Multi GS

[ltchean@iss.nus.sg (Lim Thye Chean)]

I am very excited over Multi GS v2.0. In fact I am pretty impress! As you 
might have known, I am a Switch It user, and have been using it for quite
sometime. So I am writing this mini-review for Multi GS v2.0, from a
Switch It user perspective.

Btw, I have also played with The Manager (demo), and the other few switchers
(including Alan Bird's and LeapFrog).

Multi GS v2.0 seems to combine the best of both world of Switch It and The
Manager. It uses similar metaphor of The Manager, where you can click on 
the window to switch application, and all application shares the same screen.
Like Switch It, it has stack sharing!

I am very surprise to know that Multi GS stack sharing is even BETTER than
Switch It! First, it works. :) And it excels Switch It in this: Lets say you
have stack sharing shares set at 4K, and under Switch It, that means that
you are not able to run application like AWGS! But Multi GS allows! All it
does it to create a new stack space for AWGS since it is larger than 4K.
I think this feature is pretty cool, and should be implemented in Switch It
in the first place.

The second feature that impressed me is: it is able to launch ProDOS 8 
program - and beyond what The Manager does - it is also able to launch
desktop application! You see, manay applications are sure to crash. For
example - GNO/ME or many games. I try launching GNO from Multi GS, and it
works beautifully. And upon quitting, returns me to Multi GS. This alone can
eliminate one of the major reason to buy Switch It.

Up to my surprise! I can run my own Mandelbrot IIGS v2.2 on Multi GS! And I
can switch it and out without any problem. Wow. Switch It and The Manager
simply fails to run it nicely. And I am even more surprise to see my other
applications such as Super Magic demo to run without any problems. I have
tested Multi GS with many applications, and with correct setting (like some
you have to set the write direct to screen as on), this software is as stable
as both the commercial products. Btw, it runs Proterm fine too.

It is also the only switcher than can load more than one application during
startup. It can load up to 7! And like The Manager, it traps error quite
nicely.

Of course, I am still using Switch It right now, due to some "problems" in
Multi GS. 

First - I hate the screen updates! Icons on desktop flashes here and there,
and this is exactly why I choose Switch It over The Manager in the first 
place. I found that irritating. Backdrop (desktop pictures) also drops the
background occasionally.

When switching application and Multi GS trying to close all the DAs, if the
DAs present a dialog (like ShadowWrite with "Save..."), Multi GS will enter
infinite loop.

I can't find the Show window option documented. 

The 3 major reasons I prefer Switch It over Multi GS: 1) Many times during
switching, there is a noticable pause; 2) Multi GS takes up 11K of stack
space! 1) Even if I request Multi GS to run Finder on Start up, it will
load Finder and returns control to Multi GS. This force me to manually
switch to Finder everytime.

Personally I think Multi GS is now a very powerful opponent for both Switch
It and The Manager. It is stable and has many features lack in the commercial
software. $20 shareware price is very reasonable, and I suggest users who
has not bought any switcher yet take a close look at this software. This 
might be exactly what you want, with a much lower price.

For user who has The Manager, the only 2 advantages Multi GS offer are
ability to launch incompatible GSOS application and stack sharing.

Switch It seems to be having the least feature among the 3. Its main selling
point - stack sharinga is unfortunately not as good as Multi GS. And since
you can't launch GNO from Switch It (but you can launch Switch it from GNO),
Multi GS will be more attractive to GNO users who use it occasionally (like
me). But Switch It is a test and proven product, and it is faster and
less irritating when switching application. 

I am still using Switch It. But it is a little aging now. It needs more
functions to be able to fight with The Manager (new version is coming out)
and Multi GS (with better stack sharing and able to launch GNO). I have
the following suggestions:

* Ability to launch ProDOS 8 program.
* Ability to launch GSOS program (not switch. Switch it just quit Finder and
  itself and pass control to the software).
* Needs stack sharing as good as Multi GS.
* Most important - the main advantage I saw in Switch It is the compatibility
  with GNO - if somehow it can ALSO be an extension of GNO - this will be
  able to differential itself from the rest. For example, if GNO attempts
  to run an application while Switch It is the desktop application, and 
  Switch It able to trap this, this will be very convenient for GNO users.
* Features like memory map etc will be good.

--
    %% GS Lover Loves GS %%    Author of Super Magic 3 & Mandelbrot II GS
 
          Lim Thye Chean: Lim is my surname. My name is Thye Chean.
     My address: LTCHEAN@ISS.NUS.SG or 12, College Green, Singapore 1129