In addition, the OS is able to grab the machine cycles that a modem or network program needs for uninterrupted processing. Mainframe operating systems have employed preemptive multitasking for ...

Windows, prior to Windows 95, and the Mac, prior to Mac OS X, were non-preemptive multitasking operating systems. Contrast with preemptive multitasking. See multitasking. THIS DEFINITION IS FOR ...