You will want to make the text of the RTB follow the tail of the log. In-core storage of text is VERY co$tly. If you're using a C# or Java RTB, you assign its Text property the whole string you want. You generally can't just add the newest line to the existing text. Also the += implementation for strings in those 2 languages are wicked expensive.
So given that you will have to pause and recalculate the contents of the text box when some number 'n' of new lines comes in, you will have to store the total lines somewhere else anyway. but that's a side issue.
you ought to have the RTB enabled, but explicitly trap the MouseDown event in the box. When you do that, you can start the selection process (handling the mousemove and mouse up events). Since most window controls are single threaded, that in and of itself will stop the process of appending text to the window, until you've finished processing the mouseup event.
Since you're capturing a mousedown event, you control all the interaction - all you have to do is disregard key events to keep people from typing into the text - the only allowable action is to mousemove until mouseup. That way, you can keep the RTB enabled.
HTH,
Jim
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