Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!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: <42573@ut-emx.uucp> Date: 15 Jan 91 19:06:14 GMT References: <48107@apple.Apple.COM> <1991Jan15.183312.27926@maverick.ksu.ksu.edu> Sender: news@ut-emx.uucp Reply-To: awessels@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Allen Wessels) Organization: The University of Texas at Austin Lines: 35 In article <1991Jan15.183312.27926@maverick.ksu.ksu.edu> jxf@altair.cis.ksu.edu (Jerry Frain) writes: >Yes, yes, preemptive multiprogramming has been around for some 25 years >now, but Apple still hasn't figured out how to do it on the Mac (except >under A/UX -- but AT&T wrote the part of the OS that does the scheduling). At the very best you might be able to claim either that Apple hasn't found a way to do it on current Macs and remain compatible with the existing software base, or that Apple hasn't publicly released a solution yet. I'm pretty sure work on System 8 is going on in parallel with 7.0 and that 8.0 will have to be competetive with OSes that will be out by then. >And give Apple employees a way to divert attention away from the real >question, which is, > > "Why hasn't Apple implemented a preemptive multiprogrammming OS?" This question has already been answered. It doesn't do you any good to get a gnifty new OS if all your application software breaks. We live in a market economy and new advancements come out in spurts. >For me, the answer to this question is not important. If you have looked >at the Q&A list for System 7.0, the issue of preemptive multiprogramming >was barely addressed. It seems that Apple is now researching ways to >possibly provide this feature. This has been general knowledge for the last year and a half, if not longer. Again, I doubt that "Apple is [just] now researching ways...." >>Followup to: comp.sys.amiga.has.true.multitasking.na.naah.na.naah.naaah > >A very mature response. Glad you could help. Uhuh. Right.