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Randys Rumor Rag 1993 08
RAndY s RumOR RaG
August 1993
NEWS IN YER FACE
Here's a new one for you. You've surely seen the coffee mugs
and pens emblazoned with corporate logos that companies routinely
give away. Metromedia Communications is selling the PhonePass.
It's a disposable credit card you give to a client which is good
for a pre-determined amount of long distance service. The client
you give it to uses it like a credit card and then throws it away
when it's used up. You can have your logo printed on the card and
callers using the card can even hear a customized greeting. Each
PhonePass is available for 10-100 minutes of long distance time
($5-$50) and the minimum purchase of cards is $2,500.
---------------
Intel is pushing the 486DX2/66 as an attempt to keep users
away from AMD chips. AMD is due (as I write this) to release a 486
compatible chip based on non-Intel code.
---------------
Microsoft will release a beta of Windows for Workgroups, code-
named Snowball, in mid August and a new 3.11 version could be out
by the fall.
To be an integral part of the product will be IPX and TCP/IP
protocol stacks. They're hoping to ease the installation process
and reduce memory requirements. The product will be faster with
database and disk I/O operations. Another goal is better
connectivity with non-Windows environments.
---------------
WordPerfect has delayed the release of InForms due to
technical glitches, not a lawsuit from Shana Corp. (which markets
a forms package called Informed). Shana claims that there is
customer confusion over the name, but WordPerfect is sticking with
its plans.
Expect an interim release of InForms this fall which will
include support for DDE and OLE 2.
---------------
Quarterdeck is hoping that their new upgraded memory
management software will provide the company with some financial
stability. Recent releases of DOS have hurt their business
severely, recently slipping 23.5%.
---------------
Here's an interesting new product - PhotoMorph (from North
Coast Software). Select a starting image and ending image, and
place markers around the area to be morphed. The software will
generate an animation. You control the compression and frames per
second. Included is a runtime version of Video for Windows so you
can distribute your animation. Several transitional effects are
also possible. The list price is only $149.95.
---------------
Expected to be released in August is the Scanman EasyTouch
from Logitech. What distinguishes this scanner from others,
besides its size and appearance, is that it requires no board. It
connects to the parallel port (with a pass-through connector). The
different software packages with which the scanner will be bundled
will be TWAIN-compliant. Suggested list price will be $399.
---------------
Oak Technology will introduce a Windows and OS/2 accelerator
chip with multimedia capabilities. The chip, called Spitfire, has
a video port that will accept full-color, full-motion video and
display it in a window. The Spitfire has a 64-bit data path to
graphics memory and a series of built-in FIFO buffers for
maintaining transfer rates of up to 200M per second. There are
four bit maps that allow Windows and NT raster operations to be
performed in one step. There is an interface for VESA local bus,
PCI, and ISA.
---------------
Sales of Novell NetWare 4.0 are sluggish. Users are skittish
about giving up what they've got and some are wary of version
numbers ending in "0". There are also apparent problems with an
inability to load Virtual Loadable Modules to launch under Windows,
bindery emulation difficulties when using third party applications,
and sluggish login times.
There was one day recently when *no* support calls were
received for NetWare 4.
---------------
FREDDY PHARKAS FRONTIER PHARMACIST
Imagine Leisure Suit Larry meets Blazing Saddles and you've
pretty much got the idea.
This new game from Sierra On-Line is very entertaining.
You're an ex-gunslinger turned pharmacist in the Old West. Someone
is trying to destroy your town and it's up to you to find out who
it is and stop them. (HINT: The person you least suspect is the
guilty party.)
Along the way you'll encounter lots of interesting characters
including an Indian sidekick (Eastern Indian), the local Madame,
and the new Schoolmarm. The sound effects are excellent. In
addition to the usual background music are interspersed occasional
sampled sounds (like glass being broken, the crack of a whip,
etc.).
The puzzles are challenging and the scenery is very well done.
There are several places in the game where a sepia-toned image is
gradually transformed to natural color.
I wouldn't recommend the game to children, due to
miscellaneous sheep jokes and flatulent horses (with sound
effects). The jokes aren't dirty, they're more corny than
anything.
---------------
AND SO IT GOES
My PageMaker 5 woes continue. After ten days they returned my
call. Their fix for the problem with old documents was to link
with the original graphics. Unfortunately I don't have the
original graphics. I've figured it out that it's the imported CGM
graphics causing the problem. If I delete the graphics, the
documents will print. If I replace existing graphics with new
graphics, the documents will print. Looks like a problem with CGM
graphics to me. This was confirmed with the Aldus call. They said
that they were aware of a problem with the CGM import filter and a
fix was due in the future.
To compound the problem, imported CGM graphics from Corel are
flipped upside-down. That makes extra work for me to flip them
back the way they're supposed to be. I've tried the graphics in
other programs and they're fine, so that tells me the problem is
with PageMaker. Again, this was substantiated by Aldus Technical
Support. Their suggestion was to use the filter from PageMaker4
and cautioned that there may be other problems using the older
version.
What ever happened to beta testing?
---------------
MORE NEWS IN YER FACE
The Sierra Network recently signed a pact with AT&T and
General Atlantic Partners giving AT&T part ownership in The Sierra
Network.
The Sierra Network also aligned itself with Prodigy. Said
John Williams, vice president of The Sierra Network, "The Sierra
Network and Prodigy are a perfect fit. We're like the comics
section and they're like the rest of the paper."
---------------
Micronics, a major manufacturer of motherboards, is now making
motherboards in standard and "green" versions. The board features
two standard VL slots and an integrated VL-bus IDE controller.
Micronics claims that energy savings could drop to $12 per year
compared to $35 for standard systems. Air-conditioning costs could
be reduced also, because it takes 1.5 watts of cooling energy for
each watt of electricity consumed by a PC.
---------------
WordPerfect has new DOS-based fax software available which
lets users fax from within any DOS application. Soon to follow is
a Windows version which is expected to support OCR and remote
communications.
The package was previously sold under the name of
METZ/ExpressFax and was packaged with computers sold by Dell,
Megahertz, Zoom Telephonics, and U.S. Robotics under OEM
agreements.
---------------
Concerning recent announcements of a layoff of 2,500 employees
by Apple, Jay Leno recently quipped they were achieving their
longtime dream of becoming the same size as IBM.
---------------
I recently attended a WordPerfect product rollout and was
amazed at the negative comments by resellers concerning Clinton and
his proposed economic policies. A recent survey by Computer
Reseller News found a majority of venture capitalists in the
technology industry fear the Clinton administratin will be bad for
business. I thought I was the only one who had this figured out.
---------------
Sierra On-Line is scheduled to release a new Leisure Suit
Larry in November called "Shape Up or Slip Out". Larry gets chosen
as a contestant on a dating show and, of course, loses. The
consolation prize is two weeks at La Costa Lotta health spa. I
hear he's surrounded by women, each with a physical flaw that must
be corrected. The icon and inventory bars are permanently visible
and there are scrolling text bars.
Police Quest IV is also due out soon, featuring photo-
realistic images. This game was developed by former Los Angeles
Police Chief Daryl Gates.
You've probably heard that Sierra is moving their corporate
offices to the Seattle area. Game development and TSN will stay in
Coarsegold, CA. Hope Ken and Roberta like latte. Welcome to God's
country.
---------------
A new screen saver called Coaster has simulations of four
well-know roller coaster rides from across the country. The
simulations take the rider's point of view and use digitized sound
(like the creaking of wood) and graphics. Scenery adjacent to the
ride changes as the car moves. List price is $59.95 from Road
Scholar Software and the program will be followed up by one that
lets you build your own roller coaster.
---------------
Microsoft and an un-named CD-ROM drive vendor are rumored to
have plans for bundling Windows NT with a drive and SCSI adapter.
In an unrelated piece of information, I learned that
Microsoft's Mike Maples' son works for IBM on OS/2. Small world.
---------------
MICROSOFT DINOSAURS
Dinosaurs have been popular for some time and the movie
"Jurassic Park" has produced an explosion of interest in dinosaurs
recently.
Microsoft has finally released their multimedia excursion into
the world of Dinosaurs. This CD is extremely well done. The only
way it could be better is if the dinosaurs could jump out of the
screen and rip your face off.
The interface is pretty obvious and easy to navigate. There
are several animations and a short video from the PBS series, all
using Video for Windows technology. The accompanying sound is
outstanding - so get your sound card hooked up through your stereo
now. Some of the animations are quite graphic, but then so is
nature. My only complaint is the pro-evolution philosophy that is
used to explain some things.
Your kids will love this. There's even a special mode for
watching a slideshow of images and sound. Since the names for some
of these creatures are hard to pronounce, there are pronunciations
throughout the multimedia experience. You can also print just
about anything that's on the screen including "fact cards" which
are like trading cards. There are even a couple of screen savers
included.
---------------
ACCESS 2 WISH LIST
Although Microsoft's Access Version 2 has not yet reached beta
testing, they're already compiling a list of features which will
likely be implemented. (Rumor has it that the program will ship by
year's end.)
Look for a graphical relation builder which would simplify
creation of one-to-many-to-many relationships, table wizards,
inproved join semantics, faster SQL pass-through, and an integrated
expression builder function to allow development of complex
expressions. They're also likely to add Rushmore-like
optimization.
---------------
EVEN MORE NEWS IN YER FACE
In case you haven't noticed, DRAM prices have jumped
noticeably. The price of 1 Meg SIMMs recently more than doubled.
The culprit, for once, isn't restrictive government regulations.
Fire recently destroyed the Sumitomo Chemical Company which
produced 60% of the the world's epoxy resin which is used in chip
manufacture.
---------------
The Windows word processor wars will be heating up this fall.
It is expected that Word for Windows will beat out WordPerfect for
Windows 6 in getting to market.
Word for Windows will support OLE 2 and also include Wizards,
background printing, editable print previews, open database
connectivity, and automatic calculation of tables.
WordPerfect for Windows 6 will not initially support OLE 2,
but will have features not found in Word such as expanded
spreadsheet capabilities within tables. You'll also see the
Coaches feature from the new DOS WordPerfect.
WordPerfect reports that in the first few days after the
introducion of the new DOS word processor they shipped over 500,000
copies.
---------------
It Was Only A Matter of Time Dept.: I see that someone is now
offering an adult PhotoCD. Technology marches on...
---------------
What's the difference between Jurassic Park and IBM?
One's a high-tech theme park for dinosaurs and the other is a
movie by Steven Spielberg.
Want another take on this one?
What's the difference between Jurassic Park and Microsoft?
One is a high-tech theme park dominated by expensive, nasty,
hungry, predatory monsters that will destroy anything they can get
their teeth into, and the other is a movie.
---------------
WARNING: If you got a Publisher 2.0 demo disk from Microsoft,
be sure it's clean. Reports are that it contains the Forms virus.
Microsoft confirms the fact and blames it on a third-party
manufacturer. Clean disks will be sent out. Some wonder if this
is a ploy to sell more DOS 6 with anti-virus.
---------------
By the time you read this, Microsoft should have released
Screens, a line of screen savers with collections of photographic
images from nature, art, and outer space. Using Wizards, users can
add their own bitmap images to the collections. Genigraphics gives
users three free conversions for personal photographs with
additionals costing $8 each.
The nature series contains 48 images from the Sierra Club with
a "substantial" portion of the proceeds going to the Sierra Club
and users get a $10 reduction on club memberships. Let's all hug
a tree now.
Also due out from Microsoft soon is Microsoft Arcade. This is
a Windows-based rendition of the five most popular arcade games
from Atari - Asteroids, Centipede, Battle Zone, Missile Command,
and Tempest. The $39.95 package will have sounds digitized from
the original games and can be played full-screen if desired.
I hear that Microsoft will release 20-30 consumer titles by
the end of the year.
---------------
Virus zappers McAffee Associates have signed a letter of
intent to purchase Buttonware, the shareware kings.
---------------
Corel is going to pass on developing CorelDraw 4 for OS/2.
Instead, they've decided to develop a common code base to
streamline development for all platforms. This common API will
appear in CorelDraw 5, scheduled for a spring 1994 appearance.
---------------
Bill Gates recently slammed Novell saying this regarding
Novell's role in the FTC investigation, "The only issues that are
still active are the ones Novell raises to sell more of their
attempted clone product". Gates said he is "very disappointed" in
the way Novell fueled the investigation.
Gates also said, "Novell has stuffed the hell out of the
channel and only succeeded in confusing themselves anew. They have
a bifurcated strategy offering NetWare as a file server and Unix as
an application server".
---------------
EIGHT BALLS OF FIRE
I think they should call this one "Give Me A Break" instead of
"Take A Break". Sierra started advertising this over a year ago,
then you suddenly heard nothing about it. I assume they had some
programming difficulties or something.
Anyway, it's finally here. Pinball has never been too popular
on the computer. I think it's because you can't hit and shake the
machine (this game allows for that - be careful you don't TILT),
and up until now, computer pinball simulations have been lame.
Sierra has done an outstanding job with this one. You get
eight different games featuring themes from their adventure games.
There are three games from Space Quest, two from Nova 9, one from
Leisure Suit Larry, Willie Beamish, and the King's Quest series.
My least favorite is the Willie Beamish one - because there's so
much going on that it's hard to keep track of the ball.
Each of the games is different, not just the same game with a
different background. Each presents its own challenges. It looks
like they have provided for adding games in the future.
The action is excellent and as realistic as you'll see on a
computer simulation. There are tons of music and sound effects,
supplemented by animated characters who may sometimes come out and
steal your ball. One of the Nova 9 games has two effects which
could not be done with a real pinball machine.
You can have up to four different players and the best part is
that you don't need a quarter to play. The executable file has a
variety of icons available to keep your boss from catching you when
you minimize a game.
---------------
WINSENSE
Do you have trouble making sense out of your Windows INI
settings? SoftLogic's Winsense will analyze your system and
Windows settings, then recommend numerous fine-tuning changes.
Although the program does a decent job of system snooping I'd
advise you to be savvy over what some INI options are before
deciding to change them. The program gives some information, but
one of the settings it recommended I delete is required for a
certain program.
Winsense will likely do the job for fine-tuning your Windows
configuration, but don't blindly accept it's recommendations.
---------------
PRESENTATIONS FOR WINDOWS
If you've seen the DOS version, you've seen the Windows
version. In terms of functionality, they're virtually identical.
The product ships with some Bitstream TrueType fonts which you
may find useful. The clipart eats up an enormous amount of hard
drive space and a full installation takes 24 megs. Like it's word
processing cousin, Presentations for Windows takes a little while
to load (even on my 486-50 VESA local bus).
Creating objects and entering text is easy enough, but I'm too
used to the way Corel does it. It would take a user of any other
graphics program a little time to get used to placing, filling, and
moving objects on the screen. The QuickTutors are helpful, but
they don't go far enough and are far less elegant than Microsoft's
Wizards.
I don't know, it seems like WordPerfect just doesn't get it
when it comes to Windows programs. This is a good package that's
probably worth what they're charging for it. But there's something
about this and WordPerfect for Windows (which I use) which just
isn't as smooth as a Windows product should be.
For example, if you mess with fonts at all, you get the
"Updating Printer Information" message. Although WordPerfect has
worked to keep this nonsense to a minimum it shouldn't be there at
all.
Do what you want to on this one, but I'll stick with Corel.
---------------
IBM VS MICROSOFT
IBM and Microsoft are at each others' throats again.
Microsoft published a document called "Windows NT and OS/2 2.1: The
Advantages of Windows NT for Today's Client-Server Computing" which
contrasted Windows NT with OS/2.
Here are some excerpts from IBM's rebuttal.
"The most prominent theme Microsoft stresses throughout the
document is that the client/server functions needed for most
customers are "built-in" to Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced
Server and, therefore, are integrated. Most of the functions,
however, were actually previously available separately, or are
still separate Microsoft products that are bundled with Windows NT
(e.g., the LAN server function in Windows NT Advanced Server was a
port of the Microsoft OS/2 LAN Manager product plus enhancements)."
"'Built-in' does not mean products are more tightly
integrated. Both IBM LAN Server 3.0 and NetWare from IBM for OS/2
products, for instance, are integrated down to ring 0 (privileged
kernel areas) of the OS/2 operating system. The fact that Microsoft
uses the word 'built-in' is much more of a marketing and packaging
statement than it is an integration statement."
Another key requirement that Microsoft focuses on is
"reliability". We agree that this is a major requirement for
client/server environments. We disagree with Microsoft's definition
of reliability, which is summarized on Microsoft's chart on page 3
as "tightly integrated security", "built-in fault tolerance",
"integrated systems and network management services", and
"application and system integrity". Removing the words "tightly",
"integrated", and "built-in", per the discussion above, OS/2 and
its family of flexible extensions is delivering virtually all of
what Microsoft is referring to, plus many more important IBM
exclusives, and IBM PSP has demonstrated or announced products that
extend our lead as the premier provider of client/server
solutions."
"The Microsoft document also has distorted Windows 3.0 and
Windows 3.1 volumes to emphasize Windows market acceptance. There
is no dispute that Microsoft has achieved market success with the
Windows 3.x family, but what is misleading about the document is
that it uses Windows 3.x volumes when comparing to OS/2's market
presence, but uses Windows NT's features when comparing product
lines."
Given these overall observations, we would like to address the
statements one by one.
Microsoft Claim:
"It [OS/2 2.1] does not run Windows applications as well as
Windows does."
IBM Response:
OS/2 2.1 includes actual Windows 3.1 code to provide Microsoft
Windows 3.1 functionality and compatibility. OS/2 can also provide
Windows applications with key client/server features, such as crash
protection and pre-emptive multitasking, by running them in
separate Virtual DOS Machines (VDMs). (These are features that
Microsoft presentations concede will not be supported in Windows NT
for 16-bit Windows 3.1 applications.)
Microsoft Claim:
"Today, OS/2 does not support key Windows features [such] as
dynamic data exchange (DDE), object linking and embedding (OLE) and
even cut and paste between separate Windows virtual device machines
(VDMs)."
IBM Response:
Not true. OS/2's public clipboard enables DDE and cut-and-paste
to work correctly between Windows applications in separate Windows
VDMs (OLE works correctly between applications in the same Windows
VDM, which is equivalent to Windows NT OLE support).
Microsoft Claim:
"IBM has no single strategy ... long-term, IBM is working on
eight different operating systems."
IBM Response:
IBM recognizes that there is no "one size fits all" strategy when
it comes to customer computing environments. The number of
operating systems offered by IBM is a result of our long-term
leadership in helping customers develop mission-critical systems to
meet their needs on a wide variety of hardware platforms. The
breadth of IBM offerings is underscored by a singular commitment to
serve our customers. On the Intel-compatible platform alone,
Microsoft has at least eight operating systems supporting their
strategy: Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT, Windows
NT Advanced Server, Chicago, Cairo, Modular Windows, and Winpad,
all of which have differences in their application programming
interfaces (APIs).
Microsoft Claim:
"IBM embraces Windows."
IBM Response:
It is true that the IBM PC Company resells Windows, and may also
pre-load Windows NT when customers request it. IBM recommends OS/2
and its client/server extensions over Windows and Windows NT
because it is a superior platform for client/server computing.
Microsoft Claim:
"Key ISVs, such as Micrografx, are halting their OS/2 development
efforts ... "
IBM Response:
This statement is incorrect. OS/2 Professional magazine published
the following in the May 1993 issue: "PC Week recently published an
article saying Micrografx was not behind OS/2. On the contrary, J.
Paul Grayson, Micrografx CEO, says the company has more people
working on OS/2 than ever before. Grayson says Mirrors is doing
very well, and they are evaluating new directions for OS/2
products. Among Micrografx's OS/2 offerings are Designer and
Windows Draw. Grayson also reportedly attempted to get the PC Week
article corrected prior to publication, but was unsuccessful."
Microsoft Claim:
"... 25 million customers are using Windows already ..."
IBM Response:
While the shipment volumes of Windows is granted, there are
several reasons to question the number of actual Windows users.
First, the 25 million number is the number of shipments since
Windows 3.0. Most users of Windows 3.0 have upgraded to OS/2 or
Windows 3.1. Second, 60 percent of all PCs ship with Windows
pre-installed, whether the user intends to use it or not. Last
October, Windows magazine estimated that only 1/3 of all Windows
shipments were actually being used.
Microsoft Claim:
"Windows 3.1 leverages existing hardware and software better."
IBM Response:
It is a pretty safe assumption that most of the PCs that are
running Windows 3.1 are 386 or above class machines with 32-bit
architectures. While Windows 3.1 runs on more existing machine
configurations, it does not fully exploit the capabilities of those
machines like OS/2 2.x can, since Windows 3.1 is a 16-bit DOS
extender running on 32-bit hardware. In addition, there are more
software packages that run on OS/2 2.1, since it runs DOS, Windows
3.1, and advanced 32-bit OS/2 applications.
Microsoft Claim:
"... Usage of OS/2 has dwindled. This is because Windows NT best
addresses customer requirements for high-end operating systems."
IBM Response:
Contrary to Microsoft's claims, usage of OS/2 has not "dwindled".
Shipments of OS/2 2.0 exceed all previous releases of OS/2
combined, and OS/2 2.1 has had a very positive reception in the
market and is currently shipping in high volumes.
"The assertion that Windows NT best addresses requirements for
high-end operating systems is subjective and unsupported. A phone
survey done by Communications Week for their 19 April issue asked
the question "Which operating system is more strategic to your
enterprise network: IBM's OS/2 or Microsoft's forthcoming Windows
NT?" Over 1,400 votes were cast for OS/2, with only 75 cast for NT
(95 percent to 5 percent)."
"The primary correction (besides the inaccuracies about OS/2)
is to include Windows 3.1, Microsoft's high-volume client OS. As
you can see, it fails Microsoft's own criteria as a client for
client/server computing. By these criteria, Microsoft's strategy
might be looked at as a server/server strategy."
Microsoft Claim:
"Windows NT is the most powerful, reliable and open operating
system for client-server computing."
IBM Response:
This statement is subjective and unsupported.
Microsoft Claim:
"NT runs on all Intel 386/486 and compatible CPUs and will take
full advantage of Intel's Pentium processor."
IBM Response:
This is not correct. The recommended minimum environment for NT
is either a very fast (25 MHz+) 386 or 486 processor with 12 to 16
MB of memory. International Data Corporation estimates this to be
only 20 percent of the installed base of PCs. OS/2, on the other
hand, runs on 386SX or above processors, and requires less memory
(6 to 8 MB recommended).
Microsoft Claim:
"OS/2 2.x only runs on the Intel x86 platform. IBM claims they
are porting OS/2 to the Mach kernel, but this means creating an
entirely new OS, which is a long and difficult project. For
example, Windows NT took over four and one-half years to develop
and spent over a year and one-half in large-scale external
testing."
IBM Response:
To compare the development of an OS/2 personality that works on
top of the IBM microkernel (Mach-based) to the development of
Windows NT is very misleading. Windows NT was developed from
scratch to provide complex, high-end operating system functions
that are not available in the DOS/Windows environment, such as
multitasking, multi-threading, 32-bit memory model,
high-performance file system, etc. OS/2 already has all these
high-end features, and we do not have to "create" an entirely new
operating system to move them to a microkernel environment. We also
do not need to "create" the Mach microkernel, which is an
established code base developed by Carnegie Mellon University, and
is adopted, approved, and licensed by the Open Software Foundation.
Microsoft, on the other hand, decided to build the kernel for NT
from scratch (which they admit is a long and difficult project). In
doing so, they have also decided to keep their operating system
proprietary, not truly open to the industry. IBM, on the other
hand, is in the process of licensing our microkernel technology to
various industry players.
Microsoft Claim:
"OS/2 2.x does not support multiprocessor systems."
IBM Response:
As mentioned earlier, OS/2 currently supports the multiprocessing
(asymmetric) PS/2 195 and 295 (available today), and OS/2 2.x was
demonstrated on a variety of symmetric multiprocessing machines at
COMDEX/Spring '93 and PC Expo 1993.
Microsoft Claim:
"OS/2 does not have integration between 16-bit Windows and 32-bit
OS/2 applications. In addition, integration features such as OLE
and DDE do not work between separate 16-bit Windows VDMs. In many
cases, simple cuts and pastes between VDMs do not work properly."
IBM Response:
As stated earlier, OS/2's public clipboard enables DDE and
cut-and-paste to work correctly between application in separate
Windows VDMs (OLE works correctly between applications in the same
Windows VDM, which is equivalent to Windows NT OLE support). We
also support cut-and-paste and DDE between Windows and OS/2
applications.
Microsoft Claim:
"This [NT's] complete memory protection prevents errant
applications from corrupting data, interfering with other
applications, or damaging the system."
IBM Response:
This is not correct. Because NT runs all 16-bit Windows
applications in a single address space, it is possible for one of
these applications to interfere with one of the others running in
that same space. This can happen between 16-bit Windows
applications under Windows 3.0 and 3.1 in the form of UAEs and
GPFs, respectively, and can continue to happen under Windows NT.
Microsoft Claim:
"IBM's strategy ... [is to] show that Windows NT is broken."
IBM Response:
This is not correct. IBM does not believe that Windows NT is
broken. It is late, still unavailable, and definitely unproven. We
do, however, believe that Microsoft's client/server strategy and
products are not as good as ours, as we offer a more reliable,
comprehensive, and available set of client/server solutions.
Microsoft Claim:
"IBM has promised these features and others that Windows NT has
today for the future, but equivalent functionality is still one to
three years out."
IBM Response:
Windows NT is not generally available today, and Microsoft's
statements do not reflect IBM's priorities or product plans. OS/2
has a 15-month lead as an available 32-bit operating system, and
has features Microsoft does not plan to ship in Windows NT 3.1,
such as an object-oriented Workplace Shell user interface and our
System Object Model, which incorporates object technology directly
into the operating system to allow object reuse between different
object languages. In addition, we have announced delivery for the
third quarter of 1993, and are beta-testing Distributed SOM, which
allows object communication and re-use over networks, between
different languages, and potentially even different operating
systems (e.g., AIX and OS/2). In addition, IBM has recently stated
its intent to use OpenDoc technology from Apple for compound
document integration that will support SOM and DSOM, providing
application integration across multiple operating systems,
including UNIX, and across networks (both of which are features
that are lacking in OLE 2.0 from Microsoft). OpenDoc is
vendor-independent, and has growing industry support from major
players, including IBM, Apple, Novell, WordPerfect, and Borland.
Microsoft Claim:
"Windows NT is compatible with Windows 16-bit and MS-DOS
applications."
IBM Response:
We believe NT will be compatible with the high-volume
applications, but Microsoft will not focus on compatibility for
lower-volume or home-grown applications. Also, DOS and Windows
applications that ship with and use a DOS device driver will not
run under NT without modification unless a new device driver is
supplied.
Microsoft Claim:
"Windows NT's 16-bit application protection model provides error
trapping between applications and more importantly provides full
integration between applications. OS/2's model breaks application
integration."
IBM Response:
The error-trapping mechanism in Windows 3.1 (and NT) for 16-bit
applications is not the same thing as the true protection that OS/2
provides for all applications by running them under separate
processes. Error trapping just notifies the user once the damage
has been done, and recommends the user reboot (Windows 3.1) or
restart the Windows subsystem (Windows NT). Also, as stated
earlier, Microsoft is incorrect about OS/2's ability to support DDE
and cut-and-paste between Windows applications in separate VDMs,
and OLE works correctly between applications in the same Windows
VDM, which is equivalent to Windows NT OLE support. Also, IBM has
announced its intention to support OpenDoc, which will provide
compound document integration across multiple operating system
types, including UNIX, and over networks, which are features that
OLE 2.0 does not support.
Microsoft Claim:
"Neither OS/2 nor Windows NT runs on [Intel 386 systems with 4 MB
of RAM]."
IBM Response:
This is incorrect. OS/2 does run on 4MB Intel 386 systems
(although 6 to 8 MB are recommended). Windows NT does not.
Microsoft Claim:
"IBM Asserts: OS/2 2.1 runs Windows applications faster than
Windows NT on identical hardware ... Windows NT performance is
equivalent to OS/2 2.1."
IBM Response:
Some independent performance tests on Windows NT and OS/2 have
been described on public bulletin boards that have drawn the
conclusion that DOS and Windows applications run faster on OS/2
than on Windows NT; however, IBM has not and will not "assert"
anything officially until the Windows NT code is made generally
available.
Microsoft Claim:
"Microsoft has met every development milestone with Windows NT
and plans to deliver it as promised in Q2 1993."
IBM Response:
The following would seem to suggest otherwise:
MacWeek, 13 July 1992: "NT is on track to ship by the end of the
year [1992] and is expected to cost less than 500 USD, Gates said."
Computer Reseller News, 28 September 1992: "Walker says that
Windows NT will ship during the first few months of 1993."
Newsbytes, 28 September 1992: "The new date is now 'early 1993',
with Microsoft officials saying that it 'needs more time to respond
to customer suggestions for improvements in the Windows NT
system'." Software magazine, December 1992: "At the ITAA conference
... Mike Maples, Microsoft's executive vice president, said NT
would ship in April." InfoWorld, 15 March 1993: "NT could ship to
customers later than the promised date of 30 June, but no more than
30 days late, Walker said." Windows World, Spring 1993: Gates said
in his keynote address that Windows NT would ship within 60 days
[by 22 July] and that Windows NT Advanced Server would ship within
30 days of Windows NT [by 21 August]. PC Week, 5 July 1993: "Gates
also said Microsoft will ship Windows NT by the end of the month
[July] ...".
---------------
COREL KODAK MOMENT
Later in August, Corel will release a series of Kodak PhotoCD
products called "Corel Professional Photos". They plan to release
more than 40 titles within the next two months and will have
approximately 100 by the year's end. Each title will have an SRP
of $49.95. Corel plans to donate $1 for each CD registration to
Child Find, a charity that locates missing children.
There are 100 images per disk, all royalty free and compatible
with both PC and Mac. Included on the disks are utilities to aid
the user in manipulating and utilizing the images. There will be
a screen saver and wallpaper flipper utility along with Corel
Mosaic (visual file manager) and Corel PhotoCD Lab (slide show
program). There will also be five musical accompaniments to each
disk along with the excellent Corel-Audio CD player.
Some of the first titles will include the Arctic, birds,
churches, insects, lingerie, Porsches, sunrises and sunsets, and
trees.
---------------
INFORMS
A lot of people who manage large numbers of forms have been
waiting for this one for some time. I don't have the time to
really get into the program, and have no need for such a thing in
my businesses. (I do have a dealer copy though.)
I saw the package demonstrated at a WordPerfect rollout and
the reps put it through its paces better than I could. It's
impressive.
Not only can you create forms, fill them in on the screen and
print them out - but you can link them with any popular database
format. Forms can be easily distributed throughout a network and
a QBE feature makes queries easy.
The electronic signature feature is one WordPerfect is
particularly proud of. After you electronically sign a form, that
form cannot be modified using a TamperSeal technology.
This is a two-part package. Within a corporation, only a few
people are likely to need the designer module. The filler module
is the one more people will probably use. You also get the
standard spell checker, ATM, over 100 form templates, calculations
with over 120 functions, and Bitstream TrueType fonts.
If you need to manage numerous forms across a network, this is
the one that will certainly fill your needs.
---------------
NEW SOUND CHIPS
Media Vision is now offering OEMs two new chip sets - the Jazz
and Jazz 16 - with low power consumption for adding sound to
laptops.
The Jazz chip set includes the MVD1208 8-bit audio controller,
the MVA408 8-bit code and the MVA514 mixer. The Jazz 16 includes
the 16-bit MVD1216 audio controller, the MVA416 16-bit codec, and
the same mixer used n the Jazz chip set. Each chip set can play
and record either mono or stereo sound at up to 44.1kHz.
=================================
DISCLAIMER
RAndY's RumOR RaG is published on a monthly basis by AINSWORTH
COMPUTER SERVICES and is available on various local BBS's, GEnie,
and America Online as well as in Modem News.
In case anyone cares, RAndY's RumOR RaG is produced on a 486-
50 with 8 megs of memory, Diamond Stealth Pro VESA VLB (1 MB), 105
MB Toshiba IDE hard drive, Teac 1.2 MB and 1.44 MB floppies, Pro
Audio Spectrum 16 running a Hitachi 3750 CD ROM drive, Sceptre SVGA
display, Microsoft mouse, WordPerfect for Windows and transmitted
through a US Robotics HST Dual Standard modem.
Opinions expressed are those of the author. Comments should
be addressed to Ainsworth Computer Services on GEnie, America
Online, phone, analog mail, or whatever method makes you feel good.
AINSWORTH COMPUTER SERVICES
605 W. Wishkah
Aberdeen, WA 98520-6031
(206) 533-6647
GEnie Address: RAG
America Online: RumOR RaG
