From: lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers
Subject: Re: CLI/GUI wars (was Re: Apple IIGS being discontinued...)
Date: 6 Jan 93 08:53:53 GMT
Reply-To: lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner)
Organization: Columbia University

In article <9301050918.23@rmkhome.UUCP> rmkhome!rmk@merk.com (Rick Kelly) writes:
>In article <1993Jan5.014830.28185@news.columbia.edu> lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner) writes:
>>In article <9301040835.57@rmkhome.UUCP> rmkhome!rmk@merk.com (Rick Kelly) writes:

>
>I guess I just heard old news.
>
>Of course, Microsoft will probably cook up something for Windows 3.2. :-)

Assuming there *is* a 3.2, as opposed to VMS+1 (WNT).  BTW, Microsoft was
almost sued by DRI because they deliberately withheld DRI's copy of the
Windows 3.1 SDK until long after all the other companies' got their copy.
In spite of this, DRI quickly came out with the upgrade by April, and it
stands up even now (no additional patches re the memory stuff related to
Windows 3.1).  Moreover, within a few restrictions, DR-DOS 6.0 *unpatched*
could run Windows 3.1, just not the "out of the box" way that Windows imposes
on you when you install it:

IF you want to use standard mode (which is still supported as opposed to
real mode which is not), then you have to specify an existent switch to
the pre-patched version of the EMM386 memory manager.  As a consequence, the
amount of available memory to DOS sessions is as limited as Microsoft's
version.  (DOS itself can benefit while Windows isn't running, but you can't
pass that switch to "protect" Windows and get the memory benefit while W 3.1
isn't running.)  After the patch was released, the switch becomes ignored,
and the DRDOS EMM386 gives compatibly maximum memory benefit in all modes
whether Windows is running or not.  (The switch is still supported because
you still have to set it for Windows 3.0, *not* 3.1. in standard mode.)

Moreover, until the patch, you had to use EMM386 from DR-DOS, while Windows
attempts to install a Microsoft version of EMM386 which also requires
HIMEM.SYS.  (DRDOS only needs *one* of the memory managers for a given
machine:

1)	Ordinary 286's get HIMEM.
2)	Specially-supported 286's such as NEAT machines get HIDOS.
3)	386 and up use EMM386 alone for all functions.

While Microsoft only does 1), lacks 2 altogether, and 3) requires both files.)

Since the patch, you can use either the DR-DOS EMM386, or the Windows-supplied
EMM386 and HIMEM combination, although you get better overall (including
non-Windows DOS stuff) memory performance with the DR-DOS versions, since
DR-DOS EMM386 (and also HIDOS for your NEAT, LEAP, SCAT 286 machines) not
only give back more real memory to DOS, they also support the MEMMAX +V
"stealth" hack to give back 64K-96K more memory.  (I have a NEAT 286 machine
that has 628K DOS user memory with MEMMAX -V and 724K DOS user memory with
MEMMAX +V.  Note that +V requires a mono or CGA video interface, or at least
the EGA/VGA extensions get disabled.)

So, since the patch, even casual users of DR-DOS with Windows 3.1 can run
without problems, although they are likely getting less performance than is
available (by editing CONFIG.SYS back to DR-supplied parameters).

Incidentally, there is a neat DR-DOS-specific feature:

Any line in CONFIG.SYS can be made conditional by starting it with a ?
char.  The line will be echoed with a Y/N prompt at the end and wait
for a Y/{any other char} type-in.  Thus, interactions can be checked out
without having to resort to boot floppies, etc. to edit the file after a
crash, etc.  This was one of the suggested methods for putting in the
Windows Standard mode specific switch when required.  Just have two copies
of the memory manager invocation, one with the extra switch, etc.

For the intimidated user, there is a variant of the feature: just start the
line with a ? followed by a quoted string.  That string will become the
blurb that requires the response.  The actual command line and the auto-
generated Y/N prompt are suppressed.  This allows "friendlier" messages like

Allow Standard Mode Windows? Y

If a negative response, then the line isn't executed, and it's followed by
the standard version without the switch.

If a positive response, the next line *is* executed, but causes no effect
because the second copy checks for the presence in memory of a copy of itself,
and discovers the previous copy with the switch-set consequences, etc.

cjl (no, I don't have stock in DRI or Novell :-) (or Microsoft))
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers