irwin@udny.uchicago.edu (Mark Irwin) (06/02/90)
I am thinking of getting a copy of SoftPC and would appreciate getting comments about this product. I am also interested in the AT extension to SoftPC. Please e-mail any comments and I will post to them later. Thanks in advance Mark Irwin
phil@vaxphw.enet.dec.com (Phil Hunt) (06/04/90)
In article <9551@tank.uchicago.edu>, irwin@udny.uchicago.edu (Mark Irwin) writes... }I am thinking of getting a copy of SoftPC and would appreciate getting }comments about this product. I am also interested in the AT extension }to SoftPC. Please e-mail any comments and I will post to them later. } }Thanks in advance } }Mark Irwin I use SoftPC all the time, with the AT option installed. I even took a copy of Quaterdecks QRAM memory extension driver, loaded up my SoftPC with 1meg of 'LIM' expanded memory, used the drive to make it extended memory and QRAM also gave me 64k in high memory back automagically! The only thing I have ever seen crash on SoftPC is Quarterdecks Manifest program. It works perfectly except the 'HINTS' option. Sometimes it crashes the MAC when you try that option. The new EGA screen is beautiful. All-in-all, a great piece of software. ================================================================== Phil Hunt "Wherever you go, there you are!!!" Digital Equipment Corporation Phone: (508)486-2164 ENET: VAXPHW::PHIL USENET: phil@vaxphw.enet.dec.com MOREUSENET: phil%vaxphw.dec@decwrl.enet.dec.com EVENMORE: ....!decwrl!dec-vaxphw!phil
ddfr@tank.uchicago.edu (david director friedman) (06/05/90)
My experience with SoftPC is less favorable. Without the EGA option it ran about 1/2 to 1/3 as fast as a stock PC (4.77 MHz) on my accelerated SE (16 MHz Radius 020+coprocessor), judging by small programs written in QuickBasic. With the EGA it ran faster than the stock PC on most tests, and got 2-3 as a Norton rating. On the other hand, when I tried to run a program of mine that works on a PC (in Quick Basic) one part of the program was slowed down by a factor of perhaps ten to a hundred (impression--I did not bother to time it, but in effect the program stopped). Since I wanted the machine for programming, I decided that having random things work much slower than on the target machine was not acceptable, and bought a Toshiba 1000SE to do my programming on (and as a portable). A very pretty machine, incidentally. David Friedman
irwin@galton.uchicago.edu (Mark Irwin) (06/10/90)
A little over a week ago I asked for information about SoftPC and the
AT/EGA extension module. All but one person seemed to like the package
except that it doesn't run very quickly (which is not at all
surprising). Here are the positive responses I received (The one negative
response was posted to the net).
Mark Irwin
From JOHNM@umde.dbrn.umich.edu Sat Jun 2 12:57:39 1990
SoftPC: I have been using v1.3(w/o AT option) for the last 5 mos.
Overall: pretty good compatibility rating, but slow(extremeu slow with any
type of graphics), actually it comes out to be rated at a little over 5MHz
I have written a couple Turbo Pascal programs using it(smallish), and it
compiles decently if compiled to disk(execution under the Turbo shell is
EXTREMELY slow as it is under other similar shells)..
as to the AT option: I can only specualte, but supposedly it increases speed to
about an 8MHz rate, and does a pretty good job of EGA emulation...
the best thing to do is find someone who has it locally and see it running for
yourself...
John
From rw02@gte.com Mon Jun 4 08:47:51 1990
I have been using an AT for over six years before I purchased a MAC IIci.
I am very happy with the soft-pc AT package. It runs everything I give
it, perhaps with the exception of restoring fastback II archive
disks (problem with foreign disk format). The color EGA screen is
really beautiful. You can shift mouse use from MS-DOS or MAC-OS very
easily. I highly recommend the package.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Weihmayer weihmayer@gte.com
GTE Laboratories Inc.
40 Sylvan Road Senior Member of Technical Staff
Waltham, MA 02254, USA Phone: (617) 466-2811
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From tony@comperex.cx.oz.au Mon Jun 4 10:17:20 1990
I have been using SoftPC ver 1.3 and am quite pleased with it. The
only problems I have noticed which are a bit of a pain are that the Mac
mouse when PC mouse emulate mode is on reacts in a very sluggish/erratic
way in programs like PC Paintbrush and in Windows/286 if you use the AT/EGA extension. I have spoken to the local distributor and they are aware of the mouse
problem and are chasing Insignia for a remedy. This would not be a huge
problem if you were not doing graphics related functions. As you can
probably imagine the fact that this emulation is taxing the Mac already
without having to now deal with huge graphics simulation is significant. The
only other thing I have so far encountered relates to the Fact that in
programs like PC Paintbrush etc. the "setup" scripts request you to
identify the graphics adapter you have. There are many choices, however
even though the AT/EGA module should support most provided they fit the
limitations mentioned in the documentation, some that I believe should
have worked didnt. I am attempting to clarify via distributor which ones
are supported. All things taken into account it is very good. If you want
286/EGA performnace you are better to get the real thing, but if you just
want to be the casual DOS user this is great.
Tony Williams
Senior Systems Engineer
From LMLARS01%ulkyvx.bitnet@UCHIMVS1.UChicago.EDU Mon Jun 4 21:40:40 1990
I have used SoftPC with the FPU+EGA extensions. It will run everything I throw
at it--and I've tried everything. Well...perhaps walk is a better word. The
emulation is wonderful, but I often have the feeling I am watching it run
underwater because it's so slow. On the other hand, I am used to running DOS
on a 25MHz '386 and friends who are used to "real" XTs tell me it isn't so bad.
I have been using it with a DaynaFile for the PC drives. The DaynaFile works
well with it.
2
L
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Department of Mathemagics Telephone: 502/588-6826
University of Louisville GEnie: L.LARSON
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