pwong@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Patrick Wong) (12/09/90)
Hi, netters:
I would like to hear your opinions on how to use the expanded memory on my
8086 (it is a laptop...T1000SE) in a way so that applications like
WordPerfect 5.1, Quattro Pro, etc. would run faster:
Scenario: A single 3.5" 1.44 floppy based XT machine with total of 3 meg.
640K converntional memory and the rest can be set up as
expanded memory (EMS-LIM 3.2) or non-volatile HardRam or
any combination of both.
Goal: To make applications like WP5.1, QPro, etc. run faster on it
(Note that I have been able to put each of these software on
a single 1.44 floppy)
So far, I have come up with two possible configurations that would add speed:
1. Create a battery-backed (i.e. non-volatile) HardRam of about the size
1.5 meg. (this is the minimum size need to store Qpro files; WP needs less)
and the rest of ram above 640 as expanded.
Reasons: Applications would execute very fast off the HardRam (obviously
faster than any hard disk, and also applications like WP5.1
can utilize the expanded memory (about 800K) remaining.
2. Use the whole 2.3 meg above the conventional memory as expanded memory.
Tell PC_Kwik (it came with my laptop) to use a certain amount (?) of
expanded as disk cache. Execute the applications off the floppy.
Reasons: Applications can appreciate the big chunk of available expanded
memory and (hopefully) they would utilize it to the fullest
extent. The slow access of running floppy based applications
is partly cured by using a sizable disk cache.
Please note that my main software use is WP and QPro (and some graphing
program called CoStat/Coplot).
As I am just a person with mimimum working knowledge of pc hard/soft-ware,
any opinion on the above 2 cases (or other configurations)
will be appreciated ! Thanx in advance !
Patrick Wong
pwong@theory.tn.cornell.edu