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From: wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: OS/2 vs AmigaDOS
Summary: not too hard to crash os/2
Keywords: Hee hee hee...
Message-ID: <1610@neoucom.UUCP>
Date: 2 May 89 14:16:08 GMT
References: <2134@iitmax.IIT.EDU> <17840@cisunx.UUCP>
Organization: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Lines: 32


Having something die in the compatibility box is a good way to send
os/2 into an unrecoverable lock-up that requires flipping that big
red switch (which is so conviently mounted on the front of the
model 80 sitting hrere).  It really gets annoying to have to flip
that switch all the time; I wish they'd have installed a reset
button.  There are a lot of times that the ctrl-alt-del doesn't
restore sanity.  Since we got our Amigas back in late 1985, I've
only had the machine need a power-clyle to restore sensibility one
time; all other times ctrl-A-A was enough.

The problem with the current version of os/2 is that the 80286 is
the target processor.  Switching between the procteted mode and the
virtual 80286 mode is a study in boroque programming.  The virtual
machine mode of the 80386 is clean, and it works.  Its too bad that
IBM's corporate-think insisted that os/2 had to appear on the 80286
and had to have msdos compatibility.  There are a quite a few
808386-only  operating systems (Windows 386, for one) that not only
permit a virtual msdos session, but also support many at once.  By
the way, Windows 386 will run with only 640 K of RAM, but it is
about as exciting as a 512 K Amiga.

The current version of os/2 for the 80286 environment are sort of
of like the Macintosh multifinder running on the Mac II with that
ersatz simulated MMU.  When/if Apple comes out with their real
multitasking system later this year, you'll also have to stick in a
real MMU too.  It'll be interesting to see what happens with the
Mac crowd when they get a real o/s and can ditch INITs and desk
accessories.

Bill
wtm@impulse.UUCP