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From: jkonstan@h-sc4.harvard.edu (Joe Konstan)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: Multitasking
Message-ID: <173@husc6.HARVARD.EDU>
Date: Tue, 12-Aug-86 18:58:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: husc6.173
Posted: Tue Aug 12 18:58:01 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 13-Aug-86 01:41:50 EDT
References: <154@uwmacc.UUCP>
Sender: news@husc6.HARVARD.EDU
Reply-To: konstan@h-sc4.UUCP (Joe Konstan)
Distribution: net
Organization: Harvard University
Lines: 42
Summary: There is more to multitasking than background compilation

In article <154@uwmacc.UUCP> gdavis@uwmacc.UUCP (Gary Davis) writes:
>
>     A debate over multitasking crops up occasionally, with some
>claiming it really has little use, while others insisting it is
>essential for efficient use of a computer. One argument for mutitasking
>is that it permits you to do something else on your computer while
>waiting for it to compile code or recalculate a spreadsheet.  But
>wouldn't it be far preferable to use a compiler or spreadsheet that is
>fast enough that any wait is negligeable and your train of thought is
>not broken.  Multi- tasking would only slow a slow program down and
>break your thought even more. Turbo Pascal and Lightspeed C show that
>sufficiently fast compilers, at least, are possible, even on not
>especially fast machines.  And the success of these compilers suggests
>that many people appreciate being able to test code out quickly in a
>more interactive manner than possible with traditional compilers.
> (etc.)

I happen to use multi-tasking all the time, and find that there ARE
lots of good uses for it which just won't normally be available.  Even
when I am running Unix of the Vaxen here, by running the C-shell, I find
myself often running a copy of rn in the background (for breaks),
running a remote login, to do work on other machines, as well as an
editor session, compile, etc.  One of the best features that most unix
programming tools have is the ability to do a shell escape and execute
another program.  When writing programs, I almost never leave vi,
choosing instead to issue a :!make command.

On my Macintosh, what I would like to be able to do easily is run
LightSpeed C (which I program in) and Microsoft Word (in which I write
documentation) all while also running a terminal program and the finder.
For much of this, a good switcher/reamdisk and 4Meg might do, but I want
to be sure that when I leave Word with a 40 page document to print,
repaginate, etc., that it can do so while I work on something else,
preferably notifying me when it is done.

In short, I think true multi-tasking would be a great feature to add to
the Mac.

--
Joe Konstan
konstan@endor.HARVARD.EDU
konstan@h-sc4.UUCP