GM>> Yes, there was a terrific reduction in size when the
 GM>> boards went to using the SIM memory. I think that was
 GM>> after the first 386s were released.

 GM>> IIRC all the 286's and earlier used DIP chips on the
 GM>> m/board or on enormous cards in the expansion sockets.

 LE> Or *both*. I've put together Compaq Deskpro 286 systems
 LE> that had 2.5 meg (or was it 1.5?) on the mother board
 LE> and several more meg on Intel Aboveboard cards.

it was "tricks" like using add-in cards to backfill motherboard
memory and carry on with EMS or EEMS(?) that allowed me to run multinode
FD/RA on a 286/12 with DESQview... the trick was the backfilling of
motherboard memory... without that capability, one was fighting a lost
battle... backfilling required that you remove all memory from the
motherboard... some boards would only back down to 256 while others would
back down to 0... those that went all the way down were (and still are!)
the best ones to play with...

)\/(ark