ai065@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Thomas Hill) (02/20/91)
With all this talk about "True multitasking", I thought I'd relay certain
instances in which I use the multitasking ability of my Amiga. This is mainly
in response to a posted Atari user's claim that true multitasking is for the
most part useless.
Several times a week I will use a terminal program to download a large file
(or capture vast amounts of text) while I:
A- Decompress a large archive which I just received. Only, while this is being
done I will still have nothing to "do"..so I play Empire (A very good war
simulation board game.) while all this is being done.
B- Decompress a large archive which I just received. Only, while this is being
done I will use my wordprocessor to write a message or reply to one.
C- Decompress a large archive which I just received. Only, while this is being
done I will format new disks for the downloading of more software.
D- Decompress a large archive which I just received. Only, while this is being
done I will try out any new software I have already decompressed.
As you can see, this is only one small aspect of what I do while I'm multi-
tasking. Several other situations bring on unique cominations as well. My
machine consists of a "stock" 500 with 1 MEG RAM, two drives, printer, and
2400 baud modem with monitor. A few tech notes: I still get 233CPS using
Zmodem and almost no slowdown in software activity. I look forward to any
messages showing how other Amiga users use their machine in multitasking
combinations.
Tom
--
Why purchase a MAC when an Amiga with the same CPU will run 99% of all
__ MAC software..and FASTER at that?! The same can be said of the IBM and
__/// Atari computers, and I can run those in a window. IBM's greatest sales
\XX/ tool is ignorance on the consumer's part. Only the Amiga! DEVO Anyone?ragg0270@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Richard Alan Gerber) (02/20/91)
ai065@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Thomas Hill) writes: > With all this talk about "True multitasking", I thought I'd relay certain >instances in which I use the multitasking ability of my Amiga. This is mainly >in response to a posted Atari user's claim that true multitasking is for the >most part useless. > > As you can see, this is only one small aspect of what I do while I'm multi- >tasking. Several other situations bring on unique cominations as well. My >machine consists of a "stock" 500 with 1 MEG RAM, two drives, printer, and >2400 baud modem with monitor. A few tech notes: I still get 233CPS using >Zmodem and almost no slowdown in software activity. I look forward to any >messages showing how other Amiga users use their machine in multitasking >combinations. > > Tom > OK, you asked for it. Here's the output from my status command: Process 1: stk 10000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: rlogin I'm logged into the computer on which I'm reading this. Process 2: stk 20000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: inet:serv/portmapd Process 3: stk 20000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: inet:serv/inetd Server stuff for ethernet board. Process 4: stk 10000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: dviprint Printing a PasTeX file. Process 5: stk 20000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: inet:c/NFSc For NFS connection (Really cool!). Process 6: stk 10000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: multiplot Trying to find the best way to plot some data. Process 7: stk 10000, gv 150, pri 20 Loaded as command: sys:bin/mackie Screen blanker and hotkeys. Process 8: stk 10000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: clock Clock. Process 9: stk 10000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: calc3.0 Handy calculator. Process 10: stk 10000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: ftp To transfer this file to uxa (where I'm writing this). Process 11: stk 10000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: maple Trying to do yet another integral it's probably won't be able to do. Process 12: stk 10000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: artm_ntsc So I like to snoop around to see what's going on with the system. Process 13: stk 10000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: status The command that produced this output. Process 14: stk 15000, gv 150, pri -1 Loaded as command: lc Process 15: stk 15000, gv 150, pri -1 Loaded as command: LC1 Compiling a program I'm working on that will allow me to view data produced by a supercomputer run. Process 15: stk 10000, gv 150, pri -2 Loaded as command: pl A program I wrote to convert NCSA hdf data into a format Multiplot can understand. (This can take forever, I wish I had something more than my 7MHz 68000). Process 16: stk 10000, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: csh Actually this is just a csh shell sitting there doing nothing. Sometimes I like some of its features, although with alias and PD and SAS/C utilites, the Amiga shell almost can act like csh. (No nice pipe syntax, though :-( ) Among other processes reported by ARTM VirusX PopUpMenu Workbench, etc. This really pushes the limit of my A2000HD with 3 megs, though. In a couple of minutes, the compiler and Maple will be done with their tasks (Maple probably already is) and I'll go back to plotting my data and working on my paper (The plots will be part of the paper. It's nice to be able to flip screens and have the plot available) and quit wasting time reading newsnotes. Regards, Richard gerber@rigel.astro.uiuc.edu ragg0270@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
dsherif@csserv2.ic.sunysb.edu (Darin D Sheriff) (02/20/91)
In article <21294@know.pws.bull.com> ai065@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Thomas Hill) writes: [stuff about multitasking deleted] > > As you can see, this is only one small aspect of what I do while I'm multi- >tasking. Several other situations bring on unique cominations as well. My >machine consists of a "stock" 500 with 1 MEG RAM, two drives, printer, and >2400 baud modem with monitor. A few tech notes: I still get 233CPS using >Zmodem and almost no slowdown in software activity. I look forward to any >messages showing how other Amiga users use their machine in multitasking >combinations. > I find it most usefull when printing something. My printer is slow so to kill the time, I log on to the school computer system and go into read news to catch up on comp.sys.advocacy or whatever my heart desires. Or, I can go into my paint program which I usually have running concurrently with my word processor and catch up on my art as I wait for my printer to finish. I also use the Amiga as a remote terminal when doing my programming assignments, capture text to a buffer, load it into a text editor, touch it up some, then print it; all the while, I am still doing work on the school's computers. Or I...Well you get the picture. Best of all, I don't have to load a special program or do any 'tricks' to get all this to happen. > Tom > > >-- > Why purchase a MAC when an Amiga with the same CPU will run 99% of all > __ MAC software..and FASTER at that?! The same can be said of the IBM and > __/// Atari computers, and I can run those in a window. IBM's greatest sales > \XX/ tool is ignorance on the consumer's part. Only the Amiga! DEVO Anyone? -- Darin Sheriff; Amiga 1000 owner. dsherif@csserv2.ic.sunysb.edu People don't pirate software. Computers pirate software. Disclaimer: It wasn't me. It was Chucky. He did it.
dtiberio@csserv2.ic.sunysb.edu (David Tiberio) (02/21/91)
In article <21294@know.pws.bull.com> ai065@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Thomas Hill) writes: > > > With all this talk about "True multitasking", I thought I'd relay certain >instances in which I use the multitasking ability of my Amiga. This is mainly >in response to a posted Atari user's claim that true multitasking is for the >most part useless. > Imagine 1,000,000 computer owners with modems. Now imagine one UNIX mainframe. YOU ARE IN QUEUE - 999,999 TO GO... I can only imagine a mainframe that didn't multitask! :) > > As you can see, this is only one small aspect of what I do while I'm multi- >tasking. Several other situations bring on unique cominations as well. My >machine consists of a "stock" 500 with 1 MEG RAM, two drives, printer, and >2400 baud modem with monitor. A few tech notes: I still get 233CPS using >Zmodem and almost no slowdown in software activity. I look forward to any >messages showing how other Amiga users use their machine in multitasking >combinations. > > Tom > > >-- > Why purchase a MAC when an Amiga with the same CPU will run 99% of all > __ MAC software..and FASTER at that?! The same can be said of the IBM and > __/// Atari computers, and I can run those in a window. IBM's greatest sales > \XX/ tool is ignorance on the consumer's part. Only the Amiga! DEVO Anyone?
eww@engr.ucf.edu (Mr. Eric W. Wampner) (02/21/91)
In article <21294@know.pws.bull.com> ai065@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Thomas Hill) writes: > > > With all this talk about "True multitasking", I thought I'd relay certain >instances in which I use the multitasking ability of my Amiga. This is mainly :stuff removed: >A- Decompress a large archive which I just received. Only, while this is being > done I will still have nothing to "do"..so I play Empire (A very good war > simulation board game.) while all this is being done. :stuff removed: >2400 baud modem with monitor. A few tech notes: I still get 233CPS using >Zmodem and almost no slowdown in software activity. I look forward to any >messages showing how other Amiga users use their machine in multitasking >combinations. > > Tom Well, I noticed that you spend a great deal of time decompressing archives, I suggest a 3000 for this, or maybe zoo. As for ZMODEM, I find it eats CPU time like no other protocol. But then GOMF was using 19%, which I guess could be considered idle. Personally I play Empire while waiting for my downloads to complete. or I use sneaker net. Speaking of Empire, have they come out with a version that supports serial connections (not the PD, the Commercial Software)? Is my Amiga Perfect, NO, I would kill for a mac screen, but pay the mac, price? NO WAY. (money, and speed) Eric Wampner eww@engr.ucf.edu