Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpcuhc!hpspcoi!dlow
From: dlow@hpspcoi.HP.COM (Danny Low)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer
Subject: Re: which type of driver for 386?
Message-ID: <10210004@hpspcoi.HP.COM>
Date: 27 Mar 90 18:53:28 GMT
References: <90081.181609MHS108@psuvm.psu.edu>
Organization: HP Lovecraft Division
Lines: 41

>I am getting a new 386. I never set up one before. Which extended memory
>manager whould I use? Desqview / Windows / QEMM / whatever...
>I would like to use desqview, or someother multitasking program.

Your 386 should come with some sort of extended memory manager standard
with the DOS software that is bundled with the system. Usually it is
just a LIMulator but that is usually all is needed.

>Can you suggest which multi-task program to buy?

Windows works best with programs that are explicitly written for it.
It has problems running programs written for straight DOS. It mostly
works but the percentage of failures is high enough to be a problem.

Desqview and 386Max seem to be the best multi-tasking programs around
but they also have the same problems as Windows. Some straight DOS
programs do not work with them. 

>Is PC-MOS worth it? (having a multiuser operating system vs. a program)

PC-MOS should be avoided at all cost. It mucks around with the partition
table in a very non-standard way. We have had 2 hard disk totally
mangled as a result. We had to use the Norton Disk Doctor to repair
the partition table but we could not recover the data and had to re-partition,
re-format and re-load everything from backups.

If you want an alternative OS, try DR DOS. It claims to be totally
MSDOS compatible. Just beware that installing an alternative OS is
not for amateurs. It's even tough for pros to handle. :-)

>If I get Unix, will my MS-DOS programs run in there?

PC based UNIX systems usually have a DOS comptability box. However
this box has the same problem as Windows, Desqview, etc. has, namely
some DOS programs just do not run.


			   Danny Low
    "Question Authority and the Authorities will question You"
	   Valley of Hearts Delight, Silicon Valley
     HP SPCD   dlow%hpspcoi@hplabs.hp.com   ...!hplabs!hpspcoi!dlow