Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bbn!uwmcsd1!ig!jade!ucbvax!CORY.BERKELEY.EDU!dillon
From: dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU (Matt Dillon)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Nothing about:  Re: Multi-tasking? A nightmare...
Message-ID: <8712242003.AA01115@cory.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 24 Dec 87 20:03:44 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Lines: 22

>     PC spooling programs, which must patch into interrupt locations and
>store into the operating system, have similar problems.  (Try to get
>a printer spooler and a plotter spooler both running at the same time.)

	Not only that, but things like ethernet drivers for, say, a PC-AT,
really screw up when you re-route LPT1: over the network to another IBM-PCAT 
(the plotter is connected to just one machine).  Many application programs are
"smart" and spool output requests, which is not only incredibly slow with two
cludged semi-interrupt driven drivers talking to each other, but usually 
incompatible.

	The results are poor performance and lost connections (for no reason
at all!).  So much for networking an IBM-PC.

	This problem does not occur in a multitasking enviroment.  I would
say that just about everything that is a big cludge on the IBM fits right 
into the multitasking scheme, and I would like to add that when I say
'multitasking', I'm talking about something that is completely integrated
into the OS (like the Amiga).  Anybody can write interrupt driven task
switchers!  I've done so on the IBM, and even my old PET.

						-Matt