Re: XyWrite & Windows 2000

["Martin J. Osborne" osborne@xxxxxxxx]

Robert Holmgren wrote:

> ** Reply to note from "Martin J. Osborne" 
> on Wed, 18 Sep 2002 21:18:54 -0400
>
> > Is it possible to run XyWrite successfully on W2000
>
> Absolutely. Slick as a firepole. W2K is a MUCH better platform for
> XyWrite than W98 -- you'd be nuts to downgrade. Try commenting out
> default KS in SETTINGS.DFL (put a semi-colon in front of ";df
> ks=#,#") -- NT always balked at that setting.

  I had done that (I had gotten an error from the settings.dfl file
when it loaded.)

> Is it fast when run VGA (Alt-Enter) fullscreen?

  Yes, it seems to be fine in this case.

> If you shell to DOS (dos/nv), can you DIR the root (dir \) and
> other dirs?

  Yes, everything seems fine in this case.

> Are the "some" files that you're trying to list in a
> directory filenamed in 8.3 convention, or do they have long
> filenames?

  Doesn't make a difference: if I create a subdirectory of \xy4, say,
called \dirtest and create a single file called xxx in it, and then, with
\xy4 the default directory, issue the command
dir dirtest
in Xy, I get a directory listing
-------------------------------------
0 Files   0 Char. xxxxxxxx Free
and I get the same thing if I rename the file to xxxverylong.

Strangely, when I issue the dir  command from a window
with a file in it, one of two things happens: either Xy opens a new
window and puts a directory listing with 0 files in it, like the one
above (this seems to happen in the  is either one level
below the default directory, or one level above the root), OR beeps and
flashes a "No file found" on the prompt line, but does not open a new
window (otherwise).

> XyWrite can't see the latter, except with assistance
> (e.g. from U2 frame DIR2, which can also CA2 any of those
> long filenames -- and SA2, DEL2, whatever).

dir2 seems to get stuck---the cursor just stays in the spot after the
"2", with only ^-Break for escape. (ca2 seems to do the same.)


> In general, windowed DOS boxes are much slower than VGA. How slow is
> "slow"? How much memory is available to the session (do a MEM /C)?

Memory: mem/c says that the available memory is 203K.
Speed: it's a bit painful to type on---there is a short delay after each
keystroke. If one holds down a key so that it repeats, the string
appears on the screen in jerks. (By contrast another computer I have,
which has 1/10 of the processor speed, easily keeps up with typing
speed.)

When the only program I have open is Xy, the Windows Task Manager says
that a whole bunch of programs are running (parts of W2000, I assume).
Then only ones with positive amounts of time in the "CPU Time" column are
the "System Idle Process", for which the time is counting up, and
"System" and "NTVDM.EXE" (the DOS emulator?), which are stationary. If I
open a file in Xy and hold down a key, so that it repeats, the Task
Manager reports that a remarkable 82% of the CPU is being used.

Any other suggestions you have would be appreciated!

--
Martin J. Osborne
Department of Economics
150 St. George Street
University of Toronto
Toronto
M5S 3G7
Canada
http://www.economics.utoronto.ca

martin.osborne@xxxxxxxx
http://www.economics.utoronto.ca/osborne
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