Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:14204 comp.windows.misc:342
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!husc2!mckenzie
From: mckenzie@husc2.UUCP (mckenzie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.windows.misc
Subject: Re: A/UX window systems, Mac tool...( Hum Interface)
Message-ID: <1473@husc2.UUCP>
Date: 20 Mar 88 06:43:57 GMT
References: <7593@apple.Apple.Com> <3691@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>
Reply-To: mckenzie@husc2.UUCP (David McKenzie)
Distribution: na
Organization: Harvard University Science Center
Lines: 33
Keywords: window human computer interface
Summary: Into the valley of death rode the 600...

In article <3691@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> chekmate@athena.mit.edu 
(Adam Kao) writes:
>As a tool for switching between tasks, MultiFinder has absolutely no
>advantage over multitasking...

Just couldn't let this one go by...

As Mr. Berry pointed out, 'multitasking' is not a tool at all - 
it's an "operating system concept"; as it stands, the sentence 
quoted above is completely nonsensical. 

The most basic level of multitasking (as one might guess from the 
name), is the ability to run two or more tasks concurrently.  
MultiFinder is a program which implements this level of 
multitasking, and from my (admittedly limited) experience with 
other multitasking systems, it does so smoothly and conveniently 
while retaining compatibility with a very large body of pre-
existing software.

Sure, pre-emptive multitasking is nice to have, but very few Macs 
are used for the same kinds of tasks as your typical UN*X box - 
the Mac is a single-user machine, and in the Mac context 
multitasking is most useful for: a) switching the user focus 
quickly between various programs (not really multitasking at all, 
but closely related), and b) relegating long unattended tasks to 
the background - neither of which requires pre-emptive 
multitasking.  MultiFinder does a) very well, and can handle b) 
with friendly applications.  MultiFinder doesn't pretend to be the 
fanciest multitasking software in the world, but it makes the Mac 
a whole lot nicer to use than it was six months ago.

					David McKenzie
					mckenzie@husc2.UUCP