Autor: Tomasz Stelmaszczuk (hal9000_at_calder.com.pl)
Data: Sat 17 May 1997 - 00:38:26 MET DST
SmartSuite 97 for OS/2 Update
This announcement was found on IBM BBS: SmartSuite 97 for OS/2 Product Plans March 20, 1997 On
February 24th, Lotus Development announced a February 28th, 1997 ship date for SmartSuite 97 for Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, the
newest version of its award-winning desktop productivity suite. The press release also stated that SmartSuite 97 for OS/2 Warp V4 will begin beta
testing in Q3 and is expected to ship in Q4 of this year - with internationalized versions available within 30 days of the release of the North
American edition. The purpose of this announcement is to provide you with additional details on the change in targeted ship date for the 97 OS/2
Suite from 1H '97 (which was announced September 25, 1996 at the OS/2 Warp V4 launch) to Q4 '97. SmartSuite 97 for OS/2 Warp, scheduled
for availability in the 4th quarter of 1997, will include six (6) new, native OS/2 applications along with a new, Java-based, SmartCenter 97 for
OS/2. The six new OS/2 applications are: - Word Pro 97 for OS/2 Warp - Freelance Graphics 97 for OS/2 Warp - 1-2-3 97 for OS/2 Warp -
Approach 97 for OS/2 Warp - Organizer 97 for OS/2 Warp - ScreenCam 97 for OS/2 Warp The new Q4 ship target for SmartSuite 97 for OS/2
Warp V4 is based solely on technical issues - and is not a reflection of any lack of commitment, focus, or resources dedicated to the OS/2
development effort. The revised schedule is based on: 1. A later than anticipated delivery of Lotus' 1-2-3 97 for Windows 95/NT. The Windows
95/NT version of 1-2-3 97 was originally targeted for year-end '96 availability at the time the 1H' 97 plan was announced for the 97 OS/2 Suite.
Delays in shipping the Windows 95/NT edition have a direct impact on OS/2 product schedules due to our use of a common code base for both the
Windows 95/NT and the OS/2 editions. Developing from a common code base allows us to develop OS/2 editions that use identical file formats
and comparable functions and features to provide our customers with a true, cross-platform solution. 2. New development efforts currently
underway. The OS/2 team is currently developing: (a) a Java-based SmartCenter (b) a new generation of shared components (InfoBox, TeamMail,
etc.), and (c) a *subset* of OLE functionality required by the 97 Suite NOTE: The subset of OLE functionality is for inter-application
communication between 1-2-3 and Approach and for minimal drag-and-drop support within the applications and not designed to provide OS/2
users with the ability to edit embedded OLE objects (as on Windows 95/NT). Its main purpose is to provide "under-the-covers" functionality
required by the 97 Suite. 3. The need for additional Open32 APIs. IBM is currently developing approximately 50 new Open32 APIs for OS/2
Warp V4 which are required for the 97 OS/2 Suite. Availability of an OS/2 Warp V4 FixPak containing these APIs is currently targeted for the
3rd quarter. Shipment of the 97 OS/2 Suite and the Suite Beta is dependent on the availability of a FixPak containing these new APIs. There are
over 125 full-time developers, QE team members, and product management personnel totally focused on and dedicated to the development and
delivery of SmartSuite 97 for OS/2 Warp V4. As stated above, our change in targeted schedule is not a reflection of a lack of resources or
commitment to OS/2. OS/2 Warp V4 will be a requirement for the installation of SmartSuite 97 for OS/2 Warp due to the fact that the Open32
API updates scheduled for availability later this year will only be available (via a FixPak) on OS/2 Warp V4. In addition, the Java-based
SmartCenter 97 for OS/2 will utilize OS/2 Warp V4's support for Java-based applications. As you can see, there is work yet to be done before
shipment of the Beta in the 3rd quarter and final 97 OS/2 Suite availability in the 4th quarter; however, we remain firmly committed to our OS/2
Suite development effort and are working closely with IBM to ensure an on-time 4th quarter delivery.
best regards
Tomasz Stelmaszczuk
IBM BESTeam TeamOS/2
Official OS/2 Ambassador Certified OS/2 Engineer
____________________________________________________________
http://www.calder.com.pl e-mail: hal9000_at_calder.com.pl
To archiwum zostało wygenerowane przez hypermail 2.1.7 : Tue 18 May 2004 - 15:11:30 MET DST