RE: [WinMac] Re: Film Bureau and Platforms

Tom Bruce(tbruce[at]sigsysinc.com)
Fri, 24 Sep 1999 12:47:08 -0400

How do I get off this list?
  

Tom Bruce MCSE
Signature Systems In.
Network Systems &
Sales Engineer
301-231-7125 x21
tbruce@sigsysinc.com

  

-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel L. Schwartz [mailto:expresso@snip.net]
Sent: Friday, September 24, 1999 12:41 PM
To: The Windows-MacOS cooperation list
Subject: [WinMac] Re: Film Bureau and Platforms

        I'll reply to both Aaron's & John's notes inline...

        "Aaron Ciesar" wrote:

>

>Dan,

>

>I have responded in line and clipped extra text.

>

>----------

>>From: "Daniel L. Schwartz"

>>To: "The Windows-MacOS cooperation list"

>>Subject: Re: Film Bureau and Platforms

>>Date: Thu, Sep 23, 1999, 4:37 PM

>

>

>>>Never underestimate the power of duct-tape. ;)

>>

>> That's right: It's hard to get out of after it's wrapped around your

>> wrists, ankles... And neck!

>

>Uh... okay..., I'm getting scared now! ;)

        It's not THAT funny when you have a pissed-off customer staring at
you...

>> The single biggest issue I personally have with Win2k is that it is
trying

>> to accommodate too many video drivers. Up through NT 3.51, the GDI ran in

>> protected (user) mode - CPU Ring 3. Starting with NT4, the GDI was moved

>> into CPU Ring 0 - Kernel (real) mode, (along with the server and spooler

>> services), so that a buggy video card driver would bring the system to a

>> BSOD. As long as, for a server, stuck to generic chipsets with their

>> generic drivers, all runs nicely. Going beyond that, sticking closely
with

>> the Windows Hardware Compatibility List

>> for NT compatibility is critical for

>> video - And other PCI option card systems such as SCSI and NIC.

>

>You know, this is exactly what is wrong with Microsoft. In their effort to

>make NT the all knowing, all seeing, all doing OS, MS continues to jam more

>and more unneeded features into NT while continuously sacrificing
stability.

        Agreed: They tried to combine the windoze 98 and NT code bases into
one product, and it's fraying at some of the edges. In fact, I'm taking a
closer look at OpenVMS... One can easily get a "Hobbyist" license from the
Q. The only key component that is missing - And this is the deal-breaker -
is support for AFP/IP.

>Considering that drivers are the single greatest source for BSOD's in NT,

>the decision to move more drivers out of CPU Ring 3 to Ring 0 is truly
brain

>dead. Microsoft has the potential to be the greatest source of quality

>software in the world. Instead we get dancing paperclips.

        Now, here's the clinker: It was Dave Cutler himself who was so proud
of moving the GDI down into kernel mode in NT4! For your reading pleasure
and a trip down memory lane:

; and from that article a quote from Cutler himself:

"'We talk about how the operating system evolved with each release, from
memory optimizations and Power PC support in versions 3.5 and 3.51 to
kernel-mode GDI and User, plus a new user interface in version 4.0. "The
basic, internal architecture has not changed, except for Plug and Play,'
Cutler says."

>>>Well, my servers run with ASIP 6.2.1 which requires MacOS 8.6. You can
run

>>>ASIP 6.2 on MacOS 8.5.1, but some of the bug fixes in ASIP are dependent

>>>upon MacOS 8.6.

>>

>> That is a bit disheartening, in that the bug fixes in ASIP 6.2 require
bug

>> fixes to be applied to the OS as well. They *should* be independent -

>> Especially since many companies are in Y2k lockdown, and *cannot*
"upgrade"

>> their OS.

>

>Very true, fortunately, our department is not in a Y2K lockdown. It really

>nice when you get to make your own rules. Plus, I was very happy with the

>upgrade, it was free, and I have enjoyed stability improvements throughout

>my department's Macs.

        Not everybody has the luxury of breaking Y2k lockdown, although the
MacOS and its' apps are already pretty much - But *not* 100% - Y2k
compliant.

>>>Plus, the improved multitasking in 8.6 actually increases the performance
of

>>>my print server, as it runs in the background.

>>

>> Why are you running a print server? For PC's? At least (background)

>> printing has been the one *really good* aspect of System 7 & 8 due to

>> AppleTalk's PAP; Desktop Printing notwithstanding.

>>

>> SEE, Thare ARE a few things I like about System 7 & 8! :)

>

>I need a print server to sever my Windows machines. My department is a

>50/50 mix of Macs and PC's.

        Actually, in a mixed environment I prefer to just let the Macs print
directly (with a few exceptions, like to imagesetters); and then you can use
any NT box (like a secretary's) to run the Spooler service for any number of
network printers. Surprisingly, the Spooler service uses very little CPU
overhead, plus you gain the ability to tap into the parallel port instead of
the extra expense of an MIO (JetDirect) card.

        NT SPOOLER HINTS: Log on as local administrator to do these
tricks...

        HINT 1: Be sure to increase the priority: Start -> Settings ->
Printers; then right-click printer -> Properties -> Scheduling -> Priority
-> (Slider)

        HINT 2: Be sure to move the spool folder to a better location,
instead of buried in the User profile. Personally, I like to put the spool
folder on a RAID 0 (striped) partition along with the pagefile. Start ->
Settings -> Printers -> File -> Server Properties -> Advanced.

>I agree with you that AppleTalk's PAP rules. Of course, since PAP is such a

>great technology, Apple is currently planning on dumping it with no

>foreseeable replacement (except for LPR, which BTW sucks). Talk about

>another brain dead decision.

        Yeah, it's a PAP smear, alright!

>Aaron B. Ciesar

>Data Manager/Analyst

>UPMC Stroke Institute

>

At 11:06 AM 9/24/99 -0400, "Welch, John C." wrote:

>Careful Dan, that's how it starts. First you like the background printing,

>then the desktop printers. Soon it's open transport. Next thing you know,

>you're lying in an alley, confused and mumbling, with a bondi - blue iMac

>tattooed to your chest, and an Apple logo on your forehead. Get help,
before

>it's too late!

>

>;)

>

>> Why are you running a print server? For PC's? At least (background)

>> printing has been the one *really good* aspect of System 7 & 8 due to

>> AppleTalk's PAP; Desktop Printing notwithstanding.

>>

>> SEE, Thare ARE a few things I like about System 7 & 8! :)

>>

>> Balance trimmed

>> Cheers!

>> Dan

        Actually, Apple's Desktop printing is a cheap rip-off of OS2 2.1's
utility. And I can't stand LPR, period, because it's not bidirectional. AND,
LPR on the Mac requires Apple's Desktop Printing utility. As for Open
Transport, I'm not too sure it scales across multiple CPU's. [This is
actually one of the reasons that, a couple of months ago, when Microsoft and
RedHat had their second round NT-Linux shootout, Linux didn't do too well on
the 4 CPU Dell box: NT's IP stack scales across multiple CPU's, while Linux'
IP stack only runs on one CPU in a "symmetric" multiprocessor environment.]

        SIDEBAR: I *really* like multiple CPU machines, especially with NT.
It's a nice way to use inexpensive CPU's to get REALLY good performance. If
you want to assemble a rock-solid machine, Computer Geeks has the Intel
PR440FX motherboard for $77, including the second VRM module. The board
supports one or two 180 & 200 mHz Pentium Pro CPU's, with 200 mHz CPU's
running $57 apiece now. Pop it in an ATX case and add a video card, RAM, &
HDD, and you're all set - The board has four PCI Option slots, plus built-in
Crystal sound, built-in Adaptec 7880 (2940-series) Ultra-Wide SCSI, and
built-in 82557 10/100 ethernet. I've built 3 of these machines, and one of
them is my testbed: it triple-boots Win 95 (with DVD deck & decoder board),
NT4/Server, and Win2000ß3/Server.

        Cheers!

        Dan

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