CompuServe Thread

To OS\2 or Not To OS/2

10 messages in this thread
#138042From: Scott F. WagnerNov 26, 1994 11:01 PM
Currently I am using MS-DOS 6.2, and not running in either Windows or OS2. I am concerned with giving up processor time from 3D Studio to other applications. If any one has arguments either in favor, or not in favor of using OS/2 I would be interested in reading them. Thank you, Scott
#138423From: Larry MintonNov 28, 1994 8:36 PM
In a not yet optimized setup, a project file that renders in 4 minutes 20 seconds under OS/2 took 3 minutes 53 seconds under DOS. That is with no other tasks running except the GUI manager and a clock. The theoretical advantage is that if you can get a background session running, you can send render jobs to it while modelling in the foreground. Thus while you are pondering your morph targets, the background session can suck up some of those "free" CPU cycles. LAM
#138596From: Scott F. WagnerNov 29, 1994 3:38 PM
Thank you Larry. Have you run 3D Studio in Windows? Under the Windows enviroment an application will stall all other programs running until the process is complete (ie. printing a document or downloading a file). You can't so much as minimize a group without a beep letting you know you have to wait. Will I experienced simular delays with OS/2?
#138705From: James Coulter[Mindscape]Nov 30, 1994 1:51 AM
> Will I experienced simular delays with OS/2? < OS/2 uses hardware multitasking (aka preemptive multitasking). This is superior to Windows Apps' cooperative multitasking because you can "jump out" of a thread at will. IOW, the answer to your question is, "No." One thing I really like about OS/2 is that I can "suspend" a background process. Sometimes I have several apps running and things get a little bogged down. In these cases, I simply "suspend" background execution of a program or process that is putting the hurt on CPU cycles until I get done what I need to do. I then set the background process in motion agian and continue about my business. — Amazing control of system resources. — — James — MAP —
#139137From: Peter WilkinsonDec 1, 1994 4:47 PM
PMFJI, but this sounds interesting, >>I simply "suspend" background execution of a program or process<< Excuse my ignorance, but exactly how do you suspend and resume programs and processes in OS/2? (I am using v2.1). TIA Peter.
#139703From: Doug AzzaritoDec 4, 1994 3:40 PM
> but exactly how do you suspend and resume programs and processes > in OS/2? For DOS apps, set the DOS BACKGROUND EXECUTION to OFF, and switch away from the process. For OS/2 apps, the application will suspend whenever it needs something that only foreground apps get (keystrokes, usually). — Doug Azzarito
#138901From: Larry MintonNov 30, 1994 7:06 PM
Nope, none of those nasty Windoze-like delays when running under os/2. Windows is a co-operative multitasker, and it seems like most applications aren't very co-operative. OS/2 multitasks by timeslicing, with each application being assigned slices. So the application has no control over when it gives up the cpu to another task. LAM
#139580From: Scott F. WagnerDec 3, 1994 6:01 PM
I would like to thank Larry, Jame's, and Peter for commenting on the use of Warp. I did purchase the software and loaded it on my system. I'm running a Pentium-90 with 32 meg ram, attached is a Wacom UD-1212 tablet. Good tools with one problem, OS/2 does'nt recognize the tablet. I understand I need some kind of Pen Software for OS/2. Please comment on this, but closer to the topic of this Forum is the need for Autodesk and Wacom to provide support for running this tablet in absolute mode, and the ability to design templates simular to those used with AutoCAD. I would like to progress toward this end. Thank's everyone, Scott
#139704From: Doug AzzaritoDec 4, 1994 3:40 PM
> I understand I need some kind of Pen Software for OS/2. If you want OS/2 to understand pen gestures on your Wacom tablet, you'll need a pen-enabled shell, which is available from IBM. If you want your applications to understand the tablet, you are probably in the same boat as if you were under DOS. I just hooked up a Summa tablet to my 3DS system under Warp, and it worked flawlessly. — Doug Azzarito
#140022From: Larry MintonDec 6, 1994 7:29 AM
To clarify further on Doug's message, try loading the tablet driver in the "device driver" portion of dos/settings.