Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!rutgers!gatech!ncar!ames!pasteur!helios.ee.lbl.gov!nosc!humu!uhccux!bmartin From: bmartin@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Brian Martin) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Question about multitasking on the mac Summary: Can two identical processes run simultaneously under multifinder? Keywords: 4th Dimension, multitasking, multifinder, multiuser Message-ID: <1924@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> Date: 5 Jun 88 12:31:04 GMT Reply-To: medix!martin@uhccux.UUCP Organization: University of Hawaii Lines: 65 Hi, I'm fairly new to the Mac world, having acquired my mac just six months ago, and am hoping someone can provide some answers concerning multiple processes under multifinder. Here's the problem: I start 4th Dimension on one database, then go to the finder and attempt to start a second 4th Dimension process on a second database. But the finder tells me that I'm already running 4th Dimension. What's going on here? Is this a problem with the Mac OS or with 4th Dimension? Or am I limited to one 4th Dimension process at a time? Even worse, on certain procedures, such as importing 5,000 records into a 4th Dimension database, the Mac is locked up, and I'm unable to get to the finder in order to get back to work. This is real annoying, considering that my machine is essentially unavailable for the several hours that it takes to import the records into the database. Just for comparison, on my Apollo, processes and user IDs are tied to specific windows, not to the entire display. I've found this to be very useful in simulating a multi-user multi-transaction database environment, especially when testing the integrity of a certain design. For example, I might have six windows on the screen, with user "john" logged into window_1, user "linda" logged into window_2, etc. Each window is running its own database process, executing a specified set a retrievals and updates, with access privileges based on the user_ID of the person logged into the window that the process is running in. I've rarely run into situations on the Apollo where a process running in one window kept me from using the machine for other activities (the exceptions include certain graphics programs where the whole screen is used, although this still doesn't prevent other processes from executing in the background). Although the Mac OS doesn't seem to support user IDs, 4th Dimension does. And I was hoping to be able to run separate 4th Dimension processes in separate windows, accessing the same database with each process running under a different user ID. But I can't seem to get my mac to do this. Is my inexperience with the mac showing, or are my expectations too high? System configuration: Mac II, 5MB, 150 MB jasmine, System 4.2/Finder6.0 One final comment. The mac II prices seem excessively high. Apollo's stated policy is that they will double performance for the same price and/or halve the price for the same performance every 14--18 months. Over the past years, they've done an admirable job of staying with these milestones. And currently, the DN3010 is less costly than a similarly-equipped Mac II. What has Apple's record been with respect to price/performance goals? Is there any chance that Apple might implement similar goals? Thanks for listening, Brian ----- Brian K. Martin, M.D. 1103 9th Ave., Suite 203 Honolulu, Hawai`i 96816-2403 Voice (808) 733-2003 Fax (808) 733-2011 ARPA: uhccux!medix!martin@nosc.MIL UUCP: {uunet,dcdwest,ucbvax,ihnp4}!ucsd!nosc!uhccux!medix!martin