
                  Running DOS BBSs under OS/2      (Fidonet)

                 Saturday, 04-Dec-1999 to Friday, 10-Dec-1999

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Steve Hayes                                       03-Dec-99 01:23:17
  To: All                                               04-Dec-99 10:24:08
Subj: Comms programs for Windows & OS/2

Perhaps one reason for the decline in BBSing is the difficulty in finding
decent comms programs for Windows or OS/2.

The computer I usually use to call BBSs died recently - it was a 386SX-16
running MS DOS 6.22

I installed an OLMR on the machine where I run my BBS, which runs OS/2 Warp
4, and tried to call using Halite, which comes with OS/2, and also Winramp, a
Windows 3.1 program, which I ran in WinOS/2.

Both worked a couple of times, and then bombed.

Winramp reported General Protection Fault errors.

Eventually the number of failed calls was getting too expensive, since they
were failing 5 out of 6 times, and getting one call for the price of 6 was
uneconomical, so I installed Telix 3.22 for DOS and ran it under a DOS
Window.


My question is: are there ANY decent and reliable comms programs for OS/2 or
Windows out there that one can recommend to users and potential users?

It seems that most people have some form of Windows these days, and in the
absence of a decent comms program it is simply too much hassle to call a BBS.

If there is a place like a Web site where one can download a comms program, I
would like to put a link to it from my BBS Web page, which I use to encourage
people to use BBSs -

http://www.geocities.com/hayesstw/bbsweb.htm

Keep well,

Steve Hayes

E-mail: methodius@bigfoot.com
        shayes@dunelm.org.uk
   Web: http://www.geocities.com/hayesstw/

 * Evaluation copy of Silver Xpress. Day # 6

--- WtrGate v0.93 Unreg
 # Origin: Unisa Editorial, Pretoria, Gauteng, RSA 27-12-429-8641 (5:7106/20)
 * Origin: The TALKING HUB - Alexandria, VA (1:109/11)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Randal Putnam                                     04-Dec-99 11:31:04
  To: Steve Hayes                                       04-Dec-99 20:37:02
Subj: Comms programs for Windows & OS/2

 SH> It seems that most people have some form of Windows 
 SH> these days, and in the
 SH> absence of a decent comms program it is simply too 
 SH> much hassle to call a BBS.
 
I work in a public library that offers both dialup and web based services. I
have found that the general public is so sold on the internet that they have
no interest in dialup connections. I would find it interesting to know how
many new windows users even know about hyperterminal. Let alone the issue of
knowing what to do with it.
<RP>

--- Maximus 3.01
 * Origin: Library COM (1:213/742)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Bob Juge                                          04-Dec-99 18:46:28
  To: Steve Hayes                                       05-Dec-99 01:56:05
Subj: Comms programs for Windows & OS/2

Steve Hayes wrote in a message to All on Fri Dec 03 1999 at 01:23:

 SH> My question is: are there ANY decent and reliable comms programs
 SH> for OS/2 or Windows out there that one can recommend to users and
 SH> potential users? 

ZOC by Markus Schmidt is available in a Win32 and OS/2 version. 
www.emtec.com.

                                   - Bob
Internet  : bob@juge.com
Telnet, Vmodem, WWW or FTP to juge.com

--- timEd/2 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: COMM Port OS/2 juge.com 204.89.247.1 (281) 980-9671 (1:106/2000)
170/302

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Chris Martin                                      04-Dec-99 17:26:12
  To: Randal Putnam                                     05-Dec-99 03:22:00
Subj: Comms programs for Windows & OS/2

Once upon a time, out on MARS.

While reading the mail, wispering this:

RP>  SH> It seems that most people have some form of Windows
 SH> these days, and in the
 SH> absence of a decent comms program it is simply too
 SH> much hassle to call a BBS.

RP> I work in a public library that offers both dialup and web based services. 

I
RP> have found that the general public is so sold on the internet that they
hav
e
RP> no interest in dialup connections. I would find it interesting to know how
RP> many new windows users even know about hyperterminal. Let alone the issue
o
f
RP> knowing what to do with it.

Most especially, since the default Win install DOESN'T install
HyperTerm! I had to manually specify that it get installed, with
th erest of the Communications stuff (ie:FTP, Ping, Finger, etc).


Chris Martin, marsbbs@gte.net

 * WCE 2.1G1/2419 * Help! I've fallen and... Hey! nice carpet!

--- ViaMAIL!/WC v1.50 
 * Origin: From an Echo heard on MARS. Call to be transported.  (1:219/308)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Steve Hayes                                       06-Dec-99 07:45:23
  To: Randal Putnam                                     10-Dec-99 06:58:06
Subj: Re: Comms programs for Windows & OS/2

On 4 Dec 99 11:31am, Randal Putnam wrote to Steve Hayes:

 RP> I work in a public library that offers both dialup and web based
 RP> services. I have found that the general public is so sold on the
 RP> internet that they have no interest in dialup connections. I would find
 RP> it interesting to know how many new windows users even know about
 RP> hyperterminal. Let alone the issue of knowing what to do with it.

Yes, the main problem is not so much the popularity of the Internet as the
popularity of Windows, and the difficulty of finding and installing decent
comms programs.


Keep well

Steve Hayes

methodius@bigfoot.com

... BBSs on the Web: http://www.geocities.com/hayesstw/bbsweb.htm
 * Evaluation copy of Silver Xpress. Day # 9

--- WtrGate v0.93 Unreg
 # Origin: Unisa Editorial, Pretoria, Gauteng, RSA 27-12-429-8641 (5:7106/20)
 * Origin: The TALKING HUB - Alexandria, VA (1:109/11)

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Bob Wallace                                       06-Dec-99 21:31:00
  To: Steve Hayes                                       10-Dec-99 06:58:06
Subj: Comms programs - Win/OS/2

SH>Perhaps one reason for the decline in BBSing is the difficulty in finding
SH>decent comms programs for Windows or OS/2.
 
  <snip>
 
SH>My question is: are there ANY decent and reliable comms programs for OS/2
or
SH>Windows out there that one can recommend to users and potential users?
 
Yes, depending on how much work you might want to do in setting it up for
yourself, or in helping others in setting up their copy of GT Power, version
19.00. This version has been run in both BBS and Netmail systems here, with
the Netmail system running Warp 3 until two months ago, now running Warp 4
without a problem.
 
---
 # PDQWK 2.52 #51
 

--- GTMail 1.26 
 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS, Little Rock, Arkansas (1:3821/33.0)
170/302
362

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From: Bob Wallace                                       06-Dec-99 21:35:00
  To: Randal Putnam                                     10-Dec-99 06:58:06
Subj: Comms programs for Window

RP> SH> It seems that most people have some form of Windows
RP> SH> these days, and in the
RP> SH> absence of a decent comms program it is simply too
RP> SH> much hassle to call a BBS.
 
RP>I work in a public library that offers both dialup and web based services.
I
RP>have found that the general public is so sold on the internet that they
have
RP>interest in dialup connections. I would find it interesting to know how
many
RP>new windows users even know about hyperterminal. Let alone the issue of
know
RP>what to do with it.
 
In addition to the hassles for what we'll call the average computer user these 
days in figuring out what their computer system might be capable of (most
don't have a clue!), it's far easier to get on the Internet and wander around
than it would be to figure out how to set up a comms package from installation 
to configuration to making that first connect. After that, it's having any
clue at all as to how to get past the first or second screen once they might
reach the local BBS, if they can even find the local dialup number at this
late date. Most local computer magazines no longer publish such information,
making it virtually impossible for anyone to find a local dialup beyond those
available via the local computer clubs, perhaps.
 
---
 # PDQWK 2.52 #51
 

--- GTMail 1.26 
 * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS, Little Rock, Arkansas (1:3821/33.0)
170/302
362

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

+============================================================================+
