From: aq115@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Robert C Glover)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Overview of MultiTOS Reprint
Date: 12 Apr 92 00:50:54 GMT
Article-I.D.: usenet.1992Apr12.005054.25787
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)


The following is a reprint from the latest issue of Z*Net
Online Magazine about MultiTOS, Atari's new multitasking TOS,
which was first shown at Cebit, and just recently at the TAF
show in Ontario.
 

 ======================================================================
 * MULTITOS PREVIEW                                    by David Pischke
 ======================================================================
 
 
 MultiTOS demonstrated
 
 Toronto, Ont. -- Atari demonstrated MultiTOS, the multitasking version
 of the TOS Operating System, at the Atari Canadian Exposition on
 Saturday, April 4.  MultiTOS, which allows users to run several
 programs simultaneously, was demonstrated at the Atari booth by Bill
 Rehbock.  MultiTOS is slated for release in the fall and will be
 released "for the lowest price as possible", he said.
 
 When asked whether or not the new MultiTOS will be compatible with non-
 68030 machines, Bill Rehbock replied that it will, but there will not
 be the safeguard of hardware memory protection.  Hardware memory
 protection prevents programs that are running from writing in other
 programs' memory space.  To increase compatibility with programs such
 as STalker and STeno, which pass large chunks of information between
 each other, PRGFLAGS has been modified to include a new flag which
 indicates to MultiTOS whether that program's memory will be totally
 private or whether it can be accessed by other resident applications.
 
 The names of resident programs are listed under the desk accessories.
 The Desktop is always present and is listed as a fuji symbol followed
 by "Desktop".  Applications can be brought into the foreground by
 either clicking on their menu entry or by activating their windows;
 MultiTOS was demonstrated running several applications concurrently
 with no apparent slowdown; switching between applications is also
 extremely fast.  According to Bill Rehbock, MultiTOS, as well as
 finally breaking the six-accessory limit, will multitask as many
 programs as will fit in system memory.
 
 As in Gribnif Software's NeoDesk, background windows can now be moved,
 resized, scrolled and closed without being topped. In addition, the
 windows of programs running in the background are updated.  MultiTOS
 has been reported to be running with 90 (ninety) windows on the screen
 at once.  As well, with the new MultiTOS, TOS and TTP programs are run
 in a window; when these programs are run, three new menu headings,
 Operations, Window, and Font appear in the menu bar.
 
 According to Bill Rehbock, compatibility with earlier releases of TOS
 is extremely high.  MultiTOS ran STalker, STeno, PageStream, and
 Tracker/ST successfully.  Bill Rehbock warned, however, about
 "dialogueware", or programs which run in one dialogue box; they will
 not necessarily fail on the new MultiTOS, but may cause problems,
 because they tend to assume that they are the only application present,
 causing problems with redraws of windows.  In addition, dialogue boxes
 lock out users from accessing other programs.
 
 
 MultiTOS may or may not be released completely in ROM.  The version
 demonstrated at the Atari Canadian Exposition was a beta version in
 program form, and because the multitasking kernel is large, Atari is
 considering releasing MultiTOS to the public as an extension to TOS on
 disk.  According to Bill Rehbock, Atari wants a machine that will
 always come up with at least a single-tasking usable OS, even if both
 the floppy and hard drives cannot be accessed.
 
 MultiTOS is based on Eric R. Smith's MiNT multitasking Kernal, but has
 been modified by Atari to allow multitasking of GEM programs.  The
 Desktop Info dialogue now states "MiNT Multitasking Kernal licensed
 from Eric R. Smith", and MiNT now stands for "MiNT Is Now Tos".  "I
 like what they've done," Eric Smith said.  When asked about the
 licensing agreement and how profitable it was, Smith chuckled.  "Atari
 got a very good deal."
 

-- 
| Robert Glover                               GEnie:  R.GLOVER3 |
| Internet:           rg@turing.acs.virginia.edu                |
| Cleveland Freenet:  aq115@cleveland.freenet.edu               |
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