On (07 Dec 96) Bill Wolff wrote to Robert Obrien...
 BW> On (29 Nov 96) Robert Obrien wrote to Peter Campbell...
 RO> Thanks for the reply on installing OS/2. I bought the blue
 RO> version because I do not have any Microsoft products on my hard
 RO> drive. However there are one or two Windows programs that I
 RO> would like to try and this seems to be the best way to get the
 RO> code without buying the program from Microsoft. They have
 RO> enough money and do not need mine.
 BW> What a big mistake IMHO. For starters, WIN-OS/2 isn't really 100%
 BW> Windows compatible. So under some conditions, you need the real
 BW> thing and the blue box doesn't have the real thing. Also IBM's blue
 BW> box also sells you a licence to use Windows from Microsoft/IBM
 BW> agreement. And IBM has to pay Microsoft anyway for this. So you
 BW> ended up paying Microsoft anyway and ended up with a Windows
 BW> emulator instead of the real thing. That would tick me off.
No, it has been recompiled to run FASTER than Microsoft's version.  The
incompatability comes from Microsoft setting a moving target for the
Win32s programs, which OS/2 won't allow because they can jeopardize
system stability.  Such programs OS/2 won't allow to run because when
you have a mission critical application, you can't have a program crash.
IBM's business is BUSINESS (Fortune 100, etc), not the average home
user.  I have read many of your messages spreading FUD about OS/2.  Just
because you were not able to get it running to your satisfaction doesn't
mean that others are in the same boat.  For me it runs fine, with all of
the OS/2 applications as well as Geoworks Ensemble and my other DOS
programs.  Windows programs have no space on my system, although I have
Win-OS/2 installed to be free to experiment if I want to.
 RO> I will let you know if I need the printer set up and setting
 RO> instructions after I get OS/2 installed and set up. I am a
 RO> little hesitant becuse I am aware that there may be
 RO> compatibility problems with some of my hardware and I like a
 RO> computer that runs flawlessly. So far using DOS the worst
 RO> problems I have had were memory problems with New Deal Office
 RO> when I tried to print. Those seem to be solved for now though.
 RO> Again thanks for the help and Happy Thanksgiving from the USA.
 RO> Bob O'Brien
 BW> You may also find some real nasty bugs within OS/2 that drives me
 BW> nuts. Like the keyboard going to sleep while you're running with all
 BW> well behaved applications which means the user has to reboot to get
 BW> it back. OS/2 also has other annoying quirks as well. But it should
 BW> at least behave well enough to get GEOS running okay under it. I did
 BW> for 17 months, now everything runs under W95 and my OS/2 CD-ROMs are
 BW> now great drink coasters. 
Again, you talk of experience that may be peculiar to your hardware.  On
my system, I have had single input queue lockups, but with Warp 4.0,
this has been addressed and occurs much less.  For the occasional
misbehaving program, Process Commander (Stardock Systems) kills it and
gives me control back.
GEOS doesn't only run "okay" under OS/2.  It runs well, and allows the
other applications to run concurrently, something DOS can't do.  OS/2 is
also much better at communications while actually multitasking multiple
applications than Windows 95.  Ask the programmers of Wildcat 5.0, which
is now in Surplus Direct.  The performance under Windows 95 just doesn't
excite various sysops.  Admittedly, some games run better under Windows
95 because the games can do things OS/2 won't allow (system stability
takes priority).  There are, however well-behaved
multitasking/multithreading OS/2 games just now reaching the market that
should break new ground and set much higher standards for future games.
In any case, there are enough of us who run GWE in an OS/2 Virtual Dos
Machine to be able to help.  OS/2 will even detect and set most of the
parameters for GWE, and place an icon in the DOS programs folder for it.
Additional tweaks can be done from there.  Printing may require a change
to the OS/2 printer settings to allow the port to be shared.  GWE's
printing can be set to IRQ7, but if so, then printing will stop when
swapping out of GWE.  If it is set to DOS, then it will spool to OS/2's
spooler and print regardless.
As much as I prefer OS/2 as a base system compared with either DOS or
Windows (Dos with pictures), I admit OS/2 isn't perfect.  It still takes
far too much in the way of system resources to accomplish what GEOS
does, and does very well.  If the GEOS 3.0 kernal had been released for
the desktop together with the programs to take advantage of it, I would
have stayed solely with Geoworks Ensemble.  As it is, I made a choice
based on compatability with what I use.  OS/2 won hands down.  For my
other machines which don't have the processing power of this one, I will
be waiting for New Deal Office with the communications enhancements
projected for next year.
By the way Bill, how much will it cost you to be able to use voice
dictation with your machine?  It came included in Warp 4.0.
TTYL,
Stephen
Team OS/2, Team GEOS     
OS/2 & Geoworks Ensemble - What a combo!
slhaffly@bora.dacom.co.kr    FIDO 6:760/4.3
... Windows 95 is plug 'n play. OS/2 Warp is install and work!
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