Digital Research's GEM (Intel 8086 version!)

Mention my name - good for a laugh or two :-) and possibly a deep discount..

This Desktop will function under later versions of GEM - the trashcan does not look the same, however it is still functional.

The VDI will use EMS, if available.

The GEM/3 Desktop will not run properly, and a .COM shell provided to launch GEM/4 apps from the GEM/3 desktop may crash after repeated use.

Probably the model for DRI's X/GEM for FlexOS, a 32-bit protected mode multitasking system.

This version was written in Lattice C 3.x

What is interesting about ViewMax is the network drive icons that appear when mapped network drives are present. Also the directory tree function can handle the deep directory structures found on recent HDD's and CD-ROMs without crashing.

2.0, 2.1

GEM 3.11

Must use screen drivers above v3.11 or rotated text will not display properly.

Version

2.0

(I own a full ver. w/ 283 page bound manual)

SBO Inc. is out of business, I tried to locate them through their last post office box; in Carpenteria California (~1992) - n/g.

Very well written in Microsoft C 5.1

Written in Microsoft C 5.1

GEM 2.x based suite of compatible applications.  Configurable communications terminal package.  Supports Xmodem / Ascii - online help screens.  Unfortunately this app does not appear to run properly on EGA/VGA - only on CGA & Hercules. (It was targeted primarily for the Amstrad PC).

* These kits may also be refered to as the GEM System Developer's Kit as well.

The final PTK was written by Robert Schneider (DRI GmBh) - also related to the X/GEM system bindings for the 32bit protected mode FlexOS.

It also sports a really good script driven library install program that could be modified.

The 2.3 version was enhanced to support the setting of 'state bit' flags in GEM resources. The setting of such bits can be used to over-ride the way the AES displays border styles.

Although I only have the Pascal package, I was told that the FORTRAN compiler is functionally identical.  These follow ISO/ 7185 language implementations, with some extentions added.

Supports SMALL code model (< 64k program segment).  All of DOS memory is available for data.  Completely re-written bindings, non Microsoft.

3 manuals: ~700+ pages (Language/AES/VDI).  Very good documentation - better than GEM PTK.

The only GEM function not operational (bug?) is the Xgraf/StepCalc replacement for exploding & shrinking window portions of the AES library. (It does work in the DRI 'C' library version).

The only draw back was no provision for the handling of *.rsc files, you would have to have purchased the resource editor (RCS 2.x) from the GEM SDK. Prospero's languages, unlike DRI's, will let you dynamically create internal resources in the program text using a format similar to the (*.RSH) ASCII method in the SDK (difficult but posssible).

I have re-written the example programs to use external (*.rsc) files that can be modified by the GEM SDK's Resource editor (RCS 2.3). Prospero had never provided a resource editor to go along with their language products - I believe DRI would not license the RCS from the PC DOS version of the GEM PTK.

This is also an interpretive based language.  While it does not allow direct access to GEM system objects, menus or resources, there is a documented assembler interface to MASM 4.x.

Full use of fonts and many graphic functions as well as Indexed Sequential files are supported.

Direct access to printer drivers are supported without using GEM Output.

(Most of these features are also present in the Amstrad version - the notable exception being the assembler interface.  Alert boxes, file selectors, pretty advanced text, graphics and file I/O are all present in my old copy -- BALJ)

Very well documented, 2 manuals: ~275 pages.