LWELCH@COLGATEU.BITNET (03/19/89)
From: EDU%"jm7e+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU" "Jeremy G. Mereness" 15-MAR-1989 13:08:5 5.09 Subj: To Clarify(Re: AppleSupport(wasre:ughh and the GS My example of Softswitch was to demonstrate what could be done with the Apple //GS's hardware. SoftSwitch allows up to nine Prodos 8 applications to be online at once, putting 8 into stasis while devoting CPU time to the one selected. Depending upon memory, one 16-bit application may run as well. Why didn't Apple write something like this or pursue this idea? Especially since the idea was inspired by an Apple product "Switcher" that for a time was shipped standard with Mac Pluses? There is GS/OS, but it acts like a pre-release and is sluggish and very large. Nothing innovative like Switcher has ever come from Apple for the //, not even a shell like Davex or ECP, yet I see neato DA's and ------------- Apple has recognized the importance of Switching applications in memory and has provided for its development by including a Switcher code in the Event Manager. Since the current toolbox routines don't implement this feature, Apple will have to define the procedures for Switching from one application to another. Proper use of the memory manager will facilitate this development. Apple may be working on a //GS Switcher right now, but I hope that they are concentrating on more important items first. Speeding up the graphics display through hardware and software methods must be Apple's first priority in improving the //GS. | Chip Welch "Apple ][ Forever!" | | Chipmunk Computer Systems | | CU Box L3058 BITNET: LWELCH@COLGATEU.BITNET | | Hamilton, NY 13346 GEnie: CWELCH3 | `----------------------------------------------------------------------------'