SoftWindows, Version 1.0.2 - Read Me information
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This file contains the latest information relating to SoftWindows, Version 1.0.2
1. Contents
===========
* What's New in SoftWindows
* Memory settings - for best performance
* More Performance Tips - Getting the best out of SoftWindows
* Other Tips
* SoftNode - Networking Support for SoftWindows
* CD-ROM Support
* AccessPC compatibility
* External floppy drive support
* Miscellaneous
* Acknowledgments
* Your Comments Please
2. What's New in SoftWindows
============================
2.1 Version 1.0.2
-----------------
This minor revision contains a number of enhancements in the following areas:
* Networking
- 802.2 frame types are supported using Apple's Token Ring cards
- NetBEUI protocols are now supported over Apple's Token Ring cards
- PATHWORKS version 4 or 5 using the DECnet protocol is now supported
- The batch files used to configure Windows for Workgroups have been
corrected
- Batch files for configuring Banyan VINES are supplied
* Licensing
- support for multiple user licenses has been added
* General
- The LQ2500 printer emulation has been improved
- BACKUP.EXE has been added to the hard disk
- SoftWindows no longer aborts with an "Error 11" panel
2.2 Version 1.0.1
-----------------
This minor revision updated the version of DOS to version 6.21 from version 6.2. The difference between the two versions concerns the DoubleSpace utility, which has been removed for legal reasons. If you need to increase your available disk space, we recommend that you use Macintosh utilities or other third party PC utilities.
2.3 Version 1.0
---------------
This was the first version of SoftWindows for the Power Macintosh. If you are familiar with the SoftPC family of products for the 68k Macintosh computers, then these are the key features introduced in SoftWindows:
* It's fast - running at entry level 486 speeds. This is achieved through:
- Being a PowerPC native application which takes full advantage of the
performance of your Power Macintosh
- Insignia's advanced emulation technology
- Having access to the source code of Windows from Microsoft, which
enables us to modify Windows to give extra speed, without jeopardizing
compatibility.
* Improved SmartCopy - the Windows utility that links the Macintosh and
Windows clipboards now allows bi-directional transfer of text and bitmap
graphics data between PC and Macintosh applications.
* Improved networking - the list of supported network operating systems now
includes Banyan VINES, so you can connect to Novell NetWare, LAN Manager,
LAN Server, Windows NT Advanced server, and Banyan VINES servers. Also,
using Novell's LAN Workplace for DOS, you can connect to UNIX file
servers through TCP/IP.
* Improved PC CD-ROM support - Audio CD support is better and dual format
CDs are supported.
3. Memory settings - for best performance
=========================================
The amount of memory that you dedicate to SoftWindows is set up by the SoftWindows installer, depending on the options you select during installation.
This determines three key features:
i) The maximum amount of PC memory available to your PC applications
ii) The maximum size and depth you may specify for the Windows desktop
iii) The performance of SoftWindows.
Stated simply, the more memory you give to SoftWindows, the better it will be. However, devoting a large portion of your Macintosh memory to running SoftWindows will limit your ability to run other Macintosh applications simultaneously.
If you want to dedicate more memory to SoftWindows:
* Make sure SoftWindows is not running: Quit SoftWindows if it is.
* Select SoftWindows in the Finder by clicking its icon once.
* Select "Get Info" from the Finder's File Menu
* Enter a higher number in both the Minimum and Preferred Size boxes.
* Click the close box for the dialog.
If you have given too much memory to SoftWindows, go through the above procedure typing a smaller number into the Minimum and Preferred Size boxes.
To see the effect of your changes, select PC Memory╔ from the SoftWindows Setup menu. The size of the "DeltaCache" (which controls the SoftWindows performance - bigger is better) is displayed in the top right hand corner of the dialog. This should be between 0k (slowest) and 1024k (fastest). For some applications, there is an extra performance boost with a DeltaCache of 2048k. Additional DeltaCache beyond 2048k will have little effect on SoftWindows performance.
4. More Performance Tips - Getting the best out of SoftWindows
==============================================================
* Make sure that SoftWindows is set up to use at least 3 MB of PC Extended
memory, by using the PC Memory╔ command from the SoftWindows Setup menu.
Windows runs much better with 3 MB rather than the minimum 1 MB of
extended memory - even on a hardware PC.
* Make sure the setting in your Macintosh "Monitors" Control Panel matches
the number of colors you have selected for the Windows Desktop. This is
displayed by selecting the Windows Desktop╔ command from the SoftWindows
Setup menu.
* Make sure the Windows Desktop is entirely on one monitor.
* Make sure the Windows Desktop is unobscured by other windows.
(Note that when the Windows desktop is in an optimal position, the title
bar will have a check mark (├) appended. If there is no title bar then
holding down Command and option keys will display a hand icon with a dot
in the middle).
* Try boosting the DeltaCache to about 2048k, as described above.
* Try turning File Sharing off, it can slow down your applications on the
Power Macintosh.
* Make sure you do not have the MacsBug debugger installed - it slows down
the entire Power Macintosh.
5. Other Tips
=============
5.1 Loading DOS High
--------------------
In order to maximize the amount of available conventional memory to PC applications, you may load DOS high by adding the line
DOS=high
to the CONFIG.SYS file.
6. SoftNode - Networking Support for SoftWindows
================================================
6.1 Ethernet card compatibility
-------------------------------
SoftNode is compatible with the on-board Ethernet fitted in all Power Macintosh computers and virtually all Macintosh Ethernet cards.
If you are using third party Ethernet solutions, please ensure with the manufacturer that you have the latest version of the driver software.
The Apple Ethernet NB card has had a number of problems in the past. These are all believed to be addressed in version 1.4.2 of Apple's Network Software Installer disk.
SCSI based Ethernet - A number of SCSI Ethernet adapters have drivers which pad out the packets of the Ethernet II frame type. This causes illegal instructions in PC applications using this frame type, although other frame types work well. If it is not possible to use a different frame type, this problem may be solved by connecting via a SoftNode Ethernet Gateway for IPX protocols. This applies to the Focus Nuvo-Link SC and to Dayna's DaynaPORT SCSI/Link products.
6.2 Token Ring card compatibility
---------------------------------
SoftNode is compatible with Token Ring cards which support the Apple .TOKN standard. These include cards from DCA, AsantÄ and CableTron (which work in SoftPC on today's 68k Macintosh computers). Please contact the relevant manufacturers to check that you have the latest version of the driver software required for their cards in Power Macintosh computers.
You will need version 1.4.5 of Apple's Network Software Installer if you need to use the Token Ring 802.2 frame type with Apple Token Ring cards.
You can use SoftNode in an environment where other cards are installed by:
* Installing a supported card in one Macintosh.
* Installing a SoftNode Token Ring Gateway on that Macintosh.
* Using the SoftNode ATALK.BAT batch file from other Macintosh computers to
access the Novell file server via the SoftNode Gateway.
6.3 DECnet protocol support in PATHWORKS
----------------------------------------
The DECnet protocol requires that the Ethernet card you use in your Macintosh has a particular address based on the "area" and "node" you have been assigned in your DECnet network by the system administrator. In order to override the default address, a small utility is provided to install this new address.
This utility may be installed by a new custom option in the SoftWindows installer, called DECnet Address Override Utility. This places the utility in the Utilities folder within the SoftWindows folder. Double-click the utility, then:
* click "Change Address╔"
* specify the area and node given to you by the system administrator
* click Generate
* click OK
* restart your Macintosh to use the new address
7. CD-ROM Support
=================
Audio CD-ROM support is much improved over previous versions of SoftPC. In addition, it is now possible to use CD-ROMs that have both a Macintosh (HFS) partition and a PC (ISO 9660) partition. Use of these hybrid CDs requires that you have a CD-ROM driver that is capable of accessing both partitions. The Apple CD-ROM driver is not one of these, but Insignia's RapidCD product will replace the Apple CD driver to enable this functionality. FWB's CD-ROM Toolkit is also compatible.
8. AccessPC compatibility
=========================
Insignia's AccessPC product allows you to mount SoftPC hard disk files on the Macintosh desktop so that you can see the DOS files and directories as documents and folders. Version 3.0.2 of AccessPC also allows you to mount SoftWindows hard disk files. If you have an earlier version (3.0 or 3.01) you may patch it to give this extra feature. Simply run the application called "PatchAccessPC" which is on the first SoftWindows installation disk and follow the instructions in the subsequent dialogs. Note that the AccessPC control panel should be closed when you patch it, and you will need to restart the Macintosh afterwards.
9. External floppy drive support
================================
At the time of writing, the only diskette drive that may be set up as SoftWindows A: or B: drive is the internal FDHD drive (also known as the "SuperDrive") in the Power Macintosh. Other diskette drives supplied by third party manufacturers work with SoftPC on 68k Macintosh computers and are expected to work as soon as the drivers for these devices are fixed to work on Power Macintosh computers.
Since every Power Macintosh is equipped with a SuperDrive, lack of support of 3rd party 3.5" drives is not expected to be a big issue. If you really need to use 5.25" PC diskettes, the DaynaFile drives from Dayna Communications and the DOSFloppy from PLI work with SoftPC on 68k Macintosh computers. No information is currently available for when these devices will work on Power Macintosh computers.
10. Miscellaneous
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10.1 Tutorial Error
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Some configurations of SoftWindows are NOT supplied with a tutorial diskette. If this is the case, you may install the tutorial application from your SoftWindows hard disk. To do this, you should choose Run╔ from the Windows Program Manager File menu, and type C:\\WNPST\\SETUP in the command line field and click OK. (The manual incorrectly uses the WINPST directory instead of the WNPST directory).
10.2 Windows Desktop Size
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Note that changing monitors, or monitor resolutions, between invocations of Windows, can lead to a Windows Desktop which is larger than the current monitor size. This may be fixed by manually resizing the Windows desktop from the SoftWindows Setup menu. The changes will take effect the next time Windows is run.
11. Acknowledgments
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11.1 WinPost
------------
The tutorial Windows application supplied with SoftWindows is WinPost, by Eastern Mountain Software. Please note that this is a shareware version of WinPost: if you decide to continue using it, please send the registration fee of $30 (USA/Canada/Mexico) or $35 (all other countries) to Eastern Mountain Software, P.O. Box 6394, Bellevue, WA 98008-0394, USA. Telephone: (206) 391-3483.
11.2 DEVLOD
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SoftWindows is supplied with a version of DEVLOD.COM from "Undocumented DOS" by Schulman et al. (Addison-Wesley, 1993). Copyright (c) 1993 Andrew Schulman, Ralf Brown, Jim Kyle, David Maxey, Ray Michels.
11.3 DOS for Dummies/ Windows for Dummies
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The SoftWindows User Guide is not intended to be a reference guide for using DOS and Windows. If you need a DOS or Windows reference, we recommend DOS for Dummies by Dan Gookin and Windows for Dummies by Andy Rathbone, both by IDG books. These excellent books are used and recommended by the Insignia Technical Support specialists who are certainly not "dummies"!
12. Your Comments Please
========================
The SoftWindows User Guide has details of how to contact Insignia's Technical Support or Customer Service departments. Please contact these departments if you have any problems with the software or wish to get further product information.
This article provides information about a non-Apple product. Apple Computer, Inc. is not responsible for its content. Please contact the vendor for additional information.
The Tech Info Library article titled "Locating Vendor Information" can help you search for a particular vendor's address and phone number.
Article Change History:
27 Jun 1995 - Added kppc keyword.
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