Which OS feature allows more than one application to run at the same time?

Which OS feature allows more than one application to run at the same time?

• A. Scheduling
• B. Virtualization
• C. Multithreading
• D. Multitasking

Answer: (D)

Multitasking is the ability of the operating system to run more than one application at the same time by rapidly switching the CPU’s time among them. This gives the impression that several programs are operating concurrently, even on a computer with a single core, because the OS slices time into tiny intervals and switches between tasks quickly. The scheduler handles who runs next, but multitasking is the overarching capability that lets multiple apps stay active and responsive. Other concepts are related but describe different things: scheduling is the mechanism that decides the order of execution; virtualization creates separate virtual machines and complete, isolated environments; multithreading lets a single program run multiple threads simultaneously. The scenario described—multiple applications active at once—fits multitasking.

Multitasking is the ability of the operating system to run more than one application at the same time by rapidly switching the CPU’s time among them. This gives the impression that several programs are operating concurrently, even on a computer with a single core, because the OS slices time into tiny intervals and switches between tasks quickly. The scheduler handles who runs next, but multitasking is the overarching capability that lets multiple apps stay active and responsive.

Other concepts are related but describe different things: scheduling is the mechanism that decides the order of execution; virtualization creates separate virtual machines and complete, isolated environments; multithreading lets a single program run multiple threads simultaneously. The scenario described—multiple applications active at once—fits multitasking.