Rich's Ramblings

by Rich Schinnell

Here I am back all safe and sound from COMDEX, and still with money in my pocket! <G> After attending my 11th COMDEX, I feel like an old hand. Maybe I have become jaded and nonchalant about seeing so many goodies. Each year it gets bigger, and I keep telling myself that this will be my last. My feet ache, and I spend more time on fewer booths. This is good, as I can now spend the time with specific vendors getting more in-depth looks at their products. I used to feel that I had to see it all, that I had to see everything to get my money's worth. I now am much more particular.

I also spend more time with the Association of PC User Groups (APCUG) seminars and presentations. Attending COMDEX is worth the time and money if only for the information that I receive from the seminars conducted by the APCUG and other user group leaders. There are many generous vendors who put on breakfasts and lunches, with lots of goodies given away, and normally the company top dogs speak. They realize the potential in the audience of User Group leaders and are quite candid. Additionally, we normally get to see some of their new products with the developers on hand to answer real in-depth questions.

This year at COMDEX, there weren't any exciting blockbuster products to see, but there were lots of Pentiums; Warp was all over the place, and even Windows95 had a big presence. Of course, there were also lots of multimedia products. This year, the XXX-rated CD-ROM vendors were not allowed to demonstrate their programs or have the movie participants in their booths dressed pretty much as they appeared in the CDs. There was still enough noise in the Sands Convention Center to attract the MIDI crowd. There were also lots of new graphics accelerators coming down the pike. Some of them really can paint a screen fast. Of course, it helps to have one of those neat new $2,000 21" monitors.

IBM has really been pushing Warp, the new OS/2 version 3.0. Last month, I talked about my trials and tribulations with Warp and the Internet connection (P.S. I still haven't gotten my mail reader to work). I, of course, have been chastised for my relating the facts of my trials. But IBM at COMDEX gave me a newer version; I will try to report on its installation for the February Monitor. I will try to remember to install it the way that the IBMers advised me.

Seriously: I feel that IBM should be doing a few things if they
intend on being a viable alternative to Windows95. I confess to being a beta tester for Windows95, so I do have knowledge of it and Warp. I hereby give the following advice to IBM, and they can take it or ignore it, whatever. It is FREE. (Maybe only worth what they paid for it.)

If IBM wants to make Warp a viable OS to Windows95, they must put some money into a dual engine for application program installation programs. This way, all the application developers can ship an engine that will allow users to either install on OS/2 or Windows95 with their programs. Users will then have operating system options when they purchase word processors, spreadsheets, databases, or graphics programs. Most installation programs will sense what operating system a user has running and automatically select the correct interface engine programs to install. It would be seamless to the user, and both IBM and Microsoft would benefit. Then the applications program developers could spend their time on the portable code of their application instead of developing weird install programs for each of the two dominant operating systems. This might not be technically possible, but it would be nice, similar to plug-and-play. This way might also be cheaper than IBM having to seed (i.e., Big Bucks) several applications software manufacturers to get them to "do an OS/2" version. There, for what it's worth, is my FREE advice to IBM. Of course, I could be all wet.

Rich now ducks and weaves from the arrows of the Team OS/2 members.

Speaking of Team OS/2, IBM has now realized the value of its members and is working more closely with these unpaid evangelists. One of the problems with a few of the Team OS/2 members is that a few are just like some of the people who are known as Mac or Unix bigots: everyone else is wrong, not them, and if you are a real man/woman, you better use their OS. I define OS bigots as people who spend too much time telling you the defects in other operating systems and not enough about the good points of their OS of choice.

Some people are above this and believe that computers are really just tools to get your job done. Not everyone uses a screwdriver and gas pliers to overhaul their automobiles, they use the proper tool for each individual job. IBM has, in many cases, taken these people aside and told them to cool it. Most of the Team OS/2 people that I know are not like this; they are real serious people who believe that OS/2 is a good OS and volunteer their time to help others understand and appreciate it. This is great, and I don't mean to demean the Team OS/2 members; just letting you know my observations. P.S. I think that the MAC is a great tool for certain projects, as is the PC (does that get me off the hook?). <G>

Rich Schinnell is the President of Capital PC User Group, retired from the USN, and recently retired from Vitro Corporation. He is in the CPCUG offices on an irregular schedule, assisting the office staff in keeping CPCUG moving forward. He can be reached at the CPCUG offices at (301) 762-9372, and evenings at (301) 949-9292, until 9pm est. He can also be reached on the MIX, and on the Internet at schinnel@cpcug.org. Team OS/2 members can only call between 4-5am est. <G>

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