kdq@demott.COM (Kevin D. Quitt) (05/04/90)
I got the professional version of 386Max, which includes 386Load.
This allows you to place device drivers in high memory along with your
TSRs. I now run with 590K of lower memory available, and an extra 83K
in the (non-contiguous) memory pool. After sorting out some minor
problems, I've found no compatibility problems (of course, I don't use
Windows, or other 386 coded software).
My system is a 386/25 with 4MB of RAM. My new config file is:
shell=c:\command.com c:\ /p /e:2048
buffers=20
files=40
device=c:\386\386max.sys
device=c:\386\386load.sys size=8224 prog=c:\386\386disk.sys 384 128 128 /EMS
device=c:\386\386load.sys prog=c:\fconsole.dev <with a bunch of switches>
lastdrive=z
The appropriate portion of my autoexec is:
rem *** TSR Programs following this point will be in HIGH memory ***
386max loadhigh
mode co80
msmouse
append /e
set append=x:\;c:\xasm;c:\brief;c:\utils;z:\
rem Startup and configure the extended batch utility
bat /n * 64
bat /l
dos_edit
rem *** END of High memory TSRs ***
386max loadlow
rem *** Allow memory allocation to use the high memory
386max openhigh
My memory map now looks like:
Extended memory usage...
Program storage = 92 KB
ROM mapping region = 20 KB, C800-CC00, FF00-10000
High DOS memory = 96 KB, C400-C800, CC00-E000
Low DOS memory = 0 KB
EMS memory = 2800 KB
Remaining ext memory = 64 KB
Total extended memory = 3072 KB
==> Loading programs in LOW memory...
==> 39 KB available in HIGH memory, largest block is 28 KB.
===============================================================================
| MEMORY MAP for RESIDENT PROGRAMS |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Low DOS Memory |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| | Hex | Hex | Hex | Decimal | |
| Name | Start| End | Owner| Length | Text or Interrupt Numbers |
|--------------+------+------+------+---------+-------------------------------|
| DOS | 0000 | 09C2 | | 39,968 | 01 03 04 0F 13 20 25 26 28 2A |
| | | | | | 2B 2C 2D 31 32 33 3E 3F 60 61 |
| | | | | | 63 E7 E8 E9 EB EC EE F6 F8 FA |
| | | | | | FD FF |
| Device Drvrs | 09C2 | 0E51 | | 18,656 | 02 09 0A 0B 0C 0D 0E 70 72 73 |
| | | | | | 74 76 |
| command.com | 0E51 | 0F25 | 0E52 | 3,376 | 22 23 24 2E |
| -Available- | 0F25 | 0F29 | | 48 | |
| command.com | 0F29 | 0FAA | 0E52 | 2,048 |RAMDRIVE=e|TEMP=e:\temp|TMP=e:\|
| -Available- | 0FAA | 0FD2 | | 624 | |
| -Available- | 0FD2 | 9FFF | | 590,528 | |
|= RAM or ROM =| 9FFF | C400 | | 147,456 | 10 1F 43 F4 |
| Dev=EMMXXXX0 | C400 | C4D6 | C401 | 3,408 | 15 27 40 67 |
| Dev=386MAX$$ | | | | | |
| Drive E | C4D6 | C500 | C4D7 | 656 | |
| APPEND.EXE | C500 | C524 | D63C | 560 |RAMDRIVE=e|TEMP=e:\temp|TMP=e:\|
| BAT.COM | C524 | C54A | D750 | 592 |RAMDRIVE=e|TEMP=e:\temp|TMP=e:\|
| DOS_EDIT.COM | C54A | C570 | D860 | 592 |RAMDRIVE=e|TEMP=e:\temp|TMP=e:\|
| -Available- | C570 | C7FF | | 10,464 | |
|= RAM or ROM =| C7FF | CC00 | | 16,384 |U |
| Dev=CON | CC00 | D63B | CC01 | 41,888 | 05 19 1D 29 |
| Dev=FCON | | | | | |
| APPEND.EXE | D63B | D74F | D63C | 4,400 | 2F |
| BAT.COM | D74F | D85F | D750 | 4,336 | 08 16 1B 64 |
| DOS_EDIT.COM | D85F | D8DB | D860 | 1,968 | 21 |
| -Available- | D8DB | E000 | | 29,248 | |
===============================================================================
The only performance/feature comparisons I received were with QEMM,
with the usual smattering of votes in either direction. I would guess
that the professional version of 386Max is "better" (has more features)
than QEMM, but I'm not aware of all of QEMM's capabilities (or if
there's a "professional" version of it, too).
One difference stood out: poor and possibly expensive technical
support for QEMM, vs rave reviews of 386Max's. I also credit them
highly. They were busy when I called, said they'd get back in 30
minutes (it was 40). The guy on the line knew exactly what was going on
and had the information I needed. In this type of situation, 386Max
would have to be a LOT worse than QEMM for me not to go with the extra
support.
kdq
--
_
Kevin D. Quitt Manager, Software Development
DeMott Electronics Co. VOICE (818) 988-4975
14707 Keswick St. FAX (818) 997-1190
Van Nuys, CA 91405-1266 MODEM (818) 997-4496 Telebit PEP last
34 12 N 118 27 W srhqla!demott!kdq kdq@demott.com
96.37% of the people who use statistics in arguments make them up.