when you run more programs then your system it reduces your response right? well your system can't run fastter than your response so when your respnise is reduced in this manner does it affect your system too? Which at an equal respons and system would in turn reduce your response sending you into a downward spiral quickaly brining your response to zero. doesn't that mean a computer running a system 4 and response 5 could run more programs than a response and system 6?

or does it just affect things that are response only?

System is limited by the base Response rating of the Device. This would be the Response rating before any modifiers (such as those from running too many programs) are applied. You can rest easy, there is no downward spiral involved.

BASE response?.....heh.....that explains it.....where does it say that I could have sworn it said response.

SR4a - Page 222 - the paragraph on System:
"The System program is limited by the base Response rating of the
device it is on: if the base Response rating of the device is lower than the
System rating, then the System rating is set to equal the Response rating."