On Microsoft Windows vs. IBM OS\/2<\/p>\n
By Zatni Arbi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Our friend John R. Fenton brought up some very
\ninteresting observations in his letter that appeared in The
\nJakarta Post last Monday. He was right on many accounts; he was
\ncorrect in calling it a little bit too hasty to say that Windows
\nwould jump out of the monitor screen and that OS\/2 would replace
\nit.<\/p>\n
As Fenton said, IBM has even released a version of OS\/2 called
\nOS\/2 for Windows (for some good news on this, see my other
\narticle on this page). That, to me, is a clear sign that even the
\npeople at IBM have had to admit how strong Windows' market share
\nis.<\/p>\n
OS\/2 may replace MS DOS, but it will not take over the place
\nof Windows. But, then again, when Windows Chicago starts playing
\nits music, we may have to cross the street again.<\/p>\n
According to conventional wisdom in the industry, for an
\noperating system or an operating environment to overthrow
\nanother, you have to have the so-called 'killer application' that
\nstrongly compels users to leave all the familiarity of their old
\nenvironment. Microsoft Excel and Aldus PageMaker were two such
\nkiller applications in the past that had obliged people to try
\nand eventually to move into Windows.<\/p>\n
So far, unfortunately, there hasn't been one single major OS\/2
\napplication that is not also available in Windows. Furthermore,
\nthere has not been a performance advantage over Windows that is
\nso obvious and so compelling that people would rush to the stores
\nand grab OS\/2.<\/p>\n
PC Magazine even reported that Ami Pro for OS\/2 ran much more
\nslowly than its native Windows version. Windows is a winner
\nbecause it still stands unchallenged.<\/p>\n
But that does not mean I am a 100 percent advocate of Windows.
\nWhile it is true that I use Windows applications most of the
\ntime, that's because I enjoy working with a graphical interface.
\nI enjoy looking at and using all the buttons, the icons, the
\nsmart bars, the pop-up menus that you can invoke by clicking the
\nmouse right button, and other goodies that are simply not
\navailable in the old DOS-based applications.<\/p>\n
I also like the ability to copy from one application to the
\nclipboard and to paste again from the clipboard to another
\napplication in Windows. Quarterdeck's Desqview allows you to do
\nthat, but not in a manner as elegant as in Windows.<\/p>\n
True, too, that Windows is not the best operating environment.
\nA PC running DOS and Windows is not the best computer in the
\nworld. Macintosh, I definitely agree, is the best and most user-
\nfriendly personal computer available today, and I couldn't agree
\nmore with Fenton when he said that, like government bureaucrats,
\nthe best is not always the most widely accepted and widely used.<\/p>\n
Moreover, with four out of five new software products intended
\nfor use in Windows (and that's just my own conservative estimate,
\nbased on reports in computer magazines), what choice do I have
\nexcept to stick to Windows?<\/p>\n
Microsoft Corp. has become very big and tall, indeed. And very
\npowerful, too. And that's why I'm becoming increasingly worried.
\nAnything that has grown so big, so tall and so powerful can
\neasily get sick. And when -- and it is not the question of if --
\nit gets sick, it can make all of us Windows users sick, too.<\/p>\n
To a certain extent, I share Fenton's feelings toward
\nMicrosoft. I requested a demo copy of Microsoft Office last year,
\nand they agreed to let me have one. However, I have yet to
\nreceive it. On the other hand, WordPerfect Asia sent me a copy of
\nWPWin 6.0 from Singapore just one week after I introduced myself
\nto one of them. David Wee of Lotus Corp. handed me a D&E copy of
\nLotus 1-2-3 during a seminar at the Sahid Jaya Hotel.<\/p>\n
However, likes and dislikes aside, for now we have to accept
\nthat Windows is still the only mainstream for PC users. If you
\ndrive a Toyota or a Honda or a Ford, you'll have no difficulty
\nfinding people who can fix your car or buying necessary spare
\nparts. If you buy an Aston Martin, you'll get a heck of luxury
\nand all, but you'll have to be prepared for much more
\ninconvenience. OS\/2, with its hefty hardware requirements, is an
\nAston Martin. I've chosen to stay with the Toyotas, and similarly
\nI've chosen to stay with Windows until it, too, becomes an Aston
\nMartin.<\/p>",
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