unix and memory, sigh (was Re: What Happens If You Have > 9 Meg??

[David Kessner]

In article <1991Jan29.020030.894 at scuzzy.in-berlin.de> src at scuzzy.in-berlin.de (Heiko Blume) writes:
>>  Now that's 768K of display memory, which makes a total of 4
>>meg of RAM almost unuseable for real work.
>huh? that ram is on the vga card, and it won't make any 4MB's unuseable.

Some systems store parts of their 'hidden' windows in off-screen memory.  It
is not only in-efficent to store this in the unused VGA RAM (too slow), but 
there probably isnt room anyway.  However, why anyone would run 1024x768x256
from a VGA card is beyone me (I know, that IS what I implied in the message).

But, just to take a look at two other possibilities...

You could use a system like the Amiga where video ram and system ram are just
about the same thing (well, that which resides under one meg is-- or is it two
meg of chip ram now?)  In this case, the total amount of RAM reported includes
both, rather than a PC/VGA combination that does not usually include the size
of the video ram in it's total RAM size.

There is also the case where you have a graphic CPU in the machine, like the 
34010 or 34020.  If you don't have at least two meg for one of these then...
You get the picture.

There is alwaus those systems that call some 'redraw' code, rather than using
the backing store method-- this confuses the whole issue.  

I suppose the bottom line is not, "What is the minimum anout of RAM needed?"
but rather, "How much can I afford?"  (grin;)' 

						- David K

-- 
David Kessner - david at kessner.denver.co.us            |
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