IBM Corporate support for OS/2 WARP
W. Kenneth Thompson
I am a very satisfied user of OS/2 2.1 and will upgrade to WARP when
the full WIN-OS/2 version becomes available. However, I am concerned
about what I perceive as a lack of corporate support for OS/2 at IBM.
As an example, I received a catalog titled The IBM PC Direct Source
Book from IBM. It contains specifications and ordering information
for the following IBM PC Systems:
ThinkPads Series
IBM PC 300 Series
IBM PC 700 Series
IBM ValuePoint Series
All of the systems come preloaded with DOS and Windows!!!. OS/2 WARP is
not even offered as a preloaded option. In fact OS/2 WARP is in a section
which otherwise contains only 3rd party (non-IBM software). In this
section they provide the option to get the following Microsoft products
preloaded:
Word for Windows
Excel for Windows
Microsoft Office for Windows
Microsoft Works for Windows
but not OS/2 WARP. It must be loaded by the customer.
I think that this indicates that IBM as a corporation is not supporting
OS/2 WARP. Apparently no one in power at IBM other than the group
responsible for WARP supports it. If IBM was really supporting OS/2, it
would offer OS/2 as an option on all its PC Systems.
--
Ken Thompson GTRI/ESML/SIB, Ga. Tech, Atlanta Ga. 30332
Phone: (404) 894-7089
Internet:!k...@prism.gatech.edu
uucp:...!{allegra,amd,hplabs,ut-ngp}!gatech!prism!kt4
Weed Eater (munch munch)
: I am a very satisfied user of OS/2 2.1 and will upgrade to WARP when
: the full WIN-OS/2 version becomes available. However, I am concerned
: about what I perceive as a lack of corporate support for OS/2 at IBM.
: As an example, I received a catalog titled The IBM PC Direct Source
: Book from IBM. It contains specifications and ordering information
: for the following IBM PC Systems:
: ThinkPads Series
: IBM PC 300 Series
: IBM PC 700 Series
: IBM ValuePoint Series
:
: All of the systems come preloaded with DOS and Windows!!!. OS/2 WARP is
: not even offered as a preloaded option. In fact OS/2 WARP is in a section
: which otherwise contains only 3rd party (non-IBM software). In this
: section they provide the option to get the following Microsoft products
: preloaded:
: Word for Windows
: Excel for Windows
: Microsoft Office for Windows
: Microsoft Works for Windows
: but not OS/2 WARP. It must be loaded by the customer.
: I think that this indicates that IBM as a corporation is not supporting
: OS/2 WARP. Apparently no one in power at IBM other than the group
: responsible for WARP supports it. If IBM was really supporting OS/2, it
: would offer OS/2 as an option on all its PC Systems.
This is not really true. IBM is finally trying to put Warp on the
PowerPC and Mac rather than creating a new OS, and IBM is really
advertising OS/2 well now.
The problem is, IMHO, poor cooperation between different division of
IBM. The PC Company is a wholly owned subsidiary whcih seems to do what
it likes.
However, I also have seen both ValuePoints and ThinkPads with WARP
preloaded, so it seems a little weird you can't find it.
: --
David Shepherd
: I am a very satisfied user of OS/2 2.1 and will upgrade to WARP when
: the full WIN-OS/2 version becomes available. However, I am concerned
: about what I perceive as a lack of corporate support for OS/2 at IBM.
: As an example, I received a catalog titled The IBM PC Direct Source
: Book from IBM. It contains specifications and ordering information
: for the following IBM PC Systems:
: ThinkPads Series
: IBM PC 300 Series
: IBM PC 700 Series
: IBM ValuePoint Series
:
: All of the systems come preloaded with DOS and Windows!!!. OS/2 WARP is
: not even offered as a preloaded option. In fact OS/2 WARP is in a section
: which otherwise contains only 3rd party (non-IBM software).
I think IBM have announced that they are preloading Warp on all
their PCs from January.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
david shepherd: sgs-thomson microelectronics ltd
email:d...@inmos.co.uk 1000 aztec west
tel: 01454-616616 x 638 almondsbury
bristol
"whatever you don't want, you don't want negative advertising" bs12 4sq
Don Hobsbawn
: I am a very satisfied user of OS/2 2.1 and will upgrade to WARP when
: the full WIN-OS/2 version becomes available. However, I am concerned
: about what I perceive as a lack of corporate support for OS/2 at IBM.
{snip}
This might be changing: I just have received in the past few days similar
types of material, both corporate-directed and end-user-directed and both
mentioned Warp. The corporate one offered Warp preloaded, but did not
feature it prominently (but *did* list it first...) The "home" materials
from IBM PCDirect (I think that's what they call themselves here)
featured prominent play on Warp - may pages, colour, much material etc.
Perhaps they conceive that corp usage is more likely to be in the
"fullpack" area and are directing Warp for Windows at the home market
more specifically. (speculation, of course)
_____________________________________
Don Hobsbawn | It's your right to pay the minimum
Cyclic Business Advisory Ltd. | amount of income tax: it's your
Calgary, Alberta, Canada | only way to have a "tax revolt"!
------------------------------------
--
Jon Czerwinski
>All of the systems come preloaded with DOS and Windows!!!. OS/2 WARP is
>not even offered as a preloaded option. In fact OS/2 WARP is in a section
>which otherwise contains only 3rd party (non-IBM software). In this
>section they provide the option to get the following Microsoft products
>preloaded:
>
> Word for Windows
> Excel for Windows
> Microsoft Office for Windows
> Microsoft Works for Windows
>
>but not OS/2 WARP. It must be loaded by the customer.
>
>I think that this indicates that IBM as a corporation is not supporting
>OS/2 WARP. Apparently no one in power at IBM other than the group
>responsible for WARP supports it. If IBM was really supporting OS/2, it
>would offer OS/2 as an option on all its PC Systems.
IBM came out and said back in October that beginning in January, the IBM PC Co.
would be pre-loading OS/2.
-Jon