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BEYOND DOS

DOUGLAS A HAMILTON OS/2 2.0 GOES DOWN TO THE WIRE

arly this year, IBM introduced day. I well remember how reliable OS/2 2.0 are the multiple virtual DOS machines what it called the Limited A vail­ 1.0 was. I just couldn't crash it. And OS/2 and the ability to run Windows applica­ ability release of OS/2 2.0, which 1.3 is nothing short of superb: It has tions. Obviously, these features will be of is distinct from the final General never crashed in over a year of my daily value to people with many DOS and Availability (GA) product that pounding. Everything works just as de­ Windows applications. These users are, Eshould now be available. Is LA a product signed, and it's been fast and utterly reli­ naturally, likely to be new to OS/2. or just another beta version? Well, it de­ able for the most demanding production Therefore, as you evaluate reactions to pends on whom you ask. Is LA a better work. Thus, for me, a new version of OS/2 the LA release, here or elsewhere, maintain DOS than DOS, a better Windows than that can be crashed is a disappointment. · a skeptical attitude. Different people may Windows, and a better OS/2 than OS/2?· Those whose past experience has been have very different experiences with LA, Again, it depends on whom you ask. with DOS or Windows will have, I sus­ all valid within their own frames of refer­ pect, a different standard of comparison. If ence. Different Strokes you've been struggling with unrecover­ For me, LA was the first new release of able applications errors that crash your The OS/2 Roller Coaster OS/2 that I did not immediately adopt for machine twice a day, a version ofOS/2 The endless roller coaster we've all been day-to-day work. I still prefer version 1.3, that crashes only once a day might look on with OS/2 for the last year makes it dif­ but I'm struck by the variety of experi­ pretty good. ficult to examine LA in any sort of de­ ences that users are having with LA. Those Finally, the key advantages of version tached way. At times, it has appeared that with the least previous exposure to OS/2 success for OS/2 was just around the cor­ like it best. The new Mac-like Workplace A developer's reaction ner. At other times, it has looked as though (WPS) is part of the reason. things could not get worse. Through much IBM's human factors research has to the OS/2 2.0 Limited of last year, IBM successfully exploited shown that new users like the object-ori­ discontent with , positioning it­ ented, drag-and-drop features of the WPS, Availability release self as the good guy. It could be trusted and my own observations indicate that to stay the course and deliver on its that's true. More experienced OS/2 users, promises. on the other hand, are more skeptical. They But that wave is now coming to shore. tend to focus on specific features they've IBM is riding it right up onto the beach. grown accustomed to in previous releases We've been standing here cheering, and of OS/2-things that the WPS doesn't pro­ it's now for IBM to deliver. With Mi­ vide or does differently. crosoft's NT looming on the horizon, ap­ Another factor seems to be the amount parently more real than many of us ex­ of stress that you place on your system. If pected just last fall, IBM is under intense you have a fairly standard machine and pressure. That pressure also falls on those limit yourself to well-known applications, who have bet their fortunes on OS/2. LA looks reasonable. It's certainly better By releasing LA, IBM has minimally than any previous beta version of 2.0, and kept its promise of shipping OS/2 2.0 as a most things do work. However, not every­ product by the end of 1991. But by calling thing works. Although IBM calls LA a it a product, IBM has also invited some product, it's clearly beta code. More ex­ close scrutiny. perienced users and developers running OS/2 under even slightly more exotic con­ Workplace Shell a Gamble ditions will almost certainly encounter The WPS raises some interesting ques­ bugs. tions. In its present state, it just isn't quite How you react to those defects depends ready. IBM could have counted on almost on what you're used to. Existing OS/2 certain success without the WPS, so it's users are spoiled. They've completely for­ fair to wonder if it should have gambled gotten what unreliable junk most of the the entire version 2.0 introduction on this rest of the world has to struggle with every new and unproven technology. continued ILLUSTRATION: TED PITTS © 1992 MAY 1992 • B Y T E 301 HANDS ON/BEYOND DOS

According to one report, IBM believes ing a font is just as easy. To delete some­ thing seems to take more keystrokes and the WPS will be the one part of version thing, you just drag it to the shredder. The mouse-clicks than under the old shell. 2.0 not covered by its joint development vision behind the WPS leads to an envi­ The implementation also feels fragile. A agreements with Microsoft. If the WPS ronment in which all sorts of tasks can be lot of the WPS "state information" is kept succeeds, it will give IBM at least a two­ accomplished by dragging and dropping. in extended attributes or hidden binary year lead over Microsoft. files with strange names. Lacking tools Whatever the reason for IBM' s deci­ for repairing or even examining these sion, the was made, and, at least in structures, I worry that the slightest failure LA, there is no going back. IBM does of­ might force me to reformat and reinstall fer tips on configuring the WPS to look the system. similar to the old Presentation Manager The Workplace Finally, while the WPS is dramatically (PM) shell, but the similarity is only cos­ improved from the earlier beta versions, metic, not functional, and even then not Shell is more promise it's still somewhat slow and buggy. Be­ very complete. (I'm told that GA may al­ cause there's no way to avoid using it, that low more complete emulation of the older than reality in LA. makes the whole system seem slow and interface.) buggy. the system takes a long There are many reasons to like the new time, and text windows are not fully reli­ WPS. The desktop is easily customized able. IBM has made enormous progress with icons for your applications. The on­ with the WPS since its introduction, but line facility is dramatically improved, the question is whether there's sufficient featuring a Mas.ter Help Index organized To fill out a , for example, you'd drag time to fully stabilize it for GA. like a spiral notebook with little tabs for a record out of a and drop it onto each letter in the alphabet. Click on a top­ a form. DOS Boxes Overdesigned? ic, and up comes a hypertext window with The problem is that the WPS is more One nice feature of OS/2 2.0 is support generally well-written explanations. promise than reality in LA. It's not always for multiple virtual DOS machines. In con­ Everything is bound together with a intuitive. Ordinary operations involve var­ trast to the version 1.3 DOS box, version clever drag-and-drop metaphor. To change ious odd combinations of Shift keys and 2.0 lets you open as many DOS windows the color of something, you drag the new left or right buttons. A little "cheat sheet" or full-screen sessions as you want. Each color over from a rainbow palette. Chang- with all the key bindings would help. Every- can be configured with a big memory, load

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302 BYT E • M AY 1992 Circle 85 on Inquiry Card. HANDS ON/BEYOND DOS

special device drivers, and even mimic on my PS/2 Model 80, I was appalled. It ous OS/2 product release. Viewing it as a specific releases of DOS. IBM often de­ couldn't even keep up with the mouse. beta version, I can put these problems in monstrates DOS games and other de­ Then I discovered that on another ma­ perspective. But even so, I'd be more com­ manding software in the VDMs. Nothing chine-a PS/2 Model 70-Windows ran fortable if GA weren't looming so close. in my experience with LA makes me doubt , almost indistinguishably from Windows The first order of business for IBM has the quality of version 2.0's virtualization on DOS. Eventually, I found that the prob­ to be quality. An OS/2 that crashes isn't a of DOS. lem was with the 8514/A display on my better OS/2 than OS/2, rriuch less anything I admit, however, to a nagging concern Model 80. In the DOS settings for Win­ else. Quality is and will continue to be the that IBM may have overdesigned the dows Full Screen, the default traps all the single biggest obstacle to gaining support VDMs, solving a problem that didn't really 8514/A and Extended Graphics Array calls from existing OS/2 users who have been exist. Clearly, the version l.x DOS box into software; turning that off fixed the spoiled by version 1.3. Businesses con­ fell short of people's needs. Users do need performance problem. Unfortunately, it sidering it for mission-critical applications extended and , and they created a different problem with screen will require rock-solid reliability. do want to run more than one application repainting. So for now, there are still prob­ Sources inside IBM promise me that at a time. But how much is enough? Does lems with 8514/A support, although I GA will show great improvement and be it really matter whether some obscure DOS wouldn't be surprised if they'll be fixed all you could ask for. I trust them, I trust game software runs under OS/2? The by the time you read this. their judgment, and I believe they have world is changing, and, increasingly, it's Sources inside IBM assure me that the seen internal versions that support those becoming a Wintlows world. seamless Windows support in GA will be views. There's a good chance for IBM to much faster than in LA, perhaps only 10 achieve enormous success with a block­ A Better Windows? percent slower than Windows on DOS. buster GA release. But there's not much Support for running Windows applications They claim they've already achieved this time left; it's going to be close. • in a separate full-screen session is built on some of their internal versions. into this release as the first step toward Douglas A. Hamilton is the founder of "seamless Windows" in the upcoming GA. Moment of Truth Hamilton Laboratories in Wayland, Mas­ By seamless, IBM means that Windows On the whole, IBM might have been bet­ sachusetts, and the author of the Hamilton and PM applications will a common ter off not releasing LA as a product, lim­ C Shell, a command processor and utilities desktop. ited or otherwise. It's buggy, it crashes, package f or OS/2. He can be reached on When I first tried the Windows support and it's not as flependable as any previ- BIX as "hamilton." Point, Oick, and Send Aggravation Free Faxing for Millions of Windows Users Bypassing the feeble scanner found in most fax machines sending a fax as easy as means your faxes will be clear, prec ise, and very readable. printing. Poi nt, click, and A spec ial Quick Dial feature allows single click transmis­ send. It's as simple as that. Fax any combination of sions and the easy to use phone Book is in standard fonts or graphics from any Windows application w ith a dBase format. Other productivity features include few clicks of a mouse. background auto re-dial and fax logging. Th ere's no need to quit your application, or a ll BitFax for W indows offers the freedom to send and hard , or line up for the fax machine. Just _,..,.~----'"-· _.....,.. rece ive documents and forms directly from your point, click, and se nd. BitFax for Windows does Mictosott desktop, laptop, or notebook computer. It's the rest. ava ilable in German, Spa nish, Italian, and French BitFax for Windows works w ith just about any fax/ versions and includes an comprehensive manual. . It's compatible with all EIA Class I MS/DOS and OS/2 versions are also available. and Class II cards including AT&T, AST, Best, But best of all, BitFax for W indows won't cost you Cardina l, NEC, r 1, Sharp, Zoltrix, and Zoom to a fortu ne. name a few. The suggested list b•t BIT Software Inc. And Say good-bye to ugly faxes. BitFax for Windows sends price is $79.00 and dealers 47987 Fremont Blvd. your image at an incredible 200 x 200 dpi resolution. may even sell for less. Fremont, CA 94538

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304 BYT E • MAY 1992 Circle 20 on Inquiry Card.