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Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!cbmvax!daveh
From: daveh@cbmvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Single tasking the wave of the future?
Message-ID: <2894@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 3-Dec-87 14:09:58 EST
Article-I.D.: cbmvax.2894
Posted: Thu Dec  3 14:09:58 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 6-Dec-87 18:47:02 EST
References: <147@sdeggo.UUCP>
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 31

in article <147@sdeggo.UUCP>, dave@sdeggo.UUCP (David L. Smith) says:
> In article <3445@hoptoad.uucp>, gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) writes:
>  franka@mmintl writes:
>  > > Another trend...                     ...is that towards individual
>  > > (single-user) computers.  The future of multi-tasking on such machines is
>  > > very much in question...
>  > 99% of the rest of the computers will be "general purpose" and all of
>  > them will be running multitasking.  
> 
> I agree with John,  however the ideal towards which we are striving is multi-
> tasking operating systems and single-tasking processors.  Admit it, don't
> you hate having your processor multi-task?

I'd rather have my processor multi-task, than sit in idle most of the time, as
it's pretty much doing right now, with just a terminal program, a static CLI,
some dormant background tasks, and a performance monitor running.  At least
given the choice of multitasking vs. not multitasking, given the reality of
a single processor system.

I would object to allowing others to steal time from my CPU, even if I'm not
doing anything with it at the moment.  And I certainly wouldn't mind at all
if I could drop in an additional CPU and have the tasks distributed in a 
reasonable way over the two.  But it'll be some time before I have a processor
available for each individual task, so basically, I'm really happy that I can
let my processor multitask.

> David L. Smith
-- 
Dave Haynie     Commodore-Amiga    Usenet: {ihnp4|uunet|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh
   "The B2000 Guy"              PLINK : D-DAVE H             BIX   : hazy
		"I can't relax, 'cause I'm a Boinger!"