste? 
>(Wonder what IBM would do if I billed them at my chargeable rate for 
>the extra time spent doing this type of installing? - Be interesting 
>to invoice them for several hundred dollars, wouldn't it.)

Not sure why they ever did that, but it sure needs to be fixed.

[more deleted without permission]


-- 
Erik van Linstee   |   Delft University of Technology   |   I'll be back ... 
----
   We are god, 'cause only we can create the idea of his existence
   in our holy brains...  (Yello)