High Memory is Relative

Like most folks I customize my computer to fit my needs. I apply a myriad of registry settings, applications, utilities, and adjustments to my machine to get the environment just the way I like. One item I always seem to change is the buffer height of my command prompt. I find it is useful to increase this buffer when I am running commands that have a ton of output or when I am debugging an application with a command line debugger. Rather than have the text just flow off the buffer I typically increase te Height buffer to the max, 9999. When doing so you may run across one of the most useless messages you may come across in Windows.

WARNING: Screen buffer size will require 1 MB of memory per window.

Obviously the guy or gal that wrote this message has not looked at the memory consumption of Outlook 2007.:-) The message actually goes way back. I remember filing a bug, which was subsequently rejected, on this dialog when Windows 2000 was still in Beta. As far as I can tell it is a holdover from the days when the premier operating system around was known simply as NT. As best as I can figure it was put into the OS around the NT 3.x days however if anyone is still running those version and can confirm or deny I would love to know. But here it is in Windows Vista still alive and kickin.