Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!pollux.usc.edu!papa
From: papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: MS windows "true" multi-tasking?
Message-ID: <22946@usc.edu>
Date: 18 Feb 90 00:42:39 GMT
References: <51@dynasys.UUCP>
Sender: news@usc.edu
Organization: Felsina Software, Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 19

In article <51@dynasys.UUCP> jessea@dynasys.UUCP (Jesse W. Asher) writes:
>I was wondering if MS Windows gives you a true multi-tasking environment?
>I don't know much about MS Windows and I was wondering if there were any
>advantages/disadvantages to running MS Windows versus running a unix
>environment with virtual terminals.  Thanx in advance.

If for "true" multi-tasking you mean "preemptive" multi-tasking (i.e. 
multitasking based on a quantum of time) the answer is NO.  MS-Windows
(like Mac's Finder, for example) implements "non-preemptive" multi-tasking:
task switching is performed only when particular system calls are executed.
This means that a program can take over the system and disallow everybody
else from getting cycles.  This is in contrast with systems like UNIX and 
AmigaDOS which implement preemptive scheduling, in which task switching
is controlled both by systems calls AND a timer.

-- Marco
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