Open Letter to IBM 
The Subject: OS/2 2.x - the makings of a winner
Dated: 19th June 1994
Please distribute unchanged
OS/2 2.x - the makings of a winner

OS/2 2.11 is a great product - technically and theoretically it's a winner, but why isn't it ?

OS/2 1.3 was a great introduction to where IBM where going - a reliant, high performance, minimum platform, easy to use, multiple personality operating system, Version 2.0 was a giant leap along the path, and 2.1/2.11 where further steps in the direction. It's a better DOS than DOS, it's a better Windows than Windows and it's a great 32-bit multi-tasking crash resistant operating system in it's own right. So what's wrong with it - why can it not capture a higher percentage of the market ?

It's too big, it's too slow and it's got some holes in it.

Don't get me wrong - I'm as pro OS/2 as can be, but read on, and see how the best operating system could take its rightful place as the number one operating system on the desktop.

It's too big.

Come on guys - it comes on almost 20 disks - That's fine for a mainframe, but it does mean that it eats chunks of the users hard-disk. Can we have a really customisable install where we can say 'No' to things like debug code and some of the more esoteric functions (but be able to add them back in later really easily)

It's too slow.

It's okay to have a multi-tasking, multi-threaded, 32-bit operating system, but, in use it take a week to boot up (why not have a Loader thread that quick-starts the system, and lets the user start working whilst the rest of the system comes alive), and most applications appear no quicker than their Windows counterparts. Oh yes, while we're on that subject - why be content to run Windows applications as fast as Windows does - you've got the technology to run then faster as well as more robustly.

It's got some holes in it.

* Where are the applications - it's the best OS, so why are there no applications for it - is it hard to write for (I doubt it), is it difficult to write for (With the right tools - Visual Age (IBM), PARTS (Digitalk), C++Set/2 (IBM), ADW/CWS-GUI (KnowledgeWare), C++1.5 (Borland) or any of the Visual REXX builders - I doubt it), does it lack good press (got it there I think - although the current campaign is at least getting end-users to quite pos/2itivly hear about it - but why they should want to buy it - only IBM's marketeers can understand !)

* Where is the 100 percent windows emulation - my comms program (fax and data) don't like WinOS/2; why can't I drag and drop to and from seamless Windows and Workplace; why can't I make my Windows applications look like Workplace applications (at least to fool my users); why is it such a pain to set up things like Restricted WPS to stop customer on training courses messing up my machines; why can't I get current OS/2 versions of applications my users want, like MS-Office - If OS/2 was hot enough the vendors would have to go multi-platform

* Where's my W4WG - no simple peer-to-peer networking, just LanServer 3.0 Entry/Advanced with a nasty text interface, or IBM FirstStep, which no-one seems to know that much about yet.
What about power-users (or RSI sufferers) who don't want to use a mouse - even the OS features such as the Settings notebooks can be a pain - default buttons are not always what you'd expect.

And what's going on with the PowerPC, and other technology such as Taligent and personalities  - Will I ever be able to run my existing OS/2 applications (and OS/2 versions of Windows apps) on an OS/2 WPS personality sitting on top of a Pink microkernal running on a Thinkpad based on a multi-processor PowerPC 6xx set-up, interacting with it using voice control (IBM Personal Dictation System), with all the abilities I have now, and a few more besides. If not - why not !

Enough of the bitching - I've said it's the best operating system, and it is. Those where a few comments as to why it's not selling as well as it should. In order to get OS/2 going ahead in leaps and bounds IBM need to actively encourage feedback, and respond to it rapidly, with widely distributed incremental updates for both performance and functionality. The OS/2 WishList (available from evanc@spatial.synapse.org, or in the CIS IBMOS/2 forum among other places) is a very good place to start - a mechanism for users to view / vote on features for IBM to implement would help us to shape the future direction.

IBM should also make a point of making sure that we have information about what they've got, and what they're planning - Their CompuServe forums and BBSs are good, but you have to search all over the place for information. How about running on CIS (and a BBS in each country) a complete hierarchical breakdown of the full OS/2 and related product set (and invite the hardware side to have areas on it) for all products - updated at the same time as press releases are made - if I see something in the press, the information to back it up should already be on the system - always quote the system in press releases.

I can be contacted at the following locations with comments, or upgrades to OS/2 !;
CompuServe: 100315,521 (100315.521@CompuServe.Com)	** Preferred address **
Snail Mail: Stoke Cottage, Marsh Lane, Taplow, Maidenhead, Berks. SL6 0DF, UK.
Connect: JCATH@ConnectINC.COM (I don't check this one that often)

