From: David Ensteness (denstene_at_mac.com)
Date: Mon Feb 23 2004 - 14:10:40 PST
> There was no multitasking. No multitasking until Mac OS X. Even 9.2
> had no multitasking.
> For example: If you are working on Photoshop and want to open a Finder
> window, or even switch to the Finder, you had to wait until Photoshop
> let the OS grab some CPU time, which almost never happened unless
> (Application A) finished all issued commands.
>
Mac OS System 7 had cooperative multitasking which is the name for just
what you described above in your Photoshop example ... you have to have
a form of multitasking in order to have two applications run at one
time ... something that was new in the MultiFinder and System 7.
Without multitasking you can't have two applications share any system
resources. With the original Mac OS up through System 6 (until
MultiFinder) the Finder was not running when you were in say MacWrite,
only MacWrite was running. When you quit MacWrite the Finder would
start up again. That is how it works without multitasking. Please note
that while my point is valid my example is bad as all versions of Mac
OS including the first included versions of cooperative multitasking.
> I know what OS X employs, and it is good. I never put down OS X's
> multitasking. I was talking about OS 7.
Mac OS X uses preemptive multitasking not cooperative multitasking
(which Classic Mac OS 1.0-9.2.2 does have and use), so not to put you
down but you do not know what Mac OS X employs, at least not by name.
My point was far larger than multitasking though.
David
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