Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!cuae2!ihnp4!cbatt!ucbvax!CZHRZU1A.BITNET!K538915
From: K538915@CZHRZU1A.BITNET.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Multitasking discussion
Message-ID: <8702131709.AA28497@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Fri, 13-Feb-87 10:23:21 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8702131709.AA28497
Posted: Fri Feb 13 10:23:21 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Feb-87 23:45:38 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 23

An example that multitasking can be done quite well on a 68000 without MMU is
OS-9 (no, I haven't got it on an ST, but on a VME board). I personaly don't
think that it would be worth the trouble trying to write a real multitasking
kernel which GEM would run on top of (anyway there was some talk about DRI
writing a multitasking GEM). I think it would be more sensible to spend the
time writing a graphic user interface for MINIX or OS-9. One more word on my
comment to Beckemeyers background Kermit/XModem, I've got nothing against
things like a printer spooler etc. running in the background, but a fully
fledged Kermit is something different and one of the reason we buy small
computers is that we get better response times. Don't forget that something
that works ok on a terminal based system (like running Kermit at the same time
as editing a file on the VME system I mentioned (it does get very slow!)),
will not work as good on a bit-mapped system with no graphics hardware support
where editing is a major task (at least with GEM based editors).
 
                          Simon Poole
                          K538915@CZHRZU1A.BITNET
 
*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
* Definition: An optimist is a person which believes that there will be ROM   *
*             upgrades for the 520ST and 1040ST                               *
*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*