Date:  Fri, 11 Aug 1995 17:23:28 -0700

From:  Sylvia Swift <madonna[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]VIOLET.BERKELEY.EDU>

Subject: Re: speed



i can't point to a print source for this, but i did see tv report

(_dateline_ segment? _c/net_?) in which it was stated that ibm purposely

chose the "warp" part of its new product name "os/2 warp" (sorry,

technoheads, if i got the punctuation wrong) as a nod to _star trek_ fans

and a signal that this product will be fun to use (if i am not mistaken,

this is what they were advertising with that series of subtitled

commercials, including "we shipped shore slop" and the polish(?) nuns

with beepers). the implication was (ok, so maybe it was the inference i

drew) that roddenberry or someone connected with the original series had

coined the term; an implication whose validity i remember doubting. but

_star trek_ undoubtedly popularized the term, and ibm's new whateveritis

may make it even more so. and after all, how impressive is lightening speed

in today's world? do they still say superman is faster than a speeding

bullet and more powerful than a locomotive?



sylvia swift

madonna[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]violet.berkeley.edu