Multi-user facts for kids

A multi-user system is like a shared playground for computers! It's a special kind of operating system, computer program, or even a game that lets more than one person use the same computer at the exact same time.

Think of it like this:

• Imagine a big online video game where many players are all connected and playing together on the same game server. That's a multi-user system in action!
• Another example is a school computer lab where several students can log in to different accounts on the same powerful computer, each working on their own tasks.

The opposite of multi-user is single-user. This usually means an operating system or program can only be used by one person at a time. Most personal computers and laptops you use at home are primarily single-user, even if they have different user accounts. Only one person can actively use it at a time.

What is Single-User Mode?

Sometimes, a multi-user system needs a little fixing or maintenance. That's where single-user mode comes in handy. It's a special way for a multi-user operating system to start up or switch into a mode where only one super user (like a computer expert) can access it. This mode is mainly used to repair or update the system without other users getting in the way.

Images for kids

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  Interactive Multiuser Multitouch

See also

In Spanish: Multiusuario para niños