From: jayson@tbag.UUCP (Jayson Phillips)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: re: *** ULTIMATE BASHING for Pee-Cee users
Date: 10 Apr 92 05:38:52 EST
Organization: Tampa Bay Amiga Group

>From: jerry@connection.prospect.com (Jerry Shekhel)
>Subject: Re: *** ULTIMATE BASHING for Pee-Cee users ***
>Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1992 16:22:07 GMT
>
>stelmack@burma.csee.usf.edu (Gregory M. Stelmack) writes:
>>
>>Comments from an OS/2 2.0 beta tester I know:
>>
>>1) Requires much more than the specified 4 megs of RAM to run anything
>>decent. How about my Amiga's operating system, running just fine in 512K
>>(although some programs require [GASP] a whole meg to run!).
 
I used OS/2 almost every day for most of last year on a 20MHz 386 at IBM.
This system had 10MB RAM.  You never really know how much memory you have
left because there's no standard indicator built in.  However, another guy
there had a similar setup (PS2/70, 20MHz 386) with 6MB RAM an he never had
more than about 3.5MB after bootup according to the software he was running
at the time.  It is true that OS/2 won't even boot up in a 2MB system.  If
the computer could laugh, atempting this would cause an outburst.
 
>First of all, your Amiga's operating system contains nowhere near the 
>functionality of OS/2 2.0.  Let's compares apples to apples.  Another
>thing is that if you get rid of things like Windows and DOS compatibility,
>OS/2 2.0 runs just dandy in 4MB.  Yet another thing is that the OS/2 2.0
>betas are just that -- betas.  They have debugging info in the executables,
>they have not been optimized, etc.
 
The Amiga OS contains very nearly the same functionality as OS/2 and in
some ways still surpasses it.  For instance, smooth multitasking and
smooth efficient windowing operations.  A 4MB OS/2 system will bootup but
you won't have enough memory left to do harly anything.  A 2MB Amiga will
let you run one of anything, and alow lots of program combinations for
multitasking.  As for optimizing, get a clue.  IBM  doesn't  optimize
anything:) Later, after the product has been out for a while and they want
more money, they'll optimize some part of the OS and charge $$ for the
"upgrade".
 
>>2) Slow as a dog. The point many Amigans try to make is we multi-task
>>great with a bare-dones 68000, IBM users need a 386 and still can't
>>keep up.
 
I've sen lots of 386 systems running OS/2 and it's true, they do appear
to just keep up with a 68000 Amiga.  They are probably faster for straight
processing speed (if they have enough memory).  They can't touch my
Amiga 3000 for window/screen operations.  And a fast Mandlebrot program
that uses the 387 takes 45 min to generate the basic screen in 320x200?
My A3000 does this in 5 sec.  IBM/MSDOS/INTEL are greatly over rated.
 
>They can certainly keep up.  Have your friend look at the documentation
>that arrived with his OS/2 beta.  It clearly says that the beta software
>should NOT be used for benchmarking.  Let's take another look in a few
>weeks when IBM releases the final version, OK?
 
OS/2 2.0 was supposed to be released in 1990.  Did they get it out yet?
I was hoping to see it befor I got laid off.  The teacher in the OS/2
Instalation Class I had (at IBM) said that one of the features of OS/2 2.0
is that it provides for linear memomry addressing, "Like a 68000."  I was
so tempted to say... Why didn't they just use a 68000 to begin with...
But of course I would have looked discontented, heaven forbid.
 
>>-- Greg Stelmack (stelmack@eggo.csee.usf.edu)
>>
>--
>+-------------------+----------------------+---------------------------------
+
>| JERRY J. SHEKHEL  | POLYGEN CORPORATION  | When I was young, I had to walk
|
>| Drummers do it... | Waltham, MA USA      | to school and back every day --
|
>|    ... In rhythm! | (617) 890-2175       | 20 miles, uphill both ways.    
|
>+-------------------+----------------------+---------------------------------
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>|           ...! [ princeton mit-eddie bu sunne ] !polygen!jerry            
|
>|                            jerry@polygen.com                              
|
>+----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 
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