Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cbmvax!valentin
From: valentin@cbmvax.commodore.com (Valentin Pepelea)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Files larger than available memory.
Message-ID: <14893@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Date: 5 Oct 90 02:20:09 GMT
References: <924@ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au> <1990Sep24.101616.20657@psuecl.bitnet>
Reply-To: valentin@cbmvax.commodore.com (Valentin Pepelea)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA
Lines: 35

In article <1990Sep24.101616.20657@psuecl.bitnet> d6b@psuecl.bitnet writes:
>
> The largest file I've ever dealt with was 1.4 megabytes, and I thought that
> was pretty big. It fits nicely in my 3 megabytes. So, it's not clear that
> having some sort of VM built into an editor is terribly important. Whether or
> not having VM in the OS is desirable is another matter. I don't need it
> myself, but I suppose there are those that do (who are you??)

Good point. There are many people who do not realize the usefullness of
virtual memory for the Amiga. They say, 'Hey, I've got 4MB and that's plenty
anough for me'. Quite a simplistic approach. But the fact of the matter is,
we all need virtual meemory - right now.

Would you like to have GCC, the GNU C compiler running on your Amiga? Well,
you better stock up on memory chips - or get virtual memory. And you'd like
too see Mathematica running on your Amiga? It won't work without oodles of
memory. How about a digitizer that catures a 1024x1024x24 image, for you
to manipulae later on. How do you store that picture without virtual memory?

So we might be tempted to sit back in our chair and claim that we don't need
virtual memory, because no applications have been written that require it.
Well, you'll never see those application if we don't ship virtual memory
first.

Now getting back to your example, how can I edit a 500 page book, if I don't
have virtual memory, and the editor does not have a built-in VM manager? I'd
be forced to devide the book in section, and keep guessing at what page each
chapter starts. And what a nightmare to create an index!

Valentin
-- 
The Goddess of democracy? "The tyrants    Name:    Valentin Pepelea
may destroy a statue,  but they cannot    Phone:   (215) 431-9327
kill a god."                              UseNet:  cbmvax!valentin@uunet.uu.net
             - Ancient Chinese Proverb    Claimer: I not Commodore spokesman be