[comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc] Windowing environments

skesterk@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Shane Kesterke) (04/15/91)

I've been working on a Spac station at work for the past month now and I
just love it. Before then I just had a regular PC-350 terminal. The 
Sparc Station is like an unlimited number of PC-350's at your disposal that
all operate at the same time. So I began to wonder how nice it would be
to have this kind of environment on my 386SX at home.
Now I've heard of X-windows for MS-DOS, but I also heard it's like $500.
I was wondering, how close do OS's like MS-Windows and OS/2 come to the
kind of an environment a Sparc station gets you. In other words, a OS that
will allow you to open up multiple MS-DOS windows, cut-n-paste text from
one window to another, etc. From what I understand MS-Windows will only
open windows to MS-Windows specific programs and OS/2 will open an MS-DOS
window but cannot multitask with MS-DOS. If anyone can enlighten me into
an OS that can do what I described I'd really appreciate it. 
Please e-mail your responses and if anyone's interested in a summary then
let me know. Thanks a lot!!

larrys@watson.ibm.com (Larry Salomon, Jr.) (04/15/91)

In <1991Apr14.222218.11479@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, skesterk@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Shane Kesterke) writes:
>
>I've been working on a Spac station at work for the past month now and I
>just love it. Before then I just had a regular PC-350 terminal. The
>Sparc Station is like an unlimited number of PC-350's at your disposal that
>all operate at the same time. So I began to wonder how nice it would be
>to have this kind of environment on my 386SX at home.
>Now I've heard of X-windows for MS-DOS, but I also heard it's like $500.
>I was wondering, how close do OS's like MS-Windows and OS/2 come to the
>kind of an environment a Sparc station gets you. In other words, a OS that
>will allow you to open up multiple MS-DOS windows, cut-n-paste text from
>one window to another, etc. From what I understand MS-Windows will only
>open windows to MS-Windows specific programs and OS/2 will open an MS-DOS
>window but cannot multitask with MS-DOS. If anyone can enlighten me into
>an OS that can do what I described I'd really appreciate it.
>Please e-mail your responses and if anyone's interested in a summary then
>let me know. Thanks a lot!!

MS-Windows is NOT an operating system.  Windows is simply a GUI (like PM
is to OS/2).  Windows is based on DOS which was designed to be a
single-user, single-program operating system.  According to IBM, OS/2 2.0
is supposed to support multiple DOS sessions, using the 386's "virtual
DOS machine" mode.  If you do not need an OS immediately, I would
recommend waiting until 2.0 comes out.

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.

efrethei@afit.af.mil (Erik J. Fretheim) (04/16/91)

skesterk@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Shane Kesterke) writes:

>I've been working on a Spac station at work for the past month now and I
>just love it. Before then I just had a regular PC-350 terminal. The 
>Sparc Station is like an unlimited number of PC-350's at your disposal that
>all operate at the same time. So I began to wonder how nice it would be
>to have this kind of environment on my 386SX at home.
>Now I've heard of X-windows for MS-DOS, but I also heard it's like $500.
>I was wondering, how close do OS's like MS-Windows and OS/2 come to the
>kind of an environment a Sparc station gets you. In other words, a OS that
>will allow you to open up multiple MS-DOS windows, cut-n-paste text from
>one window to another, etc. From what I understand MS-Windows will only
>open windows to MS-Windows specific programs and OS/2 will open an MS-DOS
>window but cannot multitask with MS-DOS. If anyone can enlighten me into
>an OS that can do what I described I'd really appreciate it. 
>Please e-mail your responses and if anyone's interested in a summary then
>let me know. Thanks a lot!!


I've been using MS-Windows at home for quite some time now just like a 
SPARC station.  I can cut and paste from window to window, use vi (stevie) in
multiple windows, use as many DOS windows as I want to like SUN command 
windows.  I commonly start working on one document, and then decide I need 
something from another, so I pop up procomm, get what I need off of the 
computer at work, maybe down load it for faster paging or such.  While I'm
waiting I'll pop up a game to keep myself entertained - or work on a third 
document/program.  Sometimes I have a program I have made executing in yet 
another window.  For all of the complaints I hear you can really do a lot
with windows.





standard disclaimer:

ejf

kessler@hacketorium.Eng.Sun.COM (Tom Kessler) (04/16/91)

i dunno, my copy of windows has a scheduler, virtual memory management,
device drivers, and buffered file system interface.  looks like a duck,
quacks like a duck.....

daneman@czech.sw.mcc.com (Michael Daneman) (04/16/91)

In article <1991Apr14.222218.11479@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu|> skesterk@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Shane Kesterke) writes:
|> Now I've heard of X-windows for MS-DOS, but I also heard it's like $500.
|> I was wondering, how close do OS's like MS-Windows and OS/2 come to the
|> kind of an environment a Sparc station gets you. In other words, a OS that
|> will allow you to open up multiple MS-DOS windows, cut-n-paste text from
|> one window to another, etc. From what I understand MS-Windows will only
|> open windows to MS-Windows specific programs and OS/2 will open an MS-DOS
|> window but cannot multitask with MS-DOS. If anyone can enlighten me into
|> an OS that can do what I described I'd really appreciate it. 
|> Please e-mail your responses and if anyone's interested in a summary then
|> let me know. Thanks a lot!!

MS-Windows is a pretty good windowing environment.  On a 386 it allows
you to multitask DOS sessions and you can even put them in a window
in many cases.  Plus you can run all the Windows applications that are
coming out now a days.  It it similar, though not identical, to X.  
MS-Windows is easier to use that X, however it is not as powerfull as X
(it still runs on top of DOS and also it's not as customizable).

OS/2 is probably a better operating environment (though I have never
used it).  It is a whole separate operating system which supports 
multitasking, virtual machines, etc.  The OS/2 version 2.0 is 386
specific and will allow you to multitask DOS session.  However, the
problem with OS/2 is that it's 1) Expensive, 2) not very well supported
right now.  There is talk about a merge between OS/2 and Windows in
the future.  Hopefully this will happen soon.

For now, however, I would recommend MS-Windows.  It has a few bugs in it,
but all in all it is quite a nice environment with a rather low learning
curve and it is currently very well supported by software.

-Mike.-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer:  The oppinions stated above are not mine.  In fact,
	     I don't know where they came from.  It scares me
	     sometimes.     -Mike  (daneman@sw.mcc.com)

eagle@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (Daniel L'Hommedieu) (04/16/91)

daneman@czech.sw.mcc.com (Michael Daneman) writes:
>MS-Windows is a pretty good windowing environment.  On a 386 it allows
>you to multitask DOS sessions and you can even put them in a window
>in many cases.  Plus you can run all the Windows applications that are
>coming out now a days.  It it similar, though not identical, to X.  
>MS-Windows is easier to use that X, however it is not as powerfull as X
>(it still runs on top of DOS and also it's not as customizable).

How is MS-Windows easier to use than X?  Now, I understand MS Windows is
easier to program for than X, but I'd much rather USE X than Windows.
No, I have no programming experience in either of those environments.
Well, I'd rather use OS/2 than X (yeah, I've used OS/2 and LOVE it), too.

> However, the problem with OS/2 is that it's 1) Expensive,

OS/2 is cheaper for students than the DOS 4.01/Windows 3.0 combination
(that's educational discounts); I don't know about regular prices.  Here
are some numbers: OS/2 1.2 Standard Edition $153.00.  DOS 4.0 $115,
Windows 3.0 $100.  Add the $115 and $100 and get $215.  OS/2 is much
cheaper than Windows 3.0/DOS 4.0 combination.

> 2) Not very well supported right now.  

OS/2 has gained the support of most of the magazines such as PC since
the announcement of 32-bit v2.0.

>            There is talk about a merge between OS/2 and Windows in
>the future.  Hopefully this will happen soon.

Should happen with version 2.0.  If OS/2 v2.0 is as good as it is
supposed to be, I see a dwindling market for Windows.  This is because
OS/2 will then be 100% Windows 3.0 compatible, and pretty-much 100% DOS
compatible, even able to multitask DOS sessions (16, I believe), and
will be able to multitask its own 32-bit programs, all at the same
time.

>-Mike.-- 

Daniel
--
Name: Daniel C. L'Hommedieu III   Snail: NCSU Box 21531/Raleigh/NC/27607
INet: eagle@catt.ncsu.edu         Prodigy ID: bccj33d   Tel:919 737 6143

Hey...who did you say you thought I spoke for?

vernard@prism.gatech.EDU (Vernard Martin) (04/16/91)

In article <1991Apr16.004756.2041@ncsu.edu> eagle@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (Daniel L'Hommedieu) writes:
>How is MS-Windows easier to use than X?  Now, I understand MS Windows is
>easier to program for than X, but I'd much rather USE X than Windows.
>No, I have no programming experience in either of those environments.
>Well, I'd rather use OS/2 than X (yeah, I've used OS/2 and LOVE it), too.

First of all OS/2 is an operatoring system that uses not a windowing
environemtn per se. It does have a nice windowing environment that is
integral to it but it is still hard to compare it to X and Windows. I
thought there were plans to use NeXTStep on the OS/2 platform in the
future.

>> However, the problem with OS/2 is that it's 1) Expensive,
>
>OS/2 is cheaper for students than the DOS 4.01/Windows 3.0 combination
>(that's educational discounts); I don't know about regular prices.  Here
>are some numbers: OS/2 1.2 Standard Edition $153.00.  DOS 4.0 $115,
>Windows 3.0 $100.  Add the $115 and $100 and get $215.  OS/2 is much
>cheaper than Windows 3.0/DOS 4.0 combination.

This is assuming that you have all the necessary hardware to run OS/2. I
mean Windows will run on a 640K XT. OS/2 needs 4 MEGS of memory and 16 MEG
of hard drive space to even install.

>> 2) Not very well supported right now.  
>
>OS/2 has gained the support of most of the magazines such as PC since
>the announcement of 32-bit v2.0.

Bye support, I think he meant available software, not public appeal. In
general you can say that Windows is more liked than OS/2. If that is too
strong a statement for you then you can say that Windows sells better than
OS/2. The reasons are various and actually may not have much to do with
which is better. All that really matters is that large amounts of folks are
chucking out the dough for Windows 3.0 but NOT OS/2.

>>            There is talk about a merge between OS/2 and Windows in
>>the future.  Hopefully this will happen soon.

Yeah, a great thought. However, would the result have any of the bad
features of OS/2?  If it has enough of them, it may cause the new
OS/2WIndows stuff to a crash and burn like OS/2.

>Should happen with version 2.0.  If OS/2 v2.0 is as good as it is
>supposed to be, I see a dwindling market for Windows.  This is because
>OS/2 will then be 100% Windows 3.0 compatible, and pretty-much 100% DOS
>compatible, even able to multitask DOS sessions (16, I believe), and
>will be able to multitask its own 32-bit programs, all at the same
>time.

Windows will continue to have a good market even with the new OS/2 because
of size and hardware requirements. Not everybody has a 386 with gobs of memory.
Also, unless it is guaranteed 100% DOS compatible it is useless to DOS
users. 95% is only good when you can PICK which 95% is going to work!

'Nuff said.
----
Vernard Martin , System Account Manager
College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp: ...!gatech!prism!vernard  -or-  Internet: vernard@prism.gatech.edu 
"Where there is a will, there is a way to subvert it!" - me.
-- 
Vernard Martin , System Account Manager
College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp: ...!gatech!prism!vernard  -or-  Internet: vernard@prism.gatech.edu 
"Where there is a will, there is a way to subvert it!" - me.

efrethei@afit.af.mil (Erik J. Fretheim) (04/16/91)

eagle@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu (Daniel L'Hommedieu) writes:

>daneman@czech.sw.mcc.com (Michael Daneman) writes:

>OS/2 is cheaper for students than the DOS 4.01/Windows 3.0 combination
>(that's educational discounts); I don't know about regular prices.  Here
>are some numbers: OS/2 1.2 Standard Edition $153.00.  DOS 4.0 $115,
>Windows 3.0 $100.  Add the $115 and $100 and get $215.  OS/2 is much
>cheaper than Windows 3.0/DOS 4.0 combination.

>> 2) Not very well supported right now.  
Well, for those of us who are non-students the DOS 4.01/Windows 3.0 is
a whole lot cheaper than OS/2.  DOS 4.0 can be had for $45, windows 3.0
can be had for $89  that is $134 for the whole set up.  Besides, most of
us got DOS free with our system and DOS 3.4 is better than 4.01 anyway
(just to start another religious war).  Seems your students are being 
soaked.   Even Windows 3.0 can be had for free, a friend just got
it bundled with his mouse.  (and got a good price on the mouse).
I'm sure OS/2 is a good operating system, but I've seen noithing to convince
me that it is worth the money I would have to get to buy a copy.


ejf

standard disclaimer:  is mine and mine alone  (the thoughts that is).

mondomon@athena.mit.edu (Allan S. MacKinnon) (04/17/91)

Speaking of how 'much' OS/2 will set you back:

The New York Times (4/16) had an article that stated IBM was cutting
the price of OS/2 starting tomorrow.
			   --------

	Specifically: SE from $340 -> $150
		      EE from $830 -> $690

Sounds good to me.  I wonder if student prices still apply?  If so
that would be ridiculously cheap, as far as bang for the buck.  I
guess there is no longer a reason for people to say it is too
expensive.  Now they can just complain that there is no software out
there! :-)


						-Allan MacKinnon

larrys@watson.ibm.com (Larry Salomon, Jr.) (04/17/91)

I've been waiting for this post for soooo long...

In <26411@hydra.gatech.EDU>, vernard@prism.gatech.EDU (Vernard Martin) writes:
>First of all OS/2 is an operatoring system that uses not a windowing
>environemtn per se. It does have a nice windowing environment that is
>integral to it but it is still hard to compare it to X and Windows. I
>thought there were plans to use NeXTStep on the OS/2 platform in the
>future.

HARD TO COMPARE TO WINDOWS???  Either you're kidding or you're blind.
Take your pick.  How can you say that PM is hard to compare to Windows,
when Windows is a true lookalike of PM (in terms of the GUI).

>This is assuming that you have all the necessary hardware to run OS/2. I
>mean Windows will run on a 640K XT. OS/2 needs 4 MEGS of memory and 16 MEG
>of hard drive space to even install.

Okay, I'm going to dispell this one once and for all:  OS/2 1.3
***WILL*** run in 2M of memory.  This is quite competitive with Windows
which requires the same amount to get any decent performance out of it.
1.3 SE only requires 4M of hard disk space plus room for the SWAPPER.DAT
file.

>Bye support, I think he meant available software, not public appeal. In
>general you can say that Windows is more liked than OS/2. If that is too
>strong a statement for you then you can say that Windows sells better than
>OS/2. The reasons are various and actually may not have much to do with
>which is better. All that really matters is that large amounts of folks are
>chucking out the dough for Windows 3.0 but NOT OS/2.

Maybe so, but if you've been reading the various trade magazines, you'll
find that a lot of Windows customers are *NOT* satisfied with what they
got.  We have an expression here:  "On OS/2, the pointer is an arrow; on
Windows, it is an hourglass."  What about the infamous "UAE" message
(Unrecoverable Application Error)?  How many times does that happen which
requires you to reboot?  With OS/2, you simply kill the application and
continue, meaning you *don't* have to stop your compiling in another
session, you *don't* have to logoff from your mainframe in another
session, you *don't* have to stop writing your term paper in another
session.

>Yeah, a great thought. However, would the result have any of the bad
>features of OS/2?  If it has enough of them, it may cause the new
>OS/2WIndows stuff to a crash and burn like OS/2.

Bad features?  Please elaborate.  This prate about Windows being better
than OS/2 without any substance in them is ridiculous.

>Windows will continue to have a good market even with the new OS/2 because
>of size and hardware requirements. Not everybody has a 386 with gobs of memory.
>Also, unless it is guaranteed 100% DOS compatible it is useless to DOS
>users. 95% is only good when you can PICK which 95% is going to work!

OS/2 1.3 does not require a 386; it requires a 286, just like Windows.
OS/2 2.0 will require a 386, but I can guarantee you that if what the SDK
shows is any indication of what 2.0 will be like, MS is going to have a
Maalox moment.  Also, I have already stated that 1.3 only requires 2M to
run, so that point is invalid also.

Please, let's discuss these issues with REAL facts and VALID points, so
we don't waste bandwidth.

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.

yow@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov (04/17/91)

>The New York Times (4/16) had an article that stated IBM was cutting
>the price of OS/2 starting tomorrow.
>			   --------
>
>	Specifically: SE from $340 -> $150
>		      EE from $830 -> $690

Great, how much do the development kits cost? Still +$2,000 or are they
reducing the price on those?

					Bill Yow
					yow@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov

My opinions are my own.
 

ballard@cheddar.ucs.ubc.ca (Alan Ballard) (04/17/91)

In article <1991Apr17.083938@riddler.Berkeley.EDU> yow@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov writes:
>Great, how much do the development kits cost? Still +$2,000 or are they
>reducing the price on those?
If you're talking about 2.0, it hasn't been released yet; presumably when it 
is a product IBM and maybe MS will have cheap toolkits for it.  If 
you're taking about 1.x, the programmer's toolkits don't cost anything close
to $2000, and haven't since the products were released.
The MS 1.x toolkit is available at $350, the MS Softset (which contains all
the critical stuff) at $100, the IBM toolkit is about $600, I think. All
US dollars).
Alan Ballard                   | Internet: ballard@ucs.ubc.ca
University Computing Services  |   Bitnet: USERAB1@UBCMTSG
University of British Columbia |    Phone: 604-822-3074
Vancouver B.C. Canada V6R 1Z2  |      Fax: 604-822-5116

mondomon@athena.mit.edu (Allan S. MacKinnon) (04/18/91)

Good question!

	Does anyone know how much the IBM 1.2/1.3 Technical Reference
costs?  Also, what are the differences between it and the Microsoft PM
toolkit/softset?

						Thanks,

						-Allan MacKinnon

yow@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov (04/18/91)

>The MS 1.x toolkit is available at $350, the MS Softset (which contains all
>the critical stuff) at $100, the IBM toolkit is about $600, I think. All
>US dollars).

Does this include the Presentation Manager software kit?  I thought the
PM stuff was over $2000.00?  

What is in the 1.X toolkit for $350?

					Thanks,
					Bill Yow
					yow@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov

My opinions are my own.

plim@hpsgwp.sgp.hp.com (Peter Lim) (04/18/91)

/ larrys@watson.ibm.com (Larry Salomon, Jr.) /  8:56 pm  Apr 17, 1991 / writes:

$ In <26411@hydra.gatech.EDU>, vernard@prism.gatech.EDU (Vernard Martin) writes:
$ >First of all OS/2 is an operatoring system that uses not a windowing
$ >environemtn per se. It does have a nice windowing environment that is
$ >integral to it but it is still hard to compare it to X and Windows. I
$ >thought there were plans to use NeXTStep on the OS/2 platform in the
$ >future.
$ 
$ HARD TO COMPARE TO WINDOWS???  Either you're kidding or you're blind.
$ Take your pick.  How can you say that PM is hard to compare to Windows,
$ when Windows is a true lookalike of PM (in terms of the GUI).
$ 
Is there any hires display driver for OS/2 PM ? I mean 104 x 768 or at least
800 x 600. Is there hundreds of printer drivers for OS/2 ? Is there font
enhancement drivers for OS/2 PM ? (like ATM etc. for Windows). The last
time I checked, NO (things might have changed a bit since then).

Can you run DOS extender program when you are running OS/2 ? In Windows,
I can run Zortech C++ --- a DOS Extender program under a DOS session in
Windows 3.0.

Windows might be riding on top of screwy MesSy-DOS, and doesn't make very
good use of your 386 CPU power (OS/2 before 2.0 doesn't either) but there
exist a lot of tools that works with Windows to make the best use of
whatever printer, display card, scanner etc. etc. you happen to have.
And the combination still runs all my favorite hundreds of DOS utilities.
That's why I am still running Windows.

Give me an OS/2 with all these advantages, ability to use 386 4 GB linear
address space and I will switch bandwagon any time.


$ >Yeah, a great thought. However, would the result have any of the bad
$ >features of OS/2?  If it has enough of them, it may cause the new
$ >OS/2WIndows stuff to a crash and burn like OS/2.
$ 
$ Bad features?  Please elaborate.  This prate about Windows being better
$ than OS/2 without any substance in them is ridiculous.
$ 
See above. The problem is what OS/2 lacks and not what Windows has.



Regards,     ___o``\________________________________________________ ___ __ _ _
Peter Lim.   V````\  @ @ . .. ... .- -> 76 MIPS at under US$20K !!   --- -- - -
                  /.------------------------------------------------ === == = =
             >--_//      . .. ... .- -> 57 MIPS at under US$12K !!
                `'       . If you guessed SUN, IBM or DEC, your are wrong !

E-mail:  plim@hpsgwg.HP.COM     Snail-mail:  Hewlett Packard Singapore,
Tel:     (065)-279-2289                      (ICDS, ICS)
Telnet:        520-2289                      1150 Depot Road,
                                             Singapore   0410.

#include <standard_disclaimer.hpp>

rommel@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Kai-Uwe Rommel) (04/18/91)

In article <1991Apr17.152123@riddler.Berkeley.EDU> yow@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov writes:
>>The MS 1.x toolkit is available at $350, the MS Softset (which contains all
>>the critical stuff) at $100, the IBM toolkit is about $600, I think. All
>>US dollars).
>
>Does this include the Presentation Manager software kit?  I thought the
>PM stuff was over $2000.00?  
>
>What is in the 1.X toolkit for $350?

All the three above toolkits contain all the necessary tools to create
PM applications. They differ in the amount of Documentation and sample
source code. The MS toolkit, for example contains several volumes of
printed documentation while the softset does not (they can be ordered
independently if one needs not all the books but only some).

Kai Uwe Rommel

/* Kai Uwe Rommel, Munich ----- rommel@lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de */

DOS ... is still a real mode only non-reentrant interrupt
handler, and always will be.                -Russell Williams (MS)

jwohl@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (Jeremy Wohl) (04/18/91)

In article <1991Apr16.172725.11743@athena.mit.edu> mondomon@athena.mit.edu (Allan S. MacKinnon) writes:
>
>Speaking of how 'much' OS/2 will set you back:
>
>The New York Times (4/16) had an article that stated IBM was cutting
>the price of OS/2 starting tomorrow.
>			   --------
>
>	Specifically: SE from $340 -> $150
>		      EE from $830 -> $690
>
>Sounds good to me.  I wonder if student prices still apply?  If so
>that would be ridiculously cheap, as far as bang for the buck.  I
>guess there is no longer a reason for people to say it is too
>expensive.  Now they can just complain that there is no software out
>there! :-)

And I haven't paid a single upgrade charge (not even shipping!) since
1.0.  Since Windows 1.0, I've could've bought several SEs with MS's
upgrade costs.
-- 
Jeremy Wohl / wohl@max.physics.sunysb.edu / jwohl@csserv1.ic.sunysb.edu

ballard@cheddar.ucs.ubc.ca (Alan Ballard) (04/19/91)

In article <1991Apr17.152123@riddler.Berkeley.EDU> yow@sweetpea.jsc.nasa.gov writes:

>What is in the 1.X toolkit for $350?
 
The MS Toolkit actually lists at about $500, I think, but is available 
from many places at about the $350 I quoted -- check any issue of Byte or
Pc Mag. 
 
It contains:
   all the OS/2 header files (also availabe via MS/C 6.0)
   all the MS development tools, include RC, fontedit, iconedit,
     dlgbox, and miscellaneous lesser ones
   the IBM tools for compiling dtl (dialog manager stuff) and
      ipf (help manager stuff).
   megabytes of sample code
   qh-format online reference/help
   copies of vols 1-4 of the MS OS/2 Programmer's Reference
   copy of Charles Petzold's book on PM. 
   an account on "MS Online" and some amount of connect time.
 
The MS softset (about $100 discounted) contains the tools and header files,
but not the docs, online reference, samples, or Online account.  

The IBM Toolkit contains the tools, headers, samples, online documents,
IBM's versions of the printed reference manuals (somewhat better than
MS's).  It includes documentation for device drivers, which is a separate
product from Micrsoft. 

Alan Ballard                   | Internet: ballard@ucs.ubc.ca
University Computing Services  |   Bitnet: USERAB1@UBCMTSG
University of British Columbia |    Phone: 604-822-3074
Vancouver B.C. Canada V6R 1Z2  |      Fax: 604-822-5116

olender@parsons.cs.colostate.edu (Kurt Olender) (04/19/91)

Alan Ballard writes:

   If you're talking about 2.0, it hasn't been released yet; presumably when it 
   is a product IBM and maybe MS will have cheap toolkits for it.  If 
   you're taking about 1.x, the programmer's toolkits don't cost anything close
   to $2000, and haven't since the products were released.

I think the confusion comes from the Microsoft OS/2 2.0 SDK, which is the
pre-release "beta" version that includes a 32-bit C compiler, etc,
specifically intended for those who want to get a jump on everyone else and
release their 2.0 apps just when 2.0 is finally released.  That as I recall
costs about $2000 or so.  For the rest of us developing OS/2 applications who
are content to wait until the "release" versio nof the development tools come
out I'd expect, like Alan, that it would be considerably less than $2k.

leoh@hardy.hdw.csd.harris.com (Leo Hinds) (04/20/91)

In article <1991Apr16.172725.11743@athena.mit.edu> mondomon@athena.mit.edu (Allan S. MacKinnon) writes:
>	Specifically: SE from $340 -> $150
>		      EE from $830 -> $690

I am assuming that SE=Standard Edition & EE=Extended Edition (or something 
along those lines, but to the non os/2 person (i.e me) that means absolutely 
nothing ... can someone highlight the differences? ... thanks.

P.S. $150 list (similar to DOS) is ok ... but $690 .... argh!



leoh@hdw.csd.harris.com         	Leo Hinds       	(305)973-5229
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