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Subject:Re: Platform of Choice From:Stephen Arrants <arrants -at- BRIGHTWARE -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 13 Feb 1997 09:46:29 -0800
On Wednesday, February 12, 1997 4:06 PM, Bruce
Byfield[SMTP:bbyfield -at- AXIONET -dot- COM] wrote:
> "Rodney A. Hoiseth" <roth -at- GOL -dot- COM> wrote:
> >Do these indicate a prevalence of problems with MS & Windows, >lack of use
of other OS's, preference for the Microsoft >platform, or what?
>
> Problems, I think. Everyone uses Windows, but few people have used
> another operating system care for it. And, often, Windows and Windows
> programs are buggy.
I'd like for you to define "often". Once a day? Once a week? Is it
Windows that is buggy, or the applications written for Windows? Which
applications? Is the "bugginess" due to Windows or due to the
application's NOT being written correctly?
> >In other words, what's the Platform of Choice for the users on >this list
-- DOS, Windows, Mac, Unix, other, ...?
>
> Put me down for OS/2. I have Windows 95 installed on the boot manager of
> my machine (as well as DOS and Windows 3.1), but I don't use them except
> when I have to.
>
> I can run MS Word 6.0 and FrameMaker 5.1 under OS/2 4.0 (I just got
> Frame running today, which eliminates most of my reasons for going into
> Windows!), which differ only in minor ways from the latest versions of
> their respective products. The sacrifice is minimal, and when a GPF
> occurs, I don't have to restart the machine.
>
I haven't had a GPF since I installed the retail Windows 95. The only
problem I have is that MAPI32 sometimes "forgets" to let go, and I have
to manually kill it before shutting down. Framemaker hasn't crashed in
Windows 95, though it has in Windows NT. (I kind of use Framemaker as
an OS benchmark...). Of course, your mileage may vary.
For many (the majority?) of us, the "platform of choice" isn't really a
choice--we use what our employer says to use, or, if we're contracting,
we use what is compatible with whom we're contracting for. I've used
Windows, Mac, and Solaris--not because I'm passionate about an OS, but
because it is often easier to go with what is requested. I haven't used
OS|2, so I can't comment on its ability to build strong bodies twelve
ways.... :-)
steve arrants
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