Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!369!8!Rick.Alfaro From: Rick.Alfaro@f8.n369.z1.fidonet.org (Rick Alfaro) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Re: desqview and speech Message-ID: <13123@bunker.UUCP> Date: 25 Jul 90 16:25:33 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: Rick.Alfaro@f8.n369.z1.fidonet.org Distribution: misc Organization: FidoNet node 1:369/8 - The Catwalk BBS, Davie FL Lines: 76 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Index Number: 9492 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] > Hi Rick; My apologies to anyone else about thelength of this message. I > would usually try to limit the quote. I think though that your comments > about desqview are a bit inaccurate as it relates to a 286 machine Rick. > Desqview can use expanded memory on a 286 if it is present, it just > usually is not present unless you buy an intell above board or > something like that. I have used desqview with an above board on a 286 > giving me 2 megs of expanded memory above the 640k already present in > the machine and retaining the 384k of extended memory for a ram disk. > Desqview will use the intell above board just fine. Speech programs just > by there nature though I don't think are really compatible with software > such as desqview. I say this having run soft vert vocal eyes and screen > reader with desqview on a 286 machine though so you can see where I am > comming from when I make a statement like that. I haven't tried running > speech after desqview though since I would really like to get it to work > with speech loaded before desqview. I have gotten it to work although it > is just not a pleasant way to operate. Sacrificing the comfort of normal > DOS operation for the problems operating with desqview hasn't appealed > to me as of yet. I must do some more work on it though since I think it > can be made to run fairly nicely if i just don't give up. Haven't had > enough time to devote to it, thats the real problem. Don, Thanks for your reply. Let me relate to you my experience with desqview and a 286 andperhaps you can see why I have come to the conclusions in my previous message... I have 640k conventional memory, 384k extended and 1 meg expanded that comply to the lotus intel 4.0 specifications for expanded memory. Desqview did indeed recognizxe that the 1 meg of expanded memory was there, and upon first impression, you would think that everything was just fine. However, the probelm comes when setting up several tasks and activating them in different windows. When desqview makes full use of expanded memory, it is supposed to swap applications in and out of expanded and leave your dos memeory as fre as possible. Here is where I realized that desqview wasn't really using the expanded memory like it was supposed to do. The expanded memory I have isn't an above board, but is an everex expanded memory card with 1 meg on board. Anyhow after several hlurs of frustrating fiddeling, I called Quarterdeck and was told that the only way to truly take advantage of any lims 4.0 expanded memory on a 286 was to use the back filling technique that I sort of described in the previous mesage. What was frustrating about it is that at first, it really seemed like it was going to work just fine, but when checking the amount of dos ram that was being taken, and finding that switching between 3 or 4 large applications was not working out, my hopes for a good multitasking system sort of vanished! It is for those reasons that I still respectfully maintain that Desqview on a 286 with expanded memory is a real waste of time without back filling. However, I am very curious about your experience with it. Did you try running some large applications? For example, Wordperfect in one window, Lotus in another, and perhaps something like Dbase in still another? It was only after trying that was that I realized that desqview really wasn't doing the job I had expected... On another note, now that I have your attention, , I would love to hear what your opinion is of your talking vcr. I bvelieve you had one of the Optinca models. I had sent you a message on this quite some time ago, but it wa when you had a problem with your system and had missed a bunch of messages in the echo. I am really anxious to get one of those rascals, but really would like to hear from someone that has had first hand experience with one. I'm anxiously awaiting your reply! Regards, Rick -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!369!8!Rick.Alfaro Internet: Rick.Alfaro@f8.n369.z1.fidonet.org