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From: lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: simple multitasking examples
Message-ID: <2225@van-bc.UUCP>
Date: 11 Feb 89 20:06:20 GMT
Sender: lpami@van-bc.UUCP
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In <3031@ihlpm.ATT.COM>, jmdavis@ihlpm.ATT.COM (Davis) writes:
  >What is the simplest example you can think of to demonstrate that
  >the Amiga really does have multitasking? Preferably this should be
  >in the form of a discussion like "can you do this?" that wouldn't
  >require a computer to be present.

The problem with this tack is that the MsDos type will usually say things like
"Yes, I can do that because my terminal program (or editor, or whatever) allows
me to do a dir (or delete or print, or whatever)." If it is something not
covered by the program they are discussing, they will say "I can do that with a
TSR program called 'blah'."

When you are faced with answers like this, you should point out that on the
Amiga, you are not limited by the program you are running, or limited to
specialized TSR programs that must be loaded before getting into a situation
where you need them.  You can point out that on the Amiga, _any_ program can be
run with any other program, provided that the programs are 'well behaved' and
that they do not require the exclusive use of the same resources. By 'well
behaved', I mean that the program was not written specifically to inhibit
multitasking.

  >Anyway, the point here is to come up with a quick, thoughtful,
  >expression of Amiga uniqueness wrt multitasking. Multiple windows
  >isn't it, nor is "multi processing" since some machines can emulate
  >this via programs that allow you to execute the most-commonly-used-
  >program-used-with-this-program (editors and comm packages, for
  >example). I think formatting two disks is it. This task clearly
  >does two things at once, this also isn't something in demand, so
  >communication packages (for example) probably won't have an option
  >for this (like they do editors).

Multiple windows (or more correctly, multiple programs) running at the same
time is definitely it. The main thing though, is to point out that the Amiga is
not limited in the same way as the MsDos machine, to particular programs. This
is the whole advantage, really. Showing someone two programs running does
nothing to show the real power, unless you point out the genrality of the
solution, in addition to the fact that the other program is not of necessity
idle, but can be performing useful work with otherwise wasted cycles.

The other day, I was reading and answering messages on Compuserve, one of which
was attempting to say that multitasking was not all that significant a feature.
It was a fairly long message, so I wanted to do my usual capture of it for
display in another CLI while I answered. I activated the ASCII capture and gave
a filename of "VD0:temp", only to dscover that I had forgotten to mount VD0:,
resulting in a request to put volume VD0: in any drive.
At this point, there would have only been a few options open to the MsDos user;
use another device, perhaps disk; exit the terminal program (perhaps even
reboot) to install the ramdisk. I just clicked in another CLI and typed "mount
VD0:". The requester went away, I clicked in the terminal program, and was back
to normal. No muss, no fuss, no pain, and all in a matter of seconds.

You can ask if all his programs allow all commands to be executed. Does his
favourite spreadsheet allow any other editor to be brought up in order to
reference another file? Does his database program allow him to bring up his
favourite terminal program to dial in somewhere to check something out?

TSRs are indeed a way to provide for functions that are left out of the program
you are using, but they are limited to the functions that they perform, and you
need to know in advance that you will be needing the function.

I answer questions in online conferences in real time, and cannot imagine doing
so to the same degree of accuracy and efficiency with a single tasking machine.
If someone wants a piece of example code.  I use another CLI to look at it, or
an editor to cut it out and send it. If they want to know how they can use a
program to do a particular function, I am not limited to my memory or the
documentation for details. I can try it, then and there. I can even pipe the
output through the serial port, or 'Snipit' from the CLI. If someone wants to
know if program X will work with program Y, I can test that too, and without
having to tell them I'll give them the answer tomorrow. There have been times
when 3 or 4 of us have been sitting in the conferencing area, working on a
program, passing a routine back and forth, making modifications, compiling, and
testing, in order to optimize it or to add some functionality. Try these thigs
on an MsDos machine, then laugh your buns off.

A friend of mine writes reviews for our club newsletter. He gets very bent out
of shape when a game inhibits multitasking, because he likes to play the game
and use his favourite editor to write the review at the same time. He plays a
bit, writes a bit, back and forth, getting his facts straight, making sure he
doesn't forget any options or features, and so on.

Note the key words in the previous paragraphs. 'favourite', 'options', and so
on. Yes, Turbo Pascal has a nice, integrated environment. Do you like the Turbo
Pascal editor? If so, can you use that editor with the assembler? can you use
it with Quick C? Can you use an editor you like better with Turbo Pascal?

On the Amiga, you pick an editor _you_ like best, and use it. You use it to do
things while you are programming, while you are on line, while you are doing
whatever else you care to do. If the editor is capable of speaking ARexx, as
are CEDPro and TxEd, you can even integrate it with your favourite compiler, or
assembler, or all your favourite compilers or assemblers. You can use it to
build other tools, with or without the help of your favourite programs.

>My only problem is that it is too simple, I fully expect to either
>1) explain why this is significant, or 2) leave the fellow fully
>unimpressed. Any suggestions for other similar "thought experiments"?
>(Ideally something that leaves someone walking away saying:
>	"Hmmmm, I thought my machine multitasked, but it can't
>	 do that. I wonder how the Amiga does that?"

Because IBM has not yet started fuly pushing multitasking (via OS/2), most IBM
users are of the opinion that it can't be important. When IBM does finally push
it, they will start preaching its virtues to others. Such is the nature of IBM
and their loyal users. Historically, IBM has always released products well
after the demand has been there. Before release, their salesmen (and
consequently, their customers), will tell you that it is not needed.  Virtual
Memory, colour terminals, and many more advances only became desirable in large
DP shops after IBM put their 'blessing' on them.

Currently, the micro market is going through the same things that the mainframe
IBM shops went through years ago. The attempts to provide functionality are
there, in the form of TSRs, addon kludges in large applications, and OS/2
itself. These in themselves should be sufficient to convince IBM users that
they are heading in specifics toward what the Amiga does in generalities.
Unfortunately, most MsDos users you talk to have the blinders on, and many
cannot be convinced. That these same people will be singing the praises of
multitasking a few years down the road is not much comfort. If you manage to
convince _ANY_ MsDos users of the benefits to be had in the Amiga, consider
yourself as having done A Good Thing. You won't convince them all, for the
simple reason that IBM does not sell the equivalent of an Amiga.

>Sorry for rambling, but it is late.

Ha! And you thought you rambled. Well, it's early, and I think it had to be
said.

-larry

--
Frisbeetarianism: The belief that when you die, your soul goes up on
                  the roof and gets stuck.
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|   //   Larry Phillips                                                |
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