Lotus Bypassing DOS/Windows En Route to 0S/2 PM of PCs began much later than in the United States. Pace 122 INOVEMBER 20, 1989 with respect to support for a DOS/ spreadsheet strategy when it moved This is the fourth in a se- ries on the stra- tegic directions that Lotus Devel- opment Corp. is pursuing and the significance of those strate- gies to organiza- tions that are planning for the 1990s. Vendors of software for IBM PCs and compati- bles are moving rapidly away from the familiar character-based DOS interface to the far more intuitive graphical user interface. However, both users and software vendors are faced with a difficult choice in the move toward a graphical user in: teriace. As shown in the figure, two separate strategies for the graphical interface are becoming available. One strategy is based on a transition to OS/2 and the Presentation Manager, while the alterna- tive strategy is based on DOS and Win- dows 3.0. i In its recent product releases, Lotus has committed to the 0S/2 Presentation Manager strategy. A central element of Lotus' strategy is to move customers from DOS to OS/2 and then from OS/2 to the Presentation Manager. Lotus has committed a substantial number of software developers to projects involving OS/2 and Presenta: € tion Manager —a clear indication that its more important software will be devel- oped for that platform. The OS/2 Edge The move to OS/2 allows new Lotus products to take advantage of the multi: tasking and data-exchange features of 05/2. In contrast, Microsoft Corp. is pursu- ing a dual strategy aimed at providing separate graphical interfaces for both DOS and 08/2. Microsoft strongly encourages both vendors and users to move as rapidly as possible to the OS/2 environment. How- ever, for those users unwilling to make the transition to OS/2, Microsoft will provide a graphical version of DOS based on Windows 3.0. DOS/Windows 3.0 will comply with IBM's specifications for Common User Access (CUA) and will have the same user interface as OS/2 Presentation Manager. As shown in the figure, the DOS/ Windows strategy provides a growth path that offers users an initial graphi- cal interface under DOS, and then moves in simple steps to 08/2 with Win- dows 3.0 and finally to OS/2 with Pre- sentation Manager. The DOS market is at a critical junc- ture. By the end of the year, it is pro- Jected, more than 55 percent of the in- stalled base will consist of machines based on the 286 microprocessor, This percentage is even higher in most foreign countries because the purchase The implication of this percentage is that the platforms reguired to run 0S/2 will soon make up the majority of the installed base. Despite Lotus' plan for moving to OS/2, most organizations continue to in- clude DOS in their near-term planning. It is evident that large numbers of users are not ready to make the transition to OS/2. These users want a DOS-based, graphi- cal, multitasking operating environment that will provide an easy transition to 08/2 in the future. This is precisely the objective of the Two Parallel Paths for Migrating To a Graphical Environment Windows 3.0 Promises an Attrac Though Not Supported by Lotus OS2 with | Presentation Manager | 286 or 386 | with IM Byte Many users want a DOS-based, graphical, multitasking DOS 8086 or 8088 Windows strategy. In most large organizations, the deci- sion to move to OS/2 won't be made by users; it will be made at the executive level. One of the best ways to bring us- ers into the world of OS/2 is to provide a familiar application that allows them to learn the environment through their routine jobs. Lotus intends to provide the vehicles to make this shift occur. For example, release 3.0 of its 1-2-3 spreadsheet pack- age can be installed under DOS or under 08/2. Worksheets, macros and graphs will perform the same under either op- erating system. from the assembler-based code of early ]-2-3 releases (release LA and 2.01) to the C language. The move to C allowed Lotus to develop core product code that was essentially independent of the run: time environment. Unfortunately for Lotus, the C strate- gy backfired in two respects. ; First, the time reguired to rearchitect and then develop a new C-based spread- sheet exceeded Lotus' estimate. The project was more than a year late in getting to the market. As Lotus struggled to get the new product out, developers were faced with their second challenge. The new C-based spreadsheet incorporated more fune- tions and features than did its predeces- sor, and, as a result, it could not run on early-generation personal computers. It eventually became obvious that Lo- tus would have to segment the hard- ware market and deliver its newer tech- nology only to the newer-generation PCs. Three-Pronged Approach In all, Lotus developed a three- pronged strategy for its spreadsheet products, segmenting the market in three categories. 5 The older 8086 and 8088 machines a with 640K bytes of conventional memo- oe ih $ ry constitute the first group. Computers 30 0! zaj based on the 286 or 386 chip with 1M : byte of memory constitute the next group, which is soon to become the larg- est one. The third market segment will be made up of 286-based and 386-based machines with more than 3M bytes of RAM running 'under"0S/2"and"the"Pre""" sentation Manager. Protected-mode (DOS extension) tech- nology from Rational Systems was se- lected as a solution for the memory re- guirements of release 3.0 of 1-2-3. This technology provides an unobtrusive means of accessing memory above 640K bytes under DOS (up to 16M bytes). Us- ers will not have to make any special . settings upon installation and should not even notice that they are operating in the protected mode. One immediate' benefit of this technol- ogy is relief from tight memory con: straints when running 1-2-3 on a e Interim Solution, OS/2 with Presentatio Manager DOS w Windows 3.0 ohn Avakan operating environmeni that will provide an easy transition to "WeX.. mode technology allows th tate Mekve ši tected-mode nology allows the OS/, 2, which is the objective of the DOS/ Windows strategy. network and memory'-resident software to run in the first 640K bytes, with 1-2-3 ra applications running in the remaining extended memory. DOS/Windows strategy. Moving from DOS to the Presentation hi The advantages of the DOS/Windows approach include support for 8086, 286 and 386 machines; a graphical user in- terface; consistency with the look and feel of OS/2; multitasking, memory man: agement,; and support of conventional, extended or expanded memory. Although the release of Windows 3,0 has been delayed until the first guarter of 1990, most vendors of OS/2 Presenta: tion Manager products are porting their software to the Windows 3.0 envi: ronment. Because of the advantages of this en: vironment as a stepping-stone to 08/2, Lotus may have to alter its position Next week [ll discuss the competitive issues over which the software wars of the 1990s will be fought and how Lotus is meeting these issues. Manager under OS/2 could reguire ma- jor changes— primarily in hardware. To adeguately run OS/2 and applications, the user will need a 286-based or 386- based machine with at least 4M bytes of memory. k Once 08/2 is in place, 1-2-3 release 3.0 will run a little faster, networking will be more robust, the network won't be able to crash the system, and multitask- ing will be available. Lotus originally intended to provide a character-based upgrade of 1-2-3 that would run on the large base of older 8088 and 8086 machines. The company, however, fundamentally shifted its To learn more about the subject of these articles, please call The James Martin Report, an information service updated guarterly, at (800) 242.1240. For information on seminars, please contact (in the United States and Can- ada.) Technology Transfer Institute, 741 10th St, Santa Monica, Calif. 90402 (213) 3948305. In Europe, con- tact Savant, 2 New St., Carnforth, Lancs, LAS 9BX United Kin ( 0524) 734 505. me