[comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc] Windows/Desqview advice needed

stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Glenn Stone) (05/05/91)

I have a 386-based IBM compatible with 8 megs of RAM on order and I'm 
thinking about how best to run it.  I have read some about Desqview
and Windows 3.0 but haven't used them.  What are their relative advan-
tages, and can they be used together?  Are there other multitasker/
memory managers I should consider?  Advice & discussion appreciated.

Also if there are downloadable discussions of such matters I'd like
to know about them; there doesn't seem to be anything in the FAQ or
simtel.

rreiner@yunexus.YorkU.CA (Richard Reiner) (05/05/91)

stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Glenn Stone) writes:

>I have a 386-based IBM compatible with 8 megs of RAM on order and I'm 
>thinking about how best to run it.  I have read some about Desqview
>and Windows 3.0 but haven't used them.  What are their relative advan-
>tages, and can they be used together?  Are there other multitasker/
>memory managers I should consider?  Advice & discussion appreciated.

In summary: DV/386 is superb at running multiple DOS applications and
managing their bad behaviour, as well as things like allowing
text-mode and graphics-mode programs to share the screen, and cutting
and pasting text between apps, and provides a rather nice but not too
elaborate API, but does not provide a GUI.  Windows in 386 mode runs
DOS apps less well, but provides a nice pretty GUI and some nice
things at the API level, such as dynamic data exchange.

Solution: get both, and run Windows inside DESQview (the other way
around won't work).  The result is nice clean low-overhead
multitasking of DOS apps, and GUI on demand for applications that use
it.  You also get the benefits of QEMM's improved memory management
for Windows.


//richard

lwb@pensoft.uucp (Lance Bledsoe) (05/06/91)

In article <1991May5.131335.25238@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Glenn Stone) writes:
>I have a 386-based IBM compatible with 8 megs of RAM on order and I'm 
>thinking about how best to run it.  I have read some about Desqview
>and Windows 3.0 but haven't used them.  What are their relative advan-
>tages, and can they be used together?  Are there other multitasker/
>memory managers I should consider?  Advice & discussion appreciated.

I find both Windows and Desqview to be annoying, but I find Windows
less annoying.  The thing I really dont like about Desqview is that,
on a high resolution monitor, it wont support text resolutions like
132x50 or 132x40.  Windows (on a 386) on the other hand, will allow me
to have several "DOS" windows open at once.

Perhaps  I'm just spoiled, I'v got a NeXT at the office!


-- 
Lance Bledsoe                       Off:    (512) 343-1111                 
Pencom Software, Inc.               Fax     (512) 343-9650                 
8716 Loop 360 N. Suite 300          UUCP:   cs.utexas.edu!pensoft!lwb      
Austin, Texas  78759                UUNET:  uunet!uudell!pensoft!lwb       

stanton@lurch.stanford.edu (Scott Stanton) (05/06/91)

In article <22649@yunexus.YorkU.CA> rreiner@yunexus.YorkU.CA (Richard Reiner) writes:

   In summary: DV/386 is superb at running multiple DOS applications and
   managing their bad behaviour, as well as things like allowing
   text-mode and graphics-mode programs to share the screen, and cutting
   and pasting text between apps, and provides a rather nice but not too
   elaborate API, but does not provide a GUI.  Windows in 386 mode runs
   DOS apps less well, but provides a nice pretty GUI and some nice
   things at the API level, such as dynamic data exchange.


How does one get the API?  Is there a document that lists the API
hooks for DesqView?  The manual only listed enough to make DesqView
aware programs, but not anything really useful.  

--Scott
--
--
--Scott (stanton@interviews)

bondc@spdcc.COM (Tezcatlipocateopixque) (05/07/91)

In article <1991May6.161739.6573@pensoft.uucp> lwb@pensoft.uucp (Lance Bledsoe)
 writes:

>I find both Windows and Desqview to be annoying, but I find Windows
>less annoying.  

It's a matter of taste, I guess.  Desqview is unobtrusive, whereas
Windows (GUIs in general) is not.

>The thing I really dont like about Desqview is that,
>on a high resolution monitor, it wont support text resolutions like
>132x50 or 132x40.  

I'm reading this in 132x40 right now -- under Desqview.  You're quite
mistaken.

>Windows (on a 386) on the other hand, will allow me
>to have several "DOS" windows open at once.

So will Desqview -- on a 386, 286 or even 88/86.  Furthermore, it runs
DOS operations concurrently with less chance of crashing and in my
experience, runs them faster.

Feel free to enjoy Windows.  Like Jesus, it gives me the hives.

-- 
"Are you saying that I am judging those who use defamatory language
 or make judgemental statements?"
				  -- Jeff Shaevel

cotner@ronzoni.berkeley.edu (Carl F. Cotner) (05/07/91)

In article <7480@spdcc.SPDCC.COM> bondc@spdcc.COM (Tezcatlipocateopixque)
 writes:
>In article <1991May6.161739.6573@pensoft.uucp> lwb@pensoft.uucp
> (Lance Bledsoe)
>
>>The thing I really dont like about Desqview is that,
>>on a high resolution monitor, it wont support text resolutions like
>>132x50 or 132x40.  
>
>I'm reading this in 132x40 right now -- under Desqview.  You're quite
>mistaken.
>

How?  I asked this question on the net before, and no one seemed
to think it was possible.  I'd love to be able to do it myself,
and so would many others, I bet.  (I've even gotten a negative
response from a Quarterdeck technician.)

-- 

Carl Cotner
cotner@math.berkeley.edu

dhinds@elaine18.Stanford.EDU (David Hinds) (05/07/91)

In article <7480@spdcc.SPDCC.COM> bondc@spdcc.COM (Tezcatlipocateopixque) writes:
>In article <1991May6.161739.6573@pensoft.uucp> lwb@pensoft.uucp (Lance Bledsoe)
> writes:
>>The thing I really dont like about Desqview is that,
>>on a high resolution monitor, it wont support text resolutions like
>>132x50 or 132x40.  
>
>I'm reading this in 132x40 right now -- under Desqview.  You're quite
>mistaken.

    How do you do that?!?  This is a non-Desqview mode, supported the same
way it supports SVGA modes, right?  So, you can run one full-screen program
at 132x40, but if you do any Desqview operation the screen gets replaced
by a grey mask, right?  As far as I know, this is the extent of 132-column
support.  What I would really like is a 100x60 mode (supported by my ATI
card in graphics), but Desqview's graphics modes will only do 80x50.

 -David Hinds
  dhinds@cb-iris.stanford.edu

bodoh@cat7.cs.wisc.edu (Daniel Bodoh) (05/07/91)

In article <22649@yunexus.YorkU.CA> rreiner@yunexus.YorkU.CA (Richard Reiner) writes:
>stone@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Glenn Stone) writes:
>
>>I have a 386-based IBM compatible with 8 megs of RAM on order and I'm 
>>thinking about how best to run it.  I have read some about Desqview
>>and Windows 3.0 but haven't used them.  What are their relative advan-
>>tages, and can they be used together?  Are there other multitasker/
>>memory managers I should consider?  Advice & discussion appreciated.
[stuff deleted]
>   Windows in 386 mode runs
>DOS apps less well, but provides a nice pretty GUI and some nice
>things at the API level, such as dynamic data exchange.
 
 If you mean interprocess communication, DV also provides dynamic data exchange
 with mailboxes.

 I have used DV/386 for about 6 months now, and I find it absolutely great.
 Quarterdeck did it right - DV is much, much smaller than Windows and, for the
 serious computer user, has much more utility.  If you want you PC to be a Mac,
 get Windows.  If you want your PC to be a workstation, get DV.  And when
 DV/X comes out, there will be no point in buying Windows anyway.

 Dan Bodoh

bear@bgsuvax.UUCP (Michael D. Bear) (05/07/91)

	Following up on 132x40, it was mentioned that someone was reading
this right not in 132x40.  How do you do it????????  I have tried different
ways to do so and found the only way that works is to make a full screen
window and switch into 132x44.  I am interested in telling desqview that it
has 132x44 to work with, then I can have several windows on the screen at
once.  Whenever I pop desqview up over the 132x44 window, it paints the screen
with the "curtain" as if it was a graphics screen.  I am using an ATI
VGA Wonder card.

						Mike

-- 
Michael D. Bear                  bear@andy.bgsu.edu 
Computer Technician              ..!osu-cis!bgsuvax!syrinx!root
Bowling Green State University   bear@bgusopie.bitnet
(419) 372-2104

rreiner@yunexus.YorkU.CA (Richard Reiner) (05/07/91)

bodoh@cat7.cs.wisc.edu (Daniel Bodoh) writes:

>If you mean interprocess communication, DV also provides dynamic data exchange
>with mailboxes.

Yes, I mean IPC, and I know that the DV API provides mailboxes;
however, there are actually large numbers of Windows apps that *use*
DDE (this is the Windows term for their IPC facility), whereas only a
very few things, some of which I've written myself, use the DV
mailboxes for anything.

>I have used DV/386 for about 6 months now, and I find it absolutely great.
>Quarterdeck did it right - DV is much, much smaller than Windows and, for the
>serious computer user, has much more utility.

I tend to agree.  However, since one can run win /s under DV, there is
no reason to have to choose.  My usual working environment is DV, but
for CorelDraw and (real soon now) WordPerfect for Windows, it is easy
enough to start up Windows within DV.

I wish DV would give us finer tuning control at the .DVP level,
though: I'd like to be able automatically to tailor DV's screen saver
behaviour, and system time-slicing and swapping characteristics, to
the aplication mix currently running.  I also wish the screen saver
were properly mouse-aware.

derek@sun4dts.dts.ine.philips.nl (derek) (05/08/91)

cotner@ronzoni.berkeley.edu (Carl F. Cotner) writes:

>In article <7480@spdcc.SPDCC.COM> bondc@spdcc.COM (Tezcatlipocateopixque)
> writes:
>>In article <1991May6.161739.6573@pensoft.uucp> lwb@pensoft.uucp
>> (Lance Bledsoe)
>>
>>>The thing I really dont like about Desqview is that,
>>>on a high resolution monitor, it wont support text resolutions like
>>>132x50 or 132x40.  
>>
>>I'm reading this in 132x40 right now -- under Desqview.  You're quite
>>mistaken.
>>

>How?  I asked this question on the net before, and no one seemed
>to think it was possible.  I'd love to be able to do it myself,
>and so would many others, I bet.  (I've even gotten a negative
>response from a Quarterdeck technician.)

>-- 

>Carl Cotner
>cotner@math.berkeley.edu

This answer is video board specific, but I can do it with my ATI VIP 
card. I open a dos window full screen with graphic possiblities. In 
that window I issue the command that switches the display to the size
I want.

Note however, that tapping the {DESQ} (alt) key returns you to a size
that DV can handle. Say that as MAY return you...

These operations could always be put in macros.

Best Regards, Derek Carr
DEREK@DTS.INE.PHILIPS.NL           Philips I&E TQV-5 Eindhoven, The Netherlands 
Standard Disclaimers apply.