Couples computing

[Breath]

I was interested in the idea of a couples computer, a system that could handle different types of programs running on one system. Several people have told me that Linus could only get gaming program that supported multiple users, I thought it was possible to build something that would support gaming and internet use. Does anyone know how complex a system the couples computer   design was? As I recall Linus was able to run two separate  monitors while playing the same game on a common system, it's not so much the internet or gaming it's sharing a system between two individuals and performing different tasks at the same time.

[Tech87]

3 minutes ago, Breath said:

I was interested in the idea of a couples computer, a system that could handle different types of programs running on one system. Several people have told me that Linus could only get gaming program that supported multiple users, I thought it was possible to build something that would support gaming and internet use. Does anyone know how complex a system the couples computer   design was?

If a system can run games, it can use the internet.

I'm not really sure what you're asking?

[Middcore]

4 minutes ago, Tech87 said:

If a system can run games, it can use the internet.

I'm not really sure what you're asking?

I think he's talking about multiple users on the same PC web-browsing.

[Areco777]

i think he is talking about this video 

 

[Middcore]

2 minutes ago, Areco777 said:

i think he is talking about this video 

 

I'm sure he is, but what he's actually asking is opaque at best.

 

[RONOTHAN##]

If I understand correctly, that you want to use one computer for two different web browsing machines, don't. It's possible, it's just way more headache than it's worth to setup, use, and since you need two different display adapters in order to do it and a higher end board that has good IOMMU support, it's probably cheaper to just get two machines. 

[Somerandomtechyboi]

Its only feasable when 2 seperate computers are more expensive than 1 single computer split into 2, but then again most of the benifit is usually nuked by higher end hardware requirements, running vms cause 2 seperate users so rip even more performance, and just more hassle to setup

[Tech87]

1 hour ago, Areco777 said:

i think he is talking about this video 

 

Just watched the video, and If this is what the OP, @Breath is referring to, it does seem a little janky to setup.

 

I also recall watching one of Linus' videos where they built a system and split the GPU up into chunks, ran several VMs, then gamed on it with a few members of the team.

 

The performance wasn't great, but it did work.

[whm1974]

1 hour ago, RONOTHAN## said:

If I understand correctly, that you want to use one computer for two different web browsing machines, don't. It's possible, it's just way more headache than it's worth to setup, use, and since you need two different display adapters in order to do it and a higher end board that has good IOMMU support, it's probably cheaper to just get two machines. 

No he wants to game while his SO Browses the Web on the same computer. With Linux you configure it to operate in Dual Head Mode where each GPU and KBM are a another User.

[wasab]

6 hours ago, Breath said:

I was interested in the idea of a couples computer, a system that could handle different types of programs running on one system. 

isnt that just called an operating system?

[whm1974]

6 hours ago, wasab said:

isnt that just called an operating system?

Recall the Network Computer? By the Time the  first ones were available, PCs became a lot cheaper. In addiction Microsoft also came out with some kind of Thin Client system that enable Companies to reuse much older PCs as Thin Clients. During the NC Overhyped period, Sun came out with the JavaStation. It was slower then the Sun Diskless Workstations it was suppose to replaced and came with JavaOS...

 

NCs were a complete Market Failure.

 

Anyway the OP could install another GPU. setup Linux to use Multiple Heads with each User having their own Display and KBM.