time-sharing
Sign in to saveAlso known as time-sharing system, time sharing
In computing, time-sharing is the concurrent sharing of a computing resource among many tasks or users by giving each task or user a small slice of processing time. This quick switch between tasks or users gives the illusion of simultaneous execution. It enables multi-tasking by a single user or enables multiple-user sessions.
~18 min read
Article
16 sectionsContents
- History
- Batch processing
- Time-sharing
- Development
- Time-sharing business
- Genesis
- Rise and fall
- Rapidata as an example
- Time-sharing in the United Kingdom
- The computer utility
- Security
- Notable time-sharing systems
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
In computing, time-sharing is the concurrent sharing of a computing resource among many tasks or users by giving each task or user a small slice of processing time. This quick switch between tasks or users gives the illusion of simultaneous execution. It enables multi-tasking by a single user or enables multiple-user sessions.
Developed during the 1960s, its emergence as the prominent model of computing in the 1970s represented a major technological shift in the history of computing. By allowing many users to interact concurrently with a single computer, time-sharing dramatically lowered the cost of providing computing capability, made it possible for individuals and organizations to use a computer without owning one, and promoted the interactive use of computers and the development of new interactive applications.