CompuServe Messages

#Multitasking

#: 123622 S13/Off the CuffForum unknown
    10-May-88 20:41:43
Sb: #123589-#Multitasking
Fm: Henry Colonna 74726,3216
To: Ben Blish 72667,1341

This message turned up in search, but its forum couldn’t be identified from the original transcript, so it may not be linked into its thread.

If you can do all of that in a 512K Amiga (as the message you replied to suggested, and as your response – under $800 Amiga 500) suggested, please let me know how! I have a 512K 1000 and can barely run anything without immense frustration. Multitasking is a real powerful tool. Unfortunately if you have a low-level system (like 512K) it's a pain in the butt. Why? You may say "well just don't multitask". My response is that just about everything EXPECTS you to multitask. I print a decent-sized document in WordPerfect without quitting WordPerfect and running the print program separately. Before you sink your teeth into that one, I can't do any decent graphing whatsoever with MaxxiPlan. And, (unbelievably in my opinion) my terminal programs don't even have an editable buffer, because they expect me to be multitasking a text editor in the background!! Now, I'm not denying the power of the computer, and the power of multitasking at all. It's wonderful. And when I have 1 meg I'll be living happily – at 1.5 meg I'll be smiling broadly. But, there is another side to it. I think a 512K Amiga is a significantly less functional computer than an ST at 512K, and in many ways "practically" less functional too – as in my second paragraph.