Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!news.cs.indiana.edu!bronze!tagreen
From: tagreen@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (Todd A. Green)
Subject: Re: All about sys 7.0 <long>
Message-ID: <1991Mar26.220033.146@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu>
Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington
References: <1991Mar21.095051.29206@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> <593@genco.bungi.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 91 22:00:33 GMT
Lines: 59

In article <593@genco.bungi.com> rad@genco.bungi.com (Bob Daniel) writes:
>In article <1991Mar21.095051.29206@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> horcel@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
>>
>>Q:  Where is the multitasking Macintosh Operating System?
>>A:  The Macintosh operating system has been multitasking since the
>>    introduction of MultiFinder.  Many applications take full advantage
>>    of MultiFinder by allowing concurrent printing, recalculating
>>    spreadsheets, sorting databases, and downloading files.
>
>This makes me squirm a bit that Apple says MF is multitasking.  At best, MF
>is multiapplication.  Try bringing up a dialog and watch all background
>processes come to a hault.  Try pulling down a menu bar (even under Sys7)
>and watch everything stop.  During a download, pull up a dialog from another
>application and watch the download come to a hault and eventually cancel out.
>While an application has a progress dialog up, try putting it in the 
>background and pull up something else.
>[edited]

>he/she has no control of allowing background tasking to occur (without doing
>some acrobatic tricks).  Even under Sys7, he/she would have to convert ALL
>modal dialogs to "semi-modal" dialogs to allow background *tasks* to continue.
>Then there is menus.  Even under Sys7, pulling down a menu will hault all
>background tasks.  

Actually all you have to do (or one of the things that you can do) is
add a filter proc to your dialog code and give time to other
processes. But your right about the Menus, not to mention disk access
should have been placed in the "background" eons ago. (IMO).

> [more editing]
>Maybe it's just that I'm spoiled with UNIX, but that statement does make
>me squirm.  I hope Sys8 will address the issues I've mentioned.  I feel
>it should not be up to the developer to be responsible for the
>"multitaskiness" and that it should be controlled from the operating
>system.  Sys8 could compete with OS/2 and UNIX if it was capable of
>preemptive multitasking.

Yeah, I'm wondering how virtual memory, IAC, file sharing and whatnot
are all going to work "smoothly" with out preemptive multitasking.
I guess we'll all soon find out. (Unfortunately)

>I'd like to hear unflammable comments...
>
>moof moof,
>Bob Daniel
>rad@genco.uucp

Todd
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