Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!me!radio.astro!helios!dooley
From: dooley@helios.toronto.edu (Kevin Dooley)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: simple multitasking examples
Message-ID: <715@helios.toronto.edu>
Date: 13 Feb 89 18:03:50 GMT
References: <2225@van-bc.UUCP>
Reply-To: dooley@helios.UUCP (Kevin Dooley)
Organization: University of Toronto Physics/Astronomy/CITA
Lines: 39

In article <2225@van-bc.UUCP> lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips) writes:
>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'."
>
There are better examples of multitasking.  For example, no TSR program
can allow me to do a ray tracing in the background while I call up my
favorite USENET node to read the news.  Perhaps more importantly, there
is no way any MS-Dos hack can allow me to run 2 seperate number crunches
simultaneously while I edit my source code for the next run.  (Especially
not on 640K!)  I often do this because I like to use my Amiga as a real
computer to do real physics with.  No Mic or clone can touch the Amiga
for doing real computations for this very reason.  This may not be 
terribly important to Joe Average User, but perhaps that is why Joe
Average User bought a clone in the first place. ':^)
	I'm sorry, I digress.  Mr. Phillips makes some very good points
about everything being automatically an integrated environment.  This
also is very important.  I like the fact that when I bought DpaintII,
I could have it running at the same time as ProWrite to draw my diagrams
without leaving my word processor because it means that I can change
the text and change the diagram correspondingly with a minimum of 
pain.  I like the fact that I can have a game of asteroids while I'm
printing out some long piece of text or waiting for something to
download.  I especially like the fact that when I have a 10 hour
number crunch running, I can still use my computer.
			Kevin Dooley

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