Re: graphic patch???

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <4gnbbj$1ko@newsbf02.news.aol.com>,
RUBYWAND <rubywand@aol.com> wrote:
> In article <4gm1pa$in3@news.ysu.edu>, be404@yfn.ysu.edu (Adalbert Goertz)
> writes:
> 
> >I have a complaint about all the graphic programs that I have
> >used, i.e.
> >GIF3200, jpeGS, Convert3200, ImageQuant:
> > 
> >They dont recognize and dont use the RamFactor memory like
> >AppleWorks does (which makes the full aux.mem available to
> >the desktop).

AppleWorks ignores these cards if you are running on a IIgs.  It only
uses IIgs expansion memory, unless you patch it.  (If you use
AppleWorks 1.3, it will probably recognise a standard slot RAM card).

>     To run in some large Slot card RAM array a program has to know about
> and work around too many bank-switching, memory access, and other
> restrictions. This excludes all major programs designed for 'regular' RAM.

That isn't how the RamFactor and similar cards operate.

The RamFactor is normally used as a RAM disk.  It is physically
accessed through a single byte read/write data register with a three
byte auto-incrementing address register (software should use the
SmartPort firmware to access the memory on the card).  This is the
basis of the "slinky" nickname - the location being accessed "slinks"
through the memory on the card.

It is not possible to execute code from the RAM on this type of card,
but it is quite easy for software to use it for data storage (or just
as a simple RAM disk, which is automatically supported by the ROM on
the card, and by GS/OS through a generated or loaded driver).  You can
even boot from a RamFactor if the RAM disk has been formatted (to set
up the boot blocks).

>     On the other hand, a C200 option to use big blocks of Slot card RAM
> for storing and manipulating graphics data is certainly doable.

What is a "C200 option"?  The only connection I can think of is the
$C200 address space, i.e. the IOSEL area allocated to slot 2.

Perhaps you are thinking of the $C800-$CFFF area, which is available
to all slot cards (normally for firmware)?  Some cards bank-switch RAM
and/or ROM in this area (e.g. both Apple SCSI cards).  This is not how
the RamFactor works (it may bank-switch this area for its own code,
but this is invisible to the application).

>     So long as 4MB of system RAM is enough, most developers are not going
> to be very concerned about complaints from a few Slot card RAM users.
> Their advice will remain "Get 4MB of 'real' RAM"!

I agree.

There doesn't seem to be much point using a RamFactor or similar
standard slot RAM card in a IIgs - it is really only useful as a RAM
disk (and is slower than the /RAM5 volume provided by the IIgs,
especially if you use the native GS/OS drivers, and even more so on a
ROM 3).

On the other hand, if you _want_ a RAM disk, then a RamFactor can free
up IIgs memory that would otherwise be used for RAM5.  It is still a
better idea to bump the IIgs memory up as high as possible (at least 4
MB).
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand