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From: gbastin@x102c.harris-atd.com (Gary Bastin 60293)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer
Subject: Re: DOS 4.0 versus DOS 3.3 ... so?
Summary: Touchstone RF, EESOF, Bloated DOS4.0X, RAM
Keywords: DOS4.0, DOS3.3, why, why not
Message-ID: <3444@trantor.harris-atd.com>
Date: 12 Apr 90 02:49:32 GMT
References: <1J37g2w161w@cattie.UUCP> <3334@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov>
Sender: news@trantor.harris-atd.com
Reply-To: gbastin@x102c.ess.harris.com (Gary Bastin)
Organization: Harris Corporation GSS, Melbourne, Florida
Lines: 31

In article <3334@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> kaleb@mars.UUCP (Kaleb Keithley) writes:
>In article <1J37g2w161w@cattie.UUCP> cattie!marks@hutch.UUCP (Mark Schaffer) writes:
>>What exactly are advantages that DOS 4.0 has over DOS 3.3?  I know that
>>DOS 4.0 can handle partitions larger than 32MB, but is there anything
>>else?
>
>Isn't that enough?  4.01 also includes a visual shell, *sort of* a windowing
>based front end to DOS.  It also comes with SMARTDRV.SYS, which is a disk
>cache.
>

Although it might not matter to most, there is a fundamental reason why some
users might not _want_ to go to DOS 4.01 in spite of the shell and larger
partitions.  Namely, the amount of RAM that DOS4.01 has to take as its own.
With programs that need around 585K to 592K of free RAM to run, DOS4.01 just
simply doesn't leave enough room!  DOS 3.3 is not nearly so memory hungry.
I got burned on this one trying to set up Touchstone RF by EESOF.  It
would not run under DOS4.01, but ran fine under DOS 3.3.  A call to the 
factory revealed that the statement of DOS3.X and later was in error, you
really could only run under DOS 3.3!  I managed to swap a copy of DOS4.01
for DOS 3.3, but felt that I was getting taken by the fact that DOS 4.01
cost more than 3.3, and I could not even use it! It was embarassing since
I had made the recommendation for my company to get DOS 4.01 in the first
place to run with the Touchstone RF package!  Just my $.02...
 


Gary Bastin              /-/-/      arpa: gbastin@x102c.ess.harris.com
Mail Stop 102-4853         |        phone: (407) 729-3304              
Harris Corporation GASD    |        packet: WB4YAF @ N4JLR.FL.USA.NA   
P.O.B. 94000, Melbourne FL 32902    Speaking from, but not for, Harris!