What is the difference between timesharing and multiprocessing?

Answer 1

Multiprocessing is a generic term for the use of two or more central processing units (CPUs) within a single computer system. There are many variations on this basic theme, and the definition of multiprocessing can vary with context, mostly as a function of how CPUs are defined. The term multiprocessing is sometimes used to refer to the execution of multiple concurrent software processes in a system as opposed to a single process at any one instant. However, the term multiprogramming is more appropriate to describe this concept, which is implemented mostly in software, whereas multiprocessing is more appropriate to describe the use of multiple hardware CPUs. A system can be both multiprocessing and multiprogramming, only one of the two, or neither of the two. Time-sharing refers to sharing a computing resource among many users by multitasking. Because early mainframes and minicomputers were extremely expensive, it was rarely possible to allow a single user exclusive access to the machine for interactive use. But because computers in interactive use often spend much of their time idly waiting for user input, it was suggested that multiple users could share a machine by using one user's idle time to service other users. Similarly, small slices of time spent waiting for disk, tape, or network input could be granted to other users. Computers capable of providing time-sharing services would often operate in batch mode overnight.

Answer 2

In "time sharing" a number of software "tasks" share the processing power of a single hardware processor, i.e. they execute in a pseudo parallell fashion. In "multi processing" each software "task" has a dedicated hardware processor, i.e. the "tasks" execute in a true parallel fashion.