🚀 go-pugleaf

/ wayne@csri.toronto.edu (Wayne Hayes) /  5:55 am  Apr 22, 1991 / writes:


$ >How do they do that? Magic?? What do they do with wait loops?
$ 
$ Actually you're right.  I chose a bad example.  A terminal program 
$ probably has lots of wait loops that would require near magic to
$ detect and eliminate.  My point was, how often do you try running
$ multiple truly CPU intensive DOS applications under Windows?  Whenever
$
I heard mentioned over and over again that there is a program called
TAME under DOS/Windows which will allow you to detect and eliminate
timing loop to speed up Windows. Never try that myself though.


$ 1) Disk *writes* can be buffered under HPFS.  As far as I know, all
$    the DOS disk cachers under FAT are write-through, so that you can
$    turn your machine off immediately after doing a write without losing
$
BBBBzzzzzzttt !!! There are quite a few write buffering cache programs
under DOS. Like SUPERPCK and HYPERDISK. And they perform quite well with
the crummy MesSyDOS FAT disk structure, thank you.


$ 3) I'm not a DOS expert, but I believe there is significant overhead in
$    task switching between two DOS sessions that are really only using the
$    single DOS session available under Windows.  OS/2 runs all DOS sessions
$    completely independently, and thus is far more efficient at switching
$    between them.
$ 
DOS sessions under Windows 3.0 enhanced mode are truely separate virtual
86 machines. As far as I know, if OS/2 uses the same virtual 86 approach 
(which is vital for DOS compatibility), it will suffer the same performance 
problem.   ..... But it might do better with a true 32-bit native 386
protected mode as the control environment. Anyone to comment ?


$ that won't run even under Windows 3.0.  (Yes, that *slightly* diminishes
$ the claim of running your DOS 1.1 spreadsheet if it tries hardware access,
$ but this feature is far more probable to be used with say, DOS 3.x, 4.x
$ and maybe 2.x.)  This is because OS/2 is running in 386 protected mode and
$ can "see" all memory access and translate from FAT language to HPFS language.
$ 
.... which means taking a big performance hit again due to all the need
to intercept all these stuff.

Besides, a lot of people still write programs that will never run under
Windows 3.0 --- I am referring to the games programmers. So, under DOS/
Windows, you have the option to quit Windows and run the games under DOS.
What can you do once you loaded up OS/2 ? Is there are way to "PARK" OS/2
to one side to prevent it from interferring with the games ? Please comment.


$ But installing HPFS means completely re-formatting your hard drive.  So
$ you back up your current partitions, and restore under the DOS box after
$ installing OS/2.  Big deal.  It's well worth the massive increase in
$ performance you'll get.  I used OS/2 1.2 under FAT for a few months and
$ then reformatted to HPFS on the advice from a co-worker.  I was *amazed*
$ at the difference.  I could *feel* the system running faster.  Why is
$
How do you use your DOS environment ? Boot up a plain vanilla DOS ?
With "BUFFERS=20" as your disk cache ? Or do you use thing like SUPERPCK,
QEMM etc. etc. ?


$ this a fatal flaw?  This is the computer industry.  You're going to have
$ to give up your old nasty DOS 1.x and 2.x apps eventually and look to the
$ future.
$ 
Ahhh !! But you have to provide a gradual migration path. Given the
current situation (created by the Windows 3.0 menia), it should be okay
to ignore DOS 1.x and 2.x. But, I still want to be able to run my DOS
based games !


$ Like I said, I haven't seen it running yet.  It *is* ready to ship, and
$ I've ordered an internal Beta copy (probably get it Monday).  The official
$
I believe everybody is waiting to see your comment on how it run on Tuesday
morning.    ;-).


Personally, I like the idea of lightweight threads and 32-bit linear
address space in OS/2 386. As soon as they fix the problem with the
DOS compatibility box, make it capable of running certain DOS extender
programs, make it able to run Windows 3 program straight off, make it
non-IBM machine specific, make it an open standard, make it cheap and
provide a way for me to run those games which demand full control of
the 386 CPU, I will switch to OS/2 anytime.  .... Be it OS/2 from IBM
or OS/2 from Microsoft (anyone else ????).

.... Don't forget to include superVGA drivers for ATI VGA Wonder card,
and make it work with Sound Blaster, etc. etc.  ;-)


Regards,     ___o``\________________________________________________ ___ __ _ _
Peter Lim.   V````\  @ @ . .. ... .- -> 76 MIPS at under US$20K !!   --- -- - -
                  /.------------------------------------------------ === == = =
             >--_//      . .. ... .- -> 57 MIPS at under US$12K !!
                `'       . If you guessed SUN, IBM or DEC, your are wrong !

E-mail:  plim@hpsgwg.HP.COM     Snail-mail:  Hewlett Packard Singapore,
Tel:     (065)-279-2289                      (ICDS, ICS)
Telnet:        520-2289                      1150 Depot Road,
                                             Singapore   0410.

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