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From: bchs1b@jetson.uh.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Desqview
Message-ID: <8226.2794314a@jetson.uh.edu>
Date: 16 Jan 91 16:56:09 GMT
References: <7806@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au>
Distribution: comp
Organization: University of Houston
Lines: 40

In article <7806@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au>, s907396@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Soon Mok) writes:
> Is there anyone out there who uses Desqview and QEMM? I would like some 
> opinions on its performance in comparison to other IBM 
> multitaskers/taskswitchers such as Windows 3, Double Dos, Vmix, etc...
> I have purchased Windows 3 but found it to be very slow, even on my 386-25. 
> I can't run DOS programs in a window, which is what I really want, 
> with the 1 meg that I have. After seeing Desqview on a friend's computer, I'm
> considering selling my Windows and getting Desqview. Should I abandon Windows
> or get more memory and stick with it?
> 
> Basically what I want to do is run 2 medium sized applications or a small one
> and a large one concurrently. I want speed and as little disk swapping as
> possible. 
> 
> Any comments would be welcomed. 
> 
> Eugene...
> -- 
> -----/ _ _ \--------------------------------------------------------------------
>      | o o |    Eugene Mok  s907396@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au  (Melbourne OZ)
>      \  ^  /    Fidonet 3:633/375    
> ------\ o /---------------------------------------------------------------------


Assuming that your applications are not Windows based applications, you would
do much better with anything other than windows. You really want at least 4Meg
to run windows satisfactorily, and even then it still will be somewhat slow.
If you are comfortable with DOS and willing to spend a little time playing
around with setup parameters, deskview is the way to go. It is the most
versatile of all the multitasker/switchers. You need to decide if you really
want a multitasker (like deskview) or are happy with just a switcher (like
double dos). But all the programs will be happier with more memory if you
can spring for it. If you really want to switch without stuff going to disk
you need enough memory for both applications plus overhead for dos and deskview
etc. 1 meg may not be enough. If you get more you can set up a disk cache and
ramdisk, and those will really speed your system up noticably.

mike benedik
university of houston
benedik@uh.edu