Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!rex!ames!amdahl!JUTS!duts!kls30 From: kls30@duts.ccc.amdahl.com (Kent L Shephard) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy Subject: Re: 8-bit death (was Re: What the heck IS "Interactive TV"?) Message-ID: <43Eq02wy07X=01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com> Date: 1 May 91 20:55:19 GMT References: <02J7020m07rC01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com> <1991Apr26.221002.24745@sugar.hackercorp.com> <2brN02no07bc01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com> <1991Apr30.113840.2593@sugar.hackercorp.com> Sender: netnews@ccc.amdahl.com Reply-To: kls30@DUTS.ccc.amdahl.com (Kent L. Shephard) Distribution: na Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA Lines: 35 In article <1991Apr30.113840.2593@sugar.hackercorp.com> peter@sugar.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) writes: >In article <2brN02no07bc01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com> kls30@DUTS.ccc.amdahl.com (PUT YOUR NAME HERE) writes: >> As long as it is written for 64K or greater it is a 16bit OS. > >As another poster has noted, MS-DOS really isn't an O/S at all. But if you >include "64K or greater" that makes TRS-DOS, Apple-DOS, CP/M, and so on >16-bitters. (hell, the Apple ROMS did include a 16-bit p-machine) > >> Multitasking has nothing to do with whether an OS is 8,16, or 32bits. If >> you exclude the multitasking constraint MS-DOS is a 16 bit OS. > >If you exclude the passenger seats a motorcycle is a car, right? > You confuse features and function. A 16bit OS DOES NOT have to have multitasking to be 16bit. >By your logic, an 8-bit O/S could only address 256 bytes, right? By my definition - not logic - an 8bit OS must address at LEAST 256 bytes, more is good but 256 bytes is minimum. For a 16 bit 64k is minimum. It must also support the relavent data type. MS-DOS does both, ie. 640k memory and 16bit data types. >-- >Peter da Silva. `-_-' >. -- /* -The opinions expressed are my own, not my employers. */ /* For I can only express my own opinions. */ /* */ /* Kent L. Shephard : email - kls30@DUTS.ccc.amdahl.com */