Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!watdragon!violet!afscian
From: afscian@violet.waterloo.edu (Anthony Scian)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Microsoft, OS/2, and UNIX
Keywords: troubles, sinking ship
Message-ID: <12878@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Date: 30 Mar 89 18:08:49 GMT
Sender: daemon@watdragon.waterloo.edu
Distribution: comp
Lines: 33

Microsoft claims that OS/2 is "priority one, two, and three" for them.
After reading that recent issues of various PC magazines, I can't
help but wonder. It is my feeling that Microsoft isn't so sure
about OS/2 catching on like wild fire. It seems that they are
protecting themselves against OS/2's demise. Here are some tidbits:

- OS/2 is immature, UNIX is almost standard (most of the announced
  systems available for OS/2 are buggy or delayed)
- 386 versions of UNIX support DOS compatibility
- OS/2 has no multi-user support (imagine wanting to use the one 25Mhz
  80386 with a 80387 attached in your office once in a while)
- acceptance of OS/2 is slow due to 386 windowed environments which
  are available NOW and provide better/faster DOS compatibility windows
  (386 support for OS/2 is projected for 1990+ along with speed improvements)
- the OS/2 acceptance timeline keeps getting pushed farther into the 90's
  due to lack of acceptance
- the 32Mb file restriction is still in OS/2! (wasn't this one of the reasons
  for its existence? Oh, but the new file system that is coming real soon now
  will fix that)
- incompatible IBM and Microsoft versions of OS/2
- bugs, bugs, and bugs
- Microsoft bought a percentage (20%?) of Santa Cruz Operations (largest
  supplier of UNIX for PCs, 386 version of UNIX almost completed)
- the OSF is considering Microsoft's proposal for the PM and UNIX
- IBM is pushing AIX (AIX is the preferred OS for everything above a PC)

Some may say that diversification is good, but how can people choose 
OS/2 over UNIX when Microsoft won't? What does OS/2 have over UNIX? (buggy
PM) What does UNIX have over OS/2? (lots of installed bases, maturity, etc.)
Any comments?

//// Anthony Scian afscian@violet.uwaterloo.ca afscian@violet.waterloo.edu ////
"I can't believe the news today, I can't close my eyes and make it go away" -U2