🚀 go-pugleaf

    I got the professional version of 386Max, which includes 386Load. 
This allows you to place device drivers in high memory along with your
TSRs.  I now run with 590K of lower memory available, and an extra 83K
in the (non-contiguous) memory pool.  After sorting out some minor
problems, I've found no compatibility problems (of course, I don't use
Windows, or other 386 coded software). 

    My system is a 386/25 with 4MB of RAM.  My new config file is:

shell=c:\command.com c:\ /p /e:2048
buffers=20
files=40
device=c:\386\386max.sys
device=c:\386\386load.sys size=8224 prog=c:\386\386disk.sys 384 128 128 /EMS
device=c:\386\386load.sys prog=c:\fconsole.dev <with a bunch of switches>
lastdrive=z

    The appropriate portion of my autoexec is:

rem	*** TSR Programs following this point will be in HIGH memory ***

386max loadhigh
mode co80
msmouse

append /e
set append=x:\;c:\xasm;c:\brief;c:\utils;z:\


rem	Startup and configure the extended batch utility

bat /n * 64
bat /l

dos_edit

rem	*** END of High memory TSRs ***

386max loadlow


rem	*** Allow memory allocation to use the high memory

386max openhigh



    My memory map now looks like:

Extended memory usage...
  Program storage       =    92 KB
  ROM mapping region    =    20 KB, C800-CC00, FF00-10000
  High DOS memory       =    96 KB, C400-C800, CC00-E000
  Low  DOS memory       =     0 KB
  EMS memory            =  2800 KB
  Remaining ext memory  =    64 KB
Total extended memory   =  3072 KB
==> Loading programs in LOW memory...
==>  39 KB available in HIGH memory, largest block is  28 KB.


===============================================================================
|                      MEMORY MAP for RESIDENT PROGRAMS                       |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                               Low DOS Memory                                |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|              | Hex  | Hex  | Hex  | Decimal |                               |
| Name         | Start| End  | Owner|  Length | Text or Interrupt Numbers     |
|--------------+------+------+------+---------+-------------------------------|
| DOS          | 0000 | 09C2 |      |  39,968 | 01 03 04 0F 13 20 25 26 28 2A |
|              |      |      |      |         | 2B 2C 2D 31 32 33 3E 3F 60 61 |
|              |      |      |      |         | 63 E7 E8 E9 EB EC EE F6 F8 FA |
|              |      |      |      |         | FD FF                         |
| Device Drvrs | 09C2 | 0E51 |      |  18,656 | 02 09 0A 0B 0C 0D 0E 70 72 73 |
|              |      |      |      |         | 74 76                         |
| command.com  | 0E51 | 0F25 | 0E52 |   3,376 | 22 23 24 2E                   |
| -Available-  | 0F25 | 0F29 |      |      48 |                               |
| command.com  | 0F29 | 0FAA | 0E52 |   2,048 |RAMDRIVE=e|TEMP=e:\temp|TMP=e:\|
| -Available-  | 0FAA | 0FD2 |      |     624 |                               |
| -Available-  | 0FD2 | 9FFF |      | 590,528 |                               |
|= RAM or ROM =| 9FFF | C400 |      | 147,456 | 10 1F 43 F4                   |
| Dev=EMMXXXX0 | C400 | C4D6 | C401 |   3,408 | 15 27 40 67                   |
| Dev=386MAX$$ |      |      |      |         |                               |
| Drive E      | C4D6 | C500 | C4D7 |     656 |                               |
| APPEND.EXE   | C500 | C524 | D63C |     560 |RAMDRIVE=e|TEMP=e:\temp|TMP=e:\|
| BAT.COM      | C524 | C54A | D750 |     592 |RAMDRIVE=e|TEMP=e:\temp|TMP=e:\|
| DOS_EDIT.COM | C54A | C570 | D860 |     592 |RAMDRIVE=e|TEMP=e:\temp|TMP=e:\|
| -Available-  | C570 | C7FF |      |  10,464 |                               |
|= RAM or ROM =| C7FF | CC00 |      |  16,384 |U                              |
| Dev=CON      | CC00 | D63B | CC01 |  41,888 | 05 19 1D 29                   |
| Dev=FCON     |      |      |      |         |                               |
| APPEND.EXE   | D63B | D74F | D63C |   4,400 | 2F                            |
| BAT.COM      | D74F | D85F | D750 |   4,336 | 08 16 1B 64                   |
| DOS_EDIT.COM | D85F | D8DB | D860 |   1,968 | 21                            |
| -Available-  | D8DB | E000 |      |  29,248 |                               |
===============================================================================



    The only performance/feature comparisons I received were with QEMM,
with the usual smattering of votes in either direction.  I would guess
that the professional version of 386Max is "better" (has more features)
than QEMM, but I'm not aware of all of QEMM's capabilities (or if
there's a "professional" version of it, too). 

    One difference stood out: poor and possibly expensive technical
support for QEMM, vs rave reviews of 386Max's.  I also credit them
highly.  They were busy when I called, said they'd get back in 30
minutes (it was 40).  The guy on the line knew exactly what was going on
and had the information I needed.  In this type of situation, 386Max
would have to be a LOT worse than QEMM for me not to go with the extra
support. 

kdq



-- 

 _
Kevin D. Quitt                          Manager, Software Development
DeMott Electronics Co.                  VOICE (818) 988-4975
14707 Keswick St.                       FAX   (818) 997-1190
Van Nuys, CA  91405-1266                MODEM (818) 997-4496 Telebit PEP last
34 12 N  118 27 W                       srhqla!demott!kdq   kdq@demott.com

 96.37% of the people who use statistics in arguments make them up.