Define Time Sharing Operating System.
Definition: Time-Sharing Operating System
A time-sharing operating system is an OS that allows multiple users and programs to share the CPU by rapidly switching between them, giving each a small time slice (time quantum). This fast context switching creates the illusion that all tasks are running simultaneously, enabling interactive use and efficient CPU utilization.
- Uses scheduling (often Round Robin) to allocate short time slices to each process.
- Supports multiple users and interactive applications.
- Improves responsiveness and resource utilization through multiprogramming.
- Relies on context switching to alternate between processes quickly.