sr4a.222
Response is lowered when the number of programs running exceeds system.
If Response is lower than System, then System is lowered to meet Response.
I can read this two ways:
1. The System setting is the quality of the OS so doesn't change while the Commlink is on. Lowering Response is an artificial act due to the number of programs running so System doesn't lower. Once Response reaches 0, the system is too slow to operate and you have to stop a program or reset the Commlink.
2. On the other hand, System also dictates the stability of the OS. More programs than System makes the Commlink unstable which causes a memory overwrite then the Commlink blue-screens.
Using option 1, the Commlink stays more stable as you run programs and only crashes after you reach System*Response running programs.
1/1 = 1 program
2/2 = 4 programs
3/3 = 9 programs
4/4 = 16 programs
5/5 = 25 programs
Using option 2, as System drops (because Response is bringing System with it), as soon as you exceed System, you've crashed the Commlink because the number of programs always exceeds the maximum of the next level down which drops Response which drops System and eventually (and quickly) spirals out of control to crash the Commlink.
1/1 = 1 program > 1 crashes the Commlink
2/2: a third program drops it to 1/1
3/3: a fourth program drops it to 2/2
4/4: a fifth program drops it to 3/3
5/5: a sixth program drops it to 4/4
Letter of the law says that System == Response. So as Response drops, so does System which limits the number of programs that can be run. With the number of available programs, I'd lean to the second option to keep things on edge. But if managing a Commlink wasn't your idea of fun, perhaps option 1 would be better.
I'm writing a Commlink app and came across this and thought I'd throw it out for discussion. Perhaps it's already been discussed to death and I missed it.
Carl