Re: overcoming the XP lag

[Michael Norman michael.norman@xxxxxxxx]

At 11/4/2004 12:26 AM -0500, Robert Holmgren wrote:
what you're
saying, Michael, seems bizarre: because if you don't touch KS -- i.e. you do
nothing, don't try to set KS at launchtime, comment it out -- the *default*
values are 0,0 (tested Win2K and WinXP). Granted, trying to set KS still
makes
a loud protest in both 2K and XP, but it doesn't crash the program anymore
(and
you can suppress the protest per se with ...BX es 1Q2 BX d ks=0,0Q2 BX es 0Q2
...).
I understand the purpose of the BX commands above, but I tried them in
startup anyway to see if they would *stick.* No luck. I still had to issue
default ks=0,0 from the command line. For the record, I get "Keyboard did
not accept new repeat settings" then a pause, then *done.* Then the lag
disappears.
 But there are several genuine oddities here. First, suppose you try to
set KS to something else, e.g. "1,1" (try it). It doesn't
"take": the values
remain 0,0 (which you can prove either by embedding  or  in text
in Draft+ mode, or by CMline command VA/NV [$]KS). It's really 0,0.

Yes, sir. I tried several combos. All reported 0,0.
 You're
saying that if you command D KS=0,0 on the CMline, you see a change of
behavior
-- even though it's *already* 0,0, and CMline commands are rejected (you
cannot
set KS to anything else -- hell, the Error msg even _says_ that it isn't
accepting your input: Error 643: "Keyboard did not accept new repeat rate
settings").

Yup. It definitely works. Leslie get the same effect.
 Second, under XP SP2, I notice less jerkiness -- *considerably*
less. But, yes, I still see a tiny residue of it. For example, if I hold
down
the spacebar at bottom file and just create a few lines of new space
characters, it jerks a tiny bit from time to time. If I then hold down an
arrow key to move across those space characters, it jerks now and again. I
think we're on the same page here, yes? (It is nearly indiscernible to
me, and
I'm almost incredulous that anyone finds this objectionable, much less even
sees it ... however, we've been around this bend before.)
We are indeed on the same page, but my eye perhaps get more irritated that
your's by lag.
 But when I manually
command D KS=0,0 on the CMline, and then do the same spacebar tricks again, I
still see the tiniest jerkiness. No change in behavior that I can see.
Hm. I think this cursor movement, movement across either a line of type or
space with the cursor key, is more affected by the mode con: settings. For
me it's the same with or without ks=0,0. Not a smooth as my W98 desktop,
but nothing I'd complain about. The real difference -- which is to say the
noticeable affect -- is when you type. Without the ks command, I get a lag,
or a bit of a leap, when you type, as if the cursor is sticking for just a
millisecond on one character before it moves and creates the next. I can
type roughly 30 wpm, fast enough to notice the effect.
 These are Desktop windows/DosBoxes, 80x25 in both Screen Buffer Size
and Window Size,
18 pt Lucida (also tried Raster), REPEAT=32 DELAY=0, XP Pro, Dell Inspiron
4100, T40p, and T41 (and also W2K T23).

My setup is the same as your's save for the fonts, which are Uwe's.
I don't know if this advances the argument any, but -- those are my
observations, FWIW. I just don't believe that issuing KS=0,0 can possibly
have
any effect! I sure don't see any. If you can propose a reproducible
procedure
that proves your point, I'd like to try it.
I wish I could. All I can do is report what I see. Perhaps Leslie and
Martin can weigh in. Spent two hours last night and two tonight going back
and forth. I get small improvement with the KS command, enough to take the
trouble . Question please: is there some clue in the delay between the
error message and the *done*? Or is that meaningless?
Anyway, I'm closer to getting XyDos to work well on XP in a window than I
have been in months. As always I appreciate your time.

Michael Norman
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Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
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