Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!hermes.chpc.utexas.edu!apas611
From: apas611@chpc.utexas.edu (David Boles)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Re: OS/2 or Windows: which to develop for?
Message-ID: <1991Feb14.185529.17168@chpc.utexas.edu>
Date: 14 Feb 91 18:55:29 GMT
References: <1991Feb14.120802.3737@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu>
Organization: The University of Texas System - CHPC
Lines: 38

In article <1991Feb14.120802.3737@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> drz@csri.toronto.edu (Jerry Zarycky) writes:
>So, my question is: what is (are) the time frame(s) of the release of
>Win32 versus the release of OS/2 2.0?

OS/2 2.0 is already shipping to a few sites.  This situation is probably
like the final stages before the full release which will most likely come 
in the next 6 months.  The product itself is already extremely stable and
appears to be basically complete.

Good luck with the management types.  If OS/2 2.0 only makes it to all
blue shops and everybody else waits on Win32, one of two things will 
happen.  The first possibility, and the one I feel is more likely, is
that some other platform will become the computer of choice (possibly
SPARC) in businesses.  Right now, the MIS world doesn't realize that    
their micros are about 5 years behind.  If they wait on Win32, quite a
few of them may see the disparity.  The second possibilty is that
the PC world will wallow about in its own filth for 2 years before
Win32 appears, and eventually clean itself off with a slow but possibly
nice OS/2 3.0.  If that happens, Sun, MIPS, et al. will have missed
a real opportunity.

Historical Note:

  In 1987, BYTE magazine reviewed the Compaq 386 deskpro.  We still
don't have an OS from Microsoft that can use more than half the 
register width ALMOST FOUR YEARS LATER!!!!!

One further thing to ponder, while Microsoft is telling us we'll
be able to load DOS high to gain another 30 KILOBYTES of memory
MIPS is going to 64 bit addressing because by their projections
the 4 gigabytes allowed by straight 32 bit adressing will hit the
wall in 1994.

Hmmmmm, what's the phone number for that UNIX workstation vendor? :)
 
David Boles
Applied Research Labs
UT Austin