Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!rex!ames!ncar!midway!galton.uchicago.edu!irwin From: irwin@galton.uchicago.edu (Mark Irwin) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc Subject: Re: SoftPC - Any Comments Summary: Follow-up Comments Message-ID: <1990Jun10.003122.24202@midway.uchicago.edu> Date: 10 Jun 90 00:31:22 GMT Sender: irwin@galton.uchicago.edu (Mark Irwin) Followup-To: irwin@galton.uchicago.edu (Mark Irwin) Organization: Department of Statistics, University of Chicago Lines: 87 A little over a week ago I asked for information about SoftPC and the AT/EGA extension module. All but one person seemed to like the package except that it doesn't run very quickly (which is not at all surprising). Here are the positive responses I received (The one negative response was posted to the net). Mark Irwin From JOHNM@umde.dbrn.umich.edu Sat Jun 2 12:57:39 1990 SoftPC: I have been using v1.3(w/o AT option) for the last 5 mos. Overall: pretty good compatibility rating, but slow(extremeu slow with any type of graphics), actually it comes out to be rated at a little over 5MHz I have written a couple Turbo Pascal programs using it(smallish), and it compiles decently if compiled to disk(execution under the Turbo shell is EXTREMELY slow as it is under other similar shells).. as to the AT option: I can only specualte, but supposedly it increases speed to about an 8MHz rate, and does a pretty good job of EGA emulation... the best thing to do is find someone who has it locally and see it running for yourself... John From rw02@gte.com Mon Jun 4 08:47:51 1990 I have been using an AT for over six years before I purchased a MAC IIci. I am very happy with the soft-pc AT package. It runs everything I give it, perhaps with the exception of restoring fastback II archive disks (problem with foreign disk format). The color EGA screen is really beautiful. You can shift mouse use from MS-DOS or MAC-OS very easily. I highly recommend the package. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Weihmayer weihmayer@gte.com GTE Laboratories Inc. 40 Sylvan Road Senior Member of Technical Staff Waltham, MA 02254, USA Phone: (617) 466-2811 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From tony@comperex.cx.oz.au Mon Jun 4 10:17:20 1990 I have been using SoftPC ver 1.3 and am quite pleased with it. The only problems I have noticed which are a bit of a pain are that the Mac mouse when PC mouse emulate mode is on reacts in a very sluggish/erratic way in programs like PC Paintbrush and in Windows/286 if you use the AT/EGA extension. I have spoken to the local distributor and they are aware of the mouse problem and are chasing Insignia for a remedy. This would not be a huge problem if you were not doing graphics related functions. As you can probably imagine the fact that this emulation is taxing the Mac already without having to now deal with huge graphics simulation is significant. The only other thing I have so far encountered relates to the Fact that in programs like PC Paintbrush etc. the "setup" scripts request you to identify the graphics adapter you have. There are many choices, however even though the AT/EGA module should support most provided they fit the limitations mentioned in the documentation, some that I believe should have worked didnt. I am attempting to clarify via distributor which ones are supported. All things taken into account it is very good. If you want 286/EGA performnace you are better to get the real thing, but if you just want to be the casual DOS user this is great. Tony Williams Senior Systems Engineer From LMLARS01%ulkyvx.bitnet@UCHIMVS1.UChicago.EDU Mon Jun 4 21:40:40 1990 I have used SoftPC with the FPU+EGA extensions. It will run everything I throw at it--and I've tried everything. Well...perhaps walk is a better word. The emulation is wonderful, but I often have the feeling I am watching it run underwater because it's so slow. On the other hand, I am used to running DOS on a 25MHz '386 and friends who are used to "real" XTs tell me it isn't so bad. I have been using it with a DaynaFile for the PC drives. The DaynaFile works well with it. 2 L =============================================================================== Lee Larson BITNET: LMLARS01@ULKYVX Department of Mathemagics Telephone: 502/588-6826 University of Louisville GEnie: L.LARSON Louisville, Kentucky CIS: 70406,1151