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Clarification of Comments by IBM's Bill Etherington.
I've received several inquiries regarding press articles which appeared as a result of comments made by IBM's Bill Etherington at a recent conference in Monaco. A German wire service reported Mr. Etherington's comments, and the wire service story was picked up (and then often misinterpreted) by other press reporters.
Mr. Etherington, while acknowledging that Windows 95 has enjoyed success in the consumer marketplace, did NOT indicate that IBM would withdraw OS/2 Warp from consumer sales or otherwise, as some press stories have reported.
He did say:
"IBM is firmly committed to OS/2 Warp as the most reliable, scalable desktop operating system for enterprise and professional users."
He also said:
"We are continuing to invest heavily in OS/2 Warp to extend its capabilities to the Internet and Intranets as an example of the implementation of our network computing strategy."
Indeed, most press articles quoted Mr. Etherington accurately, but many drew the erroneous conclusion (not supported by Mr. Etherington's comments, and not contained between quotation marks) that IBM plans to withdraw OS/2 Warp in some fashion.
In short, IBM is primarily focused on marketing OS/2 Warp to business and enterprise users. (The same statement would apply to virtually all of IBM's product line.) Most development will be focused on continuing to strengthen OS/2 Warp's network computing features, including Java, TCP/IP, Lotus Domino, Netscape Communicator, etc., because OS/2 Warp users are telling us to expend most (not all!) of our efforts in these areas. We want OS/2 Warp users to be full (if not best) participants in the world of network computing. However, "primarily focused" does NOT mean exclusively focused, and IBM has no plans whatsoever to withdraw OS/2 Warp as a shrinkwrap product (available in quantity one).
IBM is working with the wire service and hopes they will issue a clarification to their subscribers.
IBM's electronic newsletter, "OS/2 Warp FM," Flash No. 30, includes further information on IBM's statements to the press regarding OS/2 Warp and
network computing. For more information on OS/2 Warp, please visit the OS/2 Warp home page at http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp.
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Creative Labs decides OS/2 is worth supporting.
We can't make any promises as to the extent of the support, but see the message forwarded to us below:
Original-From: Technical Services Department
Dear Sir/Madam,
We refer to your email received on 30 Jun 1997.
With regards to your problem, we are pleased to inform you that the driver for supporting the Sound Blaster in OS2 platform will be available very soon for downloading. Please kindly browse our Creative Zone regularly for the release of the software.
In addition, check out our Creative Zone now and join in as an exclusive member of the Creative Connection. As we are constantly updating our web site with more useful information, you should be able to find solutions and answers to your enquiries.
Last but not least, please feel free to contact us again if you require additional information which is not available on our Creative Zone, giving us a full description of the problem faced.
Best Regards
Customer Support Group
Creative Technology Limited, Singapore
Announcing version 1.0d of Hacksaw for OS/2 and Windows 95/NT! Here is what we fixed:
In communicating with FTP servers, on some commands the program only sent a linefeed character at the end, instead of a carriage return and linefeed pair. This worked fine on most FTP servers, but a couple of OS/2-based FTP server software packages sit and wait until they've received both characters, not just the linefeed. So Hacksaw wasn't working with servers which use those software packages. Fixed.
By the way, we're told that a shareware OS/2-based FTP server software package that works fine with Hacksaw (as opposed to the one which comes with OS/2 Server, which doesn't) is called Penguin FTP, in case anyone's looking for one. The gentleman who told us this, also says that it is a lot better than the one which comes with OS/2 Server in lots of other ways, as well. (No, he is not the author of Penguin FTP.)
Download the new Hacksaw package(s) using the same filename(s) you used for your original order, as the old files on our servers have been overwritten by the new versions. Unzip the package file(s) into the same directory(s) in which you currently have the old version(s) installed.
If you have the OS/2 version of Hacksaw: If you've made any changes to either of the included REXX programs (*.CMD files) or to BLAMSPAM.CFG, then be careful not to overwrite them when you unzip the new version.
There is no HACKSAW.INI file in the package files, so unzipping the new version into your existing directory will not overwrite your settings.
Kari Jackson 07/15/97 01:07pm
Miscellaneous Stardock Updates.
Just to keep you abrest of the latest news, the PlusPak: PMINews demo is now available from the Stardock web page. This demo is functionally identical to the release with the exception that only 3 grouplists and 3 newsgroups/grouplist can be used in each session(there may be some other minor limitations along the lines of the above(only save/print 3 times per execution?), but the program is fully functional.
The demo is at code revision 1.01a, the same as the latest update available from our web site for all users. However, since the update requires the real version to patch, there should not be any problems with people "updating" their demo copies to real ones.
In other news, a beta of the first Links FixKit is also available. This starts to fix a number of bugs, with the main one being the program dying on non-Intel CPU's(time to buy some new machines for the lab . . .). It also includes a switch to disable sound support while we attempt to provide a more permanent fix.
Contact: Joseph Stunkard
IBM OFFERS NEW UPGRADE SERVICES FOR OS/2 CUSTOMERS
AUSTIN, July 15, 1997 -- IBM today announced the availability of a new services offering aimed at helping existing OS/2* customers upgrade to the latest versions of OS/2 Warp. Upgrading to OS/2 Warp 4 and OS/2 Warp Server gives customers the feature set they need to exploit the benefits of network computing.
The Rapid Deployment Team (RDT), a group of highly skilled OS/2 lab engineers, will work together with IBM Global Services professionals and selected BESTeam members to provide OS/2 customers around the world with the specialized talent and skills they need to make the upgrade process a smooth one. The RDT offers customized services in the areas of planning, application development, integration, testing, piloting and deployment. Using the services of the team saves customers time and money during the upgrade process. "Upgrading to the latest versions of OS/2 Warp is the first step towards network computing," said Mike Lawrie, general manager, IBM Personal Software Products (PSP) division. "The Rapid Deployment Team, working as an extension of IBM Global Services and partnering with IBM BESTeam members, will provide customers with a level of OS/2 Warp expertise unmatched anywhere else in the industry."
IBM is encouraging users to migrate to the latest versions of OS/2 Warp, which are equipped for network computing, for a number of reasons.
OS/2 Warp 4 and OS/2 Warp Server users:
"Although there are clear benefits gained by upgrading to the latest version of OS/2 Warp, IS Executives we interview are frustrated with the time and resource costs involved in upgrading large numbers of desktop and server platforms. IBM has made a very smart and necessary move by providing their enterprise customers with access to a team of engineers skilled in quickly and effectively implementing the upgrade," said Robert Sakakeeny, (Aberdeen Group's Director of Field Research). "For customers who are on the fence about upgrading, this new services offering from IBM may give them the added push they need."
* IBM and OS/2 are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.
For Internet users, IBM offers complete information about the company, its products, services and technology on the World Wide Web. The IBM home page is at http://www.ibm.com. The fastest, easiest way to find any information about IBM software is to go to the IBM Software home page at http://www.software.ibm.com. The IBM Fax Information Service allows you to receive facsimiles of prior IBM product press releases. Dial 1-800-IBM-4FAX and enter "99" at the voice menu.
Mark your calendar for this coming Saturday, July 19, 1997, from 9:00 AM (PDT) to approximately 3:30 PM for the Southern California OS/2 User Group (SCOUG) Open House!
It will be held at the IBM offices located in Plaza Tower, 600 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, California, on the 2nd floor.
It's SCOUG's big bash - and everyone is invited to the day-long Open House, where you can:
On July 19th, SCOUG will have it's first-ever Open House. This will be an exciting meeting. It is an opportunity for SCOUG to bring together so much of what we know and show it to our members and guests.
This is a FREE event open to anyone with an interest in OS/2. There will be food, exciting graphics, a raffle, informative presentations, and lots more! If you're interested in attending, let us know by signing up at our web site. It will help us plan better. Point your browser to: http://www.scoug.com/openhouseform.html
In the main room will be many tables featuring interesting topics from SCOUG members and friends. Some of the tables will have representatives from each Special Interest Group (SIG) to answer your questions. We have confirmations from local OS/2 vendors MSR Development, Orange Hill Software, and Sundial Systems. Other exhibits will feature SCOUG members showing interesting ways that they use OS/2 every day.
Remember to sign-up on the Web site! (http://www.scoug.com/openhouseform.html) Also please visit http://www.scoug.com/openhouse.html for further information and driving directions. See you there!
TEAM OS/2 ONLINE Contest Deadline Extended.
Team OS/2 Online has extended the deadline to Tuesday, July 22 for the following contests:
What's a contest without prizes? We've got an assortment of prizes ready and waiting for the winners:
We're still looking for more prizes, so if you have something to contribute, please let us know
Stop by http://www.teamos2.org for contest rules and information!
Contact: Dusya Broytman
IBM TECHNOLOGY LETS NOVICES BUILD JAVA COMPONENTS IN 90 SECONDS
World of Java is Extended Beyond Professional Developers Circle
SOMERS, N.Y., July 8, 1997 . . . IBM today introduced technology that lets even non-experienced software developers build JavaBeans**, or Java** components, in
as little as 90 seconds. By expanding the talent pool of Java developers, the new technologies could put e-business within reach of more companies.
IBM leads the industry in developing reusable software components, the building blocks of new "killer applications" that are helping customers extend their businesses to the Internet and intranets. Components allow developers to build applications from separate software parts, enabling them to add and change functionality quickly and at less expense than starting from scratch.
Today, IBM is making generally available a number of Java technologies, including Java-based development tools and ready-to-integrate JavaBean components, and is previewing new "Bean Dipping" technology that allows enterprises to customize existing JavaBeans by adding new functionality, such as printing, licensing, purchasing and security. Among the new technologies are VisualAge for Java*, the first fully integrated Java development environment, and VisualAge WebRunner*, a subscription-based toolkit of Java productivity technologies that complement and extend VisualAge for Java's state-of-the-art development environment.
IBM is leveraging the Internet to sell and distribute these technologies. Both VisualAge for Java and the VisualAge WebRunner Toolkit from Taligent, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IBM, are available through electronic software distribution. VisualAge WebRunner's subscription service will give customers access to development information, updates to the technology and new JavaBeans components to further enhance the VisualAge for Java development environment.
For more information on VisualAge for Java, please visit http://www.software.ibm.com/ad/vajava/. To find out more information on the VisualAge WebRunner Toolkit, visit the Taligent home page at http://www.taligent.com. All the latest news on IBM's award-winning application development tools can be found at http://www.software.ibm.com/ad.
VisualAge for Java and VisualAge WebRunner demos can be seen at IBM's upcoming TechCon I/T conference in Boston, MA, from August 12-14.
* Indicates trademark or registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Copyright © 1997 - Falcon Networking
Original-Date: Thu, 03 Jul 1997 14:22:42 +0800
Our reference : A64/97/00508FT
Date : 2 July 1997
From : Technical Services Department
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Product Engineer
InnoVal Systems Solutions, Inc.
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IBM Media Relations
(512) 838-9642
stunkard@us.ibm.com
Announces Formation of Rapid Deployment Team
-- Are eligible for the Software Advantage Program. OS/2 Warp users enrolled in the Software Advantage Program, who purchased an eligible upgrade protection offering, can utilize Software Choice, IBM's new electronic software distribution program that offers product features and fixes via the World Wide Web or CD-ROM.
All other product and service names may be trademarks and/or service marks of their respective owners.
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IBM
(212) 745-4070
dusya@us.ibm.com
** Indicates trademark or registered trademark of respective companies.
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