mwm@raven.relay.pa.dec.com (Mike (My Watch Has Windows) Meyer) (01/15/91)
[Still trying to push this back to comp.sys.amiga.misc - mwm]
In article <1991Jan11.081137.17529@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> mykes@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Mike Schwartz) writes:
There must be 2 kinds of tasks possible in a "true" multitasking system.
One kind of task is the kind that Amiga and Multifinder support, multiple
applications. The second is one that multifinder does not support which
is a task that is part of an application and is spawned while the
application runs and terminates sometime before (or right when) the
application quits.
The only thing interesting you might be talking about is lightweight
processes. The only reason those are interesting is because they're
cheaper than normal processes. In any case, they have nothing to do
with the topic at hand.
The Amiga also has a 3rd kind of multitasking. There are 3 CPUs in the
Amiga if you consider the Blitter and the Copper. All 3 of these CPUs can
be executing programs at the same time. In MOST cases, the 680x0 can still
execute and perform its Exec() multitasking while the other CPUs are
executing.
That's not multitasking; multiprocessing is closer to the meaning of
the term. It's _still_ got nothing to do with the topic at hand.
This definition of *true* multitasking should be good enough to shut up your
average anal-retentive Mac evangilist :)
This has something to do with the topic at hand - it's the kind of
asinine statement that gives Amiga owners a bad name, and the attitude
that makes the phrase "true multitasking" something to be avoided.
Aforementioned Mac evangilist will go away, and quit wasting his time
trying to get information into your head. Anyone else in the vicinity
will go away, and be wary of anyone who uses an Amiga from then on.
<mike
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