Xref: utzoo comp.os.os2.misc:1153 comp.periphs.scsi:2503 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uunet!bywater!arnor!ibmman!larrys From: larrys@watson.ibm.com (Larry Salomon, Jr.) Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc,comp.periphs.scsi Subject: (Sigh) Here we go again... Message-ID: <1991May1.163339.27363@watson.ibm.com> Date: 1 May 91 16:05:54 GMT References: <980@camco.Celestial.COM> Sender: larrys@ibmman.watson.ibm.com Reply-To: larrys@yktvmv Organization: IBM Research Lines: 95 News-Software: NewsKit 1.2 - LaMail Nntp-Posting-Host: ibmman In <980@camco.Celestial.COM>, bill@camco.Celestial.COM (Bill Campbell) writes: >I still haven't figured out why anyone would want an operating >system divided by 2 (OS/2). Ignorance seems the only excuse. I see. I suppose you prefer the *UNI*nteresting *X*enophobic operating system, better known as Unix? Let's not start a religious debate with immature comments, okay Bill? The good and bad points of OS/2 vs. Unix has been hashed over many times, in many different places. ...But since you started it... Here, for everyone's pleasure, is the attitude of the typical "Unix puke" (as my housemate calls them). For those who would like to read the text in its entirety, acquire the Feb. 4, 1991 issue of "Unix Today" and read the "Views" column on page 73. "There was joy of immeasurable intensity in Unix Today's offices early last week following by depression, and, eventually, tempered back into measurable joy." - This is after the Wall Street Journal article with Microsoft saying they were dropping OS/2, then the correction saying that they weren't. : "The demise of OS/2 would clearly be cause for celebration here. It would prove beyond doubt that we--not just the editors of Unix Today, but all of you who buy and use Unix--were right all along. The world doesn't need OS/2, which provides half the functional ability of Unix" (note: this is an extremely subjective and biased statement) "and is totally incompatible not only with Unix, but with DOS, for which it was supposed to provide an upgrade path." : "The bottom line...is that OS/2 is finally dead except for the truest of the true Blue shops, and there aren't too many of those left..." Since I didn't write a letter back to the editor, I'll address these points now, so that maybe you might crawl back to where you came from: 1) OS/2 isn't dead. Granted, I have the advantage of hindsight, but go find, and watch, and videotape of the IBM announcement/relaunch in NYC. 2) From a programming standpoint, Unix still has a long way to go compared to OS/2, and I have done extensive programming on both systems to qualify that statement. Never again will I program for Unix, and after looking at Windows, whos API naming conventions seemed to be derived from Unix, I will never program for them, either. To answer the unasked question - there is and always will be a demand for an OS/2 + PM programmer so I won't ever worry about finding work. 3) If the world doesn't need OS/2, then it doesn't need Unix either. I have not seen anything that Unix can do that OS/2 can't. I know you are thinking about running remotely and I will repeat (without clarification) "I have not seen anything...". 4) It is not indeed totally incompatible with Unix, but if your clan would stop assuming that the universe revolves around you, then it wouldn't matter anyways, would it? To clarify the "not totally incompatible", there are numerous TCP/IP implementations for OS/2 which allow NFS mouting of Unix drives, etc.. 5) I repeat, OS/2 isn't dead, and there are plenty of true Blue shops left. I'll admit that IBM didn't "do the right thing" with OS/2 initially, but they (we?) aren't going to let that happen again. Now, since you are inevitably going to answer, let me ask you a few questions pertaining to Unix: Have you ever run Unix on a foreign machine? Can you run programs using different languages at the same time? Have you ever been able to tell where an application abends from the "Bus error - Core dumped" message? Have you ever seen two programs written by two different companies whose end-user-interfaces were 90% alike? Get real, and get lost. Please read the disclaimer, in case any of my management chain is reading this. ;) Cheers, Larry Salomon, Jr. (aka 'Q') LARRYS@YKTVMV.BITNET OS/2 Applications and Tools larrys@ibmman.watson.ibm.com IBM T.J. Watson Research Center larrys@eng.clemson.edu Yorktown Heights, NY Disclaimer: The statements and/or opinions stated above are strictly my own and do not reflect the views of my employer. Additionally, I have a reputation for being obnoxious, so don't take any personal attacks too seriously.