Following the revelation that IBM Corp has earmarked $500m to make OS/2 a worldwide success (CI No 2,498) you might think that the company would be keen as mustard for software developers to write for it. All the more puzzling, then, that one of the most successful client-server application development tools providers reveals that it’s not being allowed to produce an OS/2 version by IBM. Powersoft Corp, Burlington, Massachusetts, has built a strong lead in the Windows 3.1 client-based tools market, competing strongly with Microsoft Corp’s own Visual Basic and the likes of Gupta Corp’s SQLWindows. The company recently completed a successful half year showing $57.9m turnover and $6.2m profit before tax, and is predicted by Wall Street analysts to close the year on $120m revenue – not a bad business, in everyone else’s eyes than Armonk’s, it seems. For chairman and chief executive Mitchell Kertzman, outlining plans for Unix and Macintosh versions of the company’s Powerbuilder offering, announced that IBM is not making it easy for us to develop for OS/2. In the past Windows-centric software companies were encouraged by IBM to use a toolkit from Richardson, Texas-based Micrografx Inc, called Micrografx Mirrors but badged as the DMK/2 Toolkit by IBM, to convert applications for OS/2. Now IBM has closed that loophole, and is demanding vendors go through the expensive and time-consuming route of developing native OS/2 applications ground up rather than simply convert Windows code for the OS/2 programming interface. This may preserve the good name and robustness of OS/2 2.0, but is hardly likely to persuade independents to produce the wealth of OS/2 applications that could really help it stack up against Windows95. Yet another bad decision by IBM’s increasingly muddled personal computer group – but we’re certain it won’t be the last. – Gary Flood.
