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Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!csccat!larry
From: larry@csccat.UUCP (Larry Spence)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms,comp.os.os2.programmer
Subject: Re: Math Co-Processor Support; also W3.0 vs. PM
Message-ID: <3857@csccat.UUCP>
Date: 29 Aug 90 23:15:26 GMT
References: <1990Aug24.033749.18829@alias.uucp>
Reply-To: larry@csccat.UUCP (Larry Spence)
Followup-To: comp.windows.ms
Organization: Computer Support Corporation. Dallas,Texas
Lines: 33

In article <1990Aug24.033749.18829@alias.uucp> mherman@alias.uucp (Michael Herman) writes:
>1. Can Windows 3.0 safely use the math co-processor version of the
>   MS C 5.1 version of the floating point libraries?  In some of the
>   first versions of Windows (version 0.989), you could only use the
>   floating point emulator - something about being unable to save and
>   restore the extact state of the co-processor during context switches.
>
>   What's the current scoop on this?

We provide (on request from registered users) a version of our app that uses 
in-line 80X87 code (a "coprocessor version") exclusively (i.e., gotta have an 
80X87 to run).  No problem (using Win 2.X or 3.X and C5.1 libraries).

>2. What is the MFLOPS rating of a 387 in, say, a 25M Hz model 70?
>   What is the MIPS rating of a 25M Hz model 70?

Rough estimate from memory: in the range of 0.25-0.4 MFLOPS, around 4-5 MIPS.

>3. I haven't seen much discussion here or in the press about the
>   pros and cons of using Windows 3.0 or Presentation Manager.  Are
>   they any good books that cover both W3.0 and PM that go into
>   this?  I guess I can understand IBM and MS not wanting to position
>   one against the other - perhaps that is why there hasn't been much
>   of this type of discussion.

No books that I know of.  I would be glad to discuss this, but for political
reasons, I can't do so publicly.  Send me email if you want to go into this
in more detail.

-- 
Larry Spence
larry@csccat
...{uunet,texsun,cs.utexas.edu,decwrl}!csccat!larry