[comp.sys.ibm.pc] 386^max questions

marco@hpmcaa.HP.COM (Marco Dalla-Gasperina) (03/21/89)

I've got a 386 machine with 3Mbytes of Extended Memory and 2Mbytes of Expanded
Memory.  I develop windows apps, I'm on a network... blah,blah,blah.

I'd like to be able to use part of my extended memory to load some of
my drivers and TSRs.  I understand that 386^max will do this for me (or
a related Qualitas program called 386 load, which I know nothing about).

The problem is, I have expanded memory so I don't need an EMM emulator and
I'd still love to use my extended memory as a cache to improve my windows
performance.

(Windows works much better with Expanded memory and a disk cache).

My current config is to let windows use all 2M of expanded memory for its
own use (i.e. nothing else is using it) and 2M of extended as SmartDrive (+
the 64k used by HIMEM.SYS).

Can I still use 386^max?

Does 386^max come with a windows compatible disk cache?

Comments and suggestions please.

marco "cursing dos and 640k limits" dalla gasperina

marco@hpmcaa

alanr@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM (Alan Rovner) (03/24/89)

In article <200020@hpmcaa.HP.COM>, marco@hpmcaa.HP.COM (Marco Dalla-Gasperina) writes:
> I've got a 386 machine with 3Mbytes of Extended Memory and 2Mbytes of Expanded
> Memory.  I develop windows apps, I'm on a network... blah,blah,blah.
> 
> I'd like to be able to use part of my extended memory to load some of
> my drivers and TSRs.  I understand that 386^max will do this for me (or
> a related Qualitas program called 386 load, which I know nothing about).
> marco@hpmcaa

I've been using 386 to the Max and 386load for a couple months now and
would recommend them to any 386 users.  So far I have my mouse driver,
Ramdisk driver, disk cache programsand other goodies out of base memory
giving me almost 600K of free base memory.  Everything seems to work fine
and I enjoy the extra space.

386^max only works with TSR's and other memory resident programs, however.
In order to move device drivers (DEVICE=xxx.SYS) out of base memory you
need 386load which is sold as a separate program.  For some odd reason,
before they will sell you 386load they want to know your serial number for
386^max.  I guess this is because 386load can't run without 386^max already
loaded.  All in all, it's a good product.

Al Rovner,
Tektronix Inc.
Vancouver, Wash.

raymond@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov (Eric A. Raymond) (03/25/89)

How much memory does 386^max and 386load take up (from your 640k)?
Are they compatible with programs that backfill low memory into your
640K? (i.e. memory below video adapter is added to 640k).



-- 
Eric A. Raymond  (raymond@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov)
Nothing left to do but :-) :-) :-)

alanr@tekigm2.MEN.TEK.COM (Alan Rovner) (03/28/89)

In article <1070@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov>, raymond@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov (Eric A. Raymond) writes:
> How much memory does 386^max and 386load take up (from your 640k)?
> Are they compatible with programs that backfill low memory into your
> 640K? (i.e. memory below video adapter is added to 640k).
> 
386^max on my system takes about 88K but this is in high memory.  In low
memory it does take up some space but if I remember it's pretty insignif-
icant.  Same for 386load I believe.

Al Rovner,
Tektronix Inc.
Vancouver, Wash.