Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!rutgers!ucla-cs!zen!ucbvax!UDCVAX.BITNET!TCORAM
From: TCORAM@UDCVAX.BITNET (maroC ddoT)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Multitasking??
Message-ID: <8712221448.AA21644@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 22 Dec 87 14:44:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 51

After reading all the stuff posted about multitasking, I feel like throwing
in my 2 cents.

How many people really (I mean REALLY) use true multitasking?
Some things that would benefit:  Downloading
                                 Compiling
                                 Ray Tracing....
All the above things would make life easier if run as a task (while you
can happily go and continue work elsewhere on the computer).

But.... Downloading can be effectively coded as a background task on
machines like the ST without need for true multitasking.  The same is not
true for compiling and number crunching. *sigh*

Well, let's consider context switching (like SWITCHER on the Mac):
        I am in a word processor (or editor-- where most programmers spend
        90% of their time). I want to compile my program, so I freeze the
        editor and 'switch' to the compiler (or shell that loads compiler)
        and compile the program, looking for errors.  I switch to a CLI
        to look for the files created by the compiler.  I switch back to
        the editor. (repeat 40 times or so).

How would true multitasking help?  I really don't want to go back to editing
while the program compiles. I have not even corrected the possible errors
the compiler has barfed on!  In the above situation, true multitasking really
doesn't make much a difference.

For Applications:
                Does my Spreadsheet really have to continue running along
                with my Wordprocessor? Do spreadsheet calculations take so
                long that I waste valuable time (time I could spend editing?).
                Would context switching do? Probally.

YES! There is a need for multitasking. But there are limitations on such a
small machine. The more you task, the slower each application runs...

On our VAX/VMS system, I do a lot of SPAWN/NOWAIT and batch jobs to do things
such as directory cleanups and SPSSX statistical calculations. I would die
of boredom if those things weren't done via tasking.

Give me a 4meg ST with a 68020, real memory management, VIRTUAL memory and
40meg mass storage and I can show you what real mutlitasking can do...

         _____________________________________________________________
        |                   maroC ddoT | Todd Coram                   |
        |         tcoram@udcvax.bitnet | tentib.xavcdu@maroct         |
        |                   remmargorP | Programmer                   |
        | retneC retupmoC cimedacA CDU | UDC Academic Computer Center |
        |_____________________________________________________________|

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing..."