#AMAX PLUS NEWS
33 messages in this thread
Shucks, even most plain-vanilla PC-XTs can download in the background, if
you use Mirror III or one of the other term programs that allows it. That's
not much of a trick…sort of like grabbing data off a spinning floppy
while a program is running. >>>> Ron Legro / Milwaukee via WHAP!
"Wherever you go, there you are!"
Ron…
Let's talk real life, though.
When I fire up a terminal program of any design on the Amiga, I don't have
to think for one second about setting up an environment to do anything
else. I don't have to run any kind of multi-tasking emulation, nor do I
have to worry about whether or not I'll be able to run ADPro, or
Imagemaster, or Dpaint, or AmigaVision, or Prowrite. If I want to download
a graphics file, I do it. If I want to keep downloading while I am doing
some processing on the image, I can. If I want to download, process an
image, and animate it with Dpaint, I can.
It's just a ram limitation, really.
My point is, it's one thing to say that a machine/software combination
*could* do something under the right conditions, and it is something
completely different to say that the Amiga can do it without worrying about
anything else, it just does it as second nature.
That was really my point. I have no doubt that if you spent some time
setting up a machine to do it, you could convince a PC to download and
Paint at the same time.
Jim
You'll get no argument here. I was just saying it's do-able on a PC, after
a fashion. My real point is that downloading in the background isn't
tasking a system very much. Now I'm sure most PCs, unlike our fav computer,
would have trouble running a paint program, a database AND downloading!
>>>> Ron Legro / Milwaukee via WHAP!
"Wherever you go, there you are!"
I was using Win3.1 on a 386-25 w/ 2 DOS 'Shells' open, on a
1024x768x256 color screen, and it was beginning to show signs of a
slow-down. The AMAZING thing is that I was actually able to
multi-task well using Windows.
I am very surprised with the performance of Win3.1, and combined with
the dirt cheap prices of IBM PC clones, it begins to look like a very
viable platform – which may even give the Mac a run for its' money.
Speaking of macs, I notice that it is still impossible to format a
disk and launch another application while formatting – something even
an A500 can do.
Well, of course, you can't format a disk while working on a PC!
You're supposed to take format time to bow down in subservience.
Obviously, a user should have to be put on hold if his machine is
busy with even a trivial task. 😀
PC's – just say no.
Actually, a friend tells me that you CAN format and work if you
assign timeslices properly. Just the kind of thing every business
user knows how to do, right?
More Mac bashing follows:
I threw 2 floppies into 2 internal drives on a MacIIfx running 7.0.1 at the
same time. I was prompted to format one of the floppies, and it bagean to
format the disk. Once it had finished the first disk, it then gave me the
option to format the second disk.
Finally, after 2-3 minutes, I was able to return to working on my project.
I know, it's a minor complaint, but is it really that hard to format a
floppy in the mac OS?
Keep On Toastin' Erik Flom
Yes, it's a Mac afterall.
Same thing happens under Windows. Try to format two disks at once. Or try
to format a disk in a DOS window and then accomplish anything else while
it's happening.
Amiga bashers and "oh, I'm gonna get a 486" whiners never realize the great
little things like that…
Well – you can sorta do it, by juggling some obscure parameters in the
time-slice dialogs… not that I even pretend to know how to do it. 🙂
>Well – you can sorta do it, by juggling some obscure parameters in the
time-slice dialogs… not that I even pretend to know how to do it. 🙂
Even playing with the time-slice parameters really doesn't help too much
when trying to format a floppy and do something else under Windoze (and
that's on a 386-33).
Now … OS/2 is a different matter. Formatting a floppy doesn't slow the
machine at all. Somehow they got the interrupt structure worked out.
BobS
Denny,
When I open a DOS Prompt window under Windows 3.1 about half of my DOS
commands not only fail but hang the machine enough to disable CRTL-ALT-DEL!
Gotta push the reset. May be my BIOS. They never talk about THOSE either!
😉
Malcolm
Malcolm,
Let me give you the benefit of a phone session I had today with Lotus
PROMPT tech support.
1. exclude everything from A000-FFFF in system.ini
2. in config.sys: on the SHELL=#?COMMAND.COM line use a /p /e:2048
3. comment out DOS=HIGH
4. comment out SMARTDRIVE
After I did this, I got out of a whole host of troubles I was having with
123W and Win3.1.
I did a little experimenting, and put SMARTDRIVE back in – DOS=HIGH seemed
to be the culprit. I plan on doing a bit more research to see if I can
figure out some way to put it back, but at least my system is stable now.
Incidently, I probably spent 20-30 minutes on the phone with the Lotus tech
support person. He was very cooperative. The first thing he asked me is
whether I had the new 1.1 version. When I said no, he took down the
information and put me down to have the upgrade himself, instead of telling
me that I'd have to call another number and order it. He also encouraged
me to use my disk to upgrade other (legal) users. (Seems like they
realized that they won't have to send out as many disks or handle as many
phone calls this way.) Then he patiently worked through the problems I was
having. This service came with the product. When it comes time to renew
my PROMPT agreement, I intend to do so gladly. I don't mind at all paying
for service on this level. Of course, at some places this level of service
is unavailable at any price.
David
Thanks, David.
I'm not using 123W. My only problem with WIN is with the DOS Prompt. To be
sure to not hang, I have to leave WIN. Since most of it is copying 3.5"
CrossDOS disks to 5.25" DOS disks, maybe I'll just start using File
Manager. It's a weird thing though.
Malcolm
Malcolm,
You might try those settings I mentioned. It may help your situation, too,
even though you're not trying to run 123W. (That's why I posted them for
you.)
Are you running DOS in a window or full screen? I have a _very_ serious
display corruption in full screen, but I've not had a crash running DOS in
a window. I've been using the DOS window to lharc some large files and do
copies with no problems. One thing, though, I start the DOS prompt full
screen, and then use Alt-Enter to place it in a window. (I thought I'd
have less trouble sticking with the supplied defaults, rather than changing
it to start in a window.)
Anyway, good luck with it, 8)
David
Thanks, David
I DID keep your instructions but I've also thought about using a different
approach – such as using File Manager (brilliant, eh? :/). I'll also have
to check out various setup stuff.
I _have_ been doing it full-screen. Maybe I'll give a try in a window.
Malcolm
does compute still put out an amiga mag? charlie mc cready (hughes
aircraft)
CJ,
We put out a special edition of COMPUTE that includes a 32-page monthly
all-Amiga section. The subscription is only $9.97/year. Most of the folks
who wrote for the much-missed standalone Amiga Resource still write for the
Amiga Resource special edition.
If you're interested, you can order a sub at (800) 727-6937; give them code
J4LY to get the $9.97 price, and make SURE to specify the Amiga edition.
Denny, I had diskcopy some MSDOS disks on a company's clone using the DOS
command. The box had one 5.25" drive so I had to swap SOURCE & TARGET
disks. Since I had to wait for each read and write to finish I did some
thing else to keep busy. Everything was going fine (albeit slow and boring,
no multitasking here) and near the end got confused when I looked up and
saw [PRESS ANY KEY…] on the screen. Not looking at the past scrolled
lines of text (why does the diskcopy program scroll each request and
leaving the older ones on screen?) I pressed any key failing to note that
it wanted the TARGET inserted, well it rewrote the last cylinders of what
it just read back onto the SOURCE! You'd think that the OS would at least
be able to distinguish between SOURCE and TARGET! To me that is a BUG and
should have been squashed long before MSDOS 5.0 was ever released!
But you know its hard to keep from wanting to buy a '486 when you see an
offer like in the DAK catalog. "…Buy all these first line software
company programs (16 or 18 of them), WINDOWS 3.0, WORKS FOR WINDOWS, QUATRO
PRO, etc., for $1500 and we'll give you a '386DX system. Give us $1800 and
we'll give you a '486 20MHZ tower system"!! [sigh]
Chris
First, don't buy from DAK.
Second, try Win3.1 File Manager. They finally figured out how to do a disk
copy without having to swap disks a billion times.
Thanks,
Erik Flom
Erik,
Why not buy from DAK? I'll rememeber the win3.1 file manager. The
office I was working in had 3.0 at the time, but I informed them about the
upgrade to 3.1.
BTW I bought from DAK before (not computer stuff) and had no problems
returning any item I didn't like within 30 days of purchase.
Chris
Chris,
I guess Erik has had a horror story with DAK. But I just want to put in the
good word for them–I've found them very good to buy from. Great on
returns, generally knowledgable phone people, etc.
My experience with DAK has been quite satisfactory, too.
Betty
My humblest of apologies, I was confusing them with DAMARK, a catalog
company of somewhat less repute.
I have never ordered from either, but DAK does strike me as a much better
company (for both products, and reliability).
My apologies for just diving in with totally unjustified and incorrect
innuendos as to the quality of the products offered. I was wrong.
Thanks,
(Shuffling of to corner . . . .) Erik Flom
Erik,
I have not ordered from DAMARK, but I know people who have, and who were
quite satisfied with their service, etc. Why do you think people should
not order from them?
Betty
At the risk of raising a general groan, why not buy from DAK? I got a very
good TV from them once…
Regards, Whap!penned…
Pat @Oxxi (310) 427-1227
Chris,
Well, right now I have a 486/33 with local bus video sitting next to my
A3000. (It's a review unit.) Other than running applications on it to test
its performance for the review I'm writing, y'know what it's used for? A
dedicated flight sim workstation. 😉 Even at low low prices for top
performance, I just can't find PCs tempting, with the state of the
operating systems for them.
I guess the best analogy would be if Ford sold the Probe, which does 0-60
in about 8 seconds, f0r $12,000, and Chevy reduced the price of a souped-up
Chevette that would do 0-60 in 1 second, for $8,000. I'd still buy the
Probe for the comfort, handling, and good looks. 😉
Denny,
I have to agree totally. We had a 486/50 in at our mag and I'd still take
my 500 over it anytime! Though I have to add that at Win3.1, PC's are
almost usable. The applications are MUCH less user-abusive than they used
to be. But putting that lush environment on top of DOS is about like
standing a pyramid on its point. When they get to WinNT, I'll be prepared
to allow PC's to exist in the world. 🙂
Malcolm
Erik — this is the re-definition of "multi-tasking" for those other
computers. "Go have a cup of coffee, lower your stress level and your
blood pressure — we'll keep working while you're gone. ('Cause you sure
won't be doing anything on the computer while a disk is formatting!)"
Regards, Whap!penned…
Pat @Oxxi (310) 427-1227
It is nice to be able to do a little justified bashing of other platforms
:^)
Now, lets see someone impliment QuickTime players on the Amiga and really
show those guys what can be done with 'true' multi-tasking.
Any interest on the part of Oxxi for something like that?? Hint, beg,
plead.
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom
Erik,
The QuickTime movies are 12 frames per second, I believe. Surely we can do
better than that! 😉
Malcolm
I saw your ad in video toaster user for novell client software. do you
have client software for banyan vines? do you have appletalk software? now
that vines will work as an appletalk server appletalk software for ami
would allow her to connect to banyan networks. there are a couple folks
who visit both the ami and banyan forums who are curious.
charlie mccready (hughes aircraft)
Amiga Client Software for Novell NetWare is the only network product we
offer at this time.
Regards, Whap!penned…
Pat @Oxxi (310) 427-1227