kdq@demott.COM (Kevin D. Quitt) (05/04/90)
I got the professional version of 386Max, which includes 386Load.
This allows you to place device drivers in high memory along with your
TSRs. I now run with 590K of lower memory available, and an extra 83K
in the (non-contiguous) memory pool. After sorting out some minor
problems, I've found no compatibility problems (of course, I don't use
Windows, or other 386 coded software).
My system is a 386/25 with 4MB of RAM. My new config file is:
shell=c:\command.com c:\ /p /e:2048
buffers=20
files=40
device=c:\386\386max.sys
device=c:\386\386load.sys size=8224 prog=c:\386\386disk.sys 384 128 128 /EMS
device=c:\386\386load.sys prog=c:\fconsole.dev <with a bunch of switches>
lastdrive=z
The appropriate portion of my autoexec is:
rem *** TSR Programs following this point will be in HIGH memory ***
386max loadhigh
mode co80
msmouse
append /e
set append=x:\;c:\xasm;c:\brief;c:\utils;z:\
rem Startup and configure the extended batch utility
bat /n * 64
bat /l
dos_edit
rem *** END of High memory TSRs ***
386max loadlow
rem *** Allow memory allocation to use the high memory
386max openhigh
My memory map now looks like:
Extended memory usage...
Program storage = 92 KB
ROM mapping region = 20 KB, C800-CC00, FF00-10000
High DOS memory = 96 KB, C400-C800, CC00-E000
Low DOS memory = 0 KB
EMS memory = 2800 KB
Remaining ext memory = 64 KB
Total extended memory = 3072 KB
==> Loading programs in LOW memory...
==> 39 KB available in HIGH memory, largest block is 28 KB.
===============================================================================
| MEMORY MAP for RESIDENT PROGRAMS |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Low DOS Memory |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| | Hex | Hex | Hex | Decimal | |
| Name | Start| End | Owner| Length | Text or Interrupt Numbers |
|--------------+------+------+------+---------+-------------------------------|
| DOS | 0000 | 09C2 | | 39,968 | 01 03 04 0F 13 20 25 26 28 2A |
| | | | | | 2B 2C 2D 31 32 33 3E 3F 60 61 |
| | | | | | 63 E7 E8 E9 EB EC EE F6 F8 FA |
| | | | | | FD FF |
| Device Drvrs | 09C2 | 0E51 | | 18,656 | 02 09 0A 0B 0C 0D 0E 70 72 73 |
| | | | | | 74 76 |
| command.com | 0E51 | 0F25 | 0E52 | 3,376 | 22 23 24 2E |
| -Available- | 0F25 | 0F29 | | 48 | |
| command.com | 0F29 | 0FAA | 0E52 | 2,048 |RAMDRIVE=e|TEMP=e:\temp|TMP=e:\|
| -Available- | 0FAA | 0FD2 | | 624 | |
| -Available- | 0FD2 | 9FFF | | 590,528 | |
|= RAM or ROM =| 9FFF | C400 | | 147,456 | 10 1F 43 F4 |
| Dev=EMMXXXX0 | C400 | C4D6 | C401 | 3,408 | 15 27 40 67 |
| Dev=386MAX$$ | | | | | |
| Drive E | C4D6 | C500 | C4D7 | 656 | |
| APPEND.EXE | C500 | C524 | D63C | 560 |RAMDRIVE=e|TEMP=e:\temp|TMP=e:\|
| BAT.COM | C524 | C54A | D750 | 592 |RAMDRIVE=e|TEMP=e:\temp|TMP=e:\|
| DOS_EDIT.COM | C54A | C570 | D860 | 592 |RAMDRIVE=e|TEMP=e:\temp|TMP=e:\|
| -Available- | C570 | C7FF | | 10,464 | |
|= RAM or ROM =| C7FF | CC00 | | 16,384 |U |
| Dev=CON | CC00 | D63B | CC01 | 41,888 | 05 19 1D 29 |
| Dev=FCON | | | | | |
| APPEND.EXE | D63B | D74F | D63C | 4,400 | 2F |
| BAT.COM | D74F | D85F | D750 | 4,336 | 08 16 1B 64 |
| DOS_EDIT.COM | D85F | D8DB | D860 | 1,968 | 21 |
| -Available- | D8DB | E000 | | 29,248 | |
===============================================================================
The only performance/feature comparisons I received were with QEMM,
with the usual smattering of votes in either direction. I would guess
that the professional version of 386Max is "better" (has more features)
than QEMM, but I'm not aware of all of QEMM's capabilities (or if
there's a "professional" version of it, too).
One difference stood out: poor and possibly expensive technical
support for QEMM, vs rave reviews of 386Max's. I also credit them
highly. They were busy when I called, said they'd get back in 30
minutes (it was 40). The guy on the line knew exactly what was going on
and had the information I needed. In this type of situation, 386Max
would have to be a LOT worse than QEMM for me not to go with the extra
support.
kdq
--
_
Kevin D. Quitt Manager, Software Development
DeMott Electronics Co. VOICE (818) 988-4975
14707 Keswick St. FAX (818) 997-1190
Van Nuys, CA 91405-1266 MODEM (818) 997-4496 Telebit PEP last
34 12 N 118 27 W srhqla!demott!kdq kdq@demott.com
96.37% of the people who use statistics in arguments make them up.pnl@hpfinote.HP.COM (Peter Lim) (05/08/90)
Just a 2 cents' worth:
Last month or so (since after QEMM-5.0 was released), QEMM-5.0 was the
top selling software on PC Magazine's commercial best selling list.
At least that says that QEMM-5.0 is selling like hot cake ! That is
probably the reason that their technical support line is going down the
drain --- too much business --- they should hire more people.
QEMM-5.0 allows dynamic switching of 386's extended memory to and from
expanded/extended memory. All automatic. This means that if you have
8 MB of extended memory; you have 8 MB of extended AND 8 MB of expanded
memory provided you don't need both at exactly the same time. This works
great when you need to run say AUTOCAD which uses as much extended
memory as it can find and later some other program which uses as much
expanded memory as it can find !
VCPI is great (too bad Microsoft Windows 3.0 decided not to support this).
Ultrascript load TSR into 3 MB of extended memory and allows printing
of postscript output from within Windows 286 2.11 directly on any
printer !
It runs with DesqView :-).
But then, I've never even seen 386Max at all.
Regards, ## Life is fast enough as it is ........
Peter Lim. ## .... DON'T PUSH IT !! >>>-------,
########################################### :
E-mail: plim@hpsgwg.HP.COM Snail-mail: Hewlett Packard Singapore, :
Tel: (065)-279-2289 (ICDS, ICS) |
Telnet: 520-2289 1150 Depot Road, __\@/__
... also at: pnl@hpfipnl.HP.COM Singapore 0410. SPLAT !
I am not related to Quaterdeck or Qualitas.medici@elbereth.rutgers.edu (Mark Medici) (05/08/90)
In article <19450051@hpfinote.HP.COM> pnl@hpfinote.HP.COM (Peter Lim) writes: >top selling software on PC Magazine's commercial best selling list. >At least that says that QEMM-5.0 is selling like hot cake ! That is >probably the reason that their technical support line is going down the >drain --- too much business --- they should hire more people. I've owned QuarterDeck products for over three years now. There tech support has always been impossoble to reach. Yes -- if get to talk to someone you get great support, but this is no easy task. Of course, once every three months QuarterDeck changes the message you hear while you're on hold, like: In response to the overwelming demand for ________ [fill in the blank for whatever new product/upgrade/update just shipped] our technical support lines are swamped... Please be patient as we improve our ________ to serve you better [fill in the blank with phone system/support staff/ magnetic alignment with the solar system...]... I'm really getting tired of all this. As far as I can tell, the only thing QuarterDeck has really done to try and improve the accessibility of tech support is limit free support to the first 90 days that you own the product, after which time you must pay between $60 and $900 (that's right, nine-hundred dollars for 1 year unlimited tech support) for additional support. Of course the manuals are so good that nobody needs support, right!?! (said with tongue in cheek). However, thus far QEMM/386 has provided me with more free base memory than 386MAX has. I'm not yet certain why, but programs that QEMM has no trouble loading into high RAM (>640kB, <1MB) just won't fit with 386MAX. Trying to run MS-Windows on a PS/2-80 with an ESDI disk controller and a Token Ring card, under DOS 3.3 with the requisite Token Ring Support drivers and IBM PC-LAN redirector software, I need every single last byte of RAM I can sqeeze out. And to think, back when I was running CP/M 2.2 on a NorthStar Horizon with 5MB fixed drive and 64kB RAM, I laughed at people who were so frivilous as to buy an IBM PC with 256kB installed. * Just my humble (8-)) opinions, and not necessarily those of my employers * ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Medici/SysProg3 * Rutgers University/CCIS * medici@elbereth.rutgers.edu ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
kdq@demott.COM (Kevin D. Quitt) (05/09/90)
386Max has a problem with the Miscorsoft BUS mouse; according to Qualitas, it manifests itself differently on each machine. On my system, the mouse motions are very jerky in CodeView, making the mouse almost useless. kdq -- _ Kevin D. Quitt Manager, Software Development DeMott Electronics Co. VOICE (818) 988-4975 14707 Keswick St. FAX (818) 997-1190 Van Nuys, CA 91405-1266 MODEM (818) 997-4496 Telebit PEP last 34 12 N 118 27 W srhqla!demott!kdq kdq@demott.com 96.37% of the people who use statistics in arguments make them up.
jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org (Joe Morris) (05/09/90)
In article <221@demott.COM> kdq@demott.COM (Kevin D. Quitt) writes: > > 386Max has a problem with the Miscorsoft BUS mouse; according to >Qualitas, it manifests itself differently on each machine. On my >system, the mouse motions are very jerky in CodeView, making the mouse >almost useless. On my PS/2-70-121 (the 20 MHz version) with 386^max the only mouse problem I've seen is a "wild mouse" on Microsoft Word, both versions 4 and 5. The system also locks down the bit switch showing that the left mouse button has been pressed, which makes Word do interesting things. Interestingly, I found that by (a) clicking the left mouse button, (b) invoking UNDO to get rid of the unwanted copied text, and (c) invoking *ANY* command under LIBRARY RUN (the VER command works fine) I can recover from the situation without having to exit WORD. I can't make the problem occur on demand, which is curious since I don't have any time-dependent TSR's on my machine and see failures (sometimes) when I haven't touched any comm ports...