Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!lavaca.uh.edu!uhnix1!sugar!karl
From: karl@sugar.hackercorp.com (Karl Lehenbauer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Stability of Commodore/Amiga
Keywords: Unix, Amiga, OS/2, DOS
Message-ID: <5362@sugar.hackercorp.com>
Date: 9 Mar 90 02:27:47 GMT
References: <476087196@deimos.cis.ksu.edu> <19000039@attcc.UUCP> <2840@mtuni.ATT.COM> <676@xdos.UUCP> <3881@nmtsun.nmt.edu> <48ffd21f.db93@edsel.engin.umich.edu> <3883@nmtsun.nmt.edu> <2854@mtuni.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: karl@sugar.hackercorp.com (Karl Lehenbauer)
Organization: Sugar Land Unix - Houston
Lines: 37

In article <2854@mtuni.ATT.COM> psu@mtuni.ATT.COM (Paul Siu) writes:
>The advantage of OS/2 over the Amiga is better memory protection.  If one of
>your program crash, it is less likely to crash the whole machine than the Amiga,
>which has no hardware memory management as far as I know.

...and the disadvantage is that PM performance is glacial and it requires
$3500+ worth of hardware to run, minimum, and more like $7000 for the
configurations most people have.  A usable, color, multitasking Amiga can be
had for $850.  Does that difference mean anything to you?  

Yes, yes, we are all aware that the Amiga doesn't have hardware memory
protection and that there are disadvantages, specifically that rogue programs
can crash the system.  

Nonetheless, the Amiga is for the most part a superbly architected machine
that continues to put its contemporaries (PCs under DOS & the Mac, and even
in many ways your beloved OS/2) to shame.

We have also developed ways for dealing with living in an unprotected
environment and, for the most part, Amigas don't crash -- mine doesn't
unless I'm developing and doing something weird.  I know quite a few Mac and
hardcore DOS people, and they seem to think it's quite normal for their
machines to lock up and require resetting or power-cycling.  Ever since 1.2
came out, I *never* have crashes that I can't attribute to a specific activity
or program.

I wonder, Mr. Siu, if you're not over here to "stimulate conversation."
In other words, make trouble.  You've been writing a lot of articles
like <2854@mtuni.ATT.COM> lately.  Do you have an Amiga?  Are you thinking
about getting one?  Are you a missionary here to convert us to OS/2?  Or are
you just committed to "Volume! Volume! Volume!"?  Enquiring minds sort of
want to know.

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