tonyb@olivej.olivetti.com (Anthony M. Brich) (06/30/90)
In article <FETG3BB@utower.gopas.sub.org>, fischer@utower.gopas.sub.org (Axel Fischer) writes: > Hello netlanders, > yesterday we've got Windows 3.0 at our company. > (386'er 25 MHz clone with 80 MB MFM harddrive) > > I have noticed three things (or done wrong :-) > > a) When I choose "format a disk in drive a:" and answering all questions > and the formatting finally starts the whole system is locked until the > formatting is finished. > I thought Windows 3.0 is multitasking so what's my problem here? > > b) When I click on "DOS Prompt" and the screen clears and I get a command.com > and I start a terminal prg to download something from a local BBS and I > switch back to Windows via CTRL-ESC the Terminal Prg started from DOS > stoppes. It does not continue to run in the background. > > c) How can I get a DOS commandline window INSIDE of Windows 3.0 (as possible > with Windows386 and seen in the latest issue of Byte)? Just a small window > where I can start apps. Oh, Axel, you didn't actually BELIEVE Microsoft had managed to make DOS, the notorious single-tasking, low-memory operating system, into a high-performance multi-tasking operating system just by releasing Windows 3.0 ---- did you? No, no, no. Windows only pretends to multi-task. I am not a technical user at all, so I cannot explain WHY DOS can't multi-task, I just know that it can't, and Windows can't make it. So operations like formatting a disk, and using COMMAND.COM, which are DOS operations, take over the system; there's no such thing as "in the background" with DOS. Now, Windows is somewhat more successful with Windows apps, but just try loading up a few and executing some macros or a print job, and watch your system slowwwwwww down. Also, unless you're running Win 3.0 on a 386, you won't be able to run COMMAND.COM in a Window, nor will you be able to run non-Windows apps in a Windows. And, even if you are running on a 386, some non-Windows apps (i.e., Word), won't run in a window (I think that's right). Sorry to burst your bubble, but consider it burst. Tony Brich
aas@sat.datapoint.com (Adrienne Stipe) (02/09/91)
I'm posting this question for a friend. Hopefully I'm posting this to the right place. Please send replies to me via mail, as I do not normally read these newsgroups. My address is aas@sat.datapoint.com. What is the easiest way for a protected-mode (386 enhanced) Windows 3.0 application to access a memory mapped device? How do you make an entry in your virtual machine's Local Descriptor Table (LDT) to reference a given physical memory location? Can this be done without writing a Virtual Device Driver? Thanks in advance for any information, Adrienne