IBM PSP Developer Support News - 1993 - Issue 3

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IBM Personal Software Products

Developer Support News

Issue 3 - 15 July 1993


Contents

  • Progress Report from PSP Developer Support
  • Worldwide IBM Developer Support Contacts
  • IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2
  • IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2 Promotion
  • Device Driver Support Center
  • IBM C Set ++ for OS/2 Introductory Price Promotion
  • IBM Continuous Speech Series Developers Toolkit and Runtime System
  • Ultimedia Builder/2, Ultimedia Perfect Image/2, Ultimedia Workplace/2
  • IBM Multimedia for LAN Server Beta Program
  • LAN NetView Extended Beta Test
  • Communications Manager/2 Version 1.1 Beta
  • IBM Software Installer 1.2 for OS/2
  • Distributed Database Connection Services/2 for OS/2
  • Common Desktop Environment Developers Conference
  • IBM PC DOS 6.1
  • PenDOS 2.2 and PenDOS Upgrade for PC DOS 6.1
  • Pen for OS/2
  • IBM Porting and Technical Consulting Workshops - Special Offer!
  • OS/2 DCE Administration Workshop
  • SOMobjects Developer Toolkit Workshop
  • Skill Dynamics' Object-Oriented Curriculum
  • Software Developer Seminars at OS/2 Tour '93
  • PSP Technical Interchange Update
  • SHARE Sponsors OS/2 Sessions at 1993 Summer Meeting
  • Australia OS/2 Developers Interchange '93
  • Singapore OS/2 Technical Interchange
  • Third Annual DB2 Technical Conference
  • Client/Server Summit Special Offers for DAP Members
  • Number of Diskettes in OS/2 2.1 Package Reduced
  • IBM and Related Forums on CompuServe
  • DAPTOOLS Enhancements
  • PSP Application Discount Advertising
  • "READY! for LAN Server" Application Certification
  • OS/2 2.1 Books
  • Trademarks, Registered Trademarks, Service Marks
Abbreviations
  CDN = Canadian
  GMT = Greenwich Mean Time
  GST = Goods and Services Tax (in Canada)
  USD = United States Dollars
  SD  = Singapore Dollars

Progress Report from PSP Developer Support

This is the first in a series of progress reports from the IBM PSP Developer Support organization. These reports will appear in this newsletter every two or three months.

OS/2® 2.1 has had a sensational rollout in North America, and has generated an enormous groundswell of interest. Independent software vendors are astir about developing state-of-the-art applications for OS/2. Major ISVs are coming out with 32-bit versions of their well-known products, and more and more ISVs are joining our Developer Assistance Programs so that they can get on the OS/2 bandwagon.

Many developers will want to port their existing DOS, Windows™, and 16-bit OS/2 applications to 32-bit OS/2. They will seek porting assistance from IBM, and we are gearing up to respond to that demand. Stay tuned for exciting developments in this arena.

In the USA, IBM has appointed about 500 OS/2 Marketing Specialists, whose mission is to promote OS/2 and all OS/2 companion products throughout all venues of the industry. All 500 recently spent ten days in intensive training, and they are now "hitting the streets". We in PSP Developer Support are working closely with these OS/2 Marketing Specialists to heighten their awareness of independent software vendors and products, and to be their liaison with ISVs. For example, at the ten-day training conference, we invited several ISVs to talk about their products and, in some cases, to supply our OS/2 Marketing Specialists with not-for-sale copies. ISVs can look forward to the increased awareness of their products that our OS/2 Marketing Specialists will provide.

Along those lines: If you attended PC Expo in New York recently, perhaps you noticed that OS/2 was very much in the spotlight. Almost 50 ISVs made an impressive showing of OS/2 applications, and we did our part by drawing attention to their exhibits with improved signage. Come see for yourself at our next show, the Business Software Solutions conference and exhibition in Boston in late August.

We're also enhancing our developer support in countries outside the USA. The rapidly growing Developer Support Program for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa has some exciting new additions coming soon to their bulletin board system. In Asia/Pacific, OS/2 Technical Forums will be held next month in Sydney, Melbourne, and Singapore. The Developer Assistance Program team there is putting the finishing touches on their DAP++ newsletter, which comes out quarterly. And next month, look for more details about the OS/2 Technical Forums in Europe.

We continue to get comments from ISVs about our developer support services, some favorable, some not. Where improvements are in order, we're evolving plans to make those improvements. Your interest in developing software for PSP operating platforms is very much appreciated, and we look forward to many years of success -- both ours and yours!

Mark Goldstein
Manager
IBM PSP Developer Support - USA

Worldwide IBM Developer Support Contacts

This list is current as of 14 July 1993.

Australia and   Rohaini Cain           Tele: 61-2-354-7684
New Zealand       (Sydney)             Fax:  61-2-354-7766

Austria         Georg Haschek          Tele: 43-222-21145 x2335
                  (Vienna)             Fax:  43-222-21145 x3102

Brazil          Geovah L. Cabral       Tele: 55-192-65-7737
                  (Sumare')            Fax:  55-192-65-8057

Canada and      Doug Spencer           Tele: 1-416-946-2621
the Caribbean     (Toronto)            Fax:  1-416-946-2535

Denmark and     Ralph Sakslund         Tele: 45-459-34545
Iceland           (Copenhagen)         Fax:  45-459-33960

Egypt           Ahmed Ezz              Tele: 202 3492533
                  (Giza)               Fax:  202 3601227

Finland         Ilkka Ayravainen       Tele: 358-0-4591 x4007
                  (Helsinki)           Fax:  358-0-4594014

Israel          Ami Noyman             Tele: 972-3-6978504
                  (Tel Aviv)           Fax:  972-3-6959985

Italy           Giuseppe Rossano       Tele: 39-39-6006861
                  (Milan)              Fax:  39-39-6005015

Indonesia       Windrijo Koeswologito  Tele: 62-21-5711455
                  (Jakarta)            Fax:  62-21-5711679

Japan           Hiroshi Yasukawa       Tele: 81-3-3779-8282
                  (Tokyo)              Fax:  81-3-3495-2045

Mexico          Juan Carlos Fernandez  Tele: 52-5-557-8588 x1846
                  Sarda (Mexico City)  Fax:  52-5-395-7812

Netherlands     Hans Langenhorst       Tele: 31-20-383111
                  (Utrecht)            Fax:  31-20-332760

Philippines     Mike Valdes            Tele: 632-819-2348
                  (Manila)             Fax:  632-817-1059

Portugal        Fernando Diaz Costa    Tele: 351-1-7955161
                  (Lisbon)             Fax:  351-1-7957018

Saudi Arabia    Rajesh Rao (Jeddah)    Tele: 966-2-6600812

Singapore       Ron Org                Tele: 65-3201202
                                       Fax:  65-2259444

Spain           Mercedes Liarte Gomez  Tele: 34-1-397-9538
                  (Madrid)             Fax:  34-1-519-3002

Sweden          Fredrik Hoglund        Tele: 46-8-7934325
                  (Stockholm)          Fax:  46-8-7932428

Taiwan          T.I. Yeh               Tele: 886-2-775-6571
                  (Taipei)             Fax:  886-2-721-6980

Turkey          Sevgi Gurbuz           Tele: 901280-09-00
                  (Istanbul)           Fax:  901278-04-37

United Kingdom  Natasha Warner         Tele: 44-256-344558
                  (Basingstoke)        Fax:  44-256-332319

Worldwide DAP   Hayward Rigsby         Tele: 1-407-982-6408
                  (Boca Raton FL USA)  Fax:  1-407-443-3241

IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2

Also see the two news items immediately following:

  • IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2 Promotion
  • Device Driver Support Center

The IBM Device Driver Source Kit (DDK) for OS/2 on CD-ROM media contains:

  • IBM's latest release of OS/2 device driver source code
  • Build and test tools for several device drivers
  • Online documentation

Customers licensing the DDK will receive future, generally available releases to the product, if any, for one year from the ordering date.

Several device drivers for OS/2 have been developed and are supplied in this kit. (Sources for new drivers will be added in subsequent releases as they become available.) The working source code is far more than a foundation, and enables rapid development of new device drivers. Additional sources and enhancements will be included in subsequent releases of the IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2 as they become available.

DDK requires OS/2 2.0 with ServicePak (XR06055) or OS/2 2.1. The device drivers contained within this product are for versions of OS/2 2.0, or later.

The IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2 (71G3703) features:

  • Full source code, enabling rapid development of new device drivers
  • Kit including 79 drivers and tools for the following device types:
    • Display
    • Printer
    • CD-ROM (Compact Disk - Read-Only Memory)
    • DASD (Direct Access Storage Device)
    • SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)
    • Diskette
    • Mouse
    • Keyboard
    • Multimedia
    • Pen
    • Touch
    • Serial
    • Parallel
  • Nine online books, equivalent to over 1,500 pages of printed material, with detailed information about:
    • OS/2 device drivers
    • Device driver function
    • Hints and techniques for device driver construction.
  • Generally available updates, if any, for one year from the ordering date at no additional charge
Device Driver Source Code

The IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2 includes the following source code:

Printer Device Drivers:

  • 32-bit PostScript™ (a)
  • 16-bit Plotter (b)
  • 32-bit PMPrint Queue (a)
  • 32-bit Serial Port (a)
  • 32-bit Parallel Port (a)

Display Device Drivers:

  • 16-bit VGA (b)
  • 16-bit 8514 (b)
  • VGA Base Video Handler
  • SVGA Base Video Handler (b)
  • SVGA Utility
  • Virtual Video
  • XGA® Virtual Video
  • 32-bit VGA
  • SVGA-256
  • 32-bit XGA (b) (beta)
  • 32-bit XGA Presentation Manager®
  • 32-bit XGA Base Video Handler
  • 32-bit 8514 (b) (beta)
  • 32-bit 8514 Presentation Manager
  • 32-bit 8514 Base Video Handler
  • 16-bit common fonts
  • WIN-OS/2™ V3.1 DDK Supplement - a license for the Microsoft® Windows 3.1 DDK is required to request the supplement.
    Customers must sign and return the certification card, supplied in the CD-ROM package, to receive the supplement.

CD-ROM Device Drivers (16-Bit):

  • CD-ROM Device Manager (b)
  • Virtual CD-ROM Device Manager
  • Hitachi® CD-ROM Filter (b)
  • NEC® CD-ROM Filter (b)
  • Sony® CD-ROM Filter (b)
  • Toshiba® CD-ROM Filter (b)

DASD Device Drivers (16-Bit):

  • OS/2 DASD Device Manager (b)
  • OS/2 ASPI Device Manager (b)
  • Removable DASD to Fixed Drive Conversion (b)
  • Adapter Presence Detection Sample (b)
  • Adapter for ST506/IDE DASD (b)
  • Adapter for ABIOS DASD (b)
  • Virtual Machine Disk Generator (b)

SCSI Device Drivers (16-Bit):

  • OS/2 SCSI.SYS Emulation (b)
  • Adapter for ABIOS SCB (b)

Diskette Device Drivers (16-Bit):

  • Adapter for ABIOS Diskette (b) (Floppy)
  • OS/2 ISA/EISA Floppy (b)
  • Virtual Floppy
  • Protected Mode VDisk (RAM) for CP/DOS 2.0

Mouse Device Drivers (16-Bit):

  • Mouse Subsystem
  • Mouse Family G
  • Virtual Mouse

Keyboard Device Drivers (16-Bit):

  • Keyboard Family 1
  • Keyboard Family 2
  • Virtual Keyboard

MMPM/2 Device Drivers:

  • Audio Template (b), (c)
  • Audio Virtual (c)

Pen Device Drivers:

  • Pen Base
  • Pen Serial Digitizer
  • Pen for OS/2® Calibration Tool (a)
  • Pen Tool for PenPM (a)

8516 Touch Device Drivers (16-bit):

  • Touch Device Independent (b)
  • Touch Device Dependent (b)
  • Virtual Touch Device Independent

Serial (Communication) Device Drivers (16-bit)

  • Serial (b)
  • Virtual Serial
  • AT® Synchronous (b)

Parallel (Communication) Device Drivers (16-bit)

  • Parallel Port (b)
  • Virtual Parallel
(a) IBM C Set/2 (ICC) Compiler required.
(b) Microsoft C Optimizing Compiler (CL) Version 6.00A required.
(c) MMPM/2 Toolkit required.

WIN-OS/2 Seamless VGA Display Driver Supplement

The WIN-OS/2 seamless VGA display driver supplement enables the integrated desktop, and permits Windows applications to coexist in an OS/2 environment. A commonly used feature of this capability is to run OS/2 and Windows applications side-by-side on the desktop.

To obtain this display driver supplement, you must be entitled to the Microsoft Windows 3.1 DDK. You obtain the display driver supplement by either returning the completed reply card contained in the product package or faxing a copy of the completed reply card as instructed on the card.

Build and Test Tools

The build tools facilitate the development of the device drivers and the test tools verify the quality of the developed drivers. Many drivers include test cases that will facilitate construction of test cases for new drivers.

Test Tools:

  • Display (b) - tests all mandatory graphics engine (GRE) functions for display drivers.
  • Paltest (b) - tests general palette manager for Presentation Manager display drivers.
  • Paldisp (b) - displays the hardware palette in a Presentation Manager window; use for debugging palette manager enabled Presentation Manager display.
  • Printer - performs tests for all mandatory graphics engine (GRE) functions for printer drivers.
  • Pen
  • Pen Calibration
  • Multimedia Audio Exerciser (c)
  • MM P2String (c) - tests the MMPM/2 system at the MCI API level.
(b) Microsoft C Optimizing Compiler (CL) Version 6.00A required.
(c) MMPM/2 Toolkit required.
Online Documentation

A high-level view of the function and description of the device types and drivers are included in the online documentation. The documentation also includes hints and techniques used by developers.

The online books are included:

  • General Information
  • Printer Device Driver Reference
  • Display Device Driver Reference
  • Storage Device Driver Reference
  • Input/Output Device Driver Reference
  • PenPM Device Driver Reference
  • MMPM/2 Device Driver Reference
  • Presentation Device Driver Reference
  • Virtual Device Driver Reference
  • Physical Device Driver Reference

Additional books and enhancements to these books may be included in subsequent releases.

Machine Requirements
  • Computer system supported by OS/2 2.0
  • Recommended 8 MB (or greater) system memory
  • 20 MB up to 83 MB (HPFS) or 120MB (FAT) hard disk memory, depending on user preferences
  • One OS/2-supported CD-ROM drive
  • If the WIN-OS2 Version 3.1 Seamless Device Driver Supplement is subsequently requested, one 1.44MB 3.5-inch diskette drive is required.
Programming Requirements

Software building with the IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2 requires IBM OS/2 2.0 with ServicePak (XR06055) or IBM OS/2 2.1. Compilers, assemblers, and other utilities are required for creating executable drivers. The following compiler and assembler are supplied as part of the IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2:

  • Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM) Version 5.10A.15
  • Microsoft 386 C Compiler (CL386) Version 6.00.054

Note: Any compiler, assembler, or utility can only be used for internal use to develop OS/2 device drivers. The compilers, assemblers and utilities cannot be redistributed.

The following compilers and toolkit are not included with the IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2. Refer to the device driver list above for an understanding of which drivers have additional requirements.

  • Microsoft C Optimizing Compiler (CL) Version 6.00A
  • IBM C Set/2 (ICC) Compiler
  • MMPM/2 Toolkit
Program Services

Developer support is available to all licensees of the IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2. Developer support (technical assistance) encompasses DDK usage and many aspects of device-driver development in general. Developers are expected to have device-driver development experience, or be willing to invest the time necessary to work through most of their own questions and problems. Developer support is not intended to provide an education service. It is intended, however, to answer specific questions after the device-driver developer has made a reasonable effort to obtain an answer using available information.

Developers are encouraged to use the IBM Driver Development Support Center (DDSC) System to obtain support by sending their questions and reviewing the question and answer history database, which can be easily downloaded for review offline. Developers interested in using the DDSC System should dial (via modem) 1-407-982-3217 to register and to access the support system. To obtain a briefing of the services available, developers can call 1-407-982-4239. (More details are in the news item "Device Driver Support Center" below.)

Support for a specific release of the DDK will remain available until 30 days after the release of the subsequent DDK. General device driver support will be available until discontinued by IBM upon three months' written notification on the DDSC System. Additional support is available depending on the licensee's geography and participation in certain IBM programs (for example, the Developer Assistance Program). Members of the IBM OS/2 Developer Assistance Program in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa will receive on-line support in the DDK forum.

Charges

Also see the news item "IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2 Promotion" immediately following.

Program                                            One-Time
Number   Description                               Charge

71G3703  Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2         499 USD
71G1895  Printer Device Driver Reference            29 USD
71G1896  Display Device Driver Reference            29 USD
71G1897  Storage Device Driver Reference            29 USD
71G1898  Input/Output Device Driver Reference       29 USD
71G1899  PenPM Device Driver Reference              29 USD
71G3678  MMPM/2 Device Driver Reference             29 USD

Prices in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa for the DDK itself are:

Country        Promotional Price       Standard Price

Austria                 2023                  6272
Belgium                 5983                 18550
Denmark                 1124                  3485
Finland                 1021                  3165
France                   987                  3060
Germany                  287                   891
Greece                 40898                126808
Ireland                  120                   372
Italy                 270995                840244
Netherlands              324                  1006
Norway                  1217                  3773
Portugal               26195                 81220
Spain                  20817                 64546
Sweden                  1320                  4092
Switzerland              265                   823
United Kingdom           120                   372

Promotional prices are valid through 30 September 1993. All prices are in local currencies. Payment can only be accepted in the currencies of the countries listed above. The listed price includes normal delivery to the end user; proof of delivery is not included at this price.

To Order

To order the Device Driver Source Kit in the USA, contact IBM Direct Response Marketing at 1-800-633-8266 or 1-303-939-3887. Specify the part number, program name, and quantity. The shipping and handling charge will be determined by the customer preference for delivery (Express Mail, surface mail, or other).

Publications (listed below) may be ordered separately. To order, contact Direct Response Marketing at 1-800-633-8266 or 1-303-939-3887; specify the title, order number, and quantity.

Ordering procedures for the Device Driver Kit (DDK) for OS/2 outside the USA differ with the various world geographies. Telephone numbers for ordering the DDK in other countries will be provided by the respective geographies. Here is the ordering information for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa:

The DDK can only be ordered from the IBM SPC (Copenhagen) Direct Service by telephone or fax. When calling the SPC Direct Service, refer to the IBM DDK offering, part number 71G3703 or program number 5604-477.

If you call, you will be answered in the language associated with the phone number you call. Those numbers are:

 Dutch            +45 32527088
 English          +45 32526588
 French           +45 32527411
 German           +45 32526711
 Italian          +45 32527622
 Spanish          +45 32526311

To send a fax, the phone number is +45 32528203. The supported languages are the six above plus Danish, Norwegian, Portuguese, and Swedish.

Payment can be made via credit card or international bank check.

IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2 Promotion

For a limited time only, customers can acquire the IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2 on CD-ROM for a one-time charge of only 59 USD as a single issue, or 149 USD as a program product. At the 149 USD price, the kit includes all generally available device-driver source code releases for one year from the ordering date.

With the IBM Device Driver Source Kit for OS/2 for 149 USD, each release (if any) throughout the year is cumulative. These releases deliver enhancements and additions to device-driver source code, tools for construction and verification, and online documentation.

To Order

Orders must be placed on or before 22 September 1993, and can only be made by calling 1-800-633-8266 or 1-303-939-3887.

This promotion cannot be combined with any other discount or allowance. IBM reserves the right to modify or withdraw this promotion at any time.

Device Driver Support Center

The Driver Development Support Center (DDSC) team in IBM Boca Raton provides worldwide support to all device driver developers -- Independent Hardware Vendors, Independent Software Vendors, consultants, Personal Computer Manufacturers, IBM personnel, and so on.

Technical Support

Worldwide support for device driver developers who are using the DDK will be provided by the DDSC team in Boca Raton. Technical development questions should be directed to the team using the DDSC's computer system.

Using a PC and modem (N81 at 2400 or 9600 bps), device driver developers should call the DDSC computer system at 1-407-982-3217. After completing a registration, they will have limited access to the system, and will be given additional information about DDSC operations and system operations. Within 24 hours (on work days), newly registered developers will be contacted and, following verification of the registration information, will be granted full access to the system.

PROFS Support Discontinued

Effective 24 May 1993, the IBM internal userid DDRIVERS at BCRVMPC1 can no longer be used as a communication vehicle for device driver support. All support is now provided through the DDSC system.

Having Problems Connecting?

Developers experiencing problems connecting to the DDSC system can call 1-407-982-4239, where they will hear a recorded message directing them to leave a name and phone number. Messages are retrieved from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern time (GMT minus 5) Monday through Friday. A member of the DDSC team will return the call by the end of the next business day.

IBM C Set ++ for OS/2 Introductory Price Promotion

For a limited time only, eligible customers can acquire C Set ++ for OS/2 at special introductory prices. The C Set ++ for OS/2 product, which has a general availability date of 31 May 1993, can be acquired for only 175 USD on 3.5-inch or 5.25-inch media, and for only 149 USD on CD-ROM.

In addition, customers upgrading from C Set/2 or C Developer's Workset/2 can do so for 149 USD on 3.5-inch or 5.25-inch media, and 129 USD on CD-ROM.

C Set ++ for OS/2 is a complete C/C++ development solution in a single product. It includes:

  • IBM C/C++ Tools Version 2.0, which contains:
    • IBM C/C++ compiler, which generates 32-bit code for OS/2 2.0 or higher as well as the Standard Class Library, the User Interface Library, and the Collection Class Library
  • Fully interactive, full-function, source-level IBM C/C++ debugger
  • IBM C++ browser
  • IBM C/C++ trace analyzer
  • IBM Workframe/2 Version 1.1 - a new release of IBM's highly configurable project-oriented application development environment, designed for C/C++ users.
  • IBM Developer's Toolkit for OS/2 2.0 (currently available) - a selection of language-independent build and productivity tools designed to help the developer exploit the OS/2 2.0 APIs.

The following products can be ordered under this promotion:

                                 Part
Product                          Number                  Price

C Set ++ for OS/2 (3.5-inch)     61G1175                 175 USD
C Set ++ for OS/2 (5.25-inch)    61G1425                 175 USD
C Set ++ for OS/2 (CD-ROM)       61G1412                 149 USD

Upgrade from:                    Upgrade to:             Price

C Set/2 (10G2996 or 10G3293)     61G1405 (3.5-inch)      149 USD
C Set/2 (10G2996 or 10G3293)     71G1588 (5.25-inch)     149 USD
C Set/2 (10G2996 or 10G3293)     61G1406 (CD-ROM)        129 USD
Workset/2 (10G2995 or 10G3363)   61G1402 (3.5-inch)      149 USD
Workset/2 (10G2995 or 10G3363)   61G1435 (5.25-inch)     149 USD
Workset/2 (10G2995 or 10G3363)   61G1407 (CD-ROM)        129 USD
To Order

Orders must be placed on or before 31 August 1993, and can only be made through 1-800-3IBM-OS2 for credit-card sales or 1-800-IBM-CALL for purchase-order sales. (There are no corresponding non-800 numbers.) The Date of Installation, as defined in the IBM Customer Agreement, must be on or after 4 May 1993, but no later than 29 October 1993.

This promotion cannot be combined with any other discount or allowance. IBM reserves the right to modify or withdraw this promotion at any time.

IBM Continuous Speech Series Developers Toolkit and Runtime System

IBM announces the IBM Continuous Speech Series for Windows, an application development program that will enable software developers to bring state-of-the-art continuous speech recognition technology to the tens of millions of PC users currently operating in the Microsoft Windows computing environment.

The IBM Continuous Speech Series (ICSS) was first introduced in versions for OS/2 and AIX® at COMDEX®/Fall '92. Since then, IBM has announced a series of technological breakthroughs in continuous speech, including the use of inexpensive microphones, low-cost sound cards, and the ability to recognize spoken numbers with a high rate of accuracy. This combination of low cost and high accuracy will bring speech recognition capabilities to a wide variety of applications, such as spoken spreadsheets and home bill-paying.

In addition to ICSS for Windows, IBM also announces the immediate availability of software speech recognition development tools for the OS/2 and AIX environments. These include ICSS/2 Developers Toolkit and ICSS/2 Runtime System for OS/2, and ICSS/6000 Developers Toolkit and ICSS/6000 Runtime System for AIX.

Speech is ideal for professionals who need to perform repetitive tasks or input data to computers without looking at a screen or using a keyboard, such as law-enforcement professionals, dentists, brokers, currency traders, lab technicians, and graphic designers. Speech recognition technology significantly enhances the accessibility of existing data and applications currently limited to keyboard access alone.

Developed by IBM in Gaithersburg, Maryland, ICSS provides software vendors with an industry-leading group of tools to create speech-enabled applications. Each toolkit includes software that enables:

  • Speaker Independence. Human speech varies significantly from person to person, and many speech recognition systems require speaker enrollment or training to be accurate and effective. ICSS does not require training, and can process speech from any speaker who chooses to use it. These characteristics make it well-suited for kiosk applications.
  • Continuous Speech. Many systems also require that users insert a brief pause between each word. By contrast, ICSS works through grammar-guided recognition; it is designed to listen for and process specific sets of words and phrases, so that the system can effectively and accurately process English spoken very rapidly. This capability is well-suited for data-entry applications that require high-speed control of user interfaces.
  • Large Vocabulary. ICSS operates with an active vocabulary of 1,000 words taken from a base vocabulary of 20,000 U.S. English words. Developers can easily extend the vocabulary to meet industry-specific requirements, such as medical or financial terminology.

ICSS may be used in either a stand-alone or client/server configuration, and it accommodates a wide variety of microphones.

The IBM Continuous Speech Series is positioned as the premium command/control, data entry/retrieval and forms-fill system. This Developers Toolkit provides application developers with a speech-recognition vocabulary size unparalleled in the industry. IBM also offers the IBM Speech Server Series for customers who require speech-to-text dictation, free-form speech, highly accurate and large dictionaries, and who can work with speaker-dependent, discrete speech systems.

A developer's program for Windows will make beta-level code tools available to develop automated speech interfaces for Windows 3.1 applications utilizing OS/2 2.0 or 2.1. Native Windows 3.1 development tools are scheduled to be available in December 1993.

Components

The IBM Continuous Speech Series (ICSS) consists of a Developers Toolkit for developing speech-enabled applications and a Runtime System for executing and operating those applications.

The Developers Toolkit provides the necessary tools to speech-enable existing products, or to develop new applications that exploit speech recognition. Using the speech recognition application programming interface (API), applications can be produced that recognize and process a continuous flow of spoken U.S. English words.

Key ICSS Features
  • Processes speech of different speakers with a wide variety of accented speech
  • Accommodates natural or rapid rates of speech
  • Features continuous speech recognition, no pause between words
  • Is speaker-independent, no training required, allows walk-up-and-use applications
  • Provides active vocabulary of up to 1,000 words and dictionary of over 20,000 words, allowing most applications to be speech-enabled
  • Provides add-word dictionary tools for integrating industry-specific terms and other unique words into the speech-enabled application
  • Supports multiple operating systems, providing the ability to write cross-platform, speech-enabled applications (OS/2, AIX, and Windows 3.1) (Windows 3.1 support will be available in December 1993)
  • Stand-alone or client/server
  • Supports multiple applications running on the same machine, or on multiple machines, through client/server support
  • Facilitates efficient speech enablement of new and existing applications through documented APIs
  • Documented APIs provide easy access to speech-recognition engine and reduce time needed to speech-enable application
Speaker-Independent Speech Recognition

Speaker-independent speech recognition allows a wide range of customers to take advantage of an application without having extensive computer skills. ICSS now expands the computer user interface to provide the next generation of human/computer interaction. Almost anyone who speaks U.S. English can use a speech-enabled application developed using the IBM Continuous Speech Series.

The speaker-independent aspects of ICSS, continuous speech functions and vocabulary size provide an unparalleled speech recognition system.

ICSS requires no speaker enrollment or training, unlike some other speech recognition systems. ICSS has been tested with a wide variety of accented speech from around the world. Though performance varies somewhat, many accents are well recognized. Recognition rates improve with repeated speaker use.

Continuous Speech Recognition

Continuous speech is a series of spoken words without a requirement for pauses between words. Natural speech can now drive your applications. Users can speak at natural, or even rapid, rates and enjoy successful speech recognition. This capability is well suited for command and transaction applications that require high-speed control of user interfaces.

Continuous speech recognition can greatly improve transaction speed, since most people can speak faster than they can type or press computer function keys. This quick turnaround time for transaction processing can increase throughput by decreasing the amount each transaction takes to process.

Continuous Speech input, in contrast to discrete speech input, as a means of speech recognition software, plays a key role for speech-enabled applications. Continuous speech, being the natural method of communication, can provide a competitive advantage over applications that are speech-enabled with discrete speech or not speech-enabled at all.

Medium Vocabulary

The IBM Continuous Speech Series has a 1,000-word active vocabulary that recognizes more than 1,000 words per context. More complex applications can be supported with multiple 1,000-word contexts that can be rapidly switched, so that the effective vocabulary is much higher than 1,000 words. Each screen or function of an application can have its own defined, active context. Contexts are switched instantaneously as users progress through the program. The instantaneous context switching provides the ability to have smaller contexts to improve speed and accuracy of the speech-enabled application.

Large Dictionary Base

The ICSS Dictionary currently has over 20,000 words, with phonemic representations, available for building contexts to extend the practical reach of the system to complex, real-world applications. A multitude of applications can be speech-enabled due to the robustness of the dictionary and the provision of tools to add specific words. The robust dictionary and the Add Word tools allow ICSS to speech-enable a multitude of applications.

Multi-Platform Support

ICSS currently supports the OS/2 and AIX environments, and Windows 3.1 support will be available in December 1993. ICSS Windows 3.1 support will also execute in the WIN-OS2 session of OS/2 2.1. Along with supporting multiple operating systems, ICSS for OS/2 supports many of the popular sound cards via MMPM/2, such as SoundBlaster™ and Pro Audio Spectrum 16.

Client/Server Support

The recognition server can support multiple applications running on the same machine, or on multiple machines. The recognition engine serves as a serially reusable resource. The ICSS Run-Time System can be installed as either a stand-alone executable, as a server, or as a client. When installed in client/server mode (requiring two licenses), the memory requirements for hardware resources are reduced.

Published APIs

Documented APIs facilitate the speech enablement of new and existing applications. The API set gives the application developer an efficient method of utilizing the speech recognition engine. The advantages and flexibility of a continuous-speech interface can be quickly applied to a broad spectrum of existing user applications in a manner that protects and enhances user software investment.

Planned Availability Dates
  • 2 July 1993 for:
    • IBM Continuous Speech Series/2 Developers Toolkit
    • IBM Continuous Speech Series/2 Run-Time System
    • IBM AIX Continuous Speech Series/6000 Developers Toolkit
    • IBM AIX Continuous Speech Series/6000 Run-Time System
  • 31 December 1993 for:
    • IBM Continuous Speech Series for Windows Developers Toolkit
    • IBM Continuous Speech Series for Windows Run-Time System
Configuration Support

Configuration support is available through the Integrated Configuration and Pricing Application (ICPA) when a part number is required for ordering purposes for the IBM Continuous Speech Series/2 and IBM Continuous Speech Series for Windows products.

ICPA is an OS/2 Presentation Manager-based application that allows the user to easily configure and price a PS/2® system, all adapter options, associated peripherals, including printers and plotters, and system and application software.

The ICPAUSA configurator is available through the IBM OS/2 Bulletin Board and the IBM National Support Center Bulletin Board. It is available to customers eligible to use IBMLink™.

Publications

The IBM Continuous Speech Series Technical Reference (SC22-0154) will be available from IBM by August 1993. To order, contact your IBM representative or call 1-800-879-2755.

Education

ICSS Education is provided by Skill Dynamics™, an IBM Company. The course number for the IBM Continuous Speech Series is a generic marketing overview session.

Skill Dynamics is pleased to announce IBM Speech Recognition education. The first course is 2.5 days of introduction to IBM's strategic speech recognition offerings:

  • The IBM Continuous Speech Series (ICSS)
  • The IBM Speech Server Series (ISSS)

ICSS is a continuous-speech, speaker-independent, developer's toolkit that allows command control and navigation of speech-enabled applications.

ISSS is a large-vocabulary, speaker-dependent system intended for text dictation tasks.

Customers may enroll by calling 1-800-IBM-TEACh (1-800-426-8322). The course number is N1676.

Operating Environment

OS/2 Developer's Toolkit Configuration:

  • PS/2 or personal computer with an 80486DX processor at 25 MHz, or faster, recommended
  • 6 MB of RAM memory in excess of that required by OS/2 and any other user applications
  • 12 MB of free disk storage space
  • Sound device (see details following the configurations)
  • Input microphone (see details following the configurations)

OS/2 Run-Time, Stand-Alone Configuration:

  • PS/2 or personal computer with an 80486DX processor at 25 MHz, or faster, recommended
  • 6 MB of RAM memory in excess of that required by OS/2 and any other user applications
  • 10 MB of free disk storage space
  • Sound device (see details following the configurations)
  • Input microphone (see details following the configurations)

OS/2 Run-Time, Client Configuration:

  • PS/2 or personal computer with an 80486DX processor at 25 MHz, or faster, recommended
  • 2 MB of RAM memory in excess of that required by OS/2 and any other user applications
  • 2 MB of free disk storage space
  • Token-Ring or Ethernet LAN adapter card
  • Sound device (see details following the configurations)
  • Input microphone (see details following the configurations)

OS/2 Run-Time, Server Configuration:

  • PS/2 or personal computer with an 80486DX processor at 25 MHz, or faster, recommended
  • 6 MB of RAM memory in excess of that required by OS/2 and any other user applications
  • 9 MB of free disk storage space
  • Token-Ring or Ethernet LAN adapter card

RISC System/6000® Developer's Toolkit Configuration:

  • RISC System/6000 model 220 or faster
  • 6 MB of RAM memory in excess of that required by AIX and any other user applications
  • 12 MB of free disk storage space
  • One M-Audio Capture and Playback Adapter/A (Micro Channel® format)
  • Input microphone (see details following the configurations)

RISC System/6000 Run-Time, Stand-Alone Configuration:

  • RISC System/6000 model 220 or faster
  • 6 MB of RAM memory in excess of that required by AIX and any other user applications
  • 12 MB of free disk storage space
  • One M-Audio Capture and Playback Adapter/A (Micro Channel format)
  • Input microphone (see details following the configurations)

RISC System/6000 Run-Time, Client Configuration:

  • RISC System/6000 model 220 or faster
  • 2 MB of RAM memory in excess of that required by AIX and any other user applications
  • 2 MB of free disk storage space
  • One M-Audio Capture and Playback Adapter/A (Micro Channel format)
  • Token-Ring or Ethernet LAN adapter card
  • Input microphone (see details following the configurations)

RISC System/6000 Run-Time, Server Configuration:

  • RISC System/6000 model 220 or faster
  • 6 MB of RAM memory in excess of that required by AIX and any other user applications
  • 9 MB of free disk storage space
  • One M-Audio Capture and Playback Adapter/A (Micro Channel format)
  • Token-Ring or Ethernet LAN adapter card

Windows 3.1 Developer's Toolkit Configuration:

  • PS/2 or personal computer with an 80486DX processor at 25 MHz, or faster, recommended
  • 6 MB of RAM memory in excess of that required by the operating system, Windows 3.1, and any other user applications
  • 12 MB of free disk storage space
  • Sound device (see details following the configurations)
  • Input microphone (see details following the configurations)

Windows 3.1 Run-Time, Stand-Alone Configuration:

  • PS/2 or personal computer with an 80486DX processor at 25 MHz, or faster, recommended
  • 6 MB of RAM memory in excess of that required by the operating system, Windows 3.1, and any other user applications
  • 10 MB of free disk storage space
  • Sound device (see details following the configurations)
  • Input microphone (see details following the configurations)

Windows 3.1 Run-Time, Client Configuration:

  • PS/2 or personal computer with an 80486DX processor at 25 MHz, or faster, recommended
  • 2 MB of memory in excess of that required by the operating system, Windows 3.1, and any other user applications
  • 2 MB of free disk storage space
  • Token-Ring or Ethernet LAN adapter card
  • Sound device (see details following the configurations)
  • Input microphone (see details following the configurations)

Windows 3.1 Run-Time, Server Configuration:

  • PS/2 or personal computer with an 80486DX processor at 25 MHz, or faster, recommended
  • 6 MB of RAM memory in excess of that required by the operating system, Windows 3.1, and any other user applications
  • 9 MB of free disk storage space
  • Token-Ring or Ethernet LAN adapter card

Examples of sound devices are

  • SoundBlaster (with MMPM/2)
  • SoundBlaster Pro (with MMPM/2)
  • SoundBlaster 16 (with MMPM/2)
  • Pro Audio Spectrum 16 (with MMPM/2)
  • IBM M-Audio Capture and Playback Adapter (or Micro Channel version)

Input microphones should be super-cardioid, uni-directional, noise cancelling, with an impedance of more than 600 ohms. Examples are:

  • Sennheiser 431, 518, 410
  • Audio Technica
  • Conneaut CAD89
  • Electro-Voice N/D 257B
  • Electro-Voice N/D 857B
Software Requirements

The following software is required to run the IBM Continuous Speech Series Developer's Toolkit:

  • OS/2 configuration:
    • OS/2 2.1 or OS/2 2.0 with MMPM/2
    • OS/2 C Set/2
    • OS/2 2.0 Developer's Toolkit
    • IBM WorkFrame/2
  • RISC System/6000 configuration:
    • AIX 3.2 for RISC System/6000
    • AIX C Compiler
    • AIX X-Windows Environment
  • Microsoft Windows 3.1 configuration:
    • Microsoft Windows 3.1
    • Microsoft Windows 3.1 compatible compiler
    • Visual C and Microsoft C7 have been tested; others may work

The following software is required to run the IBM Continuous Speech Series Run-Time System:

  • OS/2 configuration:
    • OS/2 2.1 or OS/2 2.0 with MMPM/2
  • RISC System/6000 configuration:
    • AIX 3.2 for RISC System/6000
    • AIX X-Windows Environment
  • Windows 3.1 configuration:
    • Microsoft Windows 3.1
Ordering Information

The IBM Continuous Speech Series for Windows will be available through a membership program, with program code shipping on 23 July 1993. The initial release of the ICSS for Windows program allows Windows application developers to speech-enable Windows applications running in the WIN-OS2 session of OS/2 2.1 or 2.0.

The membership application is available by calling 1-800-627-8363 and requesting an ICSS information package.

Charges
Program                                               One-Time
Number   Program Name                                 Charge

79G9694  ICSS/2 Developer's Toolkit                    399 USD
79G9693  ICSS/2 Run-Time System                        299 USD
79G9713  ICSS/2 Run-time System Additional License     249 USD
79G0247  ICSS/2 Run-time System Additional License     249 USD
           Certificate
79G9709  ICSS/6000 Developer's Toolkit                 399 USD
79G9710  ICSS/6000 Run-Time System                     299 USD
79G9711  ICSS/6000 Run-time System Additional License  249 USD
79G0246  ICSS/6000 Run-time System Additional License  249 USD
           Certificate
79G9707  ICSS for Windows Developer's Toolkit          399 USD
79G9708  ICSS for Windows Run-Time System              299 USD
79G9712  ICSS for Windows Run-Time Additional License  249 USD
79G0245  ICSS for Windows Run-Time Additional License  249 USD
           Certificate

Additional license charge: Customers who pay a one-time charge for an additional license may copy machine-readable program materials and printed documentation previously acquired from IBM in a program package. One copy may be made for each additional license ordered.

Ultimedia Builder/2, Ultimedia Perfect Image/2, Ultimedia Workplace/2

Three new OS/2 2.1 software products provide business professionals with a powerful set of tools for creating multimedia presentations, modifying or enhancing images, and organizing multimedia information.

These new products are: Ultimedia® Builder/2, an easy-to-use multimedia presentation development package; Ultimedia Perfect Image/2 image processing and enhancement software; and Ultimedia Workplace/2, which links multimedia information and databases.

Ultimedia Builder/2 -- Easy-To-Use Presentation Development Package

Ultimedia Builder/2 allows users to quickly and easily create multimedia presentations that can be shown as is, or imbedded into everyday business letters, reports, spreadsheets, and training materials. It provides a filmstrip-like work area where users can simply drag and drop audio, video, graphics, and animation files to create their "story" or presentation. Presentations can be reorganized and edited with cut, copy, and paste. Users can even add a wide range of special effects to bring their presentations to life.

While the filmstrip interface is ideal for the casual user, Ultimedia Builder/2 also enables more advanced users to take advantage of the REXX-based multimedia scripting language, AVA/2 (Audio Visual Authoring). With a single click, they can switch from the filmstrip interface to AVA/2, then rely on AVA/2's English-like syntax to create sophisticated multimedia applications such as interactive kiosks, training materials, or sound and image-rich marketing demos.

Perfect Image/2 -- Image Capture, Processing and Enhancement

Ultimedia Perfect Image/2 enables users to capture images from a variety of sources, then modify and enhance them. With Ultimedia Perfect Image/2, they can resize, copy, paste, crop, or rotate digitized images.

Perfect Image/2 also provides a number of powerful image enhancement tools. An easy-to-use color wheel lets business professionals choose a color range or shift the overall color tone either toward or away from a specific color. A Mask feature allows them to manually or automatically select areas of an image. The surrounding image can then be enhanced or edited (changing colors or contrast, for example) while the masked area remains unaffected. A Grayscale feature also replaces colors with black, white, and gray for additional special effects.

Ultimedia Perfect Image/2 can also be used to convert images between various file formats. The product supports images in the following file formats: Audio Visual Connection® (AVC), TIFF/Fax compressed, OS/2 bitmap, Windows 3.x bitmap, PCX, and TARGA. With a Video Capture Adapter card installed, users can also capture still image frames from a variety of video sources such as videotape and laser disc. Images can be printed on any OS/2-supported printer.

Ultimedia Workplace/2 Offers Thumbnails, Database Linking

Ultimedia Workplace/2 is a new OS/2 tool that allows end users to organize and manage multimedia files and objects. Ultimedia Workplace/2 adds powerful multimedia features to the OS/2 desktop and provides powerful database capabilities.

Light Table folders are extensions of OS/2 folders that enable users to see and work with miniature pictures of the contents of multimedia files called "thumbnails". Thumbnails are enhanced icons consisting of high-quality, 256-color representations of the multimedia files. They come with "media browsers" which let users view or play the multimedia files. The Light Table folders can be enhanced with extended data by attaching descriptive information to multimedia files. The extended data can be stored in the multimedia file, or in a database.

Ultimedia Workplace/2 users can link multimedia files to a range of popular relational databases. Ultimedia Workplace/2 can access, display, associate and join information from the following products with its own database extensions and text descriptions: dBase® IV, Oracle, OS/2 Database Manager, and DB2/2™. Users can also query Workplace/2 using Standard Query Language (SQL) queries.

Ultimedia Tools Tutorials

Provided with each of these new Ultimedia Tools products is an interactive multimedia tutorial created with Ultimedia Builder/2. It provides demonstrations and step-by-step practice sessions, giving users a choice of learning modes to help them quickly become productive and successful in using multimedia in their everyday business applications.

System Requirements

Ultimedia Builder/2, Ultimedia Perfect Image/2, and Ultimedia Workplace/2 all require a personal computer running OS/2 2.1 with MMPM/2 (Multimedia extensions for Presentation Manager) and a CD-ROM drive or one 3.5" diskette drive for installation.

The new OS/2 tools will be generally available on 15 July 1993 in the USA by calling 1-800-228-ULTI. In addition, the products will be available worldwide through IBM sales representatives and individual dealers.

Suggested retail prices are: 345 USD for Ultimedia Builder and Ultimedia Perfect Image shrinkwrapped together. Ultimedia Workplace carries a suggested retail price of 345 USD. Ultimedia Perfect Image may also be purchased separately for 175 USD.

A special introductory offer is available through 15 October 1993:

99 USD for Ultimedia Builder/2 plus Ultimedia Perfect Image/2
99 USD for Ultimedia Workplace/2

For more information about these products, contact Barbara Plum via fax at 1-415-694-3073.

IBM Multimedia for LAN Server Beta Program

The IBM Multimedia for LAN Server beta program extends the current distributed multimedia capability of IBM LAN Server 3.0, which allows the playback of multimedia files on the server to clients on a LAN, provided there is no congestion in the server and the network.

The beta multimedia support sets up a controlled environment in which multimedia applications can be given the required resources to ensure uncompromised playout at the clients, even when there would otherwise be congestion on the LAN. This quality-of-service capability distinguishes this solution from most other products in this area.

The multimedia support can easily be added to an existing LAN, in a non-disruptive manner, so that current data applications can continue without modification. The support is specifically designed to take advantage of the token-ring LAN priority architecture, so that the necessary bandwidth can be reserved to allow time-dependent multimedia streams to arrive at the client despite other network traffic. In addition, server resources are reserved for disk and file access, and clients are enhanced to improve the flow of images and sound to the end user. (Note: Other environments, such as Ethernet, can also be used with the IBM Multimedia for LAN Server beta, but the number of clients may have to be restricted to attain acceptable delivery.)

Users wishing to exploit multimedia may now evaluate the opportunities through the use of IBM LAN Server 3.0 with the IBM Multimedia for LAN Server beta function. Typical applications that can be explored are: news-on-demand, kiosks, new employee training, annotated mail and spreadsheet, classroom computer-assisted education, and many more. The support is essentially application-independent - applications based on the more popular approaches such as INDEO™, DVI™/AVI, Ultimotion, and SoundBlaster are specifically accommodated, while other applications can be accommodated according to their known characteristics. Additionally, stand-alone applications based on MMPM/2 or AVK can be run in the distributed mode without modification.

This multimedia support is available for DOS, Windows, and OS/2 clients connected across a LAN to an IBM LAN Server 3.0 Advanced Server.

The contents of this beta program include the code, documentation, and license required to install Multimedia for LAN Server. Beta program interfaces and documentation are available in U.S. English only.

Electronic support forums for this beta, which will be monitored by IBM's development laboratory in Austin, Texas, have been opened. These forums are provided so beta participants can obtain answers to technical questions about the Multimedia for LAN Server beta program before or after placing an order for the beta code.

This beta program is being made available to evaluate IBM's Multimedia for LAN Server function and provide feedback. The code in this beta program should NOT be used in production.

Functional Highlights

Computer-based media encompass text, video, sound, binary images, graphics, voice, and practically any output that a computer can generate. Computers can integrate media very well: Authors can use computers to create presentations that include sound, voice, video, text, graphics, animation, and other media. It takes a computer to really use multimedia: People can easily use a computer to control multimedia presentations, and creators of multimedia presentations can use a computer for editing. There are many applications that "play back" recorded multimedia and which are "standalone", meaning that computer networks are not needed for the presentation. Some applications rely on floppy disk or CD-ROM for both distribution and playback on a single computer. Electronic books and hypermedia applications (see Note 1 below) may come packaged on one or more compact disks. Here the storage and distribution mechanisms are one and the same.

Note 1: Electronic books integrate sound, voice, video and text into a document with some method of navigation. Hypermedia are electronic books in which the method of navigation is through links.

Arguably, the largest set of multimedia applications (and potential applications) require a computer network. Voice mail and some image applications, for example, work well on conventional store-and-forward local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs). Playback of recorded multimedia from large server libraries is possible on local area networks, but limited today to a few concurrent sessions. And "live" human communication applications such as teleconferencing really require new networking technologies.

Distributed Multimedia applications with time-sensitive streams need Quality-of-Service guarantees for throughput, against delay and error from the server computer, disk access, and the network. The IBM Multimedia for LAN Server Beta can provide these guarantees for multimedia applications running on Windows, OS/2, and DOS client computers. Resource reservation is used in the server computer to guarantee that multimedia streams can get the disk, and network resources required to provide good playback quality for multimedia file elements. On the Token Ring, priority service is used to provide guaranteed service for multimedia file access. The Priority Token Ring see Note 2 below) is today the only commercially-available reserved bandwidth network. On Ethernet, no such guarantees can be provided, though acceptable delivery can usually be achieved when the number of stations attached to the Ethernet bus is restricted to eight or fewer in number.

Note 2: The Priority Token Ring is defined to be a Token Ring in which access to the priority mechanism is controlled so as to provide Quality-of-Service (QoS) guarantees for non-zero priority traffic.

The Multimedia for LAN Server Beta function permits reliable and predictable playback of multimedia files over a "single segment" Token Ring. (This means that multimedia client stations cannot be separated from the server by bridges or routers). The Multimedia for LAN Server Beta function contains enhancements to LAN Server. The Token Ring LAN is the only LAN for which quality of service can be guaranteed. The environment is restricted currently to a single LAN Server on a single-segment LAN. Other LANs may be bridged to the LAN Server, but the clients must be on the same segment as the LAN Server which must be connected by a a LANStreamer™ MC 32 adapter. Only one LAN Server is currently supported in the network. The multimedia clients are supported by the NetBIOS communications transport.

Ethernet LAN users will get some benefit from the use of this beta code, but the quality of service is not guaranteed. If the Ethernet LAN has eight or fewer stations attached or uses a dedicated Ethernet hub, quality may be acceptable, but this environment is not as robust and care should be exercised in such cases.

Multimedia applications developed for the standalone environment using MMPM/2 or AVK will run unchanged when the file is stored on the LAN Server; and applications using DVI/AVI, Ultimotion, INDEO, and SoundBlaster streams are supported for guaranteed Quality of Service on the Token Ring. Other multimedia applications may also be run, provided that their characteristics are known and appropriate tuning is done in the Server. Existing data applications will run concurrently with multimedia applications, but the multimedia applications will get priority.

A given 16 Mbps Token Ring LAN will support 8-10 ActionMedia II video sessions on OS/2 clients (6-8 on DOS clients) as well as multiple data applications on a single segment Token Ring LAN. A lesser number of ActionMedia ll clients can be supported on a 4 Mbps Token Ring. An Install and Configuration Guide will be available to help Network Administrators with tuning tasks.

Recommended Prerequisite Software and Hardware

LAN Server

  • IBM PS/2 Model 95 with at least 16 MB of RAM
  • A disk of at least 400 MB capacity devoted to Multimedia files
  • LANStreamer MC 32 Token Ring adapter (for Token-Ring network only)
  • OS/2 2.0 & Service Pak or higher
  • LS 3.0 Advanced for 386 HPFS file system

OS/2 Client

  • 386SX CPU or higher
  • Hardware for Multimedia application(s)
  • Any appropriate Token-Ring adapter
  • OS/2 2.0 + Service Pak; or higher
  • OS/2 LAN Requester

DOS Client

  • Hardware for Multimedia application(s)
  • Any appropriate Token-Ring adapter
  • DOS 5.0 or higher
  • DOS LAN Requester
  • Windows 3.1 (for Windows applications)

LAN

  • IBM 16-Mbps Token-Ring
Alternate Hardware and Software (with reduced capacity)

Server:

  • Any IBM 486-based PS/2 with 16 MB of RAM and sufficient processing power for the intended applications, plus other recommended hardware and software specified above

LAN:

  • 4 Mbps Token Ring (IBM LANStreamer adapter still needed in Server)
  • Ethernet (with appropriate adapters in Server and Clients)
Technical Support

All beta participants receive no-charge technical support during this beta program through forums on CompuServe and the OS/2 Bulletin Board (OS2BBS) or the IBMPC disk. Support will be provided on a 'reasonable efforts' basis.

To communicate via CompuServe, type 'GO PSPBETA' and use the MM for LAN Server access message section to contact IBM.

To communicate via the OS/2 Bulletin Board (OS2BBS), select the topic "IBM Multimedia for LAN Server Beta" from "OS2 Question and Answer Bulletin Boards".

To communicate via IBM's network, select the LSMULTIB CFORUM on the IBMPC disk.

Ordering Instructions

Customers Outside of IBM

In the United States and Canada, you can request no charge delivery of diskettes and hardcopy documentation by completing and returning the following beta enrollment application. To obtain beta code and documentation, complete the beta enrollment application and fax it to 1-512-838-4002.

Outside of the United States and Canada, please see your IBM marketing representative to obtain beta code and documentation.

Customers Within IBM

Customers within IBM can request no-charge electronic delivery of diskettes and documentation via IBM's network by completing and returning the beta enrollment application. You will need to specify your VM node and userid. The completed beta enrollment application will need to be sent to BETASRUS at AUSVM1.

IBM does not guarantee this beta program will ever be made generally available. All beta code and documentation are under development and may be modified substantially should there be a generally available product. In addition, the manner in which IBM packages these development materials may differ substantially from any generally available products.

IBM reserves the right to modify or withdraw this offering at any time.

Your license for the beta code may be terminated by IBM upon 30 days' written notice.

Multimedia for LAN Server Beta Enrollment Application Form

The purpose of this application is to gather information about how Multimedia for LAN Server will be used. After completing and returning the completed form, you will be enrolled in the beta program.

Note that IBM may use or distribute (within IBM) the responses to this form without obligation.

To return this form:

Customers outside of IBM:

  o  Fax it to 1-512-838-4002
     or
  o  Mail it to:
         IBM Dept. 459
         Internal Zip 9351
         11400 Burnet Rd.
         Austin TX 78758

Customers within IBM:

  • Internal IBM VM Network: BETASRUS at AUSVM1

Contact Information:

Name:____________________________________________
Title/Job Responsibility:________________________
Company or Organization:_________________________
Address:_________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Type of Business:________________________________
Fax:_____________________________________________
Telephone:_______________________________________
The best time to reach me is ____________________

If you are a customer within IBM, specify your VM Node and ID:
_________________________________________________

Where did you learn about this beta program? (check applicable entries)

Trade Show _____  CompuServe _____  IBM Representative _____
Other (specify)_______________________________________________________

1.  What features of the Multimedia for LAN Server Beta prompted you
    to request participation in this beta test?
    ___________________________________________________________________
    ___________________________________________________________________

2.  For what purpose do you plan to use Multimedia for LAN Server Beta
    code?

    Assessing development of applications   ____

    Assessing the code in your environment  ____

3.  Indicate below which Multimedia application types you intend to run
    using the Multimedia for LAN Server Beta:

    ActionMedia II RTV         ____

    ActionMedia II PLV         ____

    MMPM/2                     ____

    Ultimotion                 ____

    Video for Windows          ____

    M-Audio (ACPA)             ____

    Still frame plus audio     ____

    SoundBlaster               ____

    Other - Please Specify:


4.  How many different multimedia applications do you intend to run
    using the Multimedia for LAN Server Beta?  ____

5.  What other applications will be running on your test LAN at the
    same time Multimedia for LAN Server Beta is active?

6.  Number of OS/2 LAN Requester multimedia clients that are planned
    to be tested simultaneously:  ____

7.  Number of DOS multimedia clients that are planned
    to be tested simultaneously:  ____

8.  Which best describes your test environment?

      LAN with mainframes attached ____

      LAN without mainframes attached ____

LAN NetView Extended Beta Test

IBM's Personal Software Products division will begin an extended beta test program for its LAN NetView® family of products. The purpose of this extended beta program is to enable PSP to deliver the highest level of quality and function possible.

The extended LAN NetView beta will address early beta suggestions, including:

  • Providing timely availability of LAN NetView management framework products and various LAN NetView management application products
  • Incorporating object-oriented technology, based on PSP's System Object Model (SOM), into the LAN NetView family to provide ease of use and scalability
  • Improving the LAN NetView management application content
  • Redesigning product packaging to reduce complexity and boost the ease of installation.
LAN NetView Manage and Enabler

The LAN NetView platform, which includes LAN NetView Manage and LAN NetView Enabler, serves as the base for systems management applications and offers a consistent user interface, improved automation functions, and enhanced integration among products.

LAN NetView Manage, when combined with Novell's NSM 1.5, gives administrators a comprehensive set of tools and services to efficiently manage NetWare and LAN Server, as well as OS/2 and its subsystems, including Communications Manager/2 and Database Manager/2.

The LAN NetView family of products also includes several applications, including LAN NetView Monitor and LAN NetView Tie. Monitor and Tie, now available for beta-testing, are IBM applications written to the X/Open Management (XMP) interface of LAN NetView Manage.

LAN NetView Monitor

LAN NetView Monitor enables performance management of OS/2 2.x systems through the use of policies that define resources to be collected, collection schedules, thresholds, and data transfer times. Managed resources include critical OS/2 2.x and IBM LAN Server and Requester 3.0 resources, all of which may be selected on a per-metric basis. Threshold monitoring allows "management by exception" through alarm notification and associated actions. Multiple policies can be active at a managed system simultaneously, meaning that multiple managing systems can be monitoring the same remote system. Collected data is summarized into an OS/2 SQL database on the managing system, from which resource, alarm, and policy reports can be generated. Realtime graphing and graphing from the database are supported, and resources from multiple nodes can be displayed on the same graph. A command-line interface to managing system function is provided for remote unattended operation, and threshold alarms can be converted to NetView alerts through registration with the LAN NetView Tie product.

LAN NetView Tie

LAN NetView Tie improves centralized control of LAN environments by providing a means for sending CMIP notifications to NetView in a manner that NetView can understand. A NetView operator can issue commands (through both the NetView and OS/2 command line interfaces) to register to receive specific alarm and non-alarm notifications from resources managed by the LAN NetView environment. When the alarms that have been registered occur, Tie reports them to NetView by converting the OSI alarms to SNA alerts and sending them to NetView via IBM OS/2 Communications Manager.

Beta Participation

All are welcome to participate in this extended beta. Qualifying applicants are:

  • Programmers who want to develop application programs on the LAN NetView platform that will compete in the fast-growing LAN system management arena
  • Network planners and administrators who want to become familiar with the LAN NetView family.
Ordering Instructions

To order beta versions of the products mentioned above:

In the USA, call 1-800-426-3040; in Canada, call 1-800-561-5293. You will be charged reproduction and distribution costs: 100 USD (120 CDN dollars) for the user package, and 200 USD (240 CDN dollars) for the developer package, plus shipping. The developer package contains additional documentation for those interested in developing their own applications.

In Asia/Pacific and Europe, contact your IBM Marketing Representative.

Question-and-Answer Support
  • On CompuServe:
Use the LAN NetView messages section of the OS2DF2 forum.
  • On OS2BBS:
Access the OS/2 Question and Answer bulletin boards, page down, and select the IBM LAN NetView Beta code topic. IBMers may use the LANNETVU CFORUM on the IBMPC disk.
Announcement Questions and Answers
Q1. How long will this extended beta program last? When will the LAN
    NetView family of products ship?

A1. Our number one priority is delivering a quality product that offers
    a solution our customers require. We intend to ship the LAN NetView
    family of products when our customers tell us it is ready. We
    estimate conducting the extended beta program into early Fall 1993.

Q2. How many participants do you anticipate?

A2. The program is open to anyone who would like to participate.

Q3. PSP has had trouble with this product all along. You changed the
    name from "LANfocus" to "LAN NetView", and now you've announced it
    won't be delivered in time. Doesn't this reflect poor management
    and development?

A3. Not at all. Our product strategy is sound. We are working very
    closely with our customers to bring to market the best possible
    systems management offering. We will continue to work with our
    customers to help incorporate changes that best meet their
    requirements.

Q4. How receptive are developers to LAN NetView?

A4. Industry commitment to the LAN NetView product offering has been
    strong. ProTools, Novell, and MicroCom (LANLord) have announced they
    will port their products to the LAN NetView family. In addition,
    there are eleven ISVs actively developing applications for LAN
    NetView.

Q5. When do you expect to provide specifics about the management
    applications you will offer?  Novell and MicroCom have announced,
    but you've been quiet since last October.

A5. We have been actively demoing IBM applications, including
    applications providing performance management, fault management, and
    NetView connectivity to customers at various trade shows.

Q6. How much of an impact will an extended beta have on PSP's
    anticipated revenue for the LAN NetView family of products?

A6. It is our policy not to share this type of financial information.
    However, we anticipate this extended beta program will result in a
    more robust product which should enhance LAN NetView's position in
    the marketplace.

Q7. Will LAN NetView be announced at NetWorld?

A7. PSP will announce the product when it is ready. It would be purely
    speculative at this time to indicate a particular timeframe.

Communications Manager/2 Version 1.1 Beta

The beta release of IBM Communications Manager/2 Version 1.1 is now available.

If you are outside IBM and want to participate in this beta program, you can obtain the beta package through TalkLink, the OS2BBS, or you can obtain it through your IBM Marketing Representative or Systems Engineer. If you are in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa, contact your IBM representative.

Product Overview

IBM Communications Manager/2 Version 1.1 provides services that a workstation can use to communicate with a host computer or another workstation. Communications Manager applications can be used to exchange information, or to use resources from the host or from other workstations. These resources include programs, files, databases, and printers. Communications Manager/2 Version 1.1 enables a workstation to:

  • Communicate with host computers or other workstations, either directly or through any of the following kinds of networks:
    • Local area networks (LANs)
    • Systems Network Architecture- (SNA-) conforming networks
    • Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
    • X.25 networks
  • Provides SNA gateway services that allow a variety of OS/2, DOS, and DOS/Windows LAN-attached workstations to communicate with a S/370 host. Up to 254 LU sessions per host connection are supported.
  • Provides 3270 and 5250 terminal emulators with a graphical user interface and enhanced end user functions, such as scalable fonts, pull-down menu options, hot-spot support, and integrated mouse support.
  • Control the method of data exchange between a workstation and a host computer or another workstation that uses different kinds of communications protocols or techniques, such as Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC), X.25, asynchronous communications, CPI-C, APPN™ and APPC, EHLLAPI, ACDI, NetBIOS, IEEE 802.2, and SRPI.
  • Be configured remotely by any authorized computer running Communications Manager/2 1.1 over a network.
  • Be installed and configured using IBM's Configuration, Installation, Distribution (CID) products and processes.
  • Use the services of the Presentation Manager interface, such as the clipboard, on-line help, and emulator help.
  • Transfer files to and from a host computer or another workstation.
  • Use host-directed printing features
  • Remap keyboard definitions
  • Physically connect to up to 5 hosts concurrently (PU 2.0)
Functional Additions in Version 1.1
  • DBCS - Double Byte Character Set
  • ISDN (IDLC)
  • APPC Full Duplex
  • Data Compression
  • Network Management
    • OS/2 Gateway for NetView and NetWare®
    • NetWare Gateway for NetView and OS/2
  • Problem Determination Enhancements
  • OS/2 3270/5250 Emulator Enhancements

As the Communications Manager/2 1.1 beta program progresses, Workgroup Client Support, PC Organizer, and Text Assist Support will be integrated with full functionality. To date, these items are not fully supported in the beta version; therefore, do NOT exploit these functions until we have completed code stability testing on these items.

Distribution

As mentioned above, participants outside IBM can find the beta package on the OS2BBS. IBM employees can find the beta in the OS2BETA tools catalog, in two packages:

 CM2BETA PACKAGE  - Beta code diskettes
 CM2DOCS PACKAGE  - Documentation (available at a later date)
Feedback

Problems and concerns should be reported via the following forums:

 OS2CM2  FORUM  for IBM internal users
 OS2CM2B CFORUM for OS2BBS users

Later, we will create OS2CM2B FORUM for internal IBM users. Until then, please use the OS2CM2 FORUM, and identify your concerns as pertaining to the CM 1.1 beta.

Feedback can also be sent via CompuServe. Please use the Communications Manager section of the OS2DFT2 forum.

Contact Person
 Randal Childs
 1-919-543-6061
 CHILDSRV at RALVM5  (IBM internal)
 USIB3FV8 at IBMMAIL (outside IBM)
 childsrv@vnet.ibm.com (Internet)

IBM Software Installer 1.2 for OS/2

Why spend your valuable time developing installation processes for your applications when Software Installer for OS/2 makes the job much easier?

Software Installer for OS/2 provides a workstation installation tool that enables application developers to automate the installation and maintenance process for their applications. This tool provides services for installing, updating, restoring, and deleting components of workstation products that are installed from CD-ROM, diskette, local area network environments, or from MVS, OS/400®, VM, or VSE/ESA™ host systems.

Software Installer is designed to support the Configuration, Installation, and Distribution (CID) architecture, and will create a CID-enabled installation for your application.

If you want to create full-function, flexible installation processes for your applications in less time, try Software Installer!

New Functions in Version 1.2
  • Create a CID-enabled installation
  • Enhanced CONFIG.SYS support
  • Disk generation utility
  • Tailorable options on last message
Other Major Functions of Software Installer
  • Multi-threaded execution. You can install one product while using another
  • Compresses your product files using Software Installer's utility or your own
  • Decompresses compressed files during installation using Software Installer's utility or your own
  • Maintenance functions include:
    • Updates an installed product for corrective service or the next release of a product
    • Restores a previous release of a product
    • Deletes a product from the user's workstation
  • Runs exits supplied by Software Installer during installation that can:
    • Set environment variables
    • Modify the user's CONFIG.SYS file
    • Add and delete information from the OS2.INI file or an application's own .INI file
    • Create and delete Workplace Shell™ objects
    • Register and de-register Workplace Shell object classes
  • Lets you specify exits for Software Installer to run specific tasks
  • Allows the user to selectively install components of a multiple-component product
  • Allows up to 20 directories for installation destinations
  • Provides for the following tailoring of the initial installation screen:
    • Display up to 100 bitmaps
    • Animate the bitmaps
    • Display an optional information window that is useful for displaying a READ.ME file
  • Replaces product files that are in use
  • Installs from diskette without installing Software Installer
  • Provides a utility for renaming Software Installer files you redistribute
  • Graphical installation screens that are customizable
  • Provides sample files and extensive on-line documentation
  • Provides context sensitive help that is customizable

For a detailed description of Software Installer, call 1-800-IBM-CARY within the USA, or 1-919-469-7763 from elsewhere.

Distributors
Indelible Blue, Inc.   1-800-776-8284 within the USA
                       1-919-834-7005 from elsewhere
                       1-919-783-8380 fax

Business Depot, Inc.   1-800-844-8448 within the USA
                       1-404-840-8022 from elsewhere
                       1-404-840-7852 fax

Programmer's Paradise  1-800-445-7899 within the USA
                       1-908-389-1700 from elsewhere

OS/2 Solution Centre   44-285 641175 UK phone
Attn: Mike Gove        44-285 640181 UK fax

IBM Australia Limited  61-2-354-7684 Australia phone
Attn: Rohaini Cain     61-2-354-7766 Australia fax
Question and Answer Support

IBM TalkLink, in INSTALL2 CFORUM 1-800-547-1283

CompuServe: GO OS2DF2 1-800-848-8199 rep number 239

IBM Cary, North Carolina Development Lab 1-919-469-7423 fax

Supported Drive Environments

Software Installer supports installation from diskette, CD-ROM, and local area network (LAN).

Supported Host Environments

Software Installer supports installation from the following host environments:

  • Operating System/400® (OS/400) with IBM PC Support/400
  • Multiple Virtual Storage (MVS)
  • Virtual Machine (VM)
  • Virtual Storage Extended (VSE/ESA) Version 1.3.0
Operating Environment

Machine Requirements:

  • A personal computer running OS/2 2.0 or 2.1
  • 2 MB of hard disk space above that required by OS/2
  • 0.5 MB of memory above that required by OS/2
  • Two-button mouse or other pointing device

Program Requirements:

  • IBM Operating System/2 (OS/2) 2.0 or 2.1
If you use OS/2 2.0, then the OS/2 Version 2.0 ServicePak XR06055 is recommended. Without the ServicePak, your installation will not return the appropriate results from user exits, even though the exit completes correctly. Also, Workplace Shell objects created during an installation will not use the specified icon.
  • IBM Developer's Toolkit for OS/2 Version 2.0.
The Developer's Toolkit for OS/2 is required for creating a customized product installation. However, the product's users do not need to have the toolkit on their systems to install your products.
  • To install from an AS/400® host system, you need IBM PC Support/400 (Program Number 5738-PC1) Version 2 Release 2.
  • To install from a VM, MVS, or VSE/ESA host system, you need IBM Extended Services for OS/2™ with Communications Manager installed.
License Information

Each Software Installer license allows you to use Software Installer on one workstation at a time and to distribute the re-distributable modules as part of one or more software applications. To use Software Installer on additional workstations, you need additional Software Installer licenses. A special license is available for corporate usage.

You can install Software Installer on a LAN data server so that multiple developers can access the code to enable their applications to Software Installer services. However, you need a Software Installer license for each workstation on which Software Installer is used to enable an application. You do not need a Software Installer license for workstations that run applications containing the re-distributable modules.

There are no extra charges or royalty payments for redistributing the required executable modules in an application.

Distributed Database Connection Services/2 for OS/2

The DISTRIBUTED DATABASE CONNECTION SERVICES/2™ (DDCS/2) product offers your desktop applications access to host databases directly from OS/2 systems with DB2/2, without the need and expense of other "gateway" software. Connectivity to DB2® Version 2 Release 3, SQL/DS™ Version 3 Release 3, and OS/400 Version 2 Release 1.1 host relational databases is supported today.

The DDCS/2 product supports DRDA™ architecture, which is used by all of IBM's relational database management products. Many other non-IBM database vendors have announced that they will also support DRDA. The DDCS/2 program provides a connection that extends a "like" client/server environment to an "unlike" database environment. It connects a DB2/2 client to a host-based database management system by implementation of the DRDA protocol.

The key advantages of using DDCS/2 over gateways offered by other database or connectivity vendors are:

  • Support of static and dynamic SQL
Applications using static SQL can pre-compile their modules and bind the optimized plan at the database server. Using static SQL through DDCS/2 will result in improved performance for these applications.
  • No host code needed
Other gateway approaches require installation of proprietary host code that emulates a DB2 application. Aside from the issues of complex installation, ownership, and maintenance, there is the issue of cost. A DDCS/2 implementation can be 20 to 40 times less expensive than other approaches.
  • Transparent access
Applications running on DOS, Windows, or OS/2 can transparently access data regardless of its location. This allows easier movement of data between different database systems. It also means you can develop and test your application on one platform, but deploy the application and your production data on another.

DB2/2 by itself provides a strong affinity with IBM's host database management systems by offering a consistent SQL programming interface. DDCS/2 extends the reach from your desktop to the enterprise data.

Professional software developers interested in DDCS/2 or DB2/2 can request the enrollment package for the DB2/2 Developer Assistance Program by calling 1-800-627-8363 within the USA and Canada; from elsewhere, send a fax to 1-817-961-8410.

Common Desktop Environment Developers Conference

Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM Corporation, The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc., SunSoft, Inc., Univel, and UNIX System Laboratories, Inc. have selected the UniForum Association to sponsor the first USA developers conference for desktop technologies being developed under the common open software environment process.

The Common Desktop Environment Developers Conference will be held 26 through 28 October at the San Jose (California) Convention Center. It will provide a forum for application developers, multi-platform software suppliers, end users, systems integrators, and original equipment manufacturers to learn the technical details about writing and integrating applications for the common desktop environment.

The conference will feature panel discussions, papers, tutorials, and demonstrations of the common desktop environment. The common desktop environment is the innovative, intuitive, easy-to-use desktop computing environment that will be the base for a new evolution in UNIX® system desktop interfaces. It will allow software developers to create applications that look and behave the same way when used across multiple UNIX systems that use the common desktop environment interface.

The common desktop environment interface incorporates aspects of HP's Visual User Environment (VUE); IBM's Common User Access™ model and Workplace Shell; the Open Software Foundation's™ Motif™ toolkit and Window Manager; SunSoft's ToolTalk software with an incorporated HP Encapsulator, and OPEN LOOK® and DeskSet productivity tools; and USL's UNIX SVR4.2 desktop manager components and scalable systems technologies.

"We support the common open software environment process 100 percent, and are enthusiastic about the opportunities for growth that it presents to the open systems community," said Richard Jaross, UniForum's executive director. "We are planning an intensive conference that will bring developers all the information they need to begin incorporating common desktop environment specifications into their software programs."

The conference will include sessions by the technology developers, and attendees will receive an early release of the software and documentation. Information on how to register for the conference can be obtained by calling 1-800-225-4698 within the USA, or 1-508-879-6700 from elsewhere. The UniForum Association is offering free membership in the Association to attendees as well. Conferences in Europe and the Far East are also being planned.

The common open software environment process was announced by HP, IBM, SCO, SunSoft, Univel and USL in March 1993. It is intended to expedite the adoption of standards and promote greater consistency and interoperability among UNIX system products in the industry.

Based in Santa Clara, Calif., UniForum is a not-for-profit, vendor independent association for users, developers and vendors of open systems. Since 1981, the association has been a forum for the promotion and exchange of information about the benefits of open systems and related hardware, software, applications and standards. UniForum has over 80 corporate sponsors and 7,000 members worldwide.

IBM PC DOS 6.1

IBM PC DOS 6.1 is the significantly enhanced primary operating system for entry-level IBM and compatible personal computer systems. PC DOS 6.1 features a library of integrated DOS utilities that result from alliances with award-winning software vendors and IBM Research. The utilities include:

  • Disk compression (see note)
  • Anti-virus
  • Full-screen backup
  • New full-screen editor
  • Program scheduler
Note: Disk compression is not initially included in the PC DOS 6.1 product. It is planned to be available, at no additional charge, by 30 September 1993. To obtain disk compression after availability, submit the special coupon included in the product shipment group.

PC DOS 6.1 provides important additional features such as new hardware support (Pen, PCMCIA™), a memory optimizer to access more memory in order to run applications better, a program scheduler with a full-screen calendar that allows day or night program scheduling, and a powerful new editor that provides new capabilities, such as draw, box, sort, and add, plus the ability to edit multiple files. In addition, the DOS kernel is smaller, and overall performance is improved. PC DOS 6.1 extends memory expansion to 8086/88 and 80286 systems by providing device drivers that can utilize a wide variety of video and expanded memory adapters to load applications high.

Two versions of the product are offered: A base product for new systems, and a full PC DOS 6.1 upgrade package capable of upgrading over any existing DOS (version 2.1 or higher, installed on a hard disk) at a significantly reduced cost.

DOS 5.02 continues to be available to customers who do not require PC DOS 6.1 utilities and features.

The planned availability date for PC DOS 6.1 is 26 July 1993, except for disk compression, which has a planned availability date of 30 September.

PC DOS 6.1:

  • Improves memory management and performance with enhanced EMM386 support and a memory optimizer, RAMBoost, that automatically improves use of the available upper memory
  • Increases the amount of data that can be stored on the hard disk with a robust disk compression utility
  • Improves backup capability with a full-function, award-winning, full-screen backup utility with a friendly user interface and extensive online help; tape backup support also included
  • Provides industrial-strength file protection against generic lab, polymorphic, and stealth computer viruses with a DOS anti-virus utility
  • Allows full-function generic program scheduling with a full-screen scheduler utility with an easy-to-use calendar interface that supports unattended operation and makes other tools such as defrag, anti-virus, and backup more useful
  • Provides a powerful and flexible standard editor, E Editor, that edits multiple files, supports margins and tabs, and includes macros that do addition, drawing, and sorting
  • Provides Pen support for pen-based systems running pen-aware or pen-unaware applications, and also allows users to write using the mouse without a pen
  • Provides Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) II - the new standard for credit-card-sized hardware options - allowing hot pluggability, power management, and support for a wide array of device drivers and utilities.

User productivity is improved by significantly increasing application and disk storage space, improving ease of use in installation, and providing new, easy-to-use DOS utilities and commands.

Growth is enabled by allowing applications to easily and optimally utilize more of the system memory, disk capacity, and compatibility with DOS extensions. In addition, PC DOS 6.1 is enhanced with new device support for mobile computers and Pen-based systems - important new industry directions.

PC DOS 6.1 provides a compatible DOS environment on the 8088/8086/80286/80386/80486 family of products (except PCjr™, AT/370, and XT™/370) marketed by IBM and OEMs. Assuming equivalent systems configurations and adequate memory, applications that execute on one processor will execute similarly on all other processors (except for performance and known incompatibilities between system units).

Machine Requirements

PC DOS 6.1 will operate on all Intel-based personal computers (8088, 286, 386, and higher). The minimum processor system memory required for PC DOS 6.1 installation is 512 KB. A new computer system (one without a previous version of DOS installed) should also have a 3.5-inch or 5.25-inch diskette drive A: available. The PC DOS 6.1 Upgrade requires a computer system with a prior version of DOS (2.1 or higher) installed on the hard disk. Installation on upgrade systems can occur either from any diskette drive or from the network to the hard disk.

Technical Support

Technical support for PC DOS 6.1 preloaded on IBM PC hardware: Technical support may be provided by the PS Programming Support Center or by the PC HelpCenter®, depending on which hardware system the customer has. The phone number for the PC HelpCenter is 1-800-772-2227; the number for the PS Programming Support Center is given below.

Technical support for the PC DOS 6.1 retail package: IBM technical support is available for a period of 60 days. An entitlement process ensures that each customer receives 60 days' free service. The 60-day period begins when the customer makes the first call to the PS Programming Support Center. There is no limit to the number of times the customer can contact IBM for support within the free 60-day support period. After 60 days, service offerings are available through the PS Programming Support Center.

The phone number for technical support from the PS Programming Support Center is 1-800-992-4777. Users can call the support center at any time. Normal "live" hours for technical support are 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern time (GMT-5) Monday through Friday, and 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern time Saturday and Sunday. Outside of those hours, calls are placed in a queue, and the customer is called back during normal support hours.

Charges
PC DOS 6.1 Program Package                   189 USD
PC DOS 6.1 Upgrade Package                   109 USD
Documentation only                            20 USD
Keyboards and Code Pages                       5 USD
Command Reference and Error Messages          15 USD
DOS 5.02 Technical Reference                  49 USD
  (The DOS 5.02 Technical Reference is
   applicable to PC DOS 6.1.)

A 90-day introductory price of 59.99 USD for PC DOS 6.1 is available by calling 1-800-342-6672. Lower prices may be available through software dealers.

PenDOS 2.2 and PenDOS Upgrade for PC DOS 6.1

IBM's Personal Software Products (PSP) division announces a new version of the PenDOS® system for pen computing. With this release, PenDOS is now available from IBM directly to end users for the first time, in addition to being pre-loaded on a variety of pen-based computers from other vendors.

PenDOS 2.2 provides pen extensions to DOS 5.0 or later versions.

PenDOS Upgrade for PC DOS 6.1 provides pen extensions to PC DOS 6.1 only. The upgrade is available from 22 July 1993 until 31 December 1993, only with the coupon in the product package for PC DOS 6.1, and only in the USA.

PenDOS Version 2.2 brings a broad range of pen-based capabilities, including handwriting recognition in any one of six languages, to DOS applications. PenDOS also allows developers to design sophisticated pen-based applications using virtually any popular DOS development tool, or to add pen-based capabilities to existing DOS applications. It is ideal for developers who desire high-performance pen computing in a low-overhead DOS environment.

Direct availability to end-users of PenDOS also makes it an excellent upgrade option for existing owners of pen-based computer users who wish to make use of DOS applications.

Other PenDOS capabilities include: integrated, user-trainable handwriting recognition which can adjust to individual handwriting styles; a pop-up handwriting window which adds recognition capabilities to most traditional non-pen-aware DOS application; standard and user customizable gestures; and a pop-up keyboard. For the first time, PenDOS now includes support for opaque tablets, and integrates pen-based applications for expense reporting and sending handwritten faxes.

PenDOS is multilingual, with versions that support six popular languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.

"PenDOS is an excellent add-on for people who have already purchased pen-based computers," said PSP Marketing Director Wally Casey. "With PenDOS, these pen computer users can take to the road with the same DOS applications they use at their desks. In this way, PenDOS allows users to do much, much more with the pen-based computers they already own.

"PenDOS also offers developers an easy way to create pen-based applications using their existing DOS development tools," Casey said. "Many of these developers can even use PenDOS to transform their existing desktop applications into pen-based applications."

PenDOS offers one of the fastest and most accurate handwriting recognition engines available today. PenDOS's handwriting recognition engine is user-trainable, allowing users to improve accuracy by tailoring the system to their unique handwriting characteristics. A set of handwriting gestures can be used to control applications. Since these gestures are a subset of those available in IBM's Pen for OS/2 product, it is easy for users to move between different pen-based systems. Gestures can also be user-defined to execute menu commands or macros in both pen-based and traditional applications.

Advanced add-on capabilities for PenDOS are available from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs). One such module is signature capture and verification modules that can be used to create applications which accept a user's signature, then analyze that signature to determine if it is authentic or a potential forgery. Such a module offers a high level of accuracy by utilizing a sophisticated signature verification algorithm.

PenDOS also allows users to operate most mouse-enabled DOS applications using the pen as a mouse. For these applications, a PenDOS handwriting recognition window can quickly be called up which will accept handwriting and pass it back to the application as traditional text. A pop-up on-screen keyboard also allows users to enter traditional text, numbers and commands using the pen. For developers, PenDOS capabilities can be accessed from any DOS application development environment through the PenDOS application programming interface (API).

Applications for both sending handwritten faxes and for expense reporting ship with PenDOS. The freehand fax application enables users to quickly hand-write and fax notes using their pen-based computer and any Class 2-compatible fax modem. The expense reporting application makes it easy for users to record and tally their expenses while traveling.

PenDOS 2.2 is now available to users, OEMs, ISVs, and systems integrators. Single unit end-user pricing is 89 USD. Volume discounts are available for OEMs. PenDOS Upgrade for PC DOS 6.1 carries a single-unit price of 40 USD.

PenDOS has the following minimum operating requirements: an 80386SX computer running DOS 5.0 or higher; a pen sensor (digitizer) integrated with a display or a digitizing tablet; 2 MB of RAM and 1 MB of hard disk space for most versions, with 4 MB of RAM and 1 MB of hard disk space required for the Japanese version. Support is provided for a wide range of hardware, including select pen-based computers from IBM, NCR Corp., Samsung Electronics, and Dauphin Technology, Inc., and select external digitizing pads from ACECAD, Kurta, CalComp, Wacom, Appoint, and FTG Data Systems.

A PenDOS developers toolkit is available to assist ISVs and corporate MIS staff to develop their own PenDOS applications. In addition, IBM has scheduled a series of one-week workshops to help developers both create pen-based applications and also add pen capabilities to existing applications. For more information about these offerings, call IBM at the following numbers: end-user sales, 1-800-342-6672; OEM sales, 1-800-426-4579; and developers' assistance, 1-404-238-2200. The address for developers' assistance is IBM PenAssist, H09R1, 4111 Northside Parkway, Atlanta GA 30327.

Pen for OS/2

IBM's Personal Software Products (PSP) division announces Pen for OS/2. Pen for OS/2 is a powerful pen computing system that adds pen capabilities, with handwriting recognition, to virtually any OS/2, DOS, or DOS/Windows application.

Pen for OS/2 is designed for mobile computing environments, where a keyboard can be impractical, and for collaborative computing on the desktop. It combines the strengths of OS/2 with full-featured pen capabilities, including: integrated user-trainable handwriting recognition; a windows that adds handwriting recognition to most non-pen-aware applications; standard and user-customizable gestures; and a pop-up keyboard. Included as part of Pen for OS/2 are two applications -- Telepen, a collaborative computing system, and Sketchpad, a freehand drawing tool.

Pen for OS/2 is now available to OEMs and ISVs, and also direct from IBM to end-users. A number of leading pen-based hardware manufacturers have endorsed Pen for OS/2, including: Dauphin Technology, Inc.; AST Research; TelePad Corp.; Tusk, Inc.; and FTG Data Systems. Pen for OS/2 also supports desktop workpads and opaque tablets from Wacom, Kurta, Calcomp, Appoint, and Acecad.

"With Pen for OS/2, we've expanded the boundaries of where and how computers can be used," said Wally Casey, director of marketing for IBM's PSP division. "For today's laptop-carrying business executives, pen means being able to use a computer more comfortably in a meeting, while standing, while making presentations, or in other environments where a keybaord is unwieldy."

Pen is also excellent for a host of vertical applications. With pen-based computers, for examples, manufacturers can take inventory from the factory floor, and hospitals can record patient information direct to their computer from the doctor's waiting room. Pen is also a much more natural and convenient input tool for desktop-based applications where people want to use a pen to "think on paper", or to jointly review and revise documents, spreadsheets, or presentations.

Using ThinkWrite, a handwriting recognition technology developed by IBM, Pen for OS/2 offers users one of the fastest and most accurate handwriting recognition technologies available today. Pen for OS/2's handwriting recognition program also allows users to improve accuracy by tailoring the system to their unique handwriting characteristics. A large selection of standard handwriting gestures can be used to control applications. Gestures can also be user-defined to execute menu commands or macros in both pen-based and traditional applications.

With Pen for OS/2, developers can easily create powerful pen-based OS/2 applications for both mobile and desktop computing. Pen for OS/2 capabilities can be accessed from virtually any OS/2 programming language.

Pen for OS/2 enables users to operate virtually any OS/2, Windows, or DOS application running in an OS/2 window, using the pen as a mouse. From most traditional applications, a Pen for OS/2 handwriting recognition window can quickly be called up; it will accept handwriting and pass it back to the application as traditional text. A pop-up, on-screen keyboard also allows users to enter traditional text, numbers, and commands using the pen.

Two applications ship with Pen for OS/2. The first is Telepen, a collaborative "chalkboard" application that allows network users to share a common space in which they can view, draw, and annotate. Screen captures can be easily imported into Telepen. The other application is Sketchpad, a tool for creating freehand drawings that can be inserted into applications through the system clipboard.

Pen for OS/2 is available now to end-users at a single-unit price of 89 USD. Volume pricing is available for OEMs.

Pen for OS/2 requires the following: a computer running OS/2 2.1; a pen sensor (digitizer) integrated with a display or a digitizing tablet; 2 MB of RAM over the requirements for OS/2 2.1; and 5 MB of hard-disk space.

A Pen for OS/2 developers tool kit is available to assist ISVs and corporate MIS staff to develop their own Pen for OS/2 applications. In addition, IBM has scheduled a series of one-week workshops to help developers create pen-based applications or add pen capabilities to existing applications. For more information about these offerings, call IBM at the following numbers: end-user sales, 1-800-342-6672; OEM sales, 1-800-426-4579; and developers' assistance, 1-404-238-2200. The address for developers' assistance is IBM PenAssist, H09R1, 4111 Northside Parkway, Atlanta GA 30327.

IBM Porting and Technical Consulting Workshops -- Special Offer!

 ********************************************************************
 *                                                                  *
 *           SPECIAL OS/2 2.1 INTRODUCTORY OFFER FOR                *
 *                READERS OF THIS NEWSLETTER                        *
 *                                                                  *
 * Mention this offer and receive a 10 percent discount when you    *
 * register for any IBM Porting and Technical Consulting Workshop   *
 * held during the third quarter of 1993!                           *
 *                                                                  *
 ********************************************************************

The IBM Porting and Technical Consulting Workshops enable independent software vendors to save time and money building OS/2 and Pen applications.

We offer software developers an unprecedented opportunity to jump-start their porting of existing OS/2 16-bit, DOS, Windows, or UNIX applications to 32-bit OS/2, and we assist developers in adapting their existing DOS programs for pen-based hardware using PenDOS 2.0.

The workshops are proven to:

  • Accurately size a developer's project
  • Minimize their learning curve
  • Guarantee architectural integrity
  • Shorten development schedules
  • Port anywhere from 35 percent to 100 percent of their application during the workshop.
3Q93 Workshop Schedule
Date                 Workshop
----                 --------
13 - 16 July         PenDOS 2.0 Workshop (Pilot)
26 July - 1 August   DOS to OS/2 32-Bit Presentation Manager Workshop
9 - 13 August        Windows 3.x to OS/2 32-Bit Presentation Manager Native Workshop
13 - 17 September    OS/2 16-Bit to OS/2 32-Bit Presentation Manager Workshop

These workshops are held at the IBM Porting Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

For more information, and to enroll, call One Up Corporation and refer to the IBM Porting and Technical Consulting Workshops. One Up's toll-free number, 1-800-678-31UP, is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Central time (GMT-6). Outside the USA, please call 1-214-620-1123.

OS/2 DCE Administration Workshop

A new OS/2 LAN Systems Workshop, OS/2 DCE Administration, is scheduled for 19 through 23 July and also 16 through 20 August 1993. This workshop joins the very well received OS/2 DCE for Software Developers Workshop, and will be regularly scheduled. These workshops are offered at IBM in Austin, Texas, and as private classes at other locations.

The Administration workshop is for people responsible for installation and administration of OS/2 Distributed Computing Environment (DCE). The knowledge gained will assist the administrator in planning, installation, and administration of DCE in the OS/2 environment.

This workshop combines classroom lectures with extensive laboratory projects to build and maintain an OS/2 DCE cell. During this workshop, the student will create several DCE cell configurations; add and delete machines from the cell; add and delete users; install applications; and perform other typical system administration functions.

For more information or to enroll, call 1-800-IBM-TEACh within the USA, or 1-602-629-3115 from elsewhere.

SOMobjects Developer Toolkit Workshop

Get a new tool for your OO kit! This workshop introduces you to the components of the System Object Model (SOM) Toolkit, and prepares you to work with them. You'll learn about the SOM frameworks through lectures and extensive hands-on lab sessions. Software engineers and programmers who will be designing and implementing applications in either the AIX or OS/2 environments will find this workshop extremely valuable, because you'll learn to:

  • Build OS/2 and AIX OO applications using SOM
  • Implement and use SOM classes in C or C++
  • Use and extend the SOM compiler and tools
  • Add persistence and replication capabilities to SOM objects
  • Construct a CORBA-standard Object Request Broker with Distributed SOM
Topics
  • SOM Fundamentals
  • Interface Definition Language (IDL)
  • IDL exception handling
  • Single and Multiple Inheritance
  • Metaclasses
  • Language Bindings
  • Toolkit Frameworks
    • Distributed SOM (DSOM)
    • Persistence
    • Replication
    • Emitter

The prerequisites for this workshop are programming experience in C or C++ on the AIX or OS/2 platforms, and knowledge of object orientation concepts.

Schedules and Venues

The workshop length is three days. Schedules are:

  New York City, 16 through 18 August 1993
  Thornwood NY,   5 through  7 October
  Thornwood NY,   2 through  4 November
  New York City,  9 through 11 November
Fee and Enrollment

This workshop has course code N1602. The fee for this workshop is 1,250 USD. To enroll, call 1-800-IBM-TEACh (1-800-426-8322) within the USA, or 1-602-629-3115 from outside the USA.

Skill Dynamics' Object-Oriented Curriculum

Whether you need to learn to program using objects, or just want to understand the technology, Skill Dynamics, an IBM Company, has the courses to meet your needs. You'll benefit from our instructor team's experiences from IBM product development and the business world. Each instructor has taught thousands of satisfied students.

Our programming courses let you hone your skills with intensive hands-on lab exercises. You can enroll in courses that focus on the Smalltalk or C++ languages. If you are a manager, you will also find courses to address your needs in understanding the key elements of this exciting technology.

Skill Dynamics offers courses in object-oriented concepts, programming, design, analysis, user interface, data base, and management. The different areas of the Object-Oriented Curriculum are:

Basic Concepts:

Object-Oriented Principles and Their Applications (course Q1022)
Object-Oriented Software Engineering (N1498)

Management Issues:

Object-Oriented Technology for Managers (N1605)
Object-Oriented Workshop for Managers (N1606)

Technical Issues:

Object-Oriented Programming and Design with Smalltalk (K3612)
Object-Oriented Programming and Design with C++ (Q1073)

Structuring Issues:

Object-Oriented Topics with Smalltalk (N1496)
Topics in C++ Programming and Design (N1601)

Analysis and Design:

Object-Oriented Analysis (N1604)
Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (N1603)
Object-Oriented Design with Use Cases (N1499)

User Interface:

Design of Object-Oriented User Interfaces (N1600)

Database:

Object-Oriented Database Management Systems (N1729)

To enroll in any of these courses, call 1-800-IBM-TEACh (1-800-426-8322) within the USA, or 1-602-629-3115 from outside the USA.

For more information, pricing, and schedules, contact Joe Green at Skill Dynamics, 65 East 55th St., New York NY 10022-3219, phone 1-212-230-5056, Internet userid JOEGREEN@VNET.IBM.COM. To be added to the OO course mailing list, call 1-212-230-5440.

Software Developer Seminars at OS/2 Tour '93

Software developer seminars are being held in conjunction with OS/2 Tour '93 in the USA. These seminars are conducted from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on the second day of each tour. The agenda for these seminars is:

Hour 1: OS/2 2.1 Enhancements
        OS/2 Direction
        OS/2 - A Developers' Platform
        Development Tools

Hour 2: OS/2 Architecture
             Memory Model
             Thread/Process Model
             IPC and Exceptions
        Case Tools

Hour 3: OS/2 Object-Oriented Directions
        SOM/DSOM
        DCE/DME

Hour 4: Summary/Review
        Review of Supplementary Materials
        -- Recommended Reading List
        -- Education Offerings
        -- API Listings
        -- Developer Assistance Program Information
        -- Additional Contacts and Information
        Q&A

As of 9 July, here is the schedule for the remaining seminars in 1993. The dates shown are the second days of each tour.

15 July           Pittsburgh PA
22 July           Portland OR
29 July           Los Angeles CA
5 August          Louisville KY
12 August         Toledo OH
19 August         Baltimore MD
26 August         Miami FL
2 September       Buffalo NY
9 September       Milwaukee WI
15 September      St. Louis MO
23 September      Raleigh-Durham NC
30 September      Austin TX
7 October         Somerset NJ
13 October        Cincinnati OH
20 October        Springfield IL
28 October        Hartford CT
3 November        San Antonio TX
11 November       Tampa FL
17 November       Norfolk VA
1 December        Rochester NY
9 December        Kansas City MO-KS
16 December       Albany NY

The overall schedule for each two-day tour is:

Day 1, morning:   General overview session
Day 1, afternoon: Technical session

Day 2, morning:   Professional overview for large enterprises,
                    systems integrators, distributors/aggregators, and
                    VARs
Day 2, afternoon: Developer seminar

For more information, call:

1-800-766-4344    General overview and technical sessions, Day 1
1-800-285-7577    Professional overview session, Day 2
1-800-934-6566    Developer seminar, Day 2

From outside the USA, call 1-203-761-7819.

PSP Technical Interchange Update

As the exciting IBM Personal Software Products (PSP) Technical Interchange approaches, more speakers, sessions, and complimentary software have been added, and the early-registration discount has been extended!

The information below supersedes the corresponding information about the PSP Technical Interchange that appeared in the 15 June issue of this newsletter. Refer to that issue for additional details.

The PSP Technical Interchange will be held 29 August through 2 September 1993 at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA. The interchange is co-sponsored by Computer Associates, Lotus Development, and WordPerfect corporations.

Important note: The Personal Software Products (PSP) Technical Interchange featuring OS/2 and IBM LAN Systems, to be held from August 29 through September 2, 1993 at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, is coordinated and sponsored by the IBM Corporation. Although many IBM speakers will be participating in other conferences such as the OS/2 Professional Interchange and the ColoradOS/2 Conference, these conferences are not IBM owned-and-operated events.

Schedule Changes

On Tuesday 31 August 1993, the schedule is revised beginning at 6:00 pm:

 6:00 -  8:00pm   Hospitality Suites sponsored by Lotus and
                  Computer Associates
 8:00 - 10:00pm   Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions

On Wednesday 1 September 1993, the morning schedule is revised:

 8:00 -  9:45am   Elective Sessions
 9:45 - 11:00am   Elective Sessions
11:00 - 12:00n    Roundtable with IBM Programmers
Keynote Speakers Added

Three more speakers have been added to the Keynote Session during the morning of Monday 30 August:

  • Lois Dimpfel, PSP Director of Personal Operating Systems
  • Art Olbert, PSP Director of LAN Systems
  • Cliff Reeves, Program Director, Objects
Complimentary Software Added

Everyone who registers and attends the PSP Technical Interchange will receive a copy of OS/2 2.1 on CD-ROM!

Registration Fee Discount Extended

The early-registration discount of 100 USD per person has been extended until 22 July 1993. The fees are:

  If received by 22 July 1993         795 USD
  If received after 22 July           895 USD

For three or more people from the same company:

  If received by 22 July 1993         695 USD each
  If received after 22 July           795 USD each
List of Exhibitors

Here is the list of exhibitors, as of 13 July 1993, at the PSP Technical Interchange:

AccuSoft Corp.
AdStar Corp.
American Computer Technologies
American Power Conversion
Banyan Systems, Inc.
Berlitz International
BocaSoft
Capstone Software, Inc.
ChipChat/Cawthon Software Group
Cirrus Technology
CompuWare Corp.
DeScribe, Inc.
Ernst & Young
Globalink, Inc.
Gpf Systems, Inc.
Guild Products, Inc.
Hilgraeve, Inc.
HockWare
IBM Austria
IBM Canada (DB2/2)
IBM S.A. (Spain)
IBM (Fax Router/2)
IBM (Network Security Programs)
IBM (Santa Teresa Lab)
IBM (Ultimedia)
Intelligent Environments
Kaseworks, Inc.
KnowledgeWare
Levine Computer Consulting Services
Logica North America
Mark Minasi, Inc.
Media Cybernetics
MetaWare, Inc.
MHR
Micro Focus
Microformatic
Micrografx
MSR Development
Object Design, Inc.
One Up Corp.
Parallel P.C., Inc.
Pinnacle Technology
Programmer's Paradise
Quadron
Seattle Telecom & Data, Inc.
Sigma Data
Software Magazine
Solution Technology, Inc.
SourceLine Software
Stac Electronics
Sundial Systems Corp.
Synetik Systems
Sytron
The SoftBridge Group
The Software Lifeline, Inc.
Tritus, Inc.
Van Nostrand Reinhold
Veritas Software
VoxLink
WATCOM
WordPerfect Corp.
Xircom
Zinc Software Inc.

SHARE Sponsors OS/2 Sessions at 1993 Summer Meeting

SHARE, a major IBM user group, is sponsoring the following sessions at the SHARE 1993 Summer Meeting, 15 through 20 August, in Washington DC, USA.

To attend SHARE meetings, one must be a member with an IBM processor that operates using an IBM multitasking operating system such as OS/2.

For registration and housing information, call 1-312-822-0932.

Session
Number Description
------ -----------
A086   CICS OS/2 Application Design
A106   CICS OS/2 Application Portability
A257   SQL/DS: Client/Server Access Through DDCS/2
A302   RDB Project Opening and Requirements Feedback
A316   What's New in Distributed Systems Management: DataHub™
A331   AS/400 DBM connects to OS/2 DBM with DDCS/2
A451   Introduction to DB2/2
A452   DB2/2 Recovery Overview
A454   Client/Server Database Committee
A455   OS/2 Distributed Database Connection Services/2 Introduction
A456   OS/2 Distributed Database Connection Services/2 Installation
A457   DRDA Benchmark
A467   OODB:  Just Another Four Letter Word?
A513   DCE - Distributed Computing Environment (The Series)
A633   Object Oriented REXX Demonstration
A635   Don't Get Caught With Your Apps Down - Planning for Portability
A637   Vis/Pro REXX: Visual Programming with REXX
A638   WATCOM - VX-REXX
A639   REXX Language Overview
A641   Converting MVS/JCL to REXX/TSO
A686   C++ and OS/2
A750   PL/I Open House
A753   Developing DB2/IMS PL/I Applications on OS/2
A754   Developing DB2/IMS PL/I Applications on OS/2 - a Demo
A755   PL/I PM Programming made EZ!
A757   PL/I Technical Exchange
A758   PL/I Requirements
A810   EASEL: Client Server Application Builder
A825   VisualWorks/Smalltalk from ParcPlace Systems
A830   Object-Oriented Technology Directions
C307   An Overview of Frame Relay and Other High Bandwidth Technologies
C510   The Distributed Message Queue Model DEC - IBM Communications
C513   A Comprehensive Solution for LAN Systems Management: NetView
C621   How to Configure LAN Device Drivers Part 1 of 2
C644   Intro. to Network Transport Services NTS/2 ... Let's Connect!
C645   OS/2 Multi-Protocol Transport Services
C711   MPTN for Multiprotocol Interoperability - Part 2
C810   TCP/IP Update
C811   IBM TCP/IP Product Service Update and Problem Determination
C816   IBM OS/2 NetNews Reader NR/2
C905   Configuring OS/2 Communications Manager and Networking Services
I257   OS/2 Repair Shop
I258   OS/2 Under the Hood: Memory Management
I261   IBM PSP LAN Systems "Big Picture"
I262   Overview of IBM's New Remote LAN Access Capability
I264   AdStar Distributed Storage Manager (DFDSM): A Functional Overview
I266   OS/2 Free for All
I271   Add Video and Audio to Your OS/2 Presentations!
I274   What's New in the IBM OS/2 LAN Server 3.0?
I275   OS/2 LAN Server 3.0 - Performance Issues
I276   WATCOM VX-REXX
I278   OS/2 LAN Server 3.0 - Introduction
I279   Using REXX in the OS/2 Environment
I280   OS/2 Up to the Minute
I281   IBM LAN Server Tips and Techniques (Part 1)
I284   Service and Support for OS/2 and DOS Platforms
I286   PS/2 and OS/2 Technical Information Exchange (Part 1)
I287   PS/2 and OS/2 Technical Information Exchange (Part 2)
I288   Hockware's VisPro is Visual Programming with REXX
I291   OS/2 2.1 - What's the Fuss and Why Should I Care?
I709   What's New With OfficeVision/VM
I763   Advanced Function Printing Workbench User Experience
I773   Network Printing for AFP Printers User Experience
I822   Time And Place/2 LAN Calendar Demo
I838   Application Services Facility Version 3
M917   SMAP: FASTService-Automated Monitoring, Recording, and Tracking
M920   SMAP: REXX Portability -- Myth or Madness
O212   MVSS: LEGENT Enterprise Storage Manager--Automated Backup/Restore
O323   MVSE: An MVS Developer's View of OS/2
O820   Moving the User's Focus from Mainframe to Workstation Desktop
O830   ISSC Heterogeneous Client/Server API
O873   DCE: Distributed Computing Environment Part 1 of 3
O877   Distributed System Security (OS/2 and AIX Perspective)
S810   Hands-on the OS/2 2.1 Workplace Shell
S810A  Hands-on the OS/2 2.1 Workplace Shell
S810B  Hands-on the OS/2 2.1 Workplace Shell
S810C  Hands-on the OS/2 2.1 Workplace Shell
S811   Hands-on OS/2 Communications Manager
S811A  Hands-on OS/2 Communications Manager
S812   Hands-on OS/2 Database Manager
S812A  Hands-on OS/2 Database Manager
S813   VX-REXX Hands-on Tutorial Lab
S813A  VX-REXX Hands-on Tutorial Lab
S813B  VX-REXX Hands-on Tutorial Lab

Australia OS/2 Developers Interchange '93

IBM Australia's OS/2 Developers Interchange '93 features OS/2 application development, object-oriented programming, and client/server computing. Presented will be topics as diverse as "Comparing and Contrasting OS/2 and Windows", "IBM's Personal System Object Technology Plans", and "The Open Software Distributed Computing Environment". Keynote speakers will be Art Olbert, Director of LAN Systems; John Soyring, Director of Software Development Programs; and Cliff Reeves, Program Director of Objects.

Enrollment entitles the attendee to receive a CD-ROM containing:

  • OS/2 2.1
  • 32-bit Graphics Engine
  • Developer's Migration Kit for migrating Windows applications to OS/2
  • A demonstration version of GPF

and more!

Schedules
Melbourne   8 through 10 August     Melbourne Exhibition Centre
Sydney      11 through 13 August    AJC Function Centre, Randwick Racecourse
Registration

To register or for more information, contact ICMS Australia Pty Ltd on:

       Tele: 61-2-241-1478     Fax: 61-2-251-3552

Singapore OS/2 Technical Interchange

The first OS/2 Technical Interchange in Singapore will be held 4 through 6 August at the Oriental Hotel at Marina Square. The registration fee includes:

  • lectures, hands-on workshops, sessions with developers
  • CD-ROM, software
  • Handouts, OS/2 Technical Interchange carrying bag and writing materials
  • Lunch and coffee breaks

The registration fee is 760 USD or 1,250 Singapore dollars (SD) per person.

To Enroll
  • Call Chia Sock Ker at (65) 320-1582, or send a fax to Chia Sock Ker at (65) 225-9444.
  • Write a check payable to IBM Singapore Pte Ltd, and send it to
    Chia Sock Ker
    80 Anson Road
    IBM Towers, Level 5
    Singapore 0207
    Republic of Singapore
  Seats will be confirmed upon receipt of fee.
Hotel

The special rate at the Oriental Hotel for OS/2 Technical Interchange attendees is 175++ SD per night, single or double, for a deluxe room. The ++ denotes a 10 percent service charge and 4 percent tax. To reserve a hotel room, the following information must be furnished:

  Name
  Company
  Check-In Date
  Check-Out Date
  Airline
  Flight Number
Agenda

Each day, general sessions are held in the morning and elective tracks are held in the afternoon.

Wednesday 4 August

 8:30 -  9:00  Registration
 9:00 -  9:15  Introduction
 9:15 - 10:15  IBM PSP Products and Technology        John Soyring
                 Strategy
11:00 - 12:00  Multimedia Trends and Directions       Gary Allran

Elective Track 1

13:15 - 14:15  OS/2 LAN Server, Novell, Banyan,       Mike McIntyre
                 TCP/IP Co-Existence
14:30 - 15:30  Client/Server Programming with OS/2    Steve French
                 and LAN Server
16:00 - 17:00  IBM DB2 Family                         Dan Britton
17:15 - 18:15  IBM Database 2/2 Client/Server         Dan Britton
                 Programming
18:30 - 19:30  Multi-Protocol Transport Services      Mike McIntyre

Elective Track 2

13:15 - 14:15  OS/2 Tools for Multimedia              Gary Allran
                 Application Development

14:30 - 15:30  Multimedia Presentation Manager/2:     Gary Allran
                 32-Bit Support

16:00 - 17:00  Pen for OS/2                           Alan Tannenbaum

17:15 - 19:30  Hands-On Programming Workshop

Thursday 5 August

 8:30 -  9:30  Personal System Object Technology      Richard Hoffman
                 Plans
 9:45 - 10:45  Distributed Applications               John Wilson
11:15 - 12:15  Comparing and Contrasting OS/2 and     Paul Giangarra
                 Windows

Elective Track 1

13:15 - 14:15  SOMObjects Developers Toolkit and      Dinesh Vakharia
                 Future Directions
14:30 - 15:30  Object-Oriented REXX Technology        Rick McGuire
16:00 - 17:00  Distributed Object Architectures:      David Faibish
                 From Databases to Multimedia with
                 DSOM
17:15 - 18:15  Visual Builders                        Anthony Brown
18:30 - 19:30  OS/2 Architecture on the Microkernel   Paul Giangarra

Elective Track 2

13:15 - 14:15  Introduction to OFS's Distributed      Clay Boyd
                 Computing Environment
14:30 - 15:30  DCE Application Programming            Clay Boyd
                 Interfaces
16:00 - 17:00  OS/2 DCE Application Programming Lab   Clay Boyd
17:15 - 18:15  OS/2 DCE Basic System Administration   Clay Boyd
                 Lab
18:30 - 19:30  Hands-On Programming Workshop

Friday 6 August

 8:30 -  9:30  Personal Software Products Vision      John Wilson
 9:45 - 10:45  OS/2 Up to the Minute                  David Kerr
11:15 - 12:15  IBM LAN NetView Family Overview        TBD

Elective Track 1

13:15 - 14:15  IBM C Set++ for OS/2                   Kevin Stoodley
14:30 - 15:30  C Set++ Debugging Tips                 Kevin Stoodley

Elective Track 2

13:15 - 14:15  Writing Seamless Display Drivers       David Kerr
14:30 - 15:30  IBM LAN NetView Manage and Enable      TBD

The OS/2 Technical Interchange concludes at 15:30 on 6 August.

Third Annual DB2 Technical Conference

Get ready for the prime DB2 event of the year -- the 1993 DB2 Technical Conference! Hear the latest DB2, DB2/2, and DB2/6000™ updates -- straight from the experts.

This conference is your best opportunity to discover why DB2 is today's ultimate database server. At the conference, you'll discover the latest capabilities in the world of distributed database systems, and learn about the newest DB2 functions. You'll attend sessions on new products; interact with other experienced DB2 users from major installations; hear the latest about DB2 from the most respected authorities; meet product developers, planners, key support personnel; and visit an extensive exhibition of vendor demonstrations. Whether you are new to database systems or an experienced veteran, you'll benefit from the comprehensive, state-of-the-art information you'll pick up at the DB2 Technical Conference.

Audience:

  • DB2 beginners with technical backgrounds
  • Distributed database planners and implementers
  • Performance tuners
  • Database and system administrators and programmers
  • Application developers and designers
  • Recovery specialists
  • Managers and planners
  • Systems engineers, marketing representatives, educators
  • Anyone who is serious about relational databases

When and Where:

Sunday 26 September 1993 through Friday 1 October 1993 at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel and Towers in Anaheim, California, USA.

Agenda:

Choose from 50 different presentations, including:

  • DB2 Version 3 developers describing the new version in detail
  • Strong emphasis on client/server processing and performance tuning
  • Distributed data with DB2/2 and DB2/6000
  • Important new products like Information Warehouse™ and DataHub

In fact, this year's agenda is so comprehensive that we are foregoing the specialist update.

Speakers:

  • DB2 development staff from IBM Santa Teresa and Toronto laboratories
  • Support personnel from the IBM Dallas System Center
  • Expert instructors from Skill Dynamics, an IBM Company

Exhibits:

Many vendors will display their wares at the convention exhibit area.

Registration Fee:

The 1575 USD registration fee covers five days of high-quality education, most meals, and evening entertainment.

Enrollment:

To enroll and make reservations, call the 1993 DB2 Technical Conference hotline at 1-800-955-1238 within the USA.

More Information:

To receive a copy of the agenda, call the conference hotline at 1-800-955-1238.

For information about the vendor exhibition area, contact Rich Vazzana at 1-412-237-7720.

For other information, contact K. R. Hammond at 1-415-545-5431.

Client/Server Summit Special Offers for DAP Members

The Client/Server Summit will be held 23 and 24 August 1993, from 8:30 am to 7:00 pm each day, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

The summit is sponsored by Powersoft, co-sponsored by Borland, Gupta, and Microsoft, and produced by Carole Patton, Executive Director, Mendham Technology Group.

The Client/Server Summit offers strategy for downsizing, migrating to new platforms, choosing tools, evaluating client/server methodologies, and selecting architectures -- everything you need to know, directly from corporate implementers like yourself.

The Summit will define the participating vendors' long-term product strategy. It also will demonstrate important, unreleased products. If it's unreleased, and hot, you'll see it here, in the NDA room.

The Summit also offers "Client/Server A La Mode". In a special evening presentation, you'll meet peers and view the latest client/server applications. Browse through two rooms filled with vendors. This event is exclusively for Client/Server Summit attendees, and it includes participation from our sponsors.

 ********************************************************************
 *                                                                  *
 * SPECIAL OFFERS FOR MEMBERS OF IBM'S DEVELOPER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM *
 *                                                                  *
 * (1) Summit admission is normally 595 USD for both days. However, *
 * members of IBM's Developer Assistance Program, as well as        *
 * members of IBM's Independent Vendor League (IVL), are offered a  *
 * special price of 395 USD. To get this special price, call the    *
 * registration company directly at 1-214-245-6358, and request     *
 * "code blue" pricing. If you have a registration form, print CODE *
 * BLUE anywhere on the form, as long as it is clearly visible.     *
 *                                                                  *
 * Members of IBM's Developer Assistance Program, and members of    *
 * IBM's Independent Vendor League, are offered the opportunity to  *
 * display their products during "Client/Server A La Mode" at a     *
 * discounted price. The cost for a display position is normally    *
 * 500 USD, but DAP members can get a 10 percent discount, making   *
 * the price 450 USD. To get this discount, print CODE BLUE on the  *
 * vendor contract, and remit as indicated.                         *
 *                                                                  *
 ********************************************************************
Agenda
Monday 23 August

 9:00 am       Plenary briefings: Client/Server and Beyond: Whither
                 Goest the PC?
               Host and summit chair, Carole Patton; briefings from
               Microsoft, Borland, Powersoft, and Gupta.
11:00 am       Plenary panel, chaired by Carole Patton and Amy Wohl. A
               panel of corporate decision-makers joins our speakers for
               questions and answers.
 1:00 pm       C/S Operating Systems: Windows NT Versus OS/2. This
               session is designed to help you separate fact from
               fiction on purely technical grounds.
 2:00 pm       C/S Development Strategies. A corporate developer
               compares developing for Client/Server with traditional
               development, and details major differences in approach,
               design, tools, system, scope, and architecture.
 3:00 pm       A Decision-Maker's Guide to C/S Computing.
 5:00 pm       Client/Server A La Mode. Cocktails, a chance to browse
               through the latest client/server applications, and a
               visit with developers. Also, talk with the committed and
               concerned vendors who helped fund this event. Make an
               appointment to view their products privately.

Tuesday 24 August

 9:00 am       Downsizing Systems Without a Mainframe or Minicomputer
               (three-hour session)
 1:00 pm       Building Real-World Client/Server Applications
 2:00 pm       Object-Oriented Concepts in Tools
 3:00 pm       The NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) room. Demos of
               unreleased (and really hot) software. You'll have to sign
               a non-disclosure agreement.
 6:00 pm       Sponsor's Night. Make an appointment to view products
               one-on-one with the sponsors of this special event.
 6:30 pm       Program ends.
Registration

To register to attend this strategic summit, call 1-214-245-6358. For a vendor contract, call 1-201-543-2273 or send a fax to 1-201-543-6033.

Number of Diskettes in OS/2 2.1 Package Reduced

IBM Personal Software Products has reduced the number of diskettes in its OS/2 2.1 package. A different file compression method was used to reduce the number of diskettes required for OS/2 2.1. The function and features in the reduced diskette package are exactly the same as the original diskette package. No changes were made except for the file compression method. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT APPLIES TO THE US VERSION OF THE PRODUCT ONLY.

The original diskette package contains:

    25  3.5-inch diskettes with blue labels
                    or
    31  5.25-inch diskettes with blue labels.

The reduced diskette package contains:

    20  3.5-inch diskettes with salmon labels
                    or
    25  5.25-inch diskettes with salmon labels.

The update in packaging also affects the CD-ROM package, since the CD-ROM contains diskette images. The color of the labels, blue or salmon, indicates whether or not it is the reduced diskette version.

Once a package is installed, you can determine which package is on your system by looking at the system operating level, or syslevel. The syslevel can be obtained by typing SYSLEVEL at an OS/2 command prompt. The information under the heading "IBM Base Operating System" indicates the package as follows:

                                    Reduced
               Original             Diskette
               Package              Package
               Syslevel             Syslevel
               ---------------      -----------------
Shrinkwrap     XR02010, Type 0      XR02010, Type 0-2
Preload        XR02010, Type P      XR02010, Type P-2
Questions and Answers
Q1: How does this reduced diskette package affect me?

A1: The only users affected by the package difference are those who
    installed OS/2 2.1 and want to install new device drivers or
    selectively install other features, but do not have the diskettes
    that match the installed software.

Q2: Is the "product on the shelf" identifiable as to the packaging?

A2: No. The outside of the box is the same.

Q3: Does this affect preload backup diskettes?

A3: Yes, there are two different part numbers. Backup diskettes must be
    matched to the preloaded software. The original part number is
    61G0907, and the reduced diskette package part number is 71G4091.
    The label colors are also different.

Q4: What effect does this change have on me as a preload machine user?

A4: There is no effect on a preload machine. You will be affected only
    if you have one package installed on your system and must use the
    other package to make changes, such as for selective install.

Q5: Will I get new backup diskettes for my preload machine?

A5: The diskettes provided with your preloaded system match the
    packaging of software that was preloaded. There is no need to get a
    new set of backup diskettes.

Q6: If my machine has the original package installed and I only have the
    reduced diskette package available to add additional features, can I
    still use selective install?

A6: Yes.  You will need to obtain the OS/2 2.1 Compression Compatibility
    Package from one of the support mechanisms, such as CompuServe, the
    OS2BBS, the HelpCenter or IBM Support Center. Instructions will be
    provided.

Q7: If my machine has the reduced diskette package installed and I only
    have the original package available to add additional features, can
    I still use selective install?

A7: Yes. See the answer to the preceding question.

IBM and Related Forums on CompuServe

CompuServe's IBM forums fall into two categories. Some are staffed by IBM employees to provide official technical support for IBM products; others are run by third parties to help owners of all brands of IBM-compatible computers.

In addition, some PC vendors run their own forums. To see if your PC vendor runs a forum, type FIND plus the vendor name at the prompt: for example, FIND DELL. CompuServe will tell you the GO word.

Here is a list of forums dealing with IBM and IBM-compatible computers.

Forums with Official IBM Support

APPC Information Exchange Forum (GO APPCFORUM) - IBM programmers provide support for the Advanced Program-to-Program Communications (APPC) standard found in many network situations. IBM programmers provide much of the feedback, but representatives from other companies participate.

IBM Desktop Software Forum (GO IBMDESK) - Provides support for IBM's earlier software releases, including DisplayWrite®, Current™, Current-OV/VM Workgroup, and Personal Application System/2.

IBM LAN Management Utilities/2 Forum (GO LMU2FORUM) - Here, IBM's LMU/2 team provides help with LMU/2, an OS/2-based set of services to aid in the system management of local-area networks.

IBM Personal Software Products OS/2 Beta Forum (GO PSPBETA) - Members discuss all topics related to OS/2 betas. Sections open as various betas are announced and close as they are completed.

IBM ThinkPad® Forum (GO THINKPAD) - Users and developers of software for IBM's ThinkPad line of portable 700T and 710T pen computers can find IBM support personnel here.

IBM Ultimedia Tools Series A Forum (GO ULTIATOOLS) - Users of IBM's Ultimedia software products gather here, as well as representatives from third-party Ultimedia programs from AimTech, Allen Communications, Asymetrix, Autodesk, Fractal Design, Humancad, Gold Disk, IBM LinkWay™ Live! and IBM Storyboard™ Live!

IBM Ultimedia Tools Series B Forum (GO ULTIBTOOLS) - Another forum for users of IBM's Ultimedia software products, as well as representatives from third-party Ultimedia programs from Mammoth Micro Productions, Montage Group Ltd., Network Technology, Passport Designs, Time Arts, Turtle Beach, ZSoft, and DigiVox.

IBM Ultimedia Tools Series Hardware Forum (GO ULTIHW) - Provides access to technical support experts for selected IBM Ultimedia hardware/software and independent hardware vendor products that are complementary to the Ultimedia Tools Series.

OS/2 Developers 1 Forum (GO OS2DF1) - OS/2 developers can communicate directly with IBM support personnel here regarding OS/2 software developers' issues, including multimedia, REXX, APIs, and other topics.

OS/2 Developers 2 Forum (GO OS2DF2) - OS/2 developers can communicate with IBM support personnel regarding OS/2 software developers' issues, including communications, databases, local-area network servers, and other topics.

OS/2 ServicePak Download Area (GO OS2SERVICE) - Not a forum, but a place to download IBM's OS/2 "ServicePaks" - product fixes and enhancements for OS/2.

OS/2 Support Area (GO OS2SUPPORT) - IBM's official line of support for answering questions from OS/2 users about installing and using their operating system.

OS/2 Users Forum (GO OS2USER) - A forum for general-interest discussions about OS/2 and OS/2-related issues. IBM support personnel also provide some technical support.

Other Forums for IBM-Compatible Computers

IBM Applications Forum (GO IBMAPP) - Users of IBM-compatible PCs discuss software-related issues, such as word processors, database management, business and personal accounting, business graphics, and educational software.

IBM Bulletin Board Forum (IBMBBS) - Discussion of IBM-compatible bulletin board systems and how they run. Libraries contain BBS programs, tips, utilities, and helpful advice for starting or using a BBS.

IBM File Finder (GO IBMFF) - Not a forum, but a program that rummages through the libraries of many IBM forums to find user-specified files.

IBM Hardware Forum (GO IBMHW) - Owners of IBM-compatible PCs discuss hardware-related issues, such as printers, disk drives, video, and other hardware-specific items.

IBM New Users/Entertainment Forum (GO IBMNEW) - Provides quick answers to questions that IBM-compatible computer users have about their PCs and CompuServe.

IBM PC Communications (GO IBMCOM) - Discussions of general communications hardware and software for IBM-compatible computers, from modems and fax cards to the software that drives them.

IBM Programming Forum (GO IBMPRO) - General IBM programming, including assembly language, C, BASIC, and other tools.

IBM Special Needs Forum (GO IBMSPECIAL) - A place where IBM-compatible PC owners with special problems or needs can find information and programs.

IBM Systems/Utilities Forum (GO IBMSYS) - Discussions of general utilities, operating systems, and environments for IBM-compatibles.

DAPTOOLS Enhancements

IBM PSP Developer Support is working on enhancing the software tools and the availability of the tools in the DAPTOOLS repository.

DAPTOOLS is designed to be a useful repository of software tools, sample code, and vendor demos for OS/2 developers. The tools are obtained from several internal IBM sources, and are licensed for the exclusive use of Developer Assistance Program (DAP) members. DAPTOOLS is the sole distribution channel for some of these IBM internal tools -- they are not available as shareware or freeware.

At present, DAPTOOLS is available only via IBMLink, and only for commercial and premier members of the USA DAP program. To make DAPTOOLS more accessible, we are also placing DAPTOOLS into the *DAP library (section 14) of the OS2DF2 forum on CompuServe, which all DAP members -- including Worldwide DAP members -- can access.

We are also revitalizing the contents of DAPTOOLS for its debut on CompuServe. New tools have been and continue to be sought, collected, approved, licensed, and packaged for distribution via DAPTOOLS. In addition, the current tools in DAPTOOLS are being tested for use in OS/2 2.x, and whenever possible, the current tools will be updated with the latest available versions.

DAPTOOLS on IBMLink will continue to exist, and will be maintained at the same level as DAPTOOLS on CompuServe.

The date for placing DAPTOOLS on CompuServe has not yet been announced. We expect to do it within the next few months, and will report it in this newsletter.

PSP Application Discount Advertising

IBM now offers developers of applications for OS/2, LAN Server, pen products, multimedia, and other Personal Software Products platforms the opportunity to advertise at much lower rates. In a range of computer and general business publications, full-page, four-color rates have been set for the rest of 1993.

To request the information package for the Application Discount Advertising program, including a complete list of publications and comparison rates, call 1-407-982-6408, option 3, or send a fax to 1-407-998-7610.

When you receive the information package, review the rates and select the publications in which you wish to advertise your PSP application(s). Fill out the Prior Approval Form, and send it to the IBM Software Developer Marketing Center with copies of your full-page, four-color ads.

Upon approval, the Marketing Center will send you an IBM-signed copy of the Prior Approval Form, and retain your ad(s) for later spot-checking with the publications. You may then contact the publications for ad placement. Be sure to send the Prior Approval Form to the publications along with your ad(s) to ensure receiving the discount rates.

Spot-checks will be done on the publications to insure that the approved advertising actually ran.

Advertising matter must necessarily be limited to applications running on PSP platforms. Please do not include references to the platforms of other software vendors.

"READY! for LAN Server" Application Certification

Show the world that your OS/2 or PSP product is LAN Server-compatible! Follow the self-certification procedures provided by IBM to obtain the "READY! for LAN Server" certification mark.

The mark features a white, diamond-shaped box containing linked blue and red rings. Below the white box are the words "READY!" and "for LAN Server". The mark will be available in camera-ready form or on stickers.

The "READY! for LAN Server" Application Certification Program enables developers to self-certify the compatibility of their applications with OS/2 LAN Server, or to use IBM facilities to self-certify compatibility.

The program's fee for developers who choose to self-certify their applications is 295 USD; the fee for developers who use IBM's Austin, Texas laboratory facilities to self-certify is 1095 USD for the first eight-hour day and 800 USD for each subsequent eight-hour day.

Over time, IBM will provide certification of LAN-compatible products in an integration lab that will test interoperability of software and hardware products in a LAN systems environment.

All participants in the "READY! for LAN Server" Application Certification Program receive:

  • One not-for-sale copy of LAN Server Advanced 3.0
  • A product listing in the Fall 1993 issue of the PSP Application Catalog
  • A "LAN-Certified" listing in the IBM National Solutions Center database
  • A listing in SelectWare Technologies' Application Demonstration CD-ROM
  • Camera-ready artwork of the certification mark, and an order form for stickers

Through 16 August 1993, an introductory free offer is available that includes:

  • A free listing in the Fall 1993 issue of the PSP Application Catalog
  • A free "LAN-Certified" listing in the IBM National Solutions Center database
  • Camera-ready artwork of the certification mark, and an order form for stickers

To obtain the certification mark, participants in the certification program are asked to sign a license agreement and to submit a copy of their software to IBM.

To enroll in the "READY! for LAN Server" Application Certification Program, call 1-407-982-6408, option 3, and ask about the "READY! for LAN Server" program; or, fax your request to "LAN Server Self-Certification Program" at 1-512-823-1693.

OS/2 2.1 Books

The Independent Vendor League announces that, as of 30 June 1993, there are 69 OS/2 2.1 books in progress for 1993 and beyond. They are:

Title                                            Publisher
-----                                            ---------

Released
--------

Designing OS/2 Applications                      John Wiley & Sons
  ISBN 0-471-58889-X, IBM order number SC28-2701

Dvorak's Guide to OS/2                           Random House
  ISBN 0-679-74648-X, IBM order number SR28-4642

Easy OS/2                                        QUE
  ISBN 1-56529-145-X

The Little OS/2 Book                             Peachpit Press
  ISBN 1-56609-047-4

Micro Focus COBOL/2™ Workbench               QED
  for the Application Developer

OS/2 for Dummies (2.1)                           IDG

OS/2 for Non-Nerds                               New Riders
  ISBN 1-56205-153-9, IBM order number SR28-4319

OS/2 Inside & Out (2.1)                          Osborne McGraw-Hill

OS/2 2.X Notebook: The Best of OS/2 Developer    Van Nostrand Reinhold
  Magazine
  ISBN 0-442-01522-4, IBM order number G362-0015

OS/2 2.1 Complete                                Abacus
  ISBN 1-55755-184-7

OS/2 2.1 Programming                             Osborne McGraw-Hill
  ISBN 0-07-881910-5

OS/2 2.1 Unleashed                               Sams
  ISBN 0-672-30240-3, IBM order number SR28-4318

Quick Reference Guide for OS/2 2.1               DDC

Real-World Programming for OS/2                  Sams
  ISBN 0-672-30300-0

The Shell Collection: OS/2 2.1 Utilities         Van Nostrand Reinhold

Stepping Up to OS/2 2.1                          Abacus
  ISBN 1-55755-185-5

10-Minute Guide to OS/2 2.1                      Alpha
  ISBN 1-56761-185-0, IBM order number SR28-4322

Using OS/2 2.1, Special Edition                  QUE
  ISBN 1-56529-118-2, IBM order number SR28-4317

Using Workplace OS/2                             Van Nostrand Reinhold
  ISBN 0-442-01590-9

Your OS/2 Consultant                             Sams
  ISBN 0-672-30317-5

May
---

Advanced OS/2 Presentation Manager Programming   John Wiley & Sons
OS/2 Instant Reference Book                      Sybex
Ultimate OS/2                                    New Riders

June
----

The Art of OS/2 C Programming                    QED
Learn OS/2 in a Day                              Wordware Publishing
Micro Focus CICS Option 3.0: Developing CICS     QED
  Applications on the PC (ISBN 0-89435-460-4)
Using Workplace OS/2: Power User's Guide         Van Nostrand Reinhold
The OS/2 2.1 User's Bible                        Abacus
Teach Yourself OS/2 in 1 Week                    Sams
Thinking Person's Guide to OS/2 2.1              QED

July
----

OS/2 Database Manager Handbook                   QED
OS/2 Extra                                       TAB / McGraw-Hill
OS/2 2.1 Quick Reference Guide for End Users     QED
OS/2 Secrets                                     IDG
PC Learning Labs Teaches OS/2                    Ziff-Davis Press
  (book / disk tutorial)
Van Wolverton's Guide to OS/2                    Random House
Writing OS/2 Device Drivers in C, 2nd Edition    Van Nostrand Reinhold

August
------

OS/2 Presentation Manager Programming            Ziff-Davis Press
The OS/2 2.1 Corporate Programmer's Handbook     Van Nostrand Reinhold
Teach Yourself OS/2 2.1                          MIS: Press

September
---------

Instant OS/2                                     TAB / McGraw-Hill
Object Vision for OS/2 2.1                       QED
OS/2 2.1 Developing, Porting, and Testing        QED
  Applications
OS/2 2.1 User's Guide to Installation,           QED
  Configuration, and Use
Programming OS/2 in C++ Library                  Van Nostrand Reinhold

October
-------

The OS/2 2.1 REXX Handbook                       Van Nostrand Reinhold

November
--------

Advanced OS/2 Workplace Shell                    QED
The Design of OS/2 2.1                           Addison-Wesley
Objective Thinking for OS/2                      Van Nostrand Reinhold
The OS/2 2.1 Application Developer's Guide       Van Nostrand Reinhold
OS/2 Connectivity                                QED
OS/2 V2 PM Programming in C++ Using the User     Van Nostrand Reinhold
  Interface Class Library
Windows & OS/2: The GUI OOUI War                 Van Nostrand Reinhold
Writing OS/2 Batch Files                         TAB / McGraw-Hill

December
--------

OS/2 and Networking                              QED
OS/2 Presentation Manager Programming with       QED
  IBM C++
REXX Programming Under OS/2                      QED
The Ultimate OS/2 Programmer's Manual            TAB

Date to be Determined
---------------------

Independent Platform Coding                      IBM / McGraw-Hill
OS/2 Communications Manager 2.0                  QED
OS/2 Demystified                                 TAB
OS/2 from the Wrong Drive                        Que
OS/2 in the Fast Lane (2.1 Edition)              New Riders
OS/2 Secrets and Solutions                       Sybex
Voodoo OS/2                                      Ventana Press

Scheduled After 1993
--------------------

Objects for OS/2 2.1 (February 1994)             Van Nostrand Reinhold
OS/2 2.1 and NetWare Programming (March 1994)    Van Nostrand Reinhold
OS/2 Connectivity (early 1995)                   Wordware Publishing
OS/2 for the Impatient (January 1995)            Addison-Wesley

Trademarks, Registered Trademarks, Service Marks

® AIX, AIX SystemView NetView/6000, Application System/400, AS/400, AT, Audio Visual Connection, BookManager, Communications Manager/2, C Set/2, DB2, DisplayWrite, HelpCenter, HelpWare, IBM, ImagePlus, LAN NetView, LAN NetView Fix, LAN NetView Manage, LAN NetView Monitor, LAN NetView Scan, LAN NetView Monitor, LAN Server, Micro Channel, NetView, NetView/6000, Operating System/2, Operating System/400, OS/2, OS/400, Pen for OS/2, Personal System/2, Presentation Manager, PS/1, PS/2, RISC System/6000, RISC/6000, Systems Application Architecture, TALKLink, ThinkPad, Ultimedia, and XGA are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corp.
® ATI is a registered trademark of ATI Technologies, Inc.
® BIX is a registered trademark of General Videotex Corp.
® Cirrus Logic is a registered trademark of Cirrus Technology, Inc.
® COMDEX is a registered trademark of The Interface Group, Inc.
® CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc.
® Computer Associates is a registered trademark of Computer Associates International, Inc.
® dBASE is a registered trademark of Borland International.
® Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corp.
® Headland is a registered trademark of Headland, Inc.
® Hitachi is a registered trademark of Hitachi Corp.
® HP, LaserJet, DeskJet, OpenView, and PaintJet are registered trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Co.
® IEEE is a registered trademark of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
® Intel and Indeo are registered trademarks of Intel Corp.
® Internet is a registered trademark of Internet, Inc.
® ISO is a registered trademark of the International Organization for Standardization.
® Lotus, Lotus Notes, and 1-2-3 are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corp.
® MicroGate is a registered trademark of Gateway Microsystems, Inc.
® Microsoft and Microsoft C are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
® NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corp.
® NetWare, NetWare Server, and Novell are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc.
® OMG is a registered trademark of Object Management Group.
® OPEN LOOK and UNIX are registered trademarks of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc.
® PenDOS is a registered trademark of Communication Intelligence Corp.
® Prodigy is a registered trademark of Prodigy Services Co.
® Sony is a registered trademark of Sony Corp.
® ToolTalk and SunSoft are registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
® Toshiba is a registered trademark of Toshiba Corp.
® True Type is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
® UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc.
® Walt Disney World is a registered trademark of Walt Disney Productions.
® Western Digital is a registered trademark of Western Digital Corp.
® WordPerfect is a registered trademark of WordPerfect Corp.
™ AIX/6000, APPN, CICS, CICS/ESA, CICS OS/2, Common User Access, C Set ++, CUA, Current, DATABASE 2, DataHub, DB2, DB2/2, DB2/6000, DDCS/2, The Developer Connection for OS/2, DISTRIBUTED DATABASE CONNECTION SERVICES/2, DRDA, Extended Services for OS/2, IBMLink, IMS Client Server/2, Information Warehouse, LANStreamer, Library Reader, LinkWay, Matinee, Midware, Multimedia Presentation Manager/2, Natural Computing, NAVIGATOR, PCjr, PenAssist, PowerPC, PowerOpen, SAA, Skill Dynamics, Skill Dynamics Canada, SOMobjects, SQL/DS, Storyboard, Ultimotion, VSE/ESA, WIN-OS/2, Workplace Shell, and XT are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp.
™ AST is a trademark of AST Research, Inc.
™ Borland is a trademark of Borland International.
™ CasePoint is a trademark of Inference Corp.
™ ColoradOS/2 is a trademark of Kovsky Conference Productions, Inc.
™ Drake Training and Technologies is a trademark of Drake Training and Technologies.
™ DVI, Indeo, and ActionMedia are trademarks of Intel Corp.
™ Ethernet is a trademark of Xerox Corp.
™ Excel is a trademark of Microsoft Corp.
™ LAN Workplace is a trademark of Novell Inc.
™ Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer Corp.
™ Micro Focus is a trademark of Micro Focus Ltd.
™ Open Software Foundation, OSF, and Motif are trademarks of the Open Software Foundation, Inc.
™ ORACLE, ORACLE Server and ORACLE7 are trademarks of Oracle Corp.
™ PCMCIA is a trademark of the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association.
™ PC/TCP is a trademark of FTP Software Inc.
™ Pentium is a trademark of Intel Corp.
™ PostScript and Adobe Type Manager are trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc.
™ PSN and Private Satellite Network are trademarks of Private Satellite Network, Inc.
™ SCO is a trademark of The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
™ SmallTalk and Smalltalk V/PM are trademarks of Digitalk Corp.
™ Solaris is a trademark of SunSoft Corp.
™ SoundBlaster is a trademark of Creative Labs, Inc.
™ Support on Site is a trademark of Ziff-Davis.
™ Taligent is a trademark of Taligent, Inc.
™ TCP with Demand Protocol Architecture is a trademark of 3COM Corp.
™ TelePad is a trademark of TelePad Corp.
™ Tusk is a trademark of Tusk, Inc.
™ Univel is a trademark of Univel.
™ VX*REXX and WATCOM are trademarks of WATCOM International Corp.
™ X/Open is a trademark of the X/Open Co., Ltd.
™ Windows, Win32, and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
(SM) America Online is a service mark of America Online, Inc.

This concludes the third issue of IBM PSP Developer Support News. Please let us know how we can improve it; see the beginning of the newsletter for ways to contact us. Thank you!