Why Mac OS X terminates applications when switching users

[hajime]

Under Windows XP, we can switch users without terminating the applications from the current user. How come Mac OS X cannot do the same thing?

 

[xUKHCx]

Under Windows XP, we can switch users without terminating the applications from the current user. How come Mac OS X cannot do the same thing?

It can if you enable fast user switching

System Preferences - Accounts - Login Options - Enable fast user switching

Then up in the top right you should see a little icon of a person or your username depending on the options, click that and you will be able to log into the other account while the apps stay open in your original account.

 

[TEG]

It can and does when using "Fast User Switching". However, if you log out, it quits all open apps.

TEG

 

[kolax]

I think you are logging out rather than switching users. You need to enable Fast User Switching.

Found under Accounts in the System Preferences panel.

 

[hajime]

Wow! That is really cool! Thank you very much.

 

[hajime]

Since the applications of other users might be running in the background, does fast-switching slow down the computer? How about its effect on memory usage?

 

[richard.mac]

not really. depends if your using memory & CPU intensive apps in the other account. you can view the activity for each user by opening Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder.