Path: utzoo!dciem!nttor!contact!zooid!dve From: dve@zooid.UUCP (system operator) Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms Subject: Re: Win 3.0 & high speed modem use Keywords: uart,hst,frontdoor Message-ID: Date: 19 Jul 90 17:33:31 GMT References: <26a1d32f-20comp.windows.ms@oneb> Organization: here Lines: 34 kmcvay@oneb (Ken McVay) writes: > Has anyone had any experience with background communications under Win 3.0, > or any communications at all? Anyone got a bbs running? > > The dos mail system runs on a 286/20MHz system with 2 megs of RAM, and it > would be nice to be able to utilize all the memory...DV knows it is there, > but won't make it available for anything but swaps, and that's just not good > enough - will Win 3.0 recognize and permit me to _use_ the RAM between 1024k > and 2048k? Hi, in case no one else has replied... I run Waffle BBS on my 386 using Windows 3.0 as my multitasker. I can run other DOS or Windows programs at the same time with no problems or lost characters on the COM line. However,the BBS is only running at 2400 baud. At a higher baud rate there might be a problem, but there is a variable in, I think,WIN.INI that can be adjusted to give more time to DOS task serial timing. As for your second point.. WIN3.0 will use all 2 megabytes for Windows applications. If you had a 386, you could use the memory for multiple concurrent DOS sessions but with a 286,like Desqview, Windows can only use the extra memory for swapping DOS programs. If you can find a Windows application that does what you need then you are in good shape as Windows multitasks multiple Windows applications beautifully even on a 286. However I think it will be a while before we see really high quality comms software for Windows, even though the Windows environment would be great for a BBS or uucp mailer. Just in case I didn't mention it (likely) Windows is not an effective DOS multitasker if you are using a 286. It can only run one DOS task at a time. I hope this helps.