🚀 go-pugleaf

in article <2959@cbmvax.UUCP>, andy@cbmvax.UUCP (Andy Finkel) says:
 > In article <2027@bath63.ux63.bath.ac.uk> pes@ux63.bath.ac.uk (Smee) writes:
 
 >>I can't think of *any* two tasks which I do on my home machine which
 >>take enough time to make m/p profitable, and which could co-exist sensibly
 >>with only two floppy drives.  I suspect (OPINION, MINE, MY VERY OWN) that
 >>the same is true of the usage patterns of MOST home machines -- and, again,
 >>I emphasize that I think this present group is unrepresentative, and very
 >>much a minority.
 
 > Except of course, the classic FORMAT a diskette while the terminal
 > program is downloading the file to the ramdisk, or make a backup
 > disk before saving the massive changes you just made to your novel...

I think that these arguments aren't representative of an *average* user,
since an average user is more likely not to own a modem.  Making a backup
of a disk before saving changes isn't multitasking.  It's context (or
process) switching.  In my opinion, context switching is a good thing for
the average user.  Why add the overhead of a multitasking system when an
average user probably needs only context switching?

 > Or run a terminal program and a word processor at the same time,
 > and produce well formatted answers as you read a BBS.
 
Reading messages and generating replies in a word processor is again a case
of context switching.  But then the average user doesn't call a BBS,
either.  Multitasking would allow reading of the messages, then the user
could download a file while generating replies to the already read
messages.

 > I'm biased, though.  No way would I want to go back to a single tasking
 > computer for anything.

Neither would I.  Well, I do.  But I don't think you are an average user,
and I don't consider myself one.  I think multitasking is a great tool for
us hackers, though.

 > -- 
 > andy finkel		{ihnp4|seismo|allegra}!cbmvax!andy 
 > Commodore-Amiga, Inc.
 > 
 > "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from
 >  a rigged demo."
 > 
 > Any expressed opinions are mine; but feel free to share.
 > I disclaim all responsibilities, all shapes, all sizes, all colors.


Dean Brunette               {ucbvax,etc.}!hplabs!oliveb!olivej!dragon                                    {ucbvax,etc.}!hplabs!oliveb!dragon-oatc!dean                                       
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