Xref: utzoo comp.sys.atari.st:6539 comp.sys.amiga:11967
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!cbmvax!andy
From: andy@cbmvax.UUCP (Andy Finkel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Multi-tasking? A nightmare...
Message-ID: <3001@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 22 Dec 87 17:57:53 GMT
References: <2027@bath63.ux63.bath.ac.uk> <22237@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <8155@prls.UUCP>
Reply-To: andy@cbmvax.UUCP (Andy Finkel)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 43

In article <8155@prls.UUCP> gardner@prls.UUCP (Robert Gardner) writes:
>>In article <2027@bath63.ux63.bath.ac.uk> pes@ux63.bath.ac.uk (Smee) writes:
>>>What I am questioning is TRUE
>>>multi-tasking.  I've got no argument with 'carousels' of suspended programs,
>>>and no problem with resident background interrupt handlers, such as print
>>>spoolers.

>I'm still waiting to see if someone can come up with a use for TRUE
>multitasking that a typical home user would find very handy but that
>cannot be satisfied by a simple 'carousel' approach. There probably

With true multitasking, when my computer is doing something that
takes a while, like formatting a 200 meg hard drive, recalculating
a spreadsheet, balancing my checkbook :-) or anything that takes the
computer a while to do, I am free to use the computer for something
else.  

BTW, when you have a single-tasking computer, tack on some sort
of 'carousel' (ie Desk Accessories, Switcher, MultiPet, or whatever), 
add interrupt driven background programs with limited capabilities to do
print spooling, etc. , tack on multi-tasking shells that run some
programs , why not go the extra mile, and clean up your world and
put in true multitasking ?  All the problems with TSRs, spoolers,
etc. become very simple if the machine itself multitasks.

I really thing this whole thing is just a strawperson argument.  After all
Multitasking is available for the ST too.  (but not standard, like on the Amiga 
:-).  ST owners can get OS-9, a Un*x-like multitasking perating system, right ?

This argument comes down to, not on which computer is better, but
on whether you wait for your computer or whether your computer
waits for you.  Remember, you never have to use the multitasking
if you don't want to...

-- 
andy finkel		{ihnp4|seismo|allegra}!cbmvax!andy 
Commodore-Amiga, Inc.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from
 a rigged demo."

Any expressed opinions are mine; but feel free to share.
I disclaim all responsibilities, all shapes, all sizes, all colors.