By: Tom Nadeau, (os2headquarters@mindspring.com)
http://www.mindspring.com/~os2headquarters
You're reading this newsletter because you like OS/2, or at least you're intrigued
by OS/2 and its loyal users. You've probably either used OS/2 or you've seen it
demonstrated, so I don't have to spend much time explaining the reasons why OS/2
is clearly the superior desktop technology of our times -- the reliability, the
performance, the flexibility, the cool little features that show us somebody at
IBM was *thinking* when they designed this thing. You already appreciate that OS/2
is here to stay, but you want something more than just an alternative to Microsoft
products. You want something more than a nice tool for occasional use or "tinkering."
What we here at VOICE believe you people, our readers, want is a little respect,
a little acceptance, and a few less snickers and groans when you mention "OS/2"
in polite company. Whether OS/2 becomes the dominant desktop operating system or
not, is really not the issue. You want OS/2 to be considered *mainstream*, meaning
it's just as widely accepted as any version of Windows, any Mac, or any flavor of
Unix. And you know as well as we do that the best way to accomplish this is with
a successful grass-roots marketing effort.
I'm telling you right now, sincerely, that we here at VOICE are not about to
sit idly on the sidelines while IBM ignores the consumer and "microbusiness"
software markets. We're also not going to become raving, frothing-at-the-mouth lunatics
about IBM, Microsoft, OS/2, or anything else. What we *will* be doing is offering
a wide variety of marketing activities to the OS/2 user community. This means that,
unlike the trinkets you normally get from a vendor giveaway (keychains, pamphlets,
coffee mugs), we want to offer some original ideas that are self-propagating. We
have a slew of ideas, plans, and events in mind to do this. We can't divulge them
all right now, as they are in the very early "brainstorming" stage.
Perhaps you've heard rumors about some of these, such as a special printing of
custom checks, or bumper stickers, or some other marketing tool or activity. We
don't as yet have all the pieces in place for making our ideas into realities, and
we must also depend on the cooperation of other organizations as we progressively
develop these ideas. Rather than "over promise and under deliver," we
at VOICE intend to keep the hype down to a minimum until a product is actually ready
for action. So don't give up hope if certain things don't materialize immediately;
we're hard at work to provide a wide spectrum of OS/2 marketing tools to the OS/2
user community. You haven't seen nothing yet.
Tom Nadeau http://www.mindspring.com/~os2headquarters
OS/2 Headquarters -- Your Chauffeur on the Info Highway