🚀 go-pugleaf

jragosta@dca.net (Joe Ragosta) writes:
>> 
>> You want real multitasking?  The mac won't do it.  Get OS/2, UNIX, or
>> just about anything decent.  Of course, if you want excellence, get an
>> amiga.

>Suppose you tell me where I can buy an Amiga with 1/2 the power of a good
>PowerMac. As for multitasking--can you explain why I _need_ preemptive
>multitasking? Cooperative works well enough for now (though PMT will be an
>improvement, I don't consider it an essential one) for me and all of our
>computer users.

Using five different platforms concurrently (DEC Alpha Unix, Solaris 2.4,
DEC VAX/VMS, Linux and Windows), it is fairly safe to say that preemptive
multitasking is superior to cooperative multitasking. Firstly, PMT is
adept at preventing errant programs from locking up the system. How often
has Windows 3.11 locked up on me because something crashed in the fore-
ground! Secondly, PMT allows programs to have a better share of CPU slots,
even in the presence of I/O intensive applications which, in a cooperative
multitasking environment, might not relinquish its slot until some time
intensive task is done (e.g., writing a tape or floppy). The net effect
is better apparent response time.

The problem with the Amiga, even though it does have PMT is the lack of
memory management and protection.

Best regards,
Derick.
--
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Derick R. Qua-Gonzalez                                      | ________ |
| Department of Physics, California State University          | \      / |
| dqua@dqua.EarthLink.Net                                     |  \    /  |
|     ``It is better to be hated for what one is,             |   \  /   |
|       than loved for what one is not.'' (A. Gide)           | G  \/ USA|
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