Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpcuhb!hpcilzb!mark
From: mark@hpcilzb.HP.COM (Mark Turner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Desqview/386 vs Windows/386 ????
Message-ID: <640014@hpcilzb.HP.COM>
Date: 27 Sep 89 00:59:49 GMT
References: <10780@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
Organization: HP Design Tech Center - Santa Clara, CA
Lines: 30

I bought both, and find that I use DesqView almost exclusively.
Although Windows/386 does some really neat things with the virtual 8086
mode, it's just too slow for me (using a 20MHz 386).  Windows/386 is
also a fearsome memory hog -- requiring a minimum of 2Mb just to get
started.  However, if you have lots of Windows software, it may be the
way to go.

I prefer DesqView because most of my software is non-Windows (e.g.
MS-Word, 1-2-3, Ventura Publisher) and DesqView is much better at
handling traditional DOS programs than Windows/386.  In addition,
DesqView provides pseudo-virtual memory (i.e. disk swapping), whereas
Windows/386 does not.  This means that you can run more programs in less
memory with DesqView.  I also like DesqView's scripting abilities, which
make it easy to automate common tasks.

You should know that the two systems are not compatible with each other,
and that to switch between them you must change your CONFIG.SYS file (to
remove Quarterdeck's QEMM driver) and reboot.  So forget about trying to
run both.  My solution to this problem is to use DesqView as my
multitasking system and run Windows/286 under DesqView when I need to
use a Windows application.

I have found one problem with DesqView, concerning TOPS/AppleTalk
compatibility (or lack thereof).  So if you're running a network, you
should research whether DesqView is compatible with it first.

Feel free to email me if you wish.  I don't read notes very often, so
that would be the best way to get in touch.

Mark Turner, computer geek, HP Circuit Technology Group