 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial Ash Nallawalla ash@melbpc.org.au |
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Technology?
What is happening to software these days? For the first time I am finding software which is no longer a matter of loading and starting. The 640 kB limit is becoming a real problem. I use about four versions of CONFIG.SYS, each optimised for a given program. The editorial PC runs PC-DOS 3.3, which consumes more RAM than earlier versions. It will run Ventura 2.0 with no problems but if I want to use its Professional Extension the fun starts. QEMM 1.0 con-verts the 3 MB Extended RAM to simulated Expanded RAM, which is needed by its hyphenation dictionary. QEMM takes up 21 kB of base memory, and is but one element in the problem. If I didn't wish to use the 19" LaserView monitor then I can successfully fine-tune Ventura's settings and get it to work with the Multisync in VGA or EGA mode and have the expanded RAM too.
The LaserView is the straw that breaks the proverbial camel's back as there is no room for its driver in base memory. Yes, Windows' HIMEM.SYs has already found 64 kB in high memory but it is not enough. At this point I must mention that I have had sterling support from MicroHelp staff, Lloyd Borrett and Vincent Price. At Vincent's suggestion I have altered almost every parameter in the DOS startup files, the Windows' utilities, and Ventura itself. I have everything working except for the expanded memory, as I prefer to do without computer-aided hyphenation rather than give up the big screen. The situation is so tight that I cannot change a value in, say, CONFIG.sYS without compromising performance. Thanks to Lloyd's intervention, the distributors of QEMM, Sourceware, are going to donate the latest version which apparently consumes a mere 1.5 kB of base RAM. Hopefully, this problem will be resolved in a few more days. I did not want to revert to an earlier DOS, but that was to be my last resort. So that I don't create a false impression I can assure you that the Professional Extension will run happily on a 640 kB AT and an EGA monitor, although the hyphenation dictionary will have nowhere to live. You begin to have problems when you don't have true expanded memory and want to use a special monitor.
The other observation is that Adobe Illustrator needs real expanded RAM (or the simulated variety created by certain drivers which do not include QEMM) before it will even load. It also insists on 1.2 MB or 1.44 MB drives which are found on 80286 or 80386 type machines. Getting it to run was an equally challenging task and included ignoring some parts of the manual. I have passed on Xerox Presents to a member of the PC Update SIG for review and note that it too will not run on an XT. Arts & Letters Composer also needs a full copy of Windows as it is not provided with a run-time version, and needs another version of CONFIG.SYS.
BIOS Problems
I have also had no luck with installing Bitstream Fontware on this 80386 in spite of several faxes containing detailed help from Bitstream Inc. It runs happily on my AT at work but refuses to make fonts on this machine. To eliminate any doubt I even booted from a DOS distribution disk, leaving almost 600 kB free for Fontware, but in the end Bitstream have suggested that the BIOS in the PC (Phoenix 80386 version 3.52) may be suspect. I scoffed when the other group-owned Wyse 3216 (used for the BBS) was suspected of having a doubtful BIOS, but I now tend to agree. Its
Wyse MS-DOS 3.2 was buggy and the dealer advised us not to use it. I will write to Wyse to clarify the matter, as they have undoubtedly released later versions of DOS and of the BIOS.
The above problem is symptomatic of the growing complexity of software and of incomplete versions of BIOS. A friend bought a no-name 80386 for his BBS only to find that Opus did not run with a certain BIOS. Award BIOS used to be unpopular but now PC Magazine writers seem to prefer it.
There are several lessons here. The first is that money does not guarantee 'PC happiness', at least not of the plug-it-in-and-switch-it-on variety. If I owned this PC (each Melb PC member `owns' a part of it as we paid hard cash for it), I'd be quite upset at having such problems after having spent thousands of dollars assembling a high-end configuration. I would be more concerned for a commercial site using a similar configuration, as it is a pain having to reboot for each DTP program, and Fontware costs US$195 per font set (we got ours free). Another lesson is that today's PC may not necessarily run all of tomorrow's programs, as I have found. The solution may be to 'buy IBM', as it is the only platform that is certified by software companies, but can everyone afford to do so? Some people have tried to install OS/2 only to find that it scrambles their hard disk's file allocation table. This is because OS/2 is hardware-specific, unlike DOS, and you must (in most cases) obtain it from your PC's manufacturer. I do not expect the smaller manufacturers to supply OS/2, and for the time being I would look at Unix instead.
PC Tools Deluxe
They did it again. The latest 'version' of PC Tools Deluxe is still 5.1 but
many file lengths have changed and the manual has been split into three. What is good to see is that the
local price has dropped dramatically. The cheapest price around is to be found in an advertisement in our
previous issue and that is even lower than the US list price. If users of competitive utilities are getting
tired of seeing yet another mention of PCTD then they should rectify the matter by writing a review of their
favourite utility.
PC Update
Writers, please mail disks instead of relying on the BBS until it is running
on the 80386 machine again. We are having the same difficulties in getting on as you are, so please don't be
rude to the sub-editors because that will not fix the machine any sooner. Some contributors send several
articles at once, and I may have to spread the items over a few months, so don't be concerned if you don't
see them in print immediately. We will tell you if your item has been rejected. The only planned theme is
Desktop Publishing in the August issue, but we need all types of articles. Please supply screen dumps in .IMG
or .PCX format. I use the shareware utility GEMCAP.ARC (found on MELB 1129 or 1145) for screen dumps. This
issue marks a milestone in that we now print 4000 copies of PC Update each month, although some copies are
printed for book-shop sales.
Reprinted from the June 1989 issue of PC Update, the
magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
