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From: feg@clyde.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: A different View of the value of OS/2 - it's better than UNIX
Message-ID: <13909@clyde.ATT.COM>
Date: Wed, 16-Sep-87 14:02:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: clyde.13909
Posted: Wed Sep 16 14:02:52 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Sep-87 04:48:29 EDT
References: <494@parcvax.Xerox.COM> <961@looking.UUCP> <498@parcvax.Xerox.COM>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Whippany, NJ
Lines: 21
Summary: Why does your average user need a 386?

In article <498@parcvax.Xerox.COM>, burton@parcvax.Xerox.COM (Philip M. Burton) writes:
> 
> And if I don't want to do it, and I'm faily technical for a non-developer
> (at least the guys at work tell me that), then it's a hopeless situation
> for the person who buys a PC just to do spreadsheets of maintain a database.
> 
This average Joe user that you describe---afraid to install Wordstar, or
is frightened of backups, and does a little with 123----why would this
user ever want a 386?  What would he do with it?  ANY multiuser, multi-
tasking OS is going to seem like a labyrinth to oblivion to this person.

On another part of this subject: it has taken Microsoft 5 years to file
off the edges of ms-dos to a point that it is a fairly reasonable OS
for a personal computer.  If you have been following the predictions
for OS/2 availability--you have seen it slipping off into the distance.
Even when that great day arrives, and you have it up and running on
your 386, it will be a great disappointment to many people.  My guess
is that about 1992 it will start to be more like what many expect
it to be next year. 

Forrest Gehrke