maxc1553@ucselx.sdsu.edu (Generic Account 1553) (02/12/91)
How exactly does IBM multitask? Could Window3.0 multitask? OS2? PS2? I heard of the memory protected mode thing. But how exactly does it work? Does these multitasking environments work for most programs, or only multi- task-able programs? How does the CPU handle these events? Thanks in advance the valuable assistance.
dhosek@linus.claremont.edu (Don Hosek) (02/12/91)
In article <1991Feb11.205908.3781@ucselx.sdsu.edu>, maxc1553@ucselx.sdsu.edu (Generic Account 1553) writes: > How exactly does IBM multitask? > > Could Window3.0 multitask? OS2? PS2? > > I heard of the memory protected mode thing. But how exactly does it work? > > Does these multitasking environments work for most programs, or only multi- > task-able programs? How does the CPU handle these events? > > Thanks in advance the valuable assistance. I'm currently using DESQview for multitasking. It's really quite a nice package. Unlike Windows, DV can multitask nearly any software that you throw at it (most DOS apps under Windows cannot be multitasked--or at least most of the ones that I use). The problems I've encountered are: - Some 386-specific programs have difficulty in the multitasking environment. This is related to DOS-extender problems, I believe. - I use 60-line VGA mode for my text (I like to get a lot of real estate on the screen) and (a) some programs do not reset the DV window properly if its longer than 25 lines and (b) software which changes the character set does not work in this mode. OS/2, I'm told, has some of the same problems as Windows does with multitasking DOS apps. This is supposed to disappear with the next release. The PS/2, as near as I can tell, is an AT with a bus that isn't compatible with anything (well, a few things, but there are few hardware people around me that are happy with the puppies). -dh