LAUL@UREGINA1.BITNET (Dennis Robert Gorrie) (12/27/87)
O.K., Christmas is over so its back to the grind.
First off, I am an owner of an Amiga 1000 and a Sinclair ZX81. Does
this make me biased? Now I like to consider myself an 'average' or
'non-power' computer user, at least I used to be, and I am probably the
closest thing to an 'average' computer user you will find, at least on
this newsgroup.
This is not a flame. Instead, I would like to give you an idea of what
one 'average' user thinks of multitaksing. (question: What is 'average'?
Is it not 'normal' to be 'abnormal'?)
Multi-tasking (depending on your definition of it) is not needed by
everyone. By this I mean the ability to run application programs that
remain 'transparent' to each other, simultaneously. In one circumstance
that I am thinking of, the feature of multitasking is a hindrance; for
example if a particlar user will never use this feature, but must pay
extra for it. The case I have in mind is a friend who is in university.
He wanted a computer for word-processing, and NOTHING ELSE. All he had
was $400 (Canadian) to spend. He was familiar with PC compatibles, and
one particular word-pro program. Since he was comfortable with it,
and it did the job he wanted, he ended up getting a cheap pc-compatible.
For him, the computer only has one use and he does not have the time
to use it for anything else even if he wanted to. Besides, he does not
have the money for anything else, he is broke. I am sure there are many
instances similar to this where buying a minimal computer is the optimum
solution. After-all if a computer is to be dedicated to one sole task,
or spends most of its time collecting dust, having the ability to
multitask is no advantage.
I mostly used my Amiga for wordprocessing (at first anyways) and
not much of anything else. So why did I buy it? I could have gotten a
cheap pc-clone BUT the graphics, the sound, the 8 meg possible ram
expansion, etc, that drew me to the Amiga. And, most important, all
of the Amiga-type-software (intuition-driven) that I tried allowed me
to be LAZY, more so than on any other computer I had tried. Learn the
interface for one program, you've learned them all. So I bought it,
without realy considering multi-tasking, as I could not imagine what it
could mean to have this feature on a personal computer.
At first I stuck to Workbench for a while, but, being a single
drive owner, I quickly found the advantages of copying files to RAM disk
to speed things up. Doing this while at the same time running programs
was my first useful application of multitasking. One could argue that a
'Desktop Accessory' could do the same job, but they rarely have all the
features of DOS, never mind what other programs a user might have at his
disposal. This is one noticeable advantage of multitasking, is that a
lowly end user such as my self is not stuck with what ever features a
particular program or accessory has, but you also have access to any other
program at the same time. In effect, you can create your own "Desktop
Accessories". For example, I typed this all in Textcraft first, but since
Textcraft does not enter linefeeds (except for new paragraphs) I was
was using EDIT to reformat a copy at the same time until I had it right.
(Both tasks were formating at the same time)
Now, I guess there might be a better way to do it, but I don't
have time find out. That's another thing I like about multi-tasking,
allows me to be a bit lazy.
Now, I have a modem, and I would not dare try living with out
multitasking. Here we go with the endless list ARCing, playing games,
copying, formatting, etc. while at the same time doing a file transfer and
not missing a single block. Now just because I have a modem someone wants
to take away my 'average user' status. And I suppose there are several
other things a person might do to evoke the name 'power user' such as use
any number of usefull utilities simultaneously. What can I say... the
terms 'power' 'average' 'below average' don't have meaning without some
significant digits behind them.
I have shown multitasking is not for everyone, at least as long as it
remains (lets not get into price wars) an added cost. BUT, multitasking
can allow people such as myself (whom I consider 'average') to easily
make more efficient use of a computer, to the point where some
might call us 'above average' users, what ever that means.
Now, why does this newsgroup have so much traffic? I think its because
everyone is playing 'Ogre' and 'Hack' in the backgroud as they contemplate
the text for their next flame.
'Nuff said. See you all in the thunderdome.
"""Chain-saw Tag... Try it, you'll like it!!"""
Dennis Robert Gorriefoy@aero.ARPA (Richard Foy) (01/01/88)
In article <8712270015.AA07419@jade.berkeley.edu> LAUL@UREGINA1.BITNET (Dennis Robert Gorrie) writes: > Much deleted >that I am thinking of, the feature of multitasking is a hindrance; for >example if a particlar user will never use this feature, but must pay >extra for it. The case I have in mind is a friend who is in university. >He wanted a computer for word-processing, and NOTHING ELSE. All he had >was $400 (Canadian) to spend. He was familiar with PC compatibles, and >one particular word-pro program. Since he was comfortable with it, > > > Dennis Robert Gorrie I like Dennis mailly bought my A1000 because it has great graphics and sound and upon the reccomendation of a Non Power user friend. Then I had real understanding of multi-tasking. I still have very little. However I find it a big help in my main use of teh Amy. That is writing letters to the Editor, letters to my reps in Washington, Sacremento etc. I use TxEd or Notepad to do this. I am banging away. I want to see what I wrote sometime ago to someone else. I don't remember who or where. I search my whole disk labeled Letters: to a ram: file in the background and continue with my letter. When the simple search script flashes the screen I call up one or more new editors to cut and past from the previous writings, always seeing the context of the current letter. Thus if I were going to buy a computer today, if my budget were was limited, if I had seen a knowledgeable demonstation of the A500 as a writing tool, that is what I would buy. Just the computer. I would use it with the cheapest TV monitor set up possible. I would be happy with my choice. I would be using multitasking. I would be thinking up new simple usesd for multitasking. I still would not have any technical understanding of what it does. It is my stong believe that anyone who buys an Amiga, who has had a good pragmatic demonstartion of its capabilities for the application the potential customer has in mind will become a satisfied buyer. Richard Foy The opinions are mine all mine!