Forms 4 and 4.5 for Mac: how much client RAM needed?

We are using an Oracle 7+/Unix database to manage student assignments. The client computers for drawing assignments and for keying in the answers are Macintosh LCII computers (68030, using System 7.1) with 10 Mbyte RAM (maximum possible) and an 80 Mbyte hard drive. The database and TCP/IP network operate superbly, but the LCII computers are greatly underpowered for the job.

The problem is that Forms and Reports are big programs, and we have to use virtual memory in order to have both operating at the same time to print the single-page individualised assignment that each student generates. It all works, BUT it takes about five minutes to generate and print a single page via an LCII (as compared with about one minute on a fast Macintosh).

We are using Forms 4 and Reports 2.0 Runtime.

Question 1: Is there any way to strip down the RAM requirements of either Forms or Reports by a Mbyte or two, so that virtual memory would not be required?

Question 2: Will Forms 4.5 for the Macintosh (reportedly due to be released soon) use LESS RAM that Forms 4.0 (due to optimisation of code, etc.) or otherwise be faster?

Question 3: Do you have any (other) suggestions to speed up our printing process?

Robert L. Blakeley             Tel 61-7 3365 4612    Fax 61-7 3365 4699
Associate Professor             
Centre for Protein Structure, Function and Engineering
Department of Biochemistry     
University of Queensland
Brisbane, Queensland 4072  AUSTRALIA     blakeley_at_biosci.uq.edu.au