Multi-what??

[mscallisto]

Which is correct multi-tasking or multi-processing or are both ok?

I thought that a task is a noun and noun"ing"'s not allowed but processing is a verb.

I would go with multi-processing, am I correct or wrong?

 

[Stella740pl]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiprocessing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_multitasking

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multitasking

 

[sleipnir214]

This is from the webopedia entry on multitasking:

The ability to execute more than one task at the same time, a task being a program. The terms multitasking and multiprocessing are often used interchangeably, although multiprocessing implies that more than one CPU is involved.

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TANSTAAFL!!

 

[Dimandja]

Multiprocessing does indeed involve more than one CPU, as in Parallel Processing.

Multitasking only denotes the ability to submit usually unrelated programs at the same time, in the same computer, and does not imply using more than 1 CPU.

The Tandem NonStop Server I am using now does both: a multitasking, multiprocessing machine capable of processing several tasks in clusters of 256 CPUs, with each CPU multitasking up to 4096 programs.

 

[mscallisto]

But my original question addresses grammer.
Is multitasking grammatically correct?
Task is a noun, can we multi noun?
Multiprocessing seems to be grammatically sound.

 

[Stella740pl]

You might want to take a look at thread1256-890842 then.

 

[ESquared]

As that thread says, you can verb just about any noun... [smille]

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[Dimandja]

Did'ya just verb that noun?

 

[mscallisto]

I see your point!

BTW it was more like a spool than just a thread!

 

[SQLSister]

Verbing nouns is a time-honored English tradition.

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[ESquared]

And a verb used as a noun even has its own part of speech called a gerund.

Jumping is fun!

gerund
1 : a verbal noun in Latin that expresses generalized or uncompleted action
2 : any of several linguistic forms analogous to the Latin gerund in languages other than Latin; especially : the English verbal noun in -ing that has the function of a substantive and at the same time shows the verbal features of tense, voice, and capacity to take adverbial qualifiers and to govern objects

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It is better to have honor than a good reputation.
(Reputation is what other people think about you. Honor is what you know about yourself.)

 

[SQLSister]

So you can verb nouns and then noun verbs. Isn;t ENglish swell!

So if I said Verbing is fun. I have first verbed the noun 'verb' and then re-nouned the verb 'verb'

Of course in my actual example I used it as an adjetive.

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[Dimandja]

the English verbal noun in -ing that has the function of a substantive and at the same time shows the verbal features of tense, voice, and capacity to take adverbial qualifiers and to govern objects

Phew!

 

[SQLSister]

What was I thinking? I was using it as a verb. And really I do know how to spell adjective. Clearly I need more caffeine.

Questions about posting. See faq183-874