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Why is it that I can perform multitasking when extracting .sit files with StuffIt Expander but extracting .zip files with MacZip causes Mac OS 9 to hang until extraction is complete?

bmike
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Zhro
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1 Answers1

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In modern MacOS, the multi-tasking is controlled by the OS itself. It 'deals' out CPU cycles to the running processes.

Classic MacOS 9 used 'Cooperative multitasking', in which applications took turns on the CPU, and released control when they finished.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative_multitasking

'Good' applications would provide code to ensure that they didn't hold on more than they needed.

benwiggy
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  • Worth mentioning the alternative is called "preemptive multitasking" – Alexander Sep 27 '20 at 00:05
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    Long ago, I thought it would be fun to replace the "beep" error sound with a recording of Also Sprach Zarathustra. I didn't realize the system would freeze until it was done playing the wav file. My dad was not pleased, but he let it play through rather than hard restart. Only after waiting, he made a minor misclick trying to change the beep back, and had to listen to it a second time. – kojiro Sep 27 '20 at 00:52