Re: 48 k prodos question resolved...(?)

[uerics@mcl.ucsb.edu (Eric Shepherd)]

ProDOS 8, versions 1.0, 1.0.1, and, maybe 1.1 and 1.1.1 (I'm not sure
about those last two, though) will run on a 48K system.

HOWEVER!!!!  Most software assumes a 64K system.  Good software will
actually check the ProDOS MACHID byte, which says how much memory
exists, before blindly assuming this, but since ProDOS 8 v1.1 or 1.1.1
and later only work on 64K systems, nobody really bothers to check.

48K simply isn't enough memory to reasonably use ProDOS.  ProDOS
itself chomps up about 12-16K of memory, which leaves about 32K free.
Now pull out the 4K of zero page, stack, $300 page vectors, and text
screen 1, and you have only 28K or so left, from $800 to about $8600
or so.  If you're lucky.

There may be programs that will run in that.  In fact, I'm sure there
are.  But not many, and definitely nothing very big.


--
sheppy@aol.com            |-------------- Eric Shepherd ----------------
uerics@mcl.mcl.ucsb.edu   |Programming Law #21: Never put your faith in
powerpc.pro@genie.geis.com|rules -- breaking them is half the fun!
sheppy@cs.ucsb.edu        |[Apple II Forever]  [PowerPC Programmers' RT]