Re: Multi-type program

[GUDATH@EZINFO.VMSMAIL.ETHZ.CH (GUDAT,HENRIK MICHAEL)]

In <1995Oct22.102923.1@orion.alaska.edu> astdm@orion.alaska.edu writes:

> I am looking for a program that will allow me to run several GS applications. 
> I thought I saw a post about it but didn't know the name.  If anyone can pass
> on this I'd appreciate it.

There are two such products:

-Switch-It from Sequential is a program switcher. You can launch several
aplications and switch to a particular one at will. Other programs will be
suspended when put into the refrigerator/background.

- The Manager is a multifinder, allowing you to launch several applications and
run all of them with cooperative multitasking. That's how it works in theory.
In practice, not all desktop applications are designed to run under The Manager
well. Others do. Besides that, The Manager shows all windows at once, i.e. you
can click a window belonging to a background application to switch to that
app. 

We had a very interesting discussion two years ago :-))))) and agreed on the
fact that both products have their advantages and disadvantages. Put briefly:

- The Manager can load only a few applications because bank zero space is very
limited. (The number of apps greatly depends on the bank zero requirements of
each app.) Bank zero space is limited to 64 k no matter how much RAM you've
installed. (And not all of the 64k are available.)
Since Switch-It swaps complete memory images, it does not suffer from this
restriction.

- Switch-It does no multitasking. It really depends on what applications you
intend to do. Eventually, you need not multitasking at all and will be happy
with switch-it. As a side effect, Switch-It hides all inactive applications. In
The Manager, you still see their windows floating around and can jump to other
apps or the finder by clicking into windows or the desktop area.

- When using The Manager, you need to quit all open applications before you can
switch to ProDOS. Sorry, I forgot how Switch-It handles that situation.

I';ve been using The manager for quite some time and am quite happy with it. I
believe, though, that both products are worth they money, and due to their
subtle difference have both their raison d'etre.

Switch-It is available from Sequential (Jawaid?), The Manager from Seven Hills
(sevenhills@aol.com). If you need more info on the latter one (or what
applications work with it), e-mail me.

- henrik