DEC Windows User Notes August 1988
Here it is... "WINDOWS" for the Rainbow!!! The drivers used to adapt
Windows 1.03.04 to the Rainbow were written as part of an unfinished project
at DEC, and include a lot of personal hours of work by dedicated people.
Windows was never licensed by DEC from Microsoft. In the pervious versions
of these user notes, I admonished people who used this software
to go out and support Microsoft by buying a real copy of Windows version 1.xx
This is a problem now tho', because Version 1.xx (for the IBM) is no longer
available. Oh well... (NOTE: Do NOT get the IBM Ver. 2.xx or Windows/386. They
will not work. However, there is a report from CANADA that a user-written alphab
version of Windows 2.0 for the Rainbow is up and running and that Suitable
Solutions is interested...and has tested ver. 1.03.04 on their '286 board for
the Rainbow. Rainbow owners are blessed with good fortune.
If you do find a copy of Windows 1.xx for the IBM, all the programs which
come with it, such as Write, Paint, Clipboard, Calendar, Calculator, etc.
will also work with the DEC version of Windows. I originally reported in
an earlier version of these user notes that I could not get the SPOOLER or
the RAMDRIVE programs to work. I since have discovered that they do in fact
work. I guess the problem was operator error. There are still two problems...
You need to rename CLOCK.EXE to something else (like MSCLOCK.EXE for
instance) before moving it to the Rainbow because CLOCK is a reserved DEVICE
name like PRN, CON, and AUX. (This is cured, however, if you have the latest
and greatest version of DOS 3.10 -- with the hidden files dated 6/88 or later.
Also I have never gotten the TERMINAL.EXE program to work either. A VT220
emulator was originally planned for Windows on the DEC. That is why there is
a terminal font available. However, it was never finished. Supposedly,
the terminal program just goes through the COMM driver of Windows...
so it should work as long as the COMM driver is working......
IN*A*VISION, a CAD program, the Windows Graph Demo, and OWL's "Guide" all
work for sure under the DEC version of Windows...as should any program written
to run under version 1.xx of the IBM version of Windows. Reportedly, the
first version of Pagemaker will work also. Windows on a Rainbow, tho', is the
same speed as Windows on an IBM-XT (i.e. not bad to horrible depending on the
program). By the way, to run OWL's "Guide" do NOT load the DEC terminal font
in your WIN.INI file.
You need a graphics board, at least 320k of RAM, and DOS 3.10 to run
WINDOWS. If you run Windows on a DEC color monitor you only get two colors,
blue and white. The resolution of Windows is an incredible 800 x 200 pixels,
it just knocks your socks off!! You can now buy a proper, legal, working, and
supported version of DOS 3.10 for the Rainbow from Suitable Solutions for
around $95.!
Two mouse drivers were written for the DEC version of Windows.
The first, and most forgetable, driver was for the Logitech R-7 mouse (with
its own power supply and which plugged into the printer port) does not work.
However, a Microsoft employee -- and Rainbow devotee -- has written an elegant
driver for the SERIAL version of the Microsoft Mouse (which plugs into the
communications port of the Rainbow). It works like a champ!!! (And so,
presumably, should a hardware compatible Microsoft mouse clone...but, to date,
I have only tried Windows using real Microsoft mice--e.g. green,grey, or white
buttons).
The Microsoft mouse driver is smart enough that if you do not have a mouse
attached, it simply starts up expecting you to use the keyboard commands
instead of the mouse. Very user friendly! This runtime version of DEC Windows
is installed for the Microsoft mouse. I have hooked up an A-B switch to my own
communications port so I can share it with both my mouse and my modem.
The printer driver for the LA50 is included (i.e. LA50.DRV) and the
WIN.INI file is set up to use it. Check the baud rate, bits, and parity
(under [PORTS]) to assure that they match your printer's settings. This should
work with the LA100 and LA75 also. It works in Windows WRITE.EXE and
Windows PAINT.EXE just fine...fonts and everything. Although WRITE and PAINT
were not distributed with earlier disks of DEC Windows (because they were still
products on the market) WRITE and PAINT are now included here because you cannot
buy them for Windows Version 1.xx, except at a flea market.
(Note for laser printer fans...the Apple LaserWriter and HP LaserJet drivers
will also work just fine with DEC Windows, if you have access to one of these
marvelous printers and the appropriate drivers from an IBM version of Windows.
*** ******************************************************* ***
The files included on this first of three disks are:
WINDOW1.ARC (everything you need, including Microsoft mouse and LA50 drivers)
WIN.COM Start up program.
WIN.INI Adaptable Windows Initialization file.
WIN100.BIN File containing applicable drivers.
WIN100.OVL Overlay file for Windows start up program.
WINOLDAP.GRB Display driver file.
WINOLDAP.MOD Another display driver file.
LA50.DRV LA-50 Printer Driver
TMSRA.FON Fonts for Windows WRITE and PAINT.
COURA.FON "
HELVA.FON "
MODERN.FON "
ROMAN.FON "
USERNOTE.1 User Notes, August 1988 (This file).
***************************** BASIC WINDOWS KEYBOARD COMMANDS ***********
Alt-Spacebar selects the top left corner pull-down menu.
Up/Down Arrow moves on the menu and the
RETURN key selects the item.
Alt-Tab selects a different window or icon.
Alt-and the first letter of the choice on the top menu bar in any application
selects that pull-down menu.
Tab will move you around inside a DIALOG box to get to the OK.
Spacebar will select OK from inside a DIALOG box. You can tell which
selection you are on buy looking at where the blinking cursor is.
Shift-Left Button does multiple file selects with a mouse.
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