dsampson@x102a.harris-atd.com (sampson david 58163) (05/25/90)
In article <6564@umd5.umd.edu> brianf@umd5.umd.edu (Brian Farmer) writes: >Many people been have complaining about how 3.0 protected mode won't >allow many old apps to run. This is giving a FALSE! impression and may scare some users into thinking that their old (windows ver 2.xx) applications will not run at all. When you try to execute a program that was designed for ver 2.xx, a message box pops up and warns you about a POSSIBLE incompatability that MAY result in errors or a loss of data (only in memory. Windows won't scrog your disk files). It tells you to re-start windows like this --> win /R The /R tells windows to start in real mode (i.e. 286 mode), which maintains compatability for older programs. The downside of the /R paramater is that in forcing 286 compatability, you are limited to the 640K barrier. In standard mode, that barrier is removed. David -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Sampson Harris Corporation dsampson@x102a.ess.harris.com Gov't Aerospace Systems Divison uunet!x102a!dsampson Melbourne, Florida -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ilan343@violet.berkeley.edu (05/25/90)
In article <DSAMPSON.90May25083700@x102a.harris-atd.com> dsampson@x102a.harris-atd.com (sampson david 58163) writes: >The /R tells windows to start in real mode (i.e. 286 mode), which >maintains compatability for older programs. The downside of the /R >paramater is that in forcing 286 compatability, you are limited to the >640K barrier. In standard mode, that barrier is removed. > Does MSW 3.0 include a DOS extender? How do I develop protected mode applications to run under 3.0? I assume I would need a compiler and linker that generate code for the extender. Did Microsoft announce any development tools for this purpose? A related note. Quarterdeck had a display in the Xhibition, with demos of their X-Windows implementation for MS-DOS. They are able to run both X server and clients in 286 and 386 DOS machines, with applications running under a variety of DOS extenders. It runs under Deskview, allowing users to mix-and-match real, protected mode DOS and X-Windows applications. They claimed it wouldn't require much hardware (demo included a 286-laptop). Quarterdeck's approach offers PC developer the possibility of writing code portable to a variety of machines. Question: How does this impact Windows 3.0?
pfrennin@altos86.Altos.COM (Peter Frenning) (05/27/90)
In article <1990May24.171942.16523@bach.amd.com> phil@pepsi.amd.com (Phil Ngai) writes: >In article <2789@hsv3.UUCP> sv@hsv3.UUCP (Steve Verity) writes: >|Supported modes: 640x480x256 >| 800x600x16 >| 720x540x16 >| 720x540x256 (512K VRAM only) >| 1024x768x16 > >No 800x600x256? > >-- >Phil Ngai, phil@amd.com {uunet,decwrl,ucbvax}!amdcad!phil Nope, I have downloaded the files and there is precisely what's mentioned above the good news, I suppose, is that they work :-) +-------------------------------------------------+---------------------------+ |Peter Frenning, Altos Computer Systems, San Jose | ***** TANSTAAFL ***** | |2641 Orchard Parkway, San Jose, CA 95134 | There Ain't No Such Thing | |pfrennin@Altos.COM (..!uunet|sun!altos!pfrennin) | As A Free Lunch (Heinlein)| +-------------------------------------------------+---------------------------+
philba@microsoft.UUCP (Phil BARRETT) (05/30/90)
In article <1990May25.165832.29650@agate.berkeley.edu> ilan343@violet.berkeley.edu writes: >Does MSW 3.0 include a DOS extender? How do I develop protected mode >applications to run under 3.0? I assume I would need a compiler and >linker that generate code for the extender. Did Microsoft announce any >development tools for this purpose? > If one follows a simple set of rules (documented in the SDK and elsewhere), the app will run in Standard or Enhanced mode. The rules are the same for any protected mode SW -- no segment arithmetic, dont use seg regs for temporaries, dont write off the end of segments, ... You can even write applications that run under 2.x and 3.0, all modes -- there are a number of apps today that do that (MS Excel and WfW are 2 examples). Phil The above opinions are mine and not necessarily representative of my employer.
martin@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au (Adrian W. Martin) (09/20/90)
I've just joined the ranks of new users, or "would-be" users of Windows 3.0. I've got a 286 12meg computer, and have tried to setup windows. It skips the last disk each time I try. The system seems to work OK, until it comes to printing something. As the printer file has not been asked for, and therefore not loaded, it has no info available. I'm using Excel, which runs fine, but it asks for the disk with the printer files, and in spite of putting each disk into the system, tells me I had no luck! I'm about to go back to the olde Windows 2 if this keeps up. anyone got any ideas? Adrian Martin
hp0p+@andrew.cmu.edu (Hokkun Pang) (03/10/91)
Has it ever occured to MicroSoft oft that people might be interested in an Enhanced Edition of Windows 3.0? You see, in addition to the mouse, they also bundle a few pieces of useful programs such as Write, Paintbrush, etc. But each of them is far below ever shareware standard! Can't they add a little enhancements to each program and perhaps sell the package for a little more? I for one certainly like to do that.
dalbrich@oregon.uoregon.edu (03/10/91)
I agree, however I think I understand why they did not. The problem is that the key useful Windows utilities have retail counterparts which stand to make more money. For example, wouldn't it be great if paintbrush were more full featured, but Zsoft developed paintbrush for Microsoft and actually does sell a retail painting program for Windows which is a more full featured program. In the same way, you might like to see a more full featured word processor than Write, but Microsoft probably would not want to release a product that might compete with Word for Windows. The last reason I can think of is that Windows applications take a lot of effort to create. Development time to create really good applications is expensive. I think most companies making really good Windows applications would opt to sell retail (including Microsoft) when they stand to make so much more money that way. I'd like to see an enhanced Windows, but I doubt it will be. -Dan In article <AbqP1Ea00Vp_M56HIh@andrew.cmu.edu>, hp0p+@andrew.cmu.edu (Hokkun Pang) writes: > Has it ever occured to MicroSoft oft that people might be interested in an > Enhanced Edition of Windows 3.0? You see, in addition to the mouse, they also > bundle a few pieces of useful programs such as Write, Paintbrush, etc. But each > of them is far below ever shareware standard! Can't they add a little > enhancements to each program and perhaps sell the package for a little more? > I for one certainly like to do that.