From: Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest")
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.digest
Subject: Info-IBMPC Digest V92 #175
Date: 10 Nov 92 23:15:44 GMT
Reply-To: Info-IBMPC@wsmr-simtel20.ARMY.mil
Distribution: world
Organization: The Internet

Info-IBMPC Digest           Tue, 10 Nov 92       Volume 92 : Issue 175 

Today's Editor:
         Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <GHICKS@wsmr-simtel20.Army.Mil>

Today's Topics:
                     Borland Pascal 7.0 information
                     capturing from communications
                              Commodore 64
                 Displaying postscript files on screen
                  DOS window in Windows w/ environment
                     VESA driver for C&T SVGA chip?
                          Finish trashing OS/2
                    Hand scanners tech. info needed
                 Necessity/presence of TSRs? (V92 #169)
                   Key definition (Kermit) (V92 #170)
                       MSDOS 5.0 chkdsk WARNING!
                       MSX Basic for DOS - Help!
                             Pointer Mouse
                        Safety Tracking Program
                              TIFF to PCL
          Trying to execute a program from a server hard disk
                          WAV file description
                     Win 3.1 on < 386's ... nip it!
                           Windows (V92 #170)

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sun, 1 Nov 1992 09:31:05 GMT
From: Sidney Markowitz <sidney@genghis.borland.com>
Subject: Borland Pascal 7.0 information

I have set up e-mail address bp7-info@borland.com as an automated
server of an information file describing features and prices of the
newly released Borland Pascal with Objects 7.0 and Turbo Pascal 7.0.

E-mail sent to bp7-info@borland.com will receive in reply a 16.8Kb
information file which also lists the Internet addresses I have set
up to contact Borland Customer Service, Educational Sales, and to
report bugs. The subject and text of mail that you send to
bp7-info@borland.com will be ignored. If your mailer does not supply
a correct "From:" header, you can manually include a "Reply-To:"
header field with the correct Internet form of your e-mail address.

I'm sure that there will be lots of questions on the net about BP
7.0, and this is my attempt to reduce the volume of traffic. I am not
frequenting the newsgroups lately, so please let people know about
the bp7-info@borland.com address when they ask these questions.

 -- Sidney Markowitz <sidney@borland.com>
    Borland International (Languages - R&D)

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 9 Nov 92 23:41:00 CST
From: Glauber <gmribeir@david.wheaton.edu>
Subject: capturing from communications

:)  Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1992 17:46 EST
:)  From: DannyK <DKALLIN@vax.clarku.edu>

:)  I am trying to find a program which will either capture text from the
:)  line buffer of my communication program (Quicklink II) and paste it
:)  to the keyboard or a communication program which has this ability.
:)  Any ideas??

:)  I am running a 386 clone, Quicklink has a capture to file but not
:)  keyboard.  Thanks

I don't understand exactly what you want, but most comm.  programs do
this via capture and "ASCII transfer." When you upload a file using
"ASCII" or "text" mode instead of a protocol, it simply sends that
file as if you where typing it.  Kermit uses "log session" to capture
input and "transmit" to keyboard a text file. Email me if this is too
obscure.

						Glauber

------------------------------

Date: 07 Nov 1992 08:25:56 -0500 (EST)
From: Joe Knueven <jknueven@tso.uc.edu>
Subject: Commodore 64

In report 169 the following subject was addressed:

>>  He wants to transfer the data and programs from the C-64 to the PC

I have had a Commodore 64 for years and last Christmas my son sprung
for an IBM PS/1 so I was faced with the same problem.  I access a
local community service bulletin board system (TriState Online) so I
was able to upload the Commodore seq files to a personal storage area
I had on the system and then download from there to my PC.  I feel
that it would have been faster to use a null modem cable to connect
the two but <1> the boxes were located on different floors of our
home and <2> I was too lazy to go out and locate a null modem cable.

Transferring other files, such as prg and rel, files was beyond my
capability although I did write a program for the Commodore to copy a
relative file to a sequential file and then transfer the sequential
file to the PC - in one case I was able to read the transferred file
with Microsoft Works database program and did everything I wanted
working in that environment.  In another case I was unable to
transfer it success- fully so I am still pondering what to do in this
case.  I never thought about transferring prg files - the Commodore
version and the IBM version of BASIC seem so incompatible that I
think it would probably be easier to just write a new program for the
PC.  BTW, I think that the Commie version is superior to the IBM
version but that may be due to familiarity.
 
*      JOE KNUEVEN      | "The grief of growing old was in the increasing *
*                       | ability to see how life left you with so little *
*  jknueven@heartland.  | of what you'd hoped for when you started."      *
*     bradley.edu       |       ... Jean Rikhoff (in "The Sweetwater")    *

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 9 Nov 92 9:41:20 GMT-3:00
From: hjbortol@impa.br (Humberto Jose Bortolossi)
Subject: Displaying postscript files on screen

	Is there a public domain/shareware program to display
postscript files on a PC screen (CGA/EGA/VGA cards). If yes, where
can I find it?

	Another question: is there a program that prints ps files on
a non-ps-printer?

	Any hints're very welcome! Humberto.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 13:45 EST
From: "J. Jeffrey Inglis" <JINGLIS%MIDD.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: DOS window in Windows w/ environment

Erich Neuwirth writes: (V92 #172)
> can I get a DOS window in Windows with an environment from AUTOEXEC.BAT
> as well as a TSR without running added batch files?
[paraphrased]

Yes - you should be able to run all needed commands within a PIF file
you create using the PIF Editor (found in Main or Accessories program
group).  What I usually do with tasks like this is start with a basic
DOS window - no environment, no TSR, nothing.  Then I issue commands
from the DOS prompt to get things the way I like them, and I keep
track of the commands.  When everything is A-OK, I go back into
Windows, run the PIF Editor, and tell it to run all the commands I
issued manually before.

J. Jeffrey Inglis                               JINGLIS@MIDD.CC.MIDDLEBURY.EDU
Computer Consultant
Middlebury College                              Phone: 1-802-388-3711
Academic Computing, Voter Hall                  Consultants' Office:  x5933
Middlebury, Vermont 05753  USA                  Academic Computing:   x5558

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 6 Nov 92 14:55:26 CET
From: Reinder Verlinde <reinder@neuretp.biol.ruu.nl>
Subject: VESA driver for C&T SVGA chip?

A friend of me owns a Olivetti PC with onboard SVGA-chip (type
#52C453 SVGA-chip from Chips & Technologies). He also has a
'VESA'-driver for this chip. This driver suffers of two problems:

      - it is buggy
      - it does not support the complete VESA standard

this is not a great wonder; it claims to be version 0.1 and dates
from 1990. Olivetti does not have a newer version of this driver, so
he looked at archie, but he had no success.  If anybody knows about
such a driver please respond directly to me (I am not a regular
reader of this list).

Reinder Verlinde

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 21:07:13 GMT
From: joker@diku.dk (Morten Christian Holmgreen)
Subject: Finish trashing OS/2

Info-IBMPC@wsmr-simtel20.ARMY.mil writes:

>Chris:

>I would think that if Norton Disk Editor can see the file, then you
>SHOULD be able to see the directory entry for the file.

>If so, change the SYS, R/O, and HID attribute bits, write the changes
>out to the disk, get out of DE to DOS and then delete the file.

This proves it - sometimes you're wrong  ;-)

Actually, the file is named "EA DATA. SF" and has got to be renamed
before DOS can delete it. But it should be a piece of cake using
Norton, though...

Christian
-- 
M. Christian Holmgreen / joker@diku.dk / mochmch@uts.uni-c.dk
student, University of Copenhagen, Dept. of Computer Science
"Human errors can only be avoided if one can avoid the use of humans"

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 13:35:41 CET
From: SMOLIRA%PLWRTU11.BITNET@SEARN.SUNET.SE
Subject: Hand scanners tech. info needed

Hi !

  I'm looking for general information on how hand scanners
communicate with computer. Do they use DMA or is the transmission
interrupt-driven for each byte ? How to initialize scan ? What is the
format of sent data ? ect.  Please let me know if there are some
general rules and where to look for such information on specific
scanners.

Please send responses directly to me. I'll summarize to the list.

Thanks in advance

--EARN in Poland? >-----+   | Peter Smolira ( Technical University of Wroclaw,
       . .              |   |                  - computer science student ).
+---~~- . -~~-----------+   | E. MAIL:      SMOLIRA@PLWRTU11  ( EARN/BITNET )
|      . .                  | Paper mail:   Peter Smolira, ul. Okrezna 19,
-It sometimes even works !! |               58-500 Jelenia Gora,    POLAND

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 09 Nov 92 08:31:33 MST
From: David <IDDWB@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU>
Subject: Info-IBMPC Digest V92 #169

On Fri, 6 Nov 1992 21:21:49 GMT Info-IBMPC Digest said:
>From: "John Boyd;LAHDI;" <johnboyd@ocdis01.oc.aflc.af.mil>
>Subject: Necessity/presence of TSRs?

>Since Windows is an operating *environment*, and not an operating
>system, still relying on DOS's rules, I presume you still must use
>TSRs to accomplish some things. Are TSRs still around in OS/2?  If
>not, how does one accomplish some of the 'background' things that
>TSRs have been doing all this time, i.e., print spoolers, screen
>savers, etc?

You can use most of you TSR's in a DOS emulation mode under OS/2 --
Prints spooling and screen saving are built into the os so you don't
need addition garbage..

If you have other utilities that directly read hardward or block
drivers, you'll have to be very carefull with them under os/2.
Otherwise, to make a system wide service that can pop-up, you would
just right the program -- and since os/2 is a true preemptive
multitasker you won't need to worry about dos multiplex flags/ or
conflicting file i/o -- or any of the other problems that made dos
the bane of computing...

David Bear
Office Automation
ASU COPP (602)965-8257
... I think -- therefore I am a formal system -- I think?
IDDWB@ASUVM.INRE.ASU.EDU

------------------------------

Date: 08 Nov 1992 22:33:49 -0600 (MDT)
From: Joe Doupnik <JRD@CC.USU.EDU>
Subject: Key definition (Kermit) (V92 #170)

>Date: 2 Nov 92 12:48:20 GMT
>From: rcivan@rwb.urc.tue.nl (Ivan Saez)

>We have a question concerning Kermit :
>
>we are trying to redefine the F1 function key (we use kermit 3.12).
>F1 should generate the following :
>
>      - a screen dump ( \Kdump )
>      - \27OP         
>      - a screen dump again
>
>We have tried to make a user defined macro :
>
>      - define mak \Kdump,\27OP,\Kdump
>   
>and a key definition to "call" the macro :
>
>      - set key \315 {\Kmak}
>
>The problem is that it doesn't work. Pressing F1 generates one screen
>dump.  The escape sequence (\27OP) and the second \Kdump are ignored.
>Can you help us?

	You really do need to look at the MS-DOS Kermit user's
manual, the book "Using MS-DOS Kermit."

	In a DEFine unprotected commas are command separators, not
verb separators. A compound key definition must be represented as a
string at definition time, else the first part is decoded and the
rest ignored. And never use \27OP when you really mean \kGOLD or
\kPF1 because those keys send different things depending on the state
of the terminal emulation.

So, try a definition such as this:

	{\{kdump}\{kPF1}\{kdump}}

The outer braces start a string, interpreted for verb contents when
the string is sent. Inner braces prevent the spelling of a verb's
name from colliding with the next item. No commas are used. You can
define a key this way without inventing a macro.

	Joe D.

------------------------------

Date: 30 Oct 92 19:12:47 GMT
From: John Benfield <john@attcan.att.com>
Subject: MSDOS 5.0 chkdsk WARNING!

Congratulations MicroSoft!

24 hours after posting my complaints about 'chkdsk' and the lack of
'service' in Microsoft Canada's 'Customer Service', I received a call
from Microsoft in Washington.

Congratulations go to George Forsman for seeing my message and
passing it on to the incredibly helpful and sympathetic Dave Schott
who saved me many hours of code hacking and did a great job of
diffusing an irrate customer (namely me! :)

I received my 5.00a upgrade (read on...it's all explained further
down) by express courier the next day (dispatched from Microsoft
Canada, strangely enough. They had the upgrade but apparently didn't
know what it was for) I also received a call from "Stephanie" at
Microsoft Canada, but the number she left was for the automated
support line (which had no option for an operator) and there wasn't a
customer relations option (I'm assuming she was with CR/PR). Oh
well....I got the upgrade and I'm a happy camper now.  If she really
wanted to talk to me, she can always call back.

Now...on to the facts:

(This is NOT an official report from Microsoft or AT&T. It's just my
own friendly posting to try to help)


Program: chkdsk
O/S    : MS-DOS 5.0

Symptoms: Users running chkdsk with the /f option have 256 copies of
the FAT written onto their hard disk starting at the first copy of
the FAT. The result being that all directory information and a
significant amount of the data in the data area are irrecoverably
destroyed.

Affected users: Any users using 256 sector FAT's.

How to tell if you're at risk:

          Run chkdsk WITHOUT the '/f' option and check the "Total
allocation units on disk". If this number is more than 65280, you're
at risk. DO NOT USE CHKDSK TO CORRECT ANY DISK PROBLEMS if this is
the case. You'll trash your disk.

Solution: Call Microsoft and request the 5.00A upgrade. They know
about the problem and they've fixed it. They've also done some
diddling with the following programs: (though I don't know what they
did to them.)

	deloldos.exe	diskcomp.com	diskcopy.com
	doshelp.exe	dosshell.exe	dosswap.exe
	emm386.exe	expand.exe	format.com
	himem.sys	mirror.com	qbasic.exe
	recover.exe	setver.exe	undelete.exe
	xcopy.exe

Apparently, the only place that Microsoft posts information of known
bugs is on CompuServe in something they called the Microsoft
Knowledgebase. If there's anyone out there who regularly reads this
forum on CIS, maybe you'ld like to volunteer to cross-post to this
group?

Just as a side note, a number of you sent me messages complaining
about Microsoft Canada's customer support (or lack thereof), yet not
even one person came to their defense. On the other hand, I received
a lot of GOOD comments on experiences with Microsoft in Washington
state and consolations for being unfortunate enough to have to deal
with MS Canada. (and not one single bad comment about MS USA)
Somebody at Microsoft should probably look into this. Either the
Canadian entity isn't getting all of the support training and
information they need from the US or there is just something terribly
wrong with the Canadian organization itself. It's a shame. My faith
has been restored in Microsoft, but I'm probably going to call
Redmond next time that I have a problem rather than Microsoft Canada.

Thanks again, Dave!
(Oh...and you too George.)

You've helped save my sanity and my respect for Microsoft.

(I hope someone in management buys these two a brew for a job well
done.)


    =--====  AT&T Canada Inc.          John Benfield
   =----==== 3650 Victoria Park Ave.   Network Support Analyst (MIS)
   =----==== Suite 700		  
   ==--===== Willowdale, Ontario       attmail   : ~jbenfield
    =======  M2H-3P7                   email     : uunet.ca!attcan!john
      ===    (416) 756-5221            Compu$erve: 72137,722
____Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines._____

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 13:43:22 GMT
From: wijkstra@fwi.uva.nl (Marcel Wijkstra (AIO))
Subject: MSX Basic for DOS - Help!

Info-IBMPC@wsmr-simtel20.ARMY.mil writes:

#Does anybody know about a product called MSX-basic ?.
#One of the lecturers here is asking me (and I'm posting his
#question you) about an interpreter or compiler for such a product
#(PD, Shareware or Commercial).

MSX stands for MicroSoft eXtended. MSX was intended to be the new
standard in home-computers around '83 (or so). MSX originates from
Japan; and most MSX computers were made over there. In Europe
(especially: Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands and maybe the UK)
the first MSX computers had 64K RAM, 16K video RAM, 32K ROM (BIOS and
MSX-BASIC), 40x24 text screen, 256x192x16 graphics screen, a
3-channel 8 octave sound generator and used a cassette player for
storage and a simple TV as monitor. I bought my first MSX (a GoldStar
FC-200) for less than $400. A few years later, MSX2 was released,
having usually 128 or 256K RAM, 128K Video RAM, 64K ROM (including
DiskBASIC), 80x24 text screen, 256x212x256/512x212x16 graphics screen
and a 3.5" diskdrive. For my second MSX (a Philips VG8235) I payed
about $600.  Nowadays, MSX is almost dead, except for the Netherlands
and Belgium (I think). In my opinion, an MSX2 is a perfect hobby
computer (still).

Now, for MSX-BASIC: since MSX-BASIC comes from Microsoft, it
resembles Microsofts GW-BASIC very much. The major differences are
about graphics, since an MSX has other video modes than a PC, and
about sound, where MSX- BASIC is far superios to GW-BASIC. But most
MSX-BASIC programs run quite nice without any modifications under
GW-BASIC.

A few remarks:

* MSX-BASIC uses 'locate Y,X', where GW-BASIC does 'locate X,Y'

* in GW-BASIC, you need spaces to seperate keywords; in MSX-BASIC,
you may omit them

* MSX-BASIC only recognises the first 2 characters of a variable,
whereas GW-BASIC allows you you create long variable names

So, an answer to you question might be:
(a) use GW-BASIC instead
(b) buy an MSX(2) computer
(c) buy an MSX expansion card for your PC (from Philips) (if it still
exists) (which is nothing mora than a plug-in MSX...)(for which you
need another monitor) -> so don't

Good luck!
Marcel.
-- 
 X	   Marcel Wijkstra   AIO   (wijkstra@fwi.uva.nl)
|X|	     Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science	
 X	       University of Amsterdam   The Netherlands
======Life stinks. Fortunately, I've got a cold.========

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 9 Nov 92 17:04:42 -0500
From: Howard Weiss <hsw@columbia.sparta.com>
Subject: Pointer Mouse

I presume that you are referring to the Microsoft BallPoint Mouse
which works as a thumb-ball and has the buttons on the edge.  In
order to "orient" the mouse for use on the right edge, left edge, or
the bottom of the keyboard, you run a program from Microsoft called
'compass' that asks you to orient the mouse movements and the button
pushes.  Also, you should see a ballpoint icon after the ballpoint
driver has been installed.  This runs the program 'pointer' that
enables you to set up all the parameters for the mouse, including the
button setup.

Howard Weiss
SPARTA, Inc.
Columbia, MD 21046
(410) 381-9400
hsw@columbia.sparta.com

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 8 Nov 92 9:54:22 EST
From: Bill Starnes <ic009@bragg-emh1.army.mil>
Subject: Safety Tracking Program

>From reading your query re a safety reporting program, I'd
>think that all you'd really want would be a database to store the
>info in.  Guess the hard part *would* be writing the program...
>At least 2-3 days for the first report and about 1/2 day for other
>reports.

Writing the program wasn't hard, took me about four hours to do user
interface, adding and editing records, etc.  The bear is the reports
since the customer wants to be able to query literally any field with
any set of conditions.  I figured it would take a couple of days per
report if I could give it full attention which, since I'm also the
gateway coordinator, the Asst DDN coordinator, and the only person in
the office who can field WordPerfect questions, ain't agonna happen
<grin>

>You also might try posting your query to the USENET group
>comp-sys-ibm-pc-misc@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (I think that
>Internet <==> USENET gateway still works...)

I'll give this a try.  We don't have direct access to USENET or if we
do, no one here knows *how*.  There are some mailgroups on the USENET
I'd love to be able to access.  Appreciate your response.

Bill Starnes

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 9 Nov 92 09:49:22 CET
From: "Alberto Gianolio" <agianoli@estec.estec.esa.nl>
Subject: TIFF to PCL

I need to convert a TIFF file of about 1700 DPI into HP PCL (printer
command language).  Can anybody suggest a DOS tool (possibly public
domain) which can do the job ?  The only one I know of is Alchemy,
but the shareware version is limited to files of 640 x 480 DPI.
Thanks for your help Alberto...

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 09 Nov 92 21:32:10 +0200
From: Omer Zak <XLACHA1@weizmann.weizmann.ac.il>
Subject: Trying to execute a program from a server hard disk


I encountered an undocumented MS/DOS 5.0 error message.

Background:  I work in an LAN Manager environment, over an Ethernet
network.  I wanted to execute a program which is stored in the LAN
Manager server.  When the program exists in my own hard disk (drive
C:), it executes without problems.  However when I copy the file to
the server (which provides me with the network directory L:) and try
to execute L:MYPROG, I get the error message:

Cannot execute L:myprog.exe

This message does not seem to be from the LAN software because the
MS-DOS 5.0 COMMAND.COM contains the text of this message.  However
the Microsoft book on MS-DOS 5.0 (and none of the independently
written books on MS-DOS 5.0 which I consulted) does not explain this
error message.

Does anyone know under what circumstances does this error message
arise?

Note that I made sure that I have all access privileges to the copy
of the program on the server, and it did not help.  Even logging in
with Administrator privileges did not help.  --- Omer Bitnet:
XLACHA1@WEIZMANN

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 08 Nov 92 10:00:47 MEZ
From: Erich Neuwirth <A4422DAB@VM.UNIVIE.AC.AT>
Subject: WAV file description

is there (anywhere on the net) a description of the windows WAV file
format?  i would need it to convert digitized WAV files into
numerical values to do sound analysis on a PC.

ERICH NEUWIRTH
BITNET (EARN): A4422DAB@AWIUNI11
INTERNET:      a4422DAB@vm.univie.ac.at = 131.130.1.2
Institute for Statistics and Computer Science
UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA, UNIVERSITAETSSTR. 5/9, A-1010 VIENNA, AUSTRIA
TEL.: +43-1-40407-160    FAX: +43-1-40407-88

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 7 Nov 92 14:25:19 CST
From: Pat Hayes <pmh2962@tamsun.tamu.edu>
Subject: Win 3.1 on < 386's ... nip it!

From Info-IBMPC Digest

+ Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 20:21:07 EDT
+ From: Kevin Dancy <3237650@qucdn.queensu.ca>
+ Subject: Windows
+ I wish to add one more thought to Douglas Macpherson's thoughts on
+ Windows.  If you don't own a 386-33 with a minimum of 4 megs of RAM
+ don't even consider Windows.  On my 386sx-20, I have found it to be
+ too slow to be useful (and extremely irritating).

Howdy!

OK, here we go again...Let's not get this thread started. IMHO, to
run Win,or not to run Win, on your 286/slow 386 is purely a matter of
personal desires.  Let's get a few facts straight:

1.  Win v3.1 _DOES_ run on 286-based PCs. I'm using it right now to
compose this.

2.  Win v3.1 _DOESN'T_ run in enhanced mode (386) on a 286 (duh!).

3.  If you run Win v3.1 on a 286, you're talking strictly (OK, slow)
task-switching at best. No multi-tasking (on most vanilla 286 jobs).

4.  If you wanna use any Windows-based apps and you have a 286, guess
what -- you run Win v3.1.

Opinions?  I happen to love W4W v2.0b.  I like WNQVT for telecomm,
but DOS-based comm programs are faster -- so I get outta Windows to
telecom.  I'm on a 286/12MHz, w/stacked 65mbRLL->110mb, w/6mb DRAM
and a generic 256K/640x480 VGA setup. Output from my DJ500 looks real
close to laserjet stuff.  Works for me!

For Win-based apps; I use MS Publisher, Excel, Word+TT Fonts, and
some PD/SW stuff for Windows. And my kids (right!) play Wingames on
it. It's great! So, go easy on Windows; its a lot of fun, even for
people on a 286 budget.

p.s. -  the usual; I don't have anything to do with MS or HP; just
another happy camper.  --

Pat Hayes, Meteorology, Texas A&M
University...<whoop!>...phayes@tamu.edu O&M 1008, TAMU, CS, TX
77843-3150....days:(409)845-1680 fax:(409)845-6331

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 09 Nov 92 09:41:14 -0500
From: Joe Morris <jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org>
Subject: Windows (Dancy, INFO-IBMPC 92.170)

In INFO-IMBPC 92.170 Kevin Dancy (3237650@qucdn.queensu.ca) says:

> [...]    If you don't own a 386-33 with a minimum of 4 megs of RAM
>don't even consider Windows.  On my 386sx-20, I have found it to be 
>too slow to be useful (and extremely irritating).

While I hope this doesn't trigger a round of "My OS is better than
your OS" flame wars, the above statement is far too broad in scope.
Clearly, if you are doing complex CAD in 24-bit color a 20 MHz system
is too slow and *never* has enough RAM (with or without Windows), but
for many other applications a 16 MHz system is an adequate if not
spectacular platform.

We've got a few thousand PC systems here, ranging from a (thankfully)
few PC/XT-286 boxes up through some bleeding-edge top-end '486 toys.
The XT-286 boxes are stuck on DOS 3.3 without Windows, but we've
successfully run Windows 3.1 on the faster 80286 systems as well as
the slower 80386s.  A 16 MHz CPU provides adequate response for
office applications (e.g., Word for Windows and Excel) and usable (if
visibly slow) response for light office graphics (PowerPoint), if the
system has a decent amount of memory (I agree that 4 MB is a working
minimum) and is properly tuned.

Tuning doesn't have to be a major effort.  I've seen several systems
where the user reported lousy response time, but all too frequently
it turned out that the user had not bothered to install SMARTDRV (or
some equivalent).  Without the cache function of SMARTDRV the system
will be far too sluggish for almost any application.

Of course, Windows *does* consume a significant amount of system
resources before you ever open the first application, and converting
from a DOS application to an otherwise identical Windows app will
require more hardware to deliver the same response to the user.  At
the same time, though, a 33 MHz system is not a prerequisite for
successfully running Windows if the applications don't require it.

ObDisclosure: this was written from a 16 MHz system running Windows,
but I've asked for a 33 MHz box.   I didn't say that you shouldn't
get a faster machine if the company will buy one.

Joe Morris / MITRE

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End of Info-IBMPC Digest V92 #175
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