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From: prw@meccsd.MECC.MN.ORG (Paul R. Wenker)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re:  Print Shop IIGS
Message-ID: <810@meccsd.MECC.MN.ORG>
Date: Tue, 24-Nov-87 14:42:45 EST
Article-I.D.: meccsd.810
Posted: Tue Nov 24 14:42:45 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Nov-87 17:45:41 EST
References: <8711230756.AA14752@crash.cts.com>
Reply-To: prw@meccsd.UUCP (Paul R. Wenker)
Organization: Minn. Educ. Comp. Corp.
Lines: 53

In article <8711230756.AA14752@crash.cts.com> pnet01!jbeland@nosc.MIL writes:
>
>If I have *only* 768K?  The manual says that Print Shop only requires 512K.
>Well, I solved that problem.  I set up the ram disk with only 256K from the
>Control Panel.  This way PS only sees 512k total.  Supposedly, I should be
>able to set the ram disk to 512K and PS will then see 768K and should run
>under P16 from the GS Launcher.
>
>Seems like a lot of trouble to go through to run a program!  Personally, I
>think Broderbunds copy protection is what's screwing it all up!  There's no
>reason we should have to re-set ram, and cold boot everytime we want to run
>Print Shop.  This is BullPucky!  And then, try running other applications
>after you've quit PS.  Especially ones that need more memory.  Again, another
>ram reset and coldboot. 
>
>I intend to write Broderbund software and voice my displeasure!
>Unless the copy they sent me is buggy, I'd like to see every owner of Print
>Shop GS send off a letter too.  I've never seen software so damned picky!


Don't be silly.  Copy protection has nothing to do with memory usage.
If you set up a 512k ramdisk in a 768k machine, that leaves only 256k
for programs.  You can't get a new system disk to boot in that
configuration.  And it's not protected.

To the best of my knowledge, this is how the ramdisk stuff works.  On
cold start, the ramdisk manager (tool #13, "Used internally") gets the
user selected size block of memory from the memory manager and uses
that as the ramdisk.  From that point on, that memory is considered by
the memory manager to be in use and not available for others.  Period.
The ramdisk manager is considered to be just another program by the
memory manager and gets the same treatment.  For the same reason you
don't want others writing over your memory, it doesn't want other
writing over it's memory.

The fact that a ramdisk is only reset on a cold start is actually
rather nice.  If my ramdisk was destroyed every time I had to reboot,
I wouldn't bother using one.  Think about it.  Everytime there was a
fatal system error, bye-bye ramdisk.  Or everytime you had to run a
program with no way out (i.e. Music Construction Set).

I personally don't use the internal ramdisk.  If you really want a
ramdisk, the best bet is to buy an Apple II Memory Expansion Card
("Slinky" card).  It's the megabyte card that works on a //e.  ProDOS
automatically formats it as a ramdisk on cold start, it's only
destroyed by a power off, and it's completely independent of the GS's
internal memory.  If you get enough memory (1mb) you can load the
entire system disk plus a few of your favorite programs into it and
boot from it.


-Paul R. Wenker
-MECC