lowey@herald.usask.ca (Kevin Lowey) (04/29/91)
Hi, I'm currently using OS/2 1.3 on my PS/2 model 60 (10 Mhz 80286). A while back I had a loaner AOX busmaster 25 Mhz 80386 card in my machine. OS/2 1.3 handled this fine. I ended up with a machine about 2.5 times faster than the original, with an 80386 processor. We are making our capital requests for new equipment now. I'm thinking of purchasing this AOX card so that I can run OS/2 2.0 when it comes out. Purchasing the card is cheaper than a whole new machine, though not much. #8-( I've heard all the neat things about OS/2 2.0, how it runs MS-DOS, MS-Windows, and OS/2 apps all together, etc. However, I haven't heard anything about multiple processor support. So I have a few questions: 1) Does OS/2 2.0 recognize when there is more than one CPU in a machine? 2) If it sees more than one CPU, then does it take advantage of them all? 3) If it uses the other CPUs, exactly how are they used. Is the 286 used mainly for screen and other I/O control, while the 386 is used for applications and the OS? Does the 286 and 386 both run applications? Can we control which application runs on which CPU, or does OS/2 dynamically balance the load between the two CPUs? 4) I also have an 80287 math coprocessor, but I won't be getting the 80387 coprocessor for the AOX card. (I don't do a lot of work that requires the coprocessor). Will OS/2 2.0 recognize the 287 and take advantage of it? I realize that a 10 Mhz 287 probably is about the same speed as a 25 Mhz 386 emulating the coprocessor, but it would still be nice if OS/2 used it. Thanks for any information on this, - Kevin Lowey (Lowey@Sask.USask.CA)