From: johnsd2@jec308.its.rpi.edu (Daniel Norman Johnson)
Subject: Re: Mac OS just sucks -- "ease of use" = "lack of freedom" ?
Keywords: stupid, silly, amiga, heads, cant, win
Reply-To: johnsd2@rpi.edu
Organization: Information Technology Services, Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 18:38:58 GMT

In article <1992Apr6.140805.5989@ra.msstate.edu>, skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu (Skip 'AdaX' Sauls) writes:
|> In article <1992Apr6.085215.7457@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au> rxkajv@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Andrew Vanderstock) writes:
|> >skip@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu (Skip 'AdaX' Sauls) writes:

[deletia]

|> >>In article <1992Mar30.231139.10967@noose.ecn.purdue.edu> hauer@roby.ecn.purdue.edu (Corey Hauer) writes:
|> >
|> >>Mac OS does not have proper multitasking like Exec.  Mac OS does not have
|> >>a RexxMaster to support interprocess communication.  Mac OS does not directly
|> >>support a Blitter, a Copper, or multiple screens with varied bit-depths and
|> >>resolution on the same monitor.  Mac OS does not support AGFA-Compugraphic
|> >>Bullet Font technology.  Mac OS does not support BLAZEMONGER! 
|> >
|> >"Proper multitasking"? I would have to disagree - Amiga programs can still
|> >takeover the entire computer (see any game for proof of this.) Is the Amiga
|> 
|> Did I ever mention games?  Hell, a game or other program could be written for
|> any computer that takes over the entire machine.  Get a clue.

Heheheh. You're correct, but I recommend you never say 24-bit graphics
(or device independant graphics, or what have you) is "unnecessary"; Not if
you want to make a big (or even significant) deal of pre-empting.

|> >OS protected? No! So where's the problem? This will be fixed with the micro
|> >kernel version, which will have according to MacLeak, memory protection and
|> >pre-emptive multi-tasking. Big deal, it works right now, and sure some
|> 
|> The Mac will be nearly a decade old by the time Apple learns how to develop
|> a decent OS.  Sometimes I wonder if the Mac is really Intel based.

The Mac is already nearly a decade old. So don't look now... :)

|> >microsoft products crash occasionally, but who uses them anyway? :-) (I use
|> >everything but uSoft products because they so flagrantly abuse the Mac
|> >guidelines, and there are much better products than Word, Excel, Works,
|> >etc, for example Nisus, Lotus 1-2-3 or Resolve, and Claris Works, all of
|> >which I own AND use! So nyer)
|> 
|> Ooooh...  Don't make me so jealous.  I teach a damn Lotus 1-2-3 class to a
|> bunch of accounting majors and I have yet to figure out why everyone seems
|> to think that it is such a killer app.  Puhleaze!  It is a piece of crap!
|> What are you, a business major or something?
|> 
|> >Mac OS has PPC and IAC to allow inter-process communication, as well as Apple 
|> >Events. These are very mature network-based as well as locally based IAC
|> > calls. 
|> >These allow programs to talk to each other, as well as send other programs
|> >commands to quit, print, open a file, and a whole host of new goodies in
|> 
|> What a revolutionary idea!  I sure wish that my Amiga could do that!  Maybe
|> Commodore will just adopt MacOS for the Amiga since it lacks these features.

<grin> Well, Apple Events do have the advantage of standardization, although
scripting would be nicer. Still, its nice that you can have an app that
just "supports" publish&subscribe, and have it interface with any other
app that also does this.

[deletia about publish & subscribe that mentions programming]

|> 
|> Since you mention programming, I guess you must not be a business major.  It
|> is just too bad that you waste your time programming a toy.
                                                          ---

<lack of grin> This sort of thing may make you feel good, but it is
not convincing to anyone.

|> >Please tell me what the 8*24 GC card is, if it is not a Quickdraw accelerator?
|> 
|> It is an orphaned graphics card.  BTW, if Quickdraw is so quick, then why is
|> an accelerator needed?

It isn't- but you'd want one if you had 24 bit color. It has to put 1
pixel at a time accross the NuBus, which is slow. For 8 bit color, its
plenty quick.

Not as fast as direct copying to the screen.

But before you blast acceleartors, remember that the Amiga has one-
this blitter of yours, if I usderstnad right, is a graphics accelerator.

[deletia- everything you wanted to know about Phlem, but knew better than
 to ask here, etc]
|>  
|> >CPU use. Any program that directly writes to video memory is not supported
|> >by Apple guidelines, and QuickDraw is about the fastest device independant
|> 
|> And thats why it costs so much money to get decent video from a Mac.
|> 

If you mean "NTSC video", remeber that not everybody wants that. In
fact, IMHO, most computer users do not want it particularly. If you
don't mean that, then the reason it costs so much is because Macs are
expensive. [at least the decent ones are]

[deletia I didn't understand anyway]
|> 
|> I sold Macs a few summers ago when the IIfx was the hottest box and got to
|> play with all sorts of monitor combinations.  As neat as it seemed, I never
|> found any practical use for multiple monitors.  Where in the world would I
|> put a second monitor for my Amiga?  With screens, I do not worry about
|> increased real estate and it is no trouble for most people to learn to use
|> them, but then again I do not know you personally.

The advantage of multiple monitors, IMHO, is that you can keep
the old one. That is, if you get a 20 inch monitor, it does not have to
replace the 13 incher you used to use- you can have them both, and get
extra screen real estate that way. Of course, maybe you'd rather
sell the 13 incher.

|> 
|> >playing games, and my mac to do real work, and my flatmate's PC for a
|> >terminal and his Powerbook 100 for on the fly work! :-)
|> 
|> Maybe you and Kareem Abdul Jabaar can network your nifty toys and then use
|> Publish and Subscribe to work together!
|> 

Hehehehehehehehe! Well, he COULD you know. But the "toys" comment  doesn't
convince anybody who didn't already think it.

[deletia about resolution- who needs the multiple resolutions?]
|> 
|> I do sit in front of a 1280*1024x24bit 19" monitor many days of the week, but
|> it is hooked to an RS/6000 550, not an Amiga, and it is not much of a thrill.
|> As for 320x200x5bit, why on earth would I use that mode?  I typically use
|> 668x448x3bit and find that to be very nice.  PC owners ask me if it is SVGA
|> and can hardly believe it when I tell them it is not.  Macs and Windows may
|> support larger screens for the moment, but Amigas they ain't.

They certainly ain't. Got me there! :)

Of course, Macs have no problem doing similar resolutions with 256 colors,
but that's a minor point.

[deletia- foul mouths, anal retention, fonts, sailors, and playing
 around... and have you gone back to see what the hell I'm talking about
 yet?]
-- 
			- Dan Johnson
And God said "Jeeze, this is dull"... and it *WAS* dull. Genesis 0:0