----------------------- Mail item text follows ---------------
To: Interested Persons
From: Curtis Chong
USIDS002 AT IBMMAIL
Internet: USIDS002@IBMMAIL.COM
Subject: IBM Screen Reader
Interesting comments from Tom Scanlan below.
Cordially, Curtis Chong (CURTC)
Communication Software Support Group (CSSG) Phone: 612/671-2185
IDS Financial Services, IDS Tower-10, OP4/591
Minneapolis, MN 55440
*** Forwarding note from I1005879--IBMMAIL 10/14/93 09:22 ***
Date: Thu 14 Oct 1993 08:22 CT
To: usids002@ibmmail.COM
From: TOM.SCANLAN@STATE.MN.US
Subject: IBM Screen Reader
I don't know the background of this, but I infer that there is some pressure
within IBM to drop or divert development of Screen Reader. In fact, there is
continuing question within the industry whether IBM will someday drop OS/2.
This is fed by IBM's downplaying of OS/2 on ValuePoint and Ambra machines
(they ship with DOS/Windows instead of OS/2). Even PS/2s now have a choice of
OS/2 or DOS/Windows.
Don't get too excited about OS/2 running Windows applications. It took IBM a
year or more before OS/2 could run Windoes 3.1. And that was with access to
the Windoes source code. Now that the cross-licensing agreement between IBM
and Microsoft has expired, IBM will not have access to further Windows code.
Therefore Chicage (Windows 4) will be a huge problem for them, since it has a
new file system which is compatible with DOS but different than OS/2. It's
GUI is very different than Windows. IBM is certainly aware of all this, but
so far hasn't provided any answers other than "we'll do everything we can to
keep up, we can do it." Sure. Very interesting that IBM is now on the other
side of reverse engineering.
Even though your professional life is now tied to OS/2 and screen readers for
it, you will need to keep up on Windows readers since that is where the market
is and that will affect many more blind people than OS/2. Microsoft is now
in the position IBM used to have: it controls the technology, and everyone
else (including IBM) must follow it. IBM isn't running Windows apps on OS/2
out of the goodness of it's heart.
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In-Reply-To: The letter of Wednesday, 13 October 1993 9:28pm CT
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