VISUAL SYSTEM INFORMATION - VERSION 1.0


Visual System Information will provide you with a graphical represent-

ation of a system's configuration. I work on many different IBM PC's

and compatiables on any given day and needed a quick little utility to

give me a general snapshot of the system (as opposed to running a full

diagnostic check). Since I used Turbo Pascal to write VSI, it was easy

to add the pictorial display, and all the client's who saw it thought

it was "cute". They also felt good when I gave it to them as a

"freebie". Fortunately for me, they don't realize how quickly it was

to write this, and feel they are receiving a free copy of one of my

intensive midnight labors (if they feel this good, who am I to tell

them it wasn't!!).


VSI will work on both mono and color video boards. VSI performs all of

its system tests using DOS and/or BIOS calls with the exception of the

"PC Model" (PC, XT, AT or PCjr), and the date of the BIOS chip. These

two checks are performed via absolute addresses. VSI has been used on

all IBM models using all versions of PC-DOS and MS-DOS. It has also

been used on Zeniths, Compaqs, AT&T 6300's and 6300 Plus's. The only

"quirk" that I have found is on the 8088 based Compaq portables (? they

are 'self-contained' but they sure the hell ain't portable!!). No

matter whether they were booted with PC-DOS or generic MS-DOS, the

model type and BIOS chip date cannot be found at the absolute memory

addresses given in the IBM BIOS listing. But as alot of people are

finding out, "THIS AIN'T THE ONLY DIFFERENCES POPPING UP!!".













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