hardy@ihlpb.ATT.COM (Hardy) (03/28/89)
Maybe someone can help me with this problem--or at least explain why it's hopeless! I'm trying to use a 40 MB hard disk with a 512KE Macintosh that has a SuperMac DataPort SCSI upgrade, so I only have half a meg of memory. (Yes, I realize how foolish it was to try this--we're getting to that part...) Apple recommends that the 512KE be used with System 3.2 and Finder 5.3, so I have put them on the hard disk inside a system folder which is just like the one I use when booting from a floppy disk. However, when I boot from the hard disk using that system folder, I seem to have less memory available for running applications than when I boot from a floppy disk having an identical system folder. In particular, I don't have enough memory to run SuperPaint 1.0, which I had been using quite regularly. The following scenarios may help explain what is happening. Since SuperPaint does its own caching, the RAM cache has been turned off in each scenario. When I boot from a floppy disk having System 3.2 and Finder 5.3, I have enough memory to run SuperPaint 1.0. When I boot from a floppy disk having System 3.2 and Finder 5.3, and only MOUNT the hard disk 40, I STILL have enough memory to run SuperPaint. But when I boot from the hard disk having System 3.2 and Finder 5.3 I don't have enough memory to run SuperPaint. My guess is that the Mac keeps an in-"core" map of the BOOT DISK, and that this map is much larger when I boot from the hard disk. This would mean that I need a memory upgrade if I want to use the hard disk as the boot disk and still use SuperPaint 1.0 (among other applications.) When I got the SCSI upgrade, everyone warned me that I would want more memory after getting a hard disk. I thought they meant that I would need the extra memory to run the newer, larger applications--NOT to continue running the applications that I already use! Here's one piece of information that doesn't support my guess. I tried booting with System 6.1 and Finder 6.0.3, again using identical system folders on the floppy as well as on the hard disk. When I pull down "About the finder," I get a pair bar graphs showing available memory. (You don't get the bar graphs with the earlier system and finder.) The bar graphs look identical whether I boot from the floppy or the hard disk. The finder occupies about 1/2 of 356K available, and the system takes about 7/8 of 156K available.
tecot@Apple.COM (Ed Tecot) (03/30/89)
I'd guess that your floppy-based system and your hard disk one are not exactly the same. Does one have more fonts or DAs? Are you running any INITs? Are you using MacsBug, TMON, or Jasik's Debugger? All require memory. SuperPaint is extremely sensitive to memory usage, and one of the primary reasons Apple doesn't recommend 6.0.2 for the 512Ke. _emt