Some possible reasons for speed differences.

Dos doesn't do multitasking so you've got no other code using your cpu's
time (except interrupts - eg timer and keyboard). A dos box still doesn't
take account of threads, so it runs faster than windows. to let other
programs in windows get a look in when you have a dos box, the timer
interrupt swtiches from the dos box to windows after 50ms - each dos box
gets 50ms, then windows and windows programs get a whole 50ms between them.

Dos and Linux should have little speed difference between them. Most of the
time consuming code doesn't have anything to do with the Operating System,
the only stuff that has any noticeable effect is memory allocation and
deallocation because it is the only thing that the OS is asked to do a lot
of during rendering. Since Dos has evolved quite a bit, I expect it's
memory operations are quite similar in speed to Linux (at least the OS
under the Win95 GUI is probably faster than Dos6.22 - which is where the
hype about win95 being faster than dos came from - dos6.22 is unoptimised,
the basic OS under the win95 gui is quite efficient, but the command prompt
is faster than windows due to lack of threads).

-- 
Tristan Wibberley

(Remove the '.NO_LUNCHEON_MEAT' from my
email address to reply.)

Alan Corey <cor### [at] unix1gccmassedu> wrote in article
<Pine.D-G.3.91.971130120109.7008A-100000@unix1>...


On 30 Nov 1997, Roland Mas wrote:

> Alan Corey (cor### [at] unix1gccmassedu) wrote:
> 
> > I've looked but all I can find is how to clear messages.  Is there a
way 
> > to close the message window in PovWin?  I don't usually do a complete 
> That depends. If you want to _close_ it, no way.
> If you just want it to stop appearing under your scene script, there
> is an option available by clicking somewhere (but where?) with the
> right button. I cannoy be more precise, since I use POV-Ray very often
> but Windows very rarely.
> 
> Friendly yours,
>   B-o-b
> --

> bob### [at] casimirrezelenstfr -- Linux, POV-Ray, LaTeX
> 

Thanks.  I'm not used to things appearing in a right-click menu and not 
anywhere else (including Help).

FYI: You right-click on the editor window and select "hide messages".

I tried the DOS version (under Windows 95 but not at a "Command Prompt 
Only" boot) and it looked like it was only about 10% faster.  Speed would 
be the only reason I'd use it but for 10% I prefer Windows.  Supposedly 
the Linux version may be faster which I find hard to believe.  I thought 
*everything* ran slower under Linux.  :-)

  Thanks again,

   Alan Corey

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