This file contains the latest information for MacPC, Version 1.0
1. Contents
==========
• About MacPC
• Macintosh memory requirements
• Memory settings for best performance
• More performance tips - Getting the best out of MacPC
• Limitations
• CD ROM support
• AccessPC compatibility
• External floppy drive support
• Other tips for experienced MS-DOS users
• Additional information
• Acknowledgments
• Comments please
2. About MacPC
==============
This is the first version of MacPC, which is derived from SoftWindows for Performa.
MacPC is designed specifically for any 680x0 processor or PowerPC processor Macintosh.
It delivers up to entry level 386 performance on 68040-based computers and entry level 486 performance on PowerPC-based computers. (Note that performance can vary depending on how you configure MacPC and on the applications you run.) The faster your Macintosh, the faster MacPC runs.
MacPC comes with MS-DOS 6.21. Microsoft Windows 3.1 must be purchased separately if you want to run standard-mode Windows applications.
For your convenience, the MacPC User Guide is provided online on the MacPC CD. Refer to the User Guide for complete information on the product features.
3. Macintosh memory requirements
===============================
MacPC requires 10MB of memory (also known as RAM) for the default configuration. This configuration is equivalent to a 4MB PC, which is capable of running Windows well.
This requirement may exceed the available memory in your Macintosh, but there are a number of solutions to enable MacPC to run well.
i) Install more RAM - a 16MB Macintosh is our recommended configuration. This will make MacPC run optimally, and also enables you to run more Macintosh applications simultaneously.
ii) Turn on "Virtual Memory" in the Macintosh Memory Control Panel. This uses 8MB of unused disk space to effectively boost your memory to 16MB. Note that Virtual Memory is much slower than real RAM, but it is an inexpensive option.
iii) Install a product such as RAM Doubler from Connectix Corp. This utility uses another technique to double the amount of memory in your Macintosh, but will not be as fast as installing more RAM.
iv) Configure MacPC to use less memory:
It is possible to install MacPC to be equivalent to a 2MB PC, but this runs Windows more slowly than a 4MB PC. In addition, it will not be possible to install as many Windows applications because some of them will not run on PCs with 2MB RAM.
It is also possible to install MacPC to be equivalent to a 640KB PC which will run DOS applications only.
4. Memory settings for best performance
=====================================
The amount of memory that you dedicate to MacPC is set up by the MacPC 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 number of colors you can choose for the Windows desktop
iii) The performance of MacPC
Stated simply, the more memory you allocate to MacPC, the better the performance. However, devoting a large portion of your Macintosh memory to running MacPC will limit your ability to run other Macintosh applications simultaneously.
If you want to dedicate more memory to MacPC:
• Make sure MacPC is not running: Quit MacPC if it is.
• Select MacPC in the Finder by clicking the MacPC 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.
If you have given too much memory to MacPC, go through the above procedure and type a smaller number into the Minimum and Preferred Size boxes.
To see the effect of your changes, run MacPC and select PC Memory… from the MacPC Setup menu. The size of the “DeltaCache” (which controls the MacPC performance - bigger is better) is displayed in the top right 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 the MacPC performance.
5. More performance tips - Getting the best out of MacPC
• Make sure that MacPC is set up to use at least 3MB of PC extended memory by using the PC Memory… command from the MacPC Setup menu. Windows runs much better with 3MB rather than the minimum 1MB 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 MacPC 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 the Command and Option keys will display a hand icon with a dot in the middle.)
• Try boosting the DeltaCache to approximately 2048k, as described above.
6. Limitations
=============
MacPC runs Windows in “standard mode”, but not in “enhanced mode”. Most Windows applications can run in either standard or enhanced mode, but enhanced mode adds the ability to run DOS applications in a window (instead of taking up the entire screen), and for Windows to use virtual memory. This occurs because the MacPC instruction set is that of a 286, which determines what software will run. This does not mean that MacPC runs at 286 speeds, but at 386 speeds on 68040-based Macintosh computers and at 486 speeds on the PowerPC-based Macintosh computers.
7. CD ROM Support
================
MacPC allows you to access data and run programs from PC CD ROMs in your Macintosh CD ROM drive. It is also possible to use CD ROMs that have both Macintosh data and PC data on them. Use of these hybrid CDs requires that you have a CD ROM driver that is capable of accessing both types of data. The Apple CD ROM driver cannot access both types of data. However, you may purchase Insignia Solutions' RapidCD product to replace the Apple CD driver to enable this functionality. FWB's CD ROM Toolkit is also compatible.
8. AccessPC compatibility
========================
Version 3.0.2 of Insignia Solutions' AccessPC product allows you to mount MacPC hard disk files on the Macintosh desktop so that you can see the DOS files and directories as documents and folders. If you have an earlier version (3.0 or 3.0.1) you may modify it to enable this functionality. Simply run the application called “PatchAccessPC” which is in the “MacPC Install 1” folder within the “MacPC” folder, and follow the instructions in the subsequent dialogs. Note that the AccessPC control panel should be closed when you modify it. You will need to restart the Macintosh afterwards.
9. External floppy drive support
============================
The internal FDHD drive (also known as the “SuperDrive”) may be used to read 3.5-inch diskettes. If you need to use 5.25-inch diskettes, MacPC supports the DaynaFile and DaynaFile || from Dayna Communications Inc.
10. Other tips for experienced MS-DOS users
========================================
Loading DOS High
----------------
In order to maximize the amount of available conventional memory to PC applications, (that is, memory below the 1MB boundary), you may load DOS high by adding the line:
DOS=high
to the CONFIG.SYS file.
11. Additional information
========================
Changing monitors, or monitor resolutions, can lead to a Windows Desktop which is larger than the current monitor size. To ensure the proper viewing area, select Windows Desktop from the Setup menu, then resize the window within the monitor that you want to use. The changes will take effect the next time you run Windows.
12. Acknowledgments
====================
12.1 WinPost
------------
The tutorial Windows application supplied with MacPC 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.
12.2 DEVLOD
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MacPC 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.
12.3 DOS for Dummies/ Windows for Dummies
-----------------------------------------
The online MacPC User Guide is not intended to be a complete 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 Solutions technical support specialists who are certainly not “dummies”!
13. Comments Please
===================
The online MacPC User Guide has details of how to contact Insignia Solutions technical support and customer service departments. Please contact these departments if you have any problems with the software or wish to get further product information.
If you have any comments about MacPC or the documentation, please send them by letter, fax or AppleLink to:
Insignia Product Marketing or Insignia Product Marketing
Insignia Solutions Insignia Solutions Ltd.
1300 Charleston Road Kingsmead Business Park
Mountain View CA 94043 London Road
High Wycombe HP11 1JU
UK
Fax: (415) 335 7105 Fax: +44 1494 459720
AppleLink: INSIGNIA.PMG
Fax Response Service: 1-800-876-3872
World-wide Web server: www.insignia.com (198.3.236.21)
