HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: aki@cruzio.santa-cruz.ca.us
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Windows NT/Win 3.1
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 92 13:39:13 PDT
Reply-To: aki@cruzio.santa-cruz.ca.us


I just got back from the Windows 3.1 release show.  A brief summary:

- c. 175,000 Win 3.1's were shipped via FedEx,  i.e. that's an indication of
  the number of advance upgrades.
- c. 925,000 were shipped to dealers, etc. (copies they hope to sell)
- they have made the Bomb-program look better (with animation and sound)
- Gates talked about the WOSA and how that meant close relationships with
  other software vendors.. (see "comments" later; DRDOS)
- Someone (forgot the name) advertised how easy it is to port 16-bit apps
  to 32-bit. ("just a few weeks of coding")
- Every reference to Windows included "Operating System".
- the TV ads you see set Bill back by $9 mil.

Windows NT stuff:

- NT was demoed on a NCR with 8x486 (eight times a 486, parallel?), 512 MB
  RAM.
- Gates said,  that NT has been with 50 software developers for the past 6 mos,
  and that wide-scale beta testing will begin in July (along with a conference
  in San Francisco).

Comments:
- No-one ever mentioned: DRDOS, UNIX, Alpha, etc. (only exception IBM 3090)
- No mention of when NT is going to be available
- "Borland" Kahn promised full 3.1 support for his stuff
- A demo of a received fax showed still a shortcoming of Windows (although
  _very_ minor):  To give the fax to an OCR,  it had to be saved as a PCX
  file first.  Why does Windows not include calls for an OCR software to
  request this to be done,  so the user doesn't have to worry about it.
  Example:  to OCR a received fax,  you drop an icon of the fax onto an
  OCR icon. Instant inter-application co-operation... OCR'd text done in
  a sec.
- I had the feeling that NT is supposed to be the base for a mainframe-killer
  a couple of years down the road... comments?

Anyway,  am I running to get my Win 3.1?? No,  'cause I got it for free.
Am I going to use it? Hell, yes.  I don't think Microsoft should cash in
on this upgrade,  but it does finally make Win a bit more bearable.

BTW,  what has Microsoft said about Win 4.0 so far?  These guys seem to be
very serious about "NT is for _very_ big boxes only",  so is Win 4.0 going
to be the "regular" version of it?

Aki.

Note:  This message was based on quick notes  taken during the show.  Some
items may be inaccurate or even entirely false.  I will go over my tapes
later and append as needed.
-- 
/  Phone: 408-662 9664 Fax: 662 9676  |  "Aki" pronounced: Ah-Key. I know  \ 
\  GENIE: A.KORHONEN  Home: /dev/nul  |  what I'm doing most of the time.  /
From: pr@umiacs.umd.edu (Jesus Rodriguez)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: MS and Apple
Date: 17 Apr 92 01:47:18 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies



I have to make a correction to my post about
the Apple/Microshaft suit.

	BOO HISS etc

I know that Xerox was first but I just don't like Microshaft so just get
off my ass ok GOSH!!  Can't you all just read and keep going unless there
is a question or problem requesting your attention.

				JR
From: calloway@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Frank Calloway)
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 13:41:06 GMT
Subject: Re: HELP!--How do you delete files in AMI PRO 2.0?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms

The list you're seeing is simply a history of the most recent editing
you have done.  As you edit new files, the names of the old ones will
disappear from the list at the bottom of the File menu.  (If you
absolutely can't stand looking at them, edit the .INI file for Ami Pro
and remove the file names from it.)

Frank Calloway
From: griphg@yvax.byu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Win 3.1 causing cold reboot - Help
Date: 7 Apr 92 14:02:55 -0700
Organization: Brigham Young University

I had some difficulties with Windows 3.1 last night.  As I tried to use it, it
would keep causing a cold boot ~5-10 minutes into the program. I tried removing
my Paradise 640x480x256 video driver, reinstalling my KXP-1124 printer driver,
turning off ATM 1.1, none of which kept it from doing the reboot. Right now, I
suspect that my SoundBlaster card is somehow conflicting with other pieces of
my system, and I have temporarily disabled it. If anyone has any suggestions
that I may have overlooked, I'd be overjoyed to hear about them.

Jerry Griph
griphg@yvax.byu.edu
From: biow@cs.umd.edu (Christopher Biow)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Uploading 3.1 PC Speaker and ATI Ultra/Vantage Drivers!
Date: 9 Apr 92 14:26:16 GMT
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742

BTW, the ATI drivers for Win 3.1 do not include Crystal Font support,
yet. If you download them from a Microsoft source (GEnie, MS BBS), there
is no reference to Crystal Fonts at all. If you get them from the ATI
BBS, there is a short note.

I wonder if, with TrueType, it will now be possible to provide
Crystal Font anti-aliasing with _all_ TT fonts? I can't see why not.
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
From: arakins@iastate.edu (Andrew R Akins)
Subject: Re: Adlib Card and Win3.1
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 18:11:31 GMT

In article <1992Apr13.164132.17358@morrow.stanford.edu> HF.RME@forsythe.stanford.edu (Bob Elmore) writes:
>Help in advance -
>
>I have an ADLIB sound card with v1.5 drivers.  I'm having
>difficulty determining what I can expect from WIN3.1 and,
>consequently, if its working or not.  Not being well versed in
>sound cards and their various intricacies, I would appreciate a
>quick lesson and any advise.  For instance, do I need new drivers,
>and if so, should I be contacting ADLIB or MICROSOFT for them.  Any
>and all help is greatly appreciated.
>
>Bob Elmore
>hf.rme@forsythe

  A lot of people have asked this question (myself included)
so I have decided to post the answer rather than e-mail it.

  The Ad-Lib driver for Win 3.1 will NOT play .WAV sounds. Only
the .MID midi playback files.

  This is becuase the Ad-Lib card cannot handle the direct
digital signal in a .WAV file. This is not a function of software
or drivers - it is a function of Hardware. The Ad-Lib simply
cannot play these types of sounds. Thus, you cannot use your
Ad-Lib board to respond to events.

  However: Good News. Ad-Lib is coming out with a new sound board.
They are calling it the Ad-Lib Gold. It CAN play .WAV files - it
is a complete Multimedia sound board. Thus you can also record sounds
with it, and it has stereo output.

  Ad-Lib told me that the board will retail for $299.95. However,
current owners of the "Ad-Lib Classic" as they are calling it, may
trade in their existing card for $100 credit for the new Ad-Lib
Gold. 

  I was told that the Gold will be available in about 1 month.

  Give Ad-Lib a call if you have any other questions -- Microsoft
can't help.

-- Andy Akins
   Iowa State University
   arakins@iastate.edu


Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
From: bmutas@bnr.ca (Bryan Utas)
Subject: Can't create permanent swapfile
Reply-To: bmutas@bnr.ca (Bryan Utas)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 92 12:41:46 GMT

While I impatiently wait for Windows 3.1 to arrive I have been trying to
get my 3.0 environment in order.  Some time ago my permanent swapfile got
corrupted (can't remember the details) so Windows creates a temporary swapfile
as well as warning me about this each time I enter in enhanced mode.

In trying to fix this problem by running swapfile in Real mode I was always
getting a warning that I had an 'incompatible device driver' (or some such
thing) in my CONFIG.SYS.  When I originally installed Windows I had the same
problem and eventually isolated it down to DMDRVR.BIN (from ONTRACK) that
I use to set up a logical C and D drive on my hard disk.  Well this time it
doesn't seem to matter what I delete from my CONFIG.SYS.  In fact I have
booted my machine with NO CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT and I still get the
same message about an incompatible device driver in CONFIG.SYS when I try to
run SWAPFILE (also deleted any references to drive 'D' in WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI
or Windows won't even start up since without DMDRVR.BIN it doesn't know about
my 'D' drive).

Any ideas why Windows thinks there is a problem with CONFIG.SYS when the file
doesn't even exist?  Thanks for any help.

Configuration is 386sx-16 clone, 2 Mb memory, 124 Mb Seagate IDE drive,
SoundBlaster, CD-ROM (but disabled without CONFIG.SYS).  Running DOS 5.0.

                              Bryan

                                  

Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
From: ar559@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jan Buitenhuis)
Subject: Demo of 3D Graphics DLL uploaded to CICA
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 92 17:58:31 GMT


Hello,

I have uploaded '3drender.zip' to ftp.cica.indiana.edu 
(129.79.20.84). It is now in the 'pub/pc/win3/uploads' 
directory, but will probable be moved to 'pub/pc/win3/demo'.

'3drender.zip' is a demo of 3D RenderLib for Windows. 
It replaces 'rlibdemo.zip' which is an old and outdated 
demo of a pre-release version of RenderLib.

3D RenderLib for Windows is a 3D graphics Dynamic-Link 
Library. Some of its features are:

unlimited displays (windows),
unlimited viewports (display regions),
unlimited directional, point, and spot light sources,
wireframe, non-shading, flat-shading, gouraud-shading, 
and phong-shading.
parallel and perspective projection,
front and back clipping-planes,
hierarchical object oriented data storage,
etc, etc, etc, etc....


Gr. Jan
From: rbriber@enh.nist.gov
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: ATI Ultra problem (this is strange).
Date: 17 Apr 92 15:54:44 GMT
Organization: NIST

I recently picked up an ATI ultra card for my PC, actually it's not the full
blown ATI Ultra, but the one that Gateway 2000 sells with its PCs (no mouse
port).  I installed it in my ACMA 20 MHz 386 (AMI BIOS, Western Digital IDE 
drive) and found that it made Windows much more responsive.  I like 
800x600x256 colors on a 14" monitor but with my Diamond Speedstar it was just 
too slow.  Now things are great.  ANYWAY, I suddenly found that INSIDE 
Windows (3.0) any data written to a floppy disk gave garbage.  For 
example using Filemanager to copy a data file to a floppy and then trying 
to read it with program that created it gave massive errors.  The file was 
the correct size but contained basically garbage.  Similarly trying to 
format a floppy from inside Windows gave weird results --a floppy with no 
files on it but no free space!.  Everything works fine OUTSIDE Windows.  
First I thought the ATI Ultra was conflicting with the Floppy controller 
(on the WD IDE card) BIOS.  I found that I can get things to work (sort of) 
with a complex rearrangement of things.  I moved the IDE BIOS from C800 to 
D000 (the ATI Ultra card seems to be fixed w/r to BIOS and I/O port locations),
I set the ATI BIOS to 8 bit, and turned ROM shadowing on with QEMM 6.0.  
If either the ATI BIOS access is set at 16 bits OR QEMM is not shadowing all 
the BIOS it can find, the floppies fail inside Windows (the relocation of the 
IDE BIOS doesn't seem to really matter).  Things work sort of but it's obvious 
everything is NOT right.  My computer beeps at me periodically when I'm 
accessing the floppies, and the floppies are about 50% slower inside Windows 
that they used to be.  WHAT IS GOING ON?  I've fiddled with everything I can 
think of but can't seem to get the system to work any better than this?
This is all with Windows 3.0, I have the upgrade to 3.1 but I'm holding off
for a little while.  The ATI Ultra card seems great, but it's bizarre that I
need QEMM to shadow the BIOS to get my system to work.  I can just see myself
saying "Gee nice card that Ultra but you have to buy QEMM also".

Anyone with any input please email...
Rob

rbriber@enh.nist.gov


Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
From: king@feline.uucp (KingLeon)
Subject: Re: Problem with Windows 3.1 and WordPerfect for Windows
Organization: Humber College Technology Dept.
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 05:21:01 GMT

In article <HANNU.NYMAN.92Apr11195543@vipunen.hut.fi> Hannu.Nyman@hut.fi writes:
> I have a problem with 3.1 and WPfW. Every time when I open a file in
> WPfW, I get an error. DrWatson says: "'Exceed Segment Bounds (read)'
> in WPWINFIL 32:1a06".
> 
> In 3.0 this would have been UAE. If I choose 'Ignore error' from the
> menu given, I can continue quite normally and the file opens ok. This
> kind of behaviour is quite annoying. Has anyone else met the same
> problem?  Has anyone found a solution for it?
> 
The correct solution is to go to your WordPerfect directory under DOS and
enter the command: del *.*.  Then buy another word processor.  Seriously,
these guys always seem to release buggy software that waste days of time.
Its really not worth while to bother with it IMHO.
:-)

Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
From: snowden@cray.com (Jim Snowden)
Subject: Re: DRDOS 6.0 and WIN 3.1
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 7 Apr 92 05:18:07 CDT

>In article <1992Mar25.011418.15808@den.mmc.com>, rarmstro@bigsky.den.mmc.com (Richard Armstrong) writes:
>> 
>> p.s. if ANYONE would care to suggest a patch or fix,
>> let me know.  But for now, I'm keeping my money in
>> my pocket, and letting Microsoft have none of it until
>> this is resolved!

In my PC magazine today I noticed an advert from Digital Research
(this is in the UK, but I should think a similar arrangement exists in
the USA).  They are offering a free upgrade disk to existing users of
DR DOS 6.0 to enable it to work with Windows (just call a 800 number).
Quite a fast reponse considering Microsoft did not let them have
a beta and so they'd have to have waited until yesterday to get a copy
of Windows 3.1 :)

ANyway, the advert reads pretty well (it is really aimed at new buyers 
of DR DOS 6.0) .....

"DR DOS 6.0 and Windows 3.1.  Not just compatible, but totally infatuated.
DR DOS 6.0 and Windows 3.1 were made for each other.  As the most advanced
operating system and GUI (!) respectively, they're a match made in heaven.

DR DOS 6.0 is simply THE most powerful when working with Windows.  It will
unleash the hidden potential of your PC, doubling hard disk space (a vital
benefit for Windows users), and accessing data up to five times faster.

It will "free up" more memory for Windows applications and is wholly compatible
with all other DOS products.

And it will cost you just 79 (pounds in the UK).

Moreover, existing users of DR DOS 6.0 can obtain a free Windows 3.1
update disk by calling us, free, on 0800 666767 (UK phone number)."

I just phoned them up, they took my name and address and say they'll pop 
it in the post (today I presume).  :)

Jim Snowden (rather biased towards DR DOS 6.0)
snowden@hemlock.cray.com
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
From: bauwens@acs.ucalgary.ca (Luc Bauwens)
Subject: Smartdrv (Was: Re: Win 3.1 and Cache Programs)
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 21:38:34 GMT
Organization: The University of Calgary, Alberta

In article <54133@hydra.gatech.EDU> vapspgd@prism.gatech.EDU (Edward Hefter) writes:
>In article <1992Apr9.200231.23442@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> jdr8@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Jay D Rosenbaum) writes:
>>Is it necessary to use the new Smartdrive with Win 3.1, or will other, and
>>perhaps old versions, of other Cache programs work?                        
>>-Jay
>>jdr8@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu
>
>   While we're asking, what about hyderdisk?

 
But why would one want to do that?  Smartdrv is much faster than any
other present alternatives, partly because of the write cache.

(But it may not work well with third party EMM's).

I have been running it for about four months and it has behaved flawlessly.

BTW, IT LOADS HIGH ON ITS OWN whenever possible.  (See the flags
by typing "SMARTDRV ?")

Also, it goes in the AUTOEXEC.BAT, not in the CONFIG.SYS (Except for
those machines that need double-buffering, in which case it goes
in both, with appropriate flags).


Luc

Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms,comp.os.os2.misc
From: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russ Poffenberger)
Subject: Re: OS/2 and Windows users please read (WAS: MS deceitful...)
Organization: Schlumberger Technologies, ATE division, San Jose, Ca.
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 92 20:23:13 GMT

nan@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Nan Zou) writes:
: Notice:  I crosspost this to both comp.windows.ms and comp.os.os2.misc,
: 	 not because I want to provoke some heated debates from either
: 	 group, I simply want to ease the tension between us.

Well, I think this whole flame war is totally ridiculous. As far as I am
concerned, the upgrades and promotions are so cheap that I will get both
Windows 3.1 (In fact, I already have, it is a vast improvement over 3.0)
and OS/2 when it is out. I will make my own decision about which I like
better.

Russ Poffenberger               DOMAIN: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com
Schlumberger Technologies       UUCP:   {uunet,decwrl,amdahl}!sjsca4!poffen
1601 Technology Drive		CIS:	72401,276
San Jose, Ca. 95110             Voice: (408)437-5254  FAX: (408)437-5246
From: gt0677b@prism.gatech.EDU (Todd E. Ham)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Need HELP changing font size in non-Windows application
Date: 13 Apr 92 23:15:46 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Ramblin' Wrecks from Georgia Tech


	I am having trouble trying to change the size of the font for
non-windows apps running in a window.  According to the manual for 3.1
(page 246) I am supposed to click the control menu in the upper left of the
window and then select Fonts.  However, I have no option for Fonts.  I have
the option for Settings and Edit, but not for Fonts.  Anyone have any
ideas?  I am running in 386 Enhanced mode as I checked that also.
	Any help is greatly appreciated.
					
	-Todd
-- 
Todd E. Ham - CS '93 Georgia Inst. of Tech. - gt0677b@prism.gatech.edu
----------------------------------------------------------------------
     What is mind?  No matter.  What is matter?  Never mind.
                            -T.H. Key
From: mcall@devnet.hac.com (Mike Callinan)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Win 3.1 PC speaker MM driver?
Date: 9 Apr 92 11:17:07 GMT
Reply-To: mcall@devnet.UUCP (Mike Callinan)
Organization: Hughes Aircraft Company, Group Systems Group, Fullerton, Ca.

>>I dialed into the Microsoft BBS (the number listed on the back of that
>>little pamphlet thing that came with Windows 3.1 -- with the tech support
>>numbers on it) looking for something else, and found something called
>>PCSPEAK.EXE (or something similar).  I downloaded it, installed it, and
>
>It's called SPEAK.EXE.


Does anyone know if SPEAK.EXE is at cica or can be uploaded?  Would Microsoft
allow this?  Can a copy be legally mailed?

Thanks,

Mike C
mcall@devnet.hac.com
From: jgarland@kean.ucs.mun.ca
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Fastdisk or 32 bit access in Win 3.1
Date: 16 Apr 92 18:40:12 GMT
Organization: Memorial University. St.John's Nfld, Canada

In article <14387@pitt.UUCP>, cap@mb5000.anes.upmc.edu (chris pilewski) writes:
> WHAT IS FASTDISK?
> FASTDISK is not a 32bit disk cache.  It is not even a utility.
> FASTDISK is a 32 bit disk accessing protocol.  It allows disk
> access with 32bit device calls that bypass the computer's bios
> and communicate directly with disk controller. This method is
> MUCH faster.
> 
> WHAT IS FASTDISK FOR?
> At the moment, FASTDISK is used only in 386 enhanced mode for
> fast access of virtual memory (the swapfile).  FASTDISK will
> not speed up any disk operations that don't use virtual memory.
> 
> HOW IS FASTDISK SELECTED?
> FASTDISK (32 bit disk access) is selected in the 'Virtual Memory'
> section of the '386 enhanced' portion of the Windows Control
> Panel.
> 
> WHAT'S THE CATCH?
> Simple.  Not all drive controllers are compatible with the
> protocol.  The controller card must be compatible with the
> 'WD 1003' controller standard.  (WD stands for Western Digital.)
> 
> Almost all MFM and IDE controllers are compatible.  Many ESDI
> controllers are not compatible.  And, almost none of the SCSI
> controllers are compatible.
> 
> At the moment there is no fool proof test of WD1003 compatibility.
> **To know for sure, you will just have to contact the maker of
> your disk controller and ask.**  Windows performs a mini compatibility
> test when '32 bit access' is selected.  But, this test is not fool
> proof.
> 
> If you select '32 bit access' and; your controller card is incompatible,
> your system may lock up and have to be cold booted.  But, this should
> be the worst thing that can happen.  I don't think that it's possible to
> damage the disk.
> 
> 						- Chris Pilewski
> 						- pil@med.pitt.edu
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
From: kadie@herodotus.cs.uiuc.edu (Carl M. Kadie)
Subject: Win 3.1+Smartdrv+Diskmanager: 1024+ cylinder drives
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 17:00:15 GMT

leadfoot@bigbootay.sw.stratus.com (Mark Curtis) asks a question
that I was going to ask:

[...]
>Does anyone know if the new smartdrv handles disk manager partitioned
>drives correctly.  I mean the ones the old smartdrv couldn't because
>of the number of cylinders (over 1024) or the bios not matching the
>disk params.  I have a friend with a system that will not work without
>disk manager to fool the silly bios.  It only seems to know about MFM
>drives.
[...]

Does anybody know?

- Carl
--
Carl Kadie -- kadie@cs.uiuc.edu -- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Xref: sparky comp.windows.ms:12450 comp.os.os2.misc:11527
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms,comp.os.os2.misc
From: jinli@dgp.toronto.edu (Jin Li)
Subject: Re: Is OS/2 2.0 faster than Windows??
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
Date: 12 Apr 92 23:37:11 GMT


merrill@cs.arizona.edu (Darren Merrill) writes:

>In article <1992Apr12.175705.10643@wes.on.ca> tomh@wes.on.ca (Tom Haapanen) writes:
>[ benchmarks deleted ]
>>WINOS2 tests run on: PS/2 Model 80 16MHz w/ 80387; IBM VGA; 8 MB memory
>>Win3.1 tests run on: 386/40; Tseng ET4000 VGA (640x480x16); 8 MB memory

>You have got to be kidding!  You put a 386 16MHz with IBM VGA up against
>a 386-40 with ET4000?  Don't you think this test is a little biased?  I
>am surprised OS/2 did so well considering the large differential in 
>hardware.  Come on, let's compare apples to apples - put OS/2 on the 386/40
>and *then* do some tests.

I am not particularly concerned with the CPU, but the peripherals and setup.

PS/2 MCA vs 386 ISA;
Math co-processor vs none;(since Windows is designed for device indep, I would
                           think it uses floating point calculation for device
                           coordinates.  Think about why QuickDraw on the Mac
                           is so fast, because it limits to +/-32k for screen
                           coordinates and uses integer only)
different VGA card;(maybe)
RAM speed the same?;
disk speed and file structure;
RAM/disk cache;

It might turn out that the PS/2 is actually a faster machine overall!

Just a few thoughts, no comment on the benchmark results.


--
Jin Li                               (416) 978-6619  //  Gin & Tonic mix well
Dynamic Graphics Project, Dept. of Computer Science  \\
University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada   M5S 1A1     //
jinli@dgp.utoronto.ca          uunet!utai!dgp!jinli  \\    No bugs, no bucks