Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
From: awessels@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Allen Wessels)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Re: True Multitasking
Message-ID: <42588@ut-emx.uucp>
Date: 15 Jan 91 21:30:38 GMT
References: <19019@shlump.nac.dec.com>
Sender: news@ut-emx.uucp
Reply-To: awessels@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Allen Wessels)
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin
Lines: 33

In article <19019@shlump.nac.dec.com> long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com (Rich Long) writes:
>
>In article <42554@ut-emx.uucp>, awessels@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Allen Wessels) writes...
>>programs.  What exactly do you need your machine to do that "true" multitasking
>>would allow?
>
> Oh...let's see. How about being able to switch out of the Finder during copy
> operations or disk formatting? How about not having one's download wedge

OK, I'm not a programmer, but I wonder if these can't be handled by the right
software.  They are real issues, but for how many users.  Sometimes you just
say "Uncle" to the law of diminishing returns.  Just how much of the average
user's time is occupied with these tasks?

> because a menu was held down too long? How about getting decent foreground

I think it is possible to increase the size of the serial port buffer to extend
the amount of time you can hold the menu down.  But really, just how long are
you holding menus down?  I download a LOT under MF and I've rarely had a 
download interrupted.  Even then, many of those interruptions are due to line
noise (I've watched happen occasionally when the term program is the only
thing running.)

> performance with something running in the background that is not a "good
> citizen"? How about real print spooling?

Every company that sells an OS has programming guidelines, and I'd guess that
most of them will tell you the bets are off if the program is written in an
OS-unfriendly fashion.

What do you mean by real print spooling?  You want a better spooler than Print
Monitor?  How about a better macro program than MacroMaker.  A better backup
program than HDBackup?  Can you say 3rd party product?