🚀 go-pugleaf

in article <8906210415.AA01579@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>,
MAXG@SUVM.BITNET (Gerry Greenberg) says:
> question concerns the amount of RAM the system and finder take up.  I am
> using Finder 6.0 and System 4.2...when I check under "About the Finder"
> under the Apple sign, I see the following information:  832K of memory,
> which is split between the Finder and the System.  How is this RAM
> allotted?  I have seen the following combinations, depending on how I
> mess around with fonts, DAs, and files (like a printer driver) in the
> System Folder:  Finder/System---712/120, 713/119, 714/118, and 715/117.

	The numbers you are displaying aren't really Finder and System. 
It is available memory and System.  The first number is the memory being
used by Finder, but as soon as you launch a Mac application Finder is
unloaded freeing it's memory for use by the application.  (NOTE: This
gets very weird under Multi-Finder, but on a 1 meg machine Multi-Finder
isn't really worth using.)

	On the Mac Fonts and Desk Accessories are kept on disk in the
System file until they are needed.  They are loaded into available
memory when they are accessed, if there is no available memory they
won't load.  So having an open DA or having an additional fonts being
used will decrease the amount of free memory at that instant.  (NOTE:
some DAs may allocate memory for very long periods of time, not just
while they are in use.)

	You may also have INITs in your System Folder.  INITs are
special programs that load at boot time.  Any INITs will decrease the
amount of free memory.

	Another really big factor in available memory is the version of
System and Finder you are using.  The newer versions (eg. 6.0.2) use a
lot more memory than the old ones.  This can make a fairly large
difference in your free RAM (30K or more).

	Personally I wouldn't worry about the difference between 712K
and 715K of free memory.  The few programs (eg. HyperCard) that are
memory tight on a 832K Spectre 128 are not really going to be helped by
an additional 3K (or even 10K).  If you are running out of memory with
a program in 832K you can either switch to an older and smaller version
of System and Finder or switch to a ST with more memory (2, 2.5 or 4 meg).

	Set up your System Folder with the INITs, DAs and fonts you are
interested in.  If and when you find a program that needs more memory
than you have available then worry about it.  Until till then don't.




				Dan Moore
				AT&T Bell Labs
				Denver
				dlm@druwy.ATT.COM