Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 14:21:39 +0100 From: "EMEA WarpService" Subject: NewsFlash EWWS - issue December 2002 Dear European IBM OS/2 customers, we are happy to provide the latest information about and around OS/2 for your convenience. Remember, we are gathering information from various places and are not responsible for the content. This is your latest EWWS NewsFlash (and the last one for this year). ***** M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S ***** This issue covers: - a) Clarification on "Virtual machines" - b) Java 1.4 from GoldenCode - c) German Press on VirtualPC - d) Citrix & OS/2 Statement (from Citrix) - e) OS/2 Q & A for OS/2 Selected Part Number Withdrawal - f) XWorkPlace 1.0 - g) BackAgain/2 and PMFax pro Special Offer - h) Mozilla (opensource) updated to 1.2.1 - i) ePDF v1.0 - j) Prima 1.06 - k) New Home for EWWS Team - l) Next Warp Community Workshop +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ a) Clarification on "Virtual machines" We apologize for any inconvenience we might have caused with our last statement on Virtual Machine support. It stated: ----- IBM neither encourages nor discourages customers from using third party Virtual Machine offerings. However, for defect support, OS/2 and OS/2 software stack defects must be recreated in a non-Virtual environment. ----- To clarify. This targets an OS/2 running inside a virtual machine, not a Virtual machine, such as Java Virtual Machine on OS/2 ! 1) So, if you decide to run OS/2 within a virtual machine, the OS/2 Lab will only accept a PMR, when it can be recreated on a physical hardware to exclude potential problems introduced by the virtual machine. BUT, this is something, we (our team) can and do provide under a support contract. So, it will become transparent for you as the customer. 2) This does NOT apply to a "Virtual Machine" being an application ON TOP of OS/2. As it always has been: It is the responsibility of the application provider to provide support for this application. If it is IBM, we will do it. If it is a 3rd party product, check with us! We might have also support for this on a fee-based service offering, such as Citrix Metaframe, VirtualPC, VirtualServer. 3) The Java Virtual Machine is NOT treated as a virtual machine in the above respect. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ b) Java 1.4 from GoldenCode GoldenCode Inc. (http://www.goldencode.com) is going to release a full port of Sun's JVM 1.14.1 for OS/2. The JVM is a native port of Sun's 1.4.1 JVM, and will be fully certified as compliant Java according to Sun's standards. This will be the first time a Hotspot VM running natively under OS/2 is commercially available. "Golden Code Development announces the beta program for its OS/2 port of the Java 2 Standard Edition platform, version 1.4.1, is expected to begin in late December 2002. Interested enterprise customers should contact Golden Code Development at infoatgoldencode.com to participate in the program." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ c) German Press on VirtualPC The German C't magazine and it's online ticker has some statements on Virtual PC: http://www.heise.de/newsticker/data/hps-13.11.02-000/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ d) Citrix & OS/2 Statement (from Citrix !!) Citrix Systems has recently introduced the Technology Preview of MetaFrame XP with Feature Release 3 for Windows operating system which is scheduled for general availability in the first half of 2003. The Technology Preview will be available as free download through mid-January 2003 to all MetaFrame XP Citrix Subscription Advantage customers as well as Platinum and Gold members of the Citrix Solutions Network (CSN) and Premier members of the Citrix Business Alliance (CBA). Interested participants are encouraged to visit www.MyCitrix.com to download the Technology Preview and activate licenses. Specifically interesting to all IBM OS/2 users are new features of the ICA Java client, including performance optimization, content redirection and the availability of "seamless windowing". Seamless windowing makes each remote application appear in a separate resizable window on the client desktop. Users can resize the application window, minimize it, and drag and drop objects between the published application and applications running locally on the client device. This new version of the Java ICA client is currently available exclusively as part of the Technology Preview but will be later ready for free download. Already available since long time is the native ICA OS/2 client that lets you access a Citrix server from a client running IBM OS/2 Warp with high performance. The current version of the ICA OS/2 Client does, however, not support the following features: T ransport protocols other than TCP/IP, seamless windowing, SpeedScreen Latency Reduction. For more information, please visit the Citrix Web site at http://www.citrix.com. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ e) OS/2 Q & A for OS/2 Selected Part Number Withdrawal Q: Has IBM withdrawn OS/2 from marketing? A; No IBM has not withdrawn OS/2 from marketing. However, selected shrink-wraped media and documentation part numbers will be withdrawn effect 12 March 2003. IBM plans to continue the availability of OS/2 for purchase with software maintaince through Passport Advantage for delivery either electronically or CD ROM media-pack. Q: How much longer does IBM plan to support OS/2? When will IBM withdraw its OS/2 products? A: At this time IBM has no plans to withdraw OS/2 from marketing. Q: Is OS/2 dead? A: No. Some OS/2 components such as the Presentation Manager already have been functionally stabilized. We anticipate that over time additional components will be functionally stabilized. However, we anticipate the need for device driver and defect support for several years. Q: What are IBM's plans for OS/2 enhancements? A: Each year IBM publishes an OS/2 Strategy that describes IBM's plans for OS/2 that year. IBM plans to publish the OS/2 Strategy for 2003 in January 2003. Go to http://www.ibm.com/software/os/warp/strategy/ Q: What are IBM's support plans for OS/2? A: IBM plans to provide Program defect support for OS/2 Warp 4 Convenience Packages and for Warp Server for e-business Convenience Packages for customers with software subscriptions through 31 December 2004. Customers should install the latest FixPak or service refresh to stay current for Program Support. Customers must maintain software subscriptions for Program Support and to obtain FixPak(s) or service refreshes. No FixPaks or service refreshes are planned for Java 1.1.8 or Netscape 4.61. For customers who choose not to purchase software subscriptions, IBM plans to offer a special-bid Service Extension (SE) for IBM designated components. Access to Level 1 and Level 2 support is a prerequisite and the software must be at the current service level. For customers with or without software subscriptions, IBM plans to offer a special-bid Total Content Ownership (TCO) for IBM designated components. Access to Level 1 and Level 2 support is a prerequisite, and a private code line based on the customer's service level is created. TCO fixes are usually placed in the service code line to facilitate TCO customer update to a later service level. IBM plans to offer special-bid, IBM designated device drivers as a component of SEs and TCOs. Refer to http://www.ibm.com/software/os/warp/ for further details. Q: What are IBM's plans for the OS/2 software stack? A: The OS/2 software stack has become functionally stabilized, and IBM intends to provide defect support for the OS/2 software stack via limited warranty defect support followed by fee-based defect support. Q: I thought I could not purchase through Passport Advantage unless I was a large customer? A: IBM Passport Advantage recently announced that effective 1 August 2002 dropping the 10 point minimum for initial purchase to enter the Passport Advantage program. This change enables our Business Partners worldwide to better address the needs of customers in the SMB marketplace. Initial orders of less than 10 points will result in the customer having an initial Relationship Suggested Volume Price (RSVP) of Level A. As an alternative to purchasing a Software Choice subscription for OS/2 Warp v4, existing OS/2 Warp V4 license holders can purchase a 1 year software maintenance after license for each copy of OS/2 Warp V4 D5C4NLL-OS/2 WARP INSTALL SW MAINT AFT LIC 1 ANNIV and can then optionally purchase a 1 year software maintenance renewal for each copy of OS/2 Warp E1C4MLL-OS/2 WARP INSTALL SW MAINT RNWL 1 ANNIV. The following site contains links to Passport Advantage information: http://www.passportadvantage.com/ Q: I have tried to order OS/2 Warp V4 through PassPort Advantage Online but can not find the part numbers. A: Specifically the OS/2 Warp V4 Install Software Maintenance After License part number (D5C4NLL) is now on the online catalog. The eCustomer Care folks at 1-800-978-2246 are there to assist you with any questions you have about using the Passport Advantage Online ordering system. They are also the folks that added the above number to the catalog so they are able to provide help beyond just Q and As. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ f) XWorkPlace 1.0 Version 1.0.0 of XWorkPlace and WarpIN are released. Large number of fixes that have integrated. In addition, also split folder views on OS/2 is now available. This version no longer works on OS/2 Warp 3. See the changelog for details. See http://www.xworkplace.org for more details +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ g) BackAgain/2 and PMFax pro Special Offer CDS offers their products Back Again/2 (workstation and server) and PMFax Professional at a discount of 15%. The Offer is valid until the end of the year. You can purchase the products at Joshua Communications (http://www.joscom.de). +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ h) Mozilla (opensource) updated to 1.2.1 Mozilla version 1.2.1 has been released. It is available as full installer executable or zipfile on http://www.mozilla.org/ports/os2/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ i) ePDF v1.0 ePDF, formerly known as PS2PDF, is a PM tool for PostScript to PDF conversion, which uses GhostScript as back-end. With ePDF you are able to create PDF files with user definable document informations from any application which supports printing. More details can be found on http://www.subsys.de/epdf/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ j) Prima 1.06 Prima is an extensible Perl toolkit for multi-platform GUI development. Platforms supported include Linux, Windows NT/9x/2K, OS/2 and UNIX/X11 workstations FreeBSD, IRIX, SunOS, Solaris and others). The toolkit contains a rich set of standard widgets and has emphasis on 2D image processing tasks. A Perl program using PRIMA looks and behaves identically on X, Win32 and OS/2 PM. The toolkit includes a visual builder and a graphic POD viewer on http://www.prima.eu.org/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ k) New Home for EWWS Team Due to the fact, that IBM has closed its Heidelberg offices, the majority of the EWWS Team in Germany moved to a new location in IBM Mannheim. Also our servers moved and new server informations were given to people with access. If you had access and did not receive these informations, please contact us. The new mail-address is: IBM Deutschland GmbH EWWS Team c/o Oliver Mark Gottlieb-Daimler-Strasse 12 68165 Mannheim Germany fax: +49-621-469200 phone: +49-621-469420 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ l) Next Warp Community Workshop The next Warp Community Update Workshop is planned for the week 8, which is February, 17th to 21st. This time, we are planning to re-arrange the agenda the way, that the first two days are presentation only and the remaining 2-3 days are for hands-on and lab work. This way we accomplish the requests for a more condensed way of presentations, since some attendees cannot spend a whole week, while others still have the opportunity to spend time with the content they learned of some of our demo equipment. At this time, we would like to ask for speakers. We will send a separate Workshop announcement and a call for speakers shortly. ***** M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S ***** That's it for now. Stay tuned for the next NewsFlash. Warm regards.