Bartholomew_Siemens@mindlink.bc.ca (Bartholomew Siemens) (05/27/91)
> In article <2841@sumax.seattleu.edu>, young@sumax.seattleu.edu (Barb Young) > writes: > > Hi, my boss and I are trying to find a multi-tasking program with which she > can do printing and data entry at the same time. We work for the Admissions > office here at Seattle University. She is the Student Inquiry Secretary and > I am one of her work-study students. > > Say, on Monday we enter about 500 student inquiries, then on Tuesday > morning she must print the 500 inquiry letters to get the students the > information they ask for. All the time she is printing her terminal is as > good as dead because she can't do anything else. I was told by one of our > computer lab monitors that the newest addition of Windows allows for > multi-tasking--Is this correct information and if so how do I find out about > it so that we can present it to the director of Admissions so that we can > order a copy? There are several considerations re: Windows. First of all, Windows primary objective is a GUI (Graphical User Interface). Windows does multitask -- and not a bad job of it, but because of its GUI features, Windows is used most comfortably with a mouse, and is running in graphics mode. Not all offices are equipped with a mouse or a good graphics monitor, and it sounds like your office may be one of those if you're using WP50. Secondly, to see an application work at its optimum, it should be written for the operating system. For this reason, word processors for Windows have been written. These word processors have prices that tend to be inflated rather much. Thirdly, for Windows to multitask with DOS applications, the computer has to be a 386 (or higher). Windows has not been written to take advantage of the limited multitasking capabilities of the 286. Consider also that Windows has what could be called binary diarrhea (but of course so does WP) and to run it properly, the computer should run at 25Mhz or higher, and you would need at least 2 megs of RAM, with Windows running better on 4 megs. So, you say, what shall be my answer? Personally I would suggest that your office check out Desqview. If you have a 286, then you should be able to run the output to the printer from a diskswap (I'm not totally sure of this), and run WP50 in the foreground. If you're more comfortable keeping everything in RAM -- for speed -- then the regular 1 meg of RAM, plus 1 meg of enhanced expanded memory will do all of this quite comfortably. If per chance your office has a 386, then Desqview will multitask using the extended memory already on board. I'm not totally sure of the current prices on Desqview, QEMM, and expanded memory, but feel that the functionality would be the first topic in a business office, and this program definitely does this. Before everybody jumps down my back for putting Windows down, let me say that I like Windows for what it is designed ... ease of use and cosmetic reasons, but I prefer Desqview when I'm trying to get some work done. -- bart (not simpson) -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: navahoe -- I am exactly who I am and I speak that! rsoft!mindlink!Bartholomew_Siemens@van-bc.UUCP -----------------------------------------------------------------------
young@sumax.seattleu.edu (Barb Young) (05/28/91)
Hi, my boss and I are trying to find a multi-tasking program with which she can do printing and data entry at the same time. We work for the Admissions office here at Seattle University. She is the Student Inquiry Secretary and I am one of her work-study students. Say, on Monday we enter about 500 student inquiries, then on Tuesday morning she must print the 500 inquiry letters to get the students the information they ask for. All the time she is printing her terminal is as good as dead because she can't do anything else. I was told by one of our computer lab monitors that the newest addition of Windows allows for multi-tasking--Is this correct information and if so how do I find out about it so that we can present it to the director of Admissions so that we can order a copy?
terry@dadstoy.UUCP (Terry Stockdale) (05/29/91)
Bartholomew_Siemens@mindlink.bc.ca (Bartholomew Siemens) writes: > office has a 386, then Desqview will multitask using the extended memory > already on board. I'm not totally sure of the current prices on Desqview, QEM > and expanded memory, but feel that the functionality would be the first topic > in a business office, and this program definitely does this. > > Before everybody jumps down my back for putting Windows down, let me say > that I like Windows for what it is designed ... ease of use and cosmetic > reasons, but I prefer Desqview when I'm trying to get some work done. > I'm running Windows 3.0 and trying to multitask a bulletin board in background. Is Desqview any FASTER??? If anything is going on in either session, the other slows down dramatically. I'm running a Zeos 386sx-16, 4megs memory.
kirkr@hpgrla.gr.hp.com (Kirk Rothe) (05/29/91)
In comp.windows.ms, young@sumax.seattleu.edu (Barb Young) writes: > Hi, my boss and I are trying to find a multi-tasking program with which she >can do printing and data entry at the same time. We work for the Admissions office here at Seattle University. She is the Student Inquiry Secretary and I am >one of her work-study students. > Say, on Monday we enter about 500 student inquiries, then on Tuesday >morning she must print the 500 inquiry letters to get the students the information >they ask for. All the time she is printing her terminal is as good as dead because she can't do anything else. I was told by one of our computer lab monitors >that the newest addition of Windows allows for multi-tasking--Is this correct >information and if so how do I find out about it so that we can present it to >the director of Admissions so that we can order a copy? I have found Windows 3.0 to be an excellent multitasking solution as long as you have the right hardware. In 386 enhanced mode, a DOS window can be configured to run a DOS application in the backround. Your boss can run WP 5.1 from this DOS window, set the taking options, and run your print job. If the text file in question is simple ascii, that is you don't require WP to format the text, then use either the Notepad or Write programs supplied with Windows 3.0 to print the text. That way you can take advantage of the Windows spooler. Windows 3.0 is a good investment. I highly recommend it.