[comp.os.os2.misc] OS/2 or Windows: which to develop for?

drz@csri.toronto.edu (Jerry Zarycky) (02/15/91)

The subject line sums up our predicament.
Now that the fallout from the Wall Street Journal article has spread,
the "management" types choose to ignore the seminar that Microsoft had
the next day.  Management is demanding that our software be ported from
OS/2 to Windows because they think that our customers will be demanding
Windows programs.  Argh!  Now to port from a pre-emptive multitasking
system to one that isn't will pose us a few problems.  And then to wait
for the 32-bit version of Windows to come out while 32-bit OS/2 2.0
is supposedly around the corner doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

So, my question is: what is (are) the time frame(s) of the release of
Win32 versus the release of OS/2 2.0?

I don't expect anyone to really know, or that someone who knows would 
actually release this kind of information, but it makes me feel better
to ask!

Is anyone else struggling with this kind of question, and if so, what
are you considering to do?

Thanks for any replies,

Jerry Zarycky

Usenet:	{uunet,watmath}!csri.toronto.edu!drz
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apas611@chpc.utexas.edu (David Boles) (02/15/91)

In article <1991Feb14.120802.3737@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> drz@csri.toronto.edu (Jerry Zarycky) writes:
>So, my question is: what is (are) the time frame(s) of the release of
>Win32 versus the release of OS/2 2.0?

OS/2 2.0 is already shipping to a few sites.  This situation is probably
like the final stages before the full release which will most likely come 
in the next 6 months.  The product itself is already extremely stable and
appears to be basically complete.

Good luck with the management types.  If OS/2 2.0 only makes it to all
blue shops and everybody else waits on Win32, one of two things will 
happen.  The first possibility, and the one I feel is more likely, is
that some other platform will become the computer of choice (possibly
SPARC) in businesses.  Right now, the MIS world doesn't realize that    
their micros are about 5 years behind.  If they wait on Win32, quite a
few of them may see the disparity.  The second possibilty is that
the PC world will wallow about in its own filth for 2 years before
Win32 appears, and eventually clean itself off with a slow but possibly
nice OS/2 3.0.  If that happens, Sun, MIPS, et al. will have missed
a real opportunity.

Historical Note:

  In 1987, BYTE magazine reviewed the Compaq 386 deskpro.  We still
don't have an OS from Microsoft that can use more than half the 
register width ALMOST FOUR YEARS LATER!!!!!

One further thing to ponder, while Microsoft is telling us we'll
be able to load DOS high to gain another 30 KILOBYTES of memory
MIPS is going to 64 bit addressing because by their projections
the 4 gigabytes allowed by straight 32 bit adressing will hit the
wall in 1994.

Hmmmmm, what's the phone number for that UNIX workstation vendor? :)
 
David Boles
Applied Research Labs
UT Austin

towfiq@FTP.COM (Mark Towfiq) (02/16/91)

In article <1991Feb14.120802.3737@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu>
drz@csri.toronto.edu (Jerry Zarycky) writes:

   Now that the fallout from the Wall Street Journal article has spread,
   the "management" types choose to ignore the seminar that Microsoft had
   the next day.  Management is demanding that our software be ported from
   OS/2 to Windows because they think that our customers will be demanding
   Windows programs.  Argh!  Now to port from a pre-emptive multitasking
   system to one that isn't will pose us a few problems.  And then to wait
   for the 32-bit version of Windows to come out while 32-bit OS/2 2.0
   is supposedly around the corner doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

   Is anyone else struggling with this kind of question, and if so, what
   are you considering to do?

We are definitely grappling with this, as we were about to embark on 
a slew of PM-based applications.  Now we are wondering how to prevent
wasting thousands of man-hours on dead-end code.  Speaking of which,
does anyone out there have info on XVT, the portability library that
allows you to have the same source code for PM, Windows, and X?
--
Mark Towfiq, FTP Software, Inc.                                  towfiq@FTP.COM
Work No.: +1 617 246 0900			      Home No.: +1 617 488 2818

  "The Earth is but One Country, and Mankind its Citizens" -- Baha'u'llah

gerry@dialogic.com (Gerry Lachac) (02/17/91)

In article <TOWFIQ.91Feb15142116@babyoil.FTP.COM> towfiq@FTP.COM writes:

>wasting thousands of man-hours on dead-end code.  Speaking of which,
>does anyone out there have info on XVT, the portability library that
>allows you to have the same source code for PM, Windows, and X?

No personal info, but if I have heard some good things about it on
Bix.  At least enough good things to suggest that it is probably well
worth looking into it.

brian@NCoast.ORG (Brian Keith Gaiser) (02/21/91)

In article <1991Feb14.120802.3737@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> drz@csri.toronto.edu (Jerry Zarycky) writes:
>The subject line sums up our predicament.
>Now that the fallout from the Wall Street Journal article has spread,
>the "management" types choose to ignore the seminar that Microsoft had
>the next day.  Management is demanding that our software be ported from
>OS/2 to Windows because they think that our customers will be demanding
>Windows programs.  Argh!  Now to port from a pre-emptive multitasking
>system to one that isn't will pose us a few problems.  And then to wait
>for the 32-bit version of Windows to come out while 32-bit OS/2 2.0
>is supposedly around the corner doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
>
>So, my question is: what is (are) the time frame(s) of the release of
>Win32 versus the release of OS/2 2.0?
>
>I don't expect anyone to really know, or that someone who knows would 
>actually release this kind of information, but it makes me feel better
>to ask!
>
>Is anyone else struggling with this kind of question, and if so, what
>are you considering to do?
>
>Thanks for any replies,
>
     
        I recently attened a Personal Computing conference held by the 
        Gartner Group (a large consulting organization that predicts trends 
        in all aspects of IBM computing). 

        The time frame for IBM's OS/2 2.0 is 3rd or 4th quarter 1991. 

        Microsoft's Win32 is still a year or two off.  (We must endure Windows
        version 3.1 to version 3.99999z beta with much hype first) 
 
        Gartner Group said that Microsoft had good direction, but it's ability
        to deliver was in question with all that is on it's plate (i.e. making
        Windows Work with LANS , and the whole LAN manger mess) 
 
        Gartner said that the best direction was OS/2.  

        Gartner said that getting from 16bit Windows 3.xx to 4.0 (OS/2 like)
        will be major (like buying all new applications just as with the DOS 
        to OS/2 migration)  

        Gartner said that the only thing us developers have to consider is
        the PM API's.   
   
        They believe that the Windows API will prevail.   

        The suggestion is to try to keep on going with OS/2 , but try to 
        isolate your PM API code in some way (keep it modular, simple or even           use some OOP to generate the API stuff. 

        The other suggestion is stay with windows if you are already there 
        or if your company is technology shy.  

        ( My Note ***   I think the "WINDOWS RIDE" is gonna get rough!) 

That's what I heard, anyhow. 
 

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