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From: DLEWIS@SCU.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc
Subject: Little-known DOS Extender for 286/386/386sx's
Message-ID: <2411@crdos1.crd.ge.COM>
Date: 9 Aug 90 19:25:39 GMT
Sender: davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.COM
Lines: 51

Here's something I thought this discussion group might find of
interest:

There's another little known DOS extender (similar in purpose to QEMM,
386^MAX, and QRAM) called LASTBYTE.  Like QRAM, it takes advantage of
those motherboards that use the Chips & Technologies chipsets to load
software into the memory between 640k and 1Meg.

Unlike all other such products, however, LASTBYTE has the unique
ability to use *ALL* 384k of that memory!  Physical memory that sits
"behind" the display buffer, ROM's, etc., is not accessible with other
DOS extenders, but LASTBYTE uses a "bank-switching" technique to store
data there (e.g., for a ram disk, emulated EMS memory, etc.).

LASTBYTE does NOT use any protected mode software and so is fully
compatible with Windows 3.0.  Moreover, since it does not rely on the
memory mapping capability of a 386, it does NOT remap any Extended
Memory into the 640k-1M region, nor does it even require a 386 - it
works on any PC that uses the C&T chipset and has at least 1M of
physical memory.  LASTBYTE also requires DOS 3.0 or higher.

In addition to software to load device drivers and TSR's into high
memory, LASTBYTE includes software to mark (and later remove) TSR's,
device drivers that use high memory to implement a ram disk, to
emulate ems memory (both LIM 3.2 and 4.0), and to provide a
programmer's interface for allocating/deallocating high memory.  The
latter can also be used with 4DOS (the shareware replacement for
COMMAND.COM) to move the 4DOS command processor and master environment
into high memory.  And of course there's a program to display the
contents of high memory at any time.

There are command line options to select between normal and best-fit
memory allocation, and to delete environment blocks allocated for
TSR's.

Best of all, a fully functional but memory-limited version of LASTBYTE
is available free of charge for evaluation.  If you like it, then only
$29.95 buys you an access key that can be used with the accompanying
LICENSE program to acquire unlimited access to all 384k.  LASTBYTE can
be downloaded from a number of bulletin boards, including Vern's BBS
at (707) 778-8944, or directly from the manufacturer:

             Key Software Products
             440 Ninth Avenue
             Menlo Park, Calif. 94025
             (415) 364-9847

Enjoy!

Dan Lewis (owner, KSP)
Bitnet: DLEWIS@SCUACC