Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!ted
From: ted@cs.utexas.edu (Ted Woodward)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Re: System 8 (What enhancements do people want?)
Message-ID: <700@needmore.cs.utexas.edu>
Date: 5 May 90 06:38:38 GMT
References: <1990Apr20.193426.16869@uswmrg2.UUCP> <5566@okstate.UUCP> <1990Apr25 <67@victoria.cs.utexas.edu> <5069@utastro.UUCP>
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 49

In article <5069@utastro.UUCP> james@utastro.UUCP (James McCartney) writes:
>In article <67@victoria.cs.utexas.edu>, s881@cs.utexas.edu (Dan Connolly) writes:
>> When using a graphically oriented machine like the mac, real-time
>> response is WONDERFUL: I use a Mac at home and an X-windows Unix
>> box at school. (I'm sure this is not rare) In the time-sliced X-windows
>> world, I'm never quite sure where my key-strokes go or whether a process
>> is done with my mouse-click. (Try using idraw under Unix. I'll take
>> MacDraw EVERY day).
>
>    Try starting a large print job in the bacground across Appletalk. You will
>then find your Mac lagging seconds behind on Mouse clicks and Key presses,
>JUST LIKE UNIX!!.
>
>  --- James McCartney

Ah, but the HP 9000/370 Dan was using to post that article, and the Sun
Sparcstation 1 I'm using to post this have a bit more horsepower than my SE
at home (I have no idea what Dan has).

I've been on a Sparcstation, with nobody else on, running Xwindows, with
3 windows open.  I'm reading news on one, another is the console window
(for messages), and the third is doing nothing.  I just LOVE hitting a mouse
button and waiting a full second for the menu to appear...and xload said the
system load was less than 1...

If Printmonitor had been written well, it would operate almost transparently...
It wouldn't take over the system for a few seconds at a time, more like about
1/4th of a second at a time...

The reason Unix boxes lag while in window environments is not lack of power,
but the fact that not enough priority is given to the user interface.  Just
today, I was copying my directory (it was huge), and wanted to check out
it's status by doing a du on my console window.  I'd move the mouse from
my rn window to the console window, the console window would highlight, and
THEN I'd hit !!.  Unfortunately, the !! frequently came out on the rn window.
Time for a shell escape...and yes, this was AFTER the console window was
highlighted...and the Sparcstation is supposed to be optimized for windows!!!
(don't believe me?  check out scrolling while on console and not using a window
system.  It really sux bad...)

And, of course, I just love the way the damn machine locks up while doing an
xsetroot -bitmap...so much for time slicing...I'd much rather be able to do
something and wait a bit longer for my background than just sit around...


-- 
Ted Woodward (ted@cs.utexas.edu)

Someone shot the food...