EDITORIAL PAGE

WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION - 1999

Well, the kids are back in school, football has started back up, and Warpstock and Comdex are just around the corner. This of course means that it is Autumn here in the States and time to reflect on what happened this past Summer.
As for me, I was able to sneak away with my son to do a little fishing and I also took the family to Las Vegas for a getaway (and, No, I didn't win). But my primary focus has been on a new pet project I've been working on, Palm Harbor Main Street , a web page dedicated to the town in which I reside. Basically, it is a repository of information pertaining to Palm Harbor and a communications vehicle. I was essentially trying to develop a community forum and good-will ambassador for the general public. You might want to check it out at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/
I've had several compliments on the design of the new web page. Several people have asked me what tool I used to develop it. They're somewhat baffled when I tell them I did it with OS/2, which gives me a good intro to explain what Warp is all about. Although I could have designed it with a good web design product like HomePage Publisher, I chose instead to write the HTML myself using the EPM Enhanced Editor accompanying OS/2 (I'm kind of old-fashioned in this regard). For graphics, I primarily relied on Galleria from Bitware Australia which I have used for years. I was also able to make use of TrueSpectra's Photo>Graphics Pro 2.02S, which, although it is being phased out, is available for free download until December 31st. I also had occasion to use good-old PM Camera, a freeware screen capture utility which most OS/2 users are familiar with. Between these tools and other free facilities from the Internet, I was able to put together a rather slick web site for the community. I was able to upload my files using the EmTec Network Suite which I have also been using for quite a while. I guess the point of all of this is that people can't believe I can do all of this outside the Windows world. As you will notice if you visit the site, the "Made with OS/2 Warp" logo is proudly displayed at the bottom of all of the pages.
PC WORLD
Also this Summer I was quoted in a PC WORLD article Whatever Happened to OS/2? Unfortunately, my comments seem to have ruffled the feathers of some OS/2 enthusiasts who sent me e-mail regarding it. Frankly, I thought the article was rather positive and upbeat. If you read it carefully, I firmly endorsed the use of the product but took a few potshots at IBM for botching the marketing of it (which is not the first or last time you have heard me say so). Perhaps my favorite quote in the article is where I said IBM treated OS/2 like...
"We've got this bastard kid, let's keep him locked in a closet someplace--I don't want the relatives to see him."
Other Developments
Sadly, InnoVal Systems Solutions, Inc., a longtime OS/2 proponent announced they were pulling out of the OS/2 market and were withdrawing support for their Post Road Mailer for OS/2, J Street Mailer for Java, and Web Willy Watch for OS/2. Anyone may download free copies of these products for a limited time from their on-line store at http://stores.yahoo.com/innoval. In addition, anyone may freely distribute executable copies of the software through on-line software repositories and web sites.
This is similar to the position taken by TrueSpectra Photo>Graphics earlier this year when they bowed out of OS/2. As I mentioned earlier, their product is available free of charge until the end of the year when all support is scheduled to cease. The download is an unregistered 30 day trial copy, but if you send e-mail to support@truespectra.com they will send you a registration key to unlock it.
Both InnoVal and TrueSpectra are class acts. Although we thank them for the final versions of their products, they will be greatly missed from the OS/2 scene.
On a more positive note, Sun Microsystems purchased Star Office, an office suite long familiar to OS/2 users from Germany and is now making it freely available over the Internet at http://www.sun.com/staroffice/. This is a smart strategy by Sun to take a shot at Microsoft's stranglehold on the office suite product line. Let's hope it works.
Warpstock
Finally, as we go to press, Warp Expo West is just getting under way at Chapman University, Orange, CA. Consequently, I have no news to report to you at this time. Also, on October 1-4, Warpstock Europe 99 will be held in Bochum, Germany, and; Warpstock 99 will be held October 16-17 in Atlanta. Enjoy the shows!
Keep the Faith!

- Tim Bryce
Editor, OS/2 CONNECT

PAST EDITORIALS

SEPTEMBER 1999 - OS/2: Trapped Between a Rock and a Hard Place
AUGUST 1999 - Don't Believe Everything You Read
JULY 1999 - OS/2 Users Unite!
JUNE 1999 - Finally, Some Significant IBM Announcements
MAY 1999 - The Problems with FixPak 10
APRIL 1999 - Installing OS/2 on an IBM Aptiva - by the Numbers
MARCH 1999 - Adventures in ISDN Land
FEBRUARY 1999 - Warp 5: Engage!
JANUARY 1999 - Is Java Really a House of Cards?
DECEMBER 1998 - False Start for FixPak 9
NOVEMBER 1998 - Netscape Communicator 4.04
OCTOBER 1998 - The Transition to Java
Copyright © M&JB 1999