timesharing

A computer environment that supports multiple users simultaneously. The term originated in the 1960s when multiple terminals were first connected to a single mainframe, allowing programmers and students simultaneous access to computing resources. Today's networks of servers within the enterprise or throughout the Internet provide a similar computing model, with hundreds or thousands of users accessing the same server or cluster of servers at the same time.

The major difference today is that users have their own computers that perform a great deal of the processing, mostly to render the user interface but often to perform some or all of the business processing. The terminals in the 1960s and 1970s were primarily keyboards and screens. See cloud computing and dumb terminal.

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References in periodicals archive

Daly reasoned that the legislature authorized timesharing deviations only when there was a court-ordered parenting plan.

To catch a time-sharing deviation

The concept of timesharing consists on the division of use rights of resorts or urban accommodations into increments of time such as a week.

Dubailand keen to tap timeshare business model

1986) found that 51% of nonowners had negative attitudes toward timesharing compared with 12% of owners.

Customer satisfaction in the Australian timeshare industry

I am totally convinced that the time has come - Big Time - for the timesharing industry on a whole new playing field.

The time for time-sharing: an urban hospitality alternative

Corbato is being honored for his pioneering work in formulating the concepts and leading the development of CTSS and Multics, the earliest general-purpose large-scale timesharing and resource-sharing computer systems.

Fernando J. Corbato to receive the 1990 A.M. Turing award at ACM Computer Science Conference

For purposes of illustration, some state laws of Virginia which relate to timesharing of real estate are examined.

The management of time-sharing units

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