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From: Timothy Reaves <reaves@unix.asb.com>
Subject: Re: support for OS/2
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References: <857598029.3621.0@ubels.demon.nl> <c0.9w.2FHKQG$09e@craftedsmalltalk.com> <33232357.73BA@pacbell.net> <c0.9w.2FLMHw$09k@craftedsmalltalk.com> <3327AA0D.1193@smalltalksystems.com> <332828E7.31AE@bmi.net> <33298170.26F9@smalltalksystems.com> <E73K9x.Bxs@nonexistent.com> <332B1AAD.2EE0@smalltalksystems.com> <E77sx0.6x7@nonexistent.com> <332E0D2D.E65@smalltalksystems.com>
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Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 01:11:54 GMT
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Eric Clayberg wrote:
> 
> Timothy Reaves wrote:
> >
> >      Sorry if you feal this is an attack; grow some stronger skin.
> 
> Let's see. You suggested that I was a "loon" and "delusional". Sure
> sounds like a personal attack to me.
> 
     Well, I do appoligize, I'm not using the language and ideas those
people e-mailing ME are using, be glad of that anyway.



> >      For those interested, here's the story.
> 
> Your story is indeed interesting. Unfortunately, it isn't relevant to
> the issue of whether PPD has halted VisualWorks development under OS/2
> and Mac. All your story shows is that they were having problems
> delivering the OS/2 version of *VisualWave* and decided not to finish it
> (or, more accurately, decided not to productize it). As far as I know,
> that is in fact what happened. Your story amounts to a bait and switch
> (which is what you accuse PPD of). You insist that PPD has halted Mac
> and OS/2 development of VisualWorks and then provide an example that
> only shows that they decided not to deliver a shrink wrap version of
> VisualWave for OS/2 (they did, however, deliver a custom combination
> that did work under OS/2 - they simply chose not to productize it).
> Given the potential customer base for an OS/2 version of VisualWave,
> their decision not to productize it appears to be a prudent one.

     Thats just dancing around. I never realized SmallTalk programmers
had so much in common with politicions.

> 
> Just to make sure, I contacted a few more folks at PPD today. They
> further confirmed what Richard and Hal told me (and what Jim Robertson
> reiterated here yesterday): PPD has not discontinued either support or
> engineering for OS/2 or Mac. In fact, PPD just recently released a 2.5.2
> update to VisualWorks. Guess what? The release included Mac and OS/2
--snip--

     With nowhere near the same fuctionality as the Win versions. Hell,
not even the Solaris version has the same fuctionality, and Solaris and
OS/2 are Posix compliant to boot.

     I'm posting an e-mail I received. Conclude what you will.
***************************************************************************
In article <E77sx0.6x7@nonexistent.com> you write:
I'm the person from Maryland who didn't get back to you; I apologize for
that.
I was told not to bother by management that was in place then.  This
probably
won't help how cheesed off you are, but here's the scoop:

As of late last year, the VP of marketing (Marty Yam, who promised you
guys
the OS/2 version) was pressing to drop both Mac and OS/2.  He went
forward
with you guys to get the revenue, against the wishes of the local rep 
(Don Deyoung).  Subsequently, when I followed up with Product management
on getting an OS/2 version of the product out I met nothing but
resistence -
the promise that had been made to you was apparently not being backed
up.

The VP of sales (Dave Orrico) subsequently came out to get the deal
undone.
Everyone you dealt with (except me) is now gone - Marty Yam and Dave
were
basically asked to go.  Then we get to January - the Jigsaw direction
is tossed, and PPD decides to focus on VW, VWave and DST.  OS/2 is back
in
the picture, primarily because of the fact that several large customers
(especially in Europe) have finally been consulted on the issue (by the
new
VP of sales).  Likewise, the Mac version of the product is moving
forward
due to the fact that ~ 15% of our sales involve Mac deployments.  Small,
but significant.  


Did you guys get shoddy treatment ?  Absolutely, and if there were
anything I
could do to change it I would.  I will fully understand it if you decide
to stay away from us; in your position I probably would too.  If you
decide
to take another look at us, let me know.  Again, I apologize both
personally 
and corporately for how you were treated on this.  


Sincerely,

	James A. Robertson
	jamesr@parcplace.com
	410 730-6579


James A. Robertson
email: jamesr@parcplace.com
phone: 410 952-0471

<note that I am posting through my wife's account.  I don't claim to
speak for
her>

****************************************************************************
