Subject: Win 95 Console Stuff...
From: [email-masked] (Jason M. Felice)

3 Nov 1997 19:18:41 -0800
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To: [email-masked]

Okay, I've been toying with the idea for quite some time.  Now I really
have a reason to do it.

As we all know, Win95's console support *sucks* -- it is slow as hell.
I've been thinking about ways to fix it.  There are three ways that I can
think of:

1) Support for DOS (16 bit, DJGPP) isn't slow at all.  It's just the Win32
API that sucks.  Of course, that is the only thing we have available to
us.  Unless, of course, we do something funky to get 32-bit dos-extended
like io...  :-}

2) DirectX allows direct access to the graphics hardware, including text
modes.  The DX5SDK, however, is about 28 meg for the downloadable-install
program.  This sucks.

3) We could write a VXD that would allow aware applications to write
directly to screen memory. (via the VXD calls, or via a non-relocatable,
mapped address (can you use those with VXDs).

I'm seriously thinking about this and would like any questions, comments
and suggestions.  There's no reason 32-bit console programs should be so
friggin sluggish on my 200 MMX.  Also, any news if it's better in Win98
would be appreciated.

Thanx,
Eraserhead.

(P.S.  I'm new to this list.  Congrats on the cygwin32, it makes my life
easier.  Bravo.)

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