Death Knell for OS/2 Client

[John Drabik]

On Fri, 17 Sep 1999 17:43:45 -0700, Steve Lamb wrote:

Really, is there any need to quote markhb's FUD on this list?

For those who haven't noticed, I offer the following points for your
approbation:
	1) Stardock, while performing some valuable work for the OS/2
community, has wanted a cheaper ride to glory for quite some time
(who doesn't?).  The posted result has no impact on this community. 
And the advertising isn't surprising.
	2) Nobody is saying why the negotiations failed, but here are
some possibilities:
		A) IBM still makes a ***LOT*** of money off of OS/2. 
I doubt that a company as small as Stardock could have made it worth
IBM's while.
		B) Recent sales figures from IBM show significantly
better than expected OS/2 sales.
		C) Release of the software to Stardock would have
jeopardized IBM's proprietary property.  They already got their heads
chopped off by B. Gates.  Why should they allow Stardock to do it
again.
		D) Corporate customers would have been extremely
disturbed if OS/2 was released into the consumer market - they want
industrial-grade software, and OS/2 delivers.  They are our best
friends for keeping OS/2 alive, but also our worst enemies, for
screaming every time IBM takes a leap at the home market.
	3) Everybody seems to forget that there is still a
CONSIDERABLE amount of OS/2 development going on, both inside and
outside of IBM.  That includes JFS, Java, and much more.  Come on
folks, just look around.
	4) According to press stories, such as those at
Sm@rtReseller, IBM has already effectively released a new client,
albeit quietly, with significant feature upgrades.
	5) If OS/2 does die someday (like in 10 years maybe), the
OS/2 community is intelligent enough to find good alternatives.  I
use Linux a lot (and like it too), but it is not ready for the home
market either.  markhb's comments show just a wee bit o'bias in my
book (my comments do too, eh?).
	6) The world still needs a strong, proprietary, 32-bit OS
(and no, NT aiN'T it).  With NT for the 98-pound computer weaklings
out there, Linux for the big boys, and OS/2 in the middle, we get the
best of ALL possible scenarios - computing CHOICE!  What the heck is
wrong with that?
	7) Nobody can answer one simple question for me:  What's in
it for IBM?
	8) If you think there's no life left, then bail.  Go ahead. 
It's your computer, and your choice.  But don't FUD the works while
leaving, OK?
	9) For those who think OS/2 is dead (again - and again, and
again, and again......) get your buns to WarpStock.  See reality in
action.
	10) In effect, CORBA 3 could handle most of the
SOMObjects-to-OS/2 situation.  Work with the KDE folks for the last
pieces.  And get read for a lot of work.  As for EA's, the changes
necessary to the Unix file system would be extensive, and probably
not necessary.  EA's work for OS/2 because they were designed in from
Day One - with Linux, there is no such pressure for attaching "things
of interest" to a file, and it isn't clear that developers would rush
to support them.  WorkPlace Shell for Linux would be nice - download
the KDesktop source and have at it.  But remember:
		A) It's gonna take a lot of work
		B) It's not clear that many developers will use it
anyway
		C) If you think it's tough finding quality OS/2
developers, just TRY to find a combined "quality OS/2 AND quality
Linux" programmer - and that's the kind of people you'll need for the
project.  If you haven't been into the Linux RPMs and source tree,
you have no idea how much work it would take to incorporate these
OS/2 features into Linux.  Personally, I'd rather see JFS for Linux
(yeah, I know, it's on the way), because that fschk at boot time is a
real time waster.
	11) If (and that's a BIG IF) OS/2 really has "died", then it
is due to fumbled, bumbled, jumbled Marketing at IBM.  These are
people who couldn't work their way out of a wet paper bag with a
bulldozer.  But please, tell me- has anybody seen ANY significant
Marketing out of Stardock either?  Maybe IBM saw that there was
little chance for success in this gambit, lots of chance for failure,
and a certain, further, downgrading of their status as the "World's
Worst Run Second Largest Software Company" - or something like that.
	12) I like Stardock.  And I love OS/2.  And frankly, I just
don't see how this situation is bad for our community.  But hey, I'm
crazy, right?

Given these points, let's move ahead with getting PMMail out the
door, and avoid regurgitating FUD.  On the other hand, PMMail *is*
desperately needed for Linux, as there isn't an e-mail client worth
its weight in used toilet paper on Linux right now (and that includes
the Java packages as well as Netscape and the K package.  Emerald is
close, but needs HPFS, and Linux doesn't have HPFS write support
out-of-the-box, so it renders Emerald non-portable in everyday use,
especially on a boot-managed system).

John

>markhb writes "I hate to be the one to submit this story, but the end may
>finally have arrived for the OS/2 client. Stardock Systems announced today
>that IBM will not allow them to OEM a client package, and that IBM has no
>plans for, or strategic interest in, a new OS/2 client. Is anyone ready to get
>the source for SOMObjects and implement EA's and the Workplace Shell in
>Linux?"