FriendlySeats

FriendlySeats is a multiseat software solution that enables multiple independent users to share a single computer. Multiseat, multi-user or multiterminal technology aims at increasing one personal computer's performance by sharing its capacity over several .
Since most daily tasks carried out by a computer (office applications, web browsers, media players...) only require a small part of the processor's resources, the same CPU has the potential to be used simultaneously by more than one user.
Multiseat solutions like FriendlySeats are normally used to increase the efficiency of both hardware and software, because less equipment is needed and only one copy of each program is installed. This way, maintenance and administration tasks can be significantly reduced.
Features
FriendlySeats allows up to 8 independent work environments. Each workstation must be equipped with input and output devices (usually monitor, keyboard and mouse) and connected to the main computer. Non-wireless keyboards and mice are normally connected via USB or USB-PS/2 adapter. Monitors are usually connected to the graphic card of the CPU (VGA/DVI output).
Different IP addresses can be assigned for each terminal. This feature enables individual tracking of each terminal (e.g. to manage an internet café).
FriendlySeats is designed for both professional and personal use and does not require high IT skills. The user interface is intuitive and the installation process is fairly simple.
Microsoft Windows release
The current release, version 1.4, runs on 32-bit Windows XP and on Windows Server 2003. According to its official website, a new release due in autumn 2010 will also run on Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Linux release
FriendlySeats is also available for Ubuntu, one of the most popular Linux distrubutions. In order to run FriendlySeats on Ubuntu, proprietary drivers and the QT4 package must be installed.
Demo and full versions
A free demo version can be downloaded from the official website. With this version, only two workstations can be set up, the session time is limited and no free updates or customer support are offered.
The full version can be purchased from the website or directly from the demo version. The price of the full version of the product depends on the amount of workstations or "seats" (up to 8) needed. Once purchased, the application can be upgraded to more seats (for instance, from 4 to 8) by paying the difference between prices.
Documentation
The user manual (available on the official website) provides information about the system requirements and the installation and configuration procedures, as well as a FAQ section. In addition, a video tutorial explains the basic setup of the multiple workstations.
Customer support
Customers can contact the support team by telephone, instant messaging or e-mail. The web's forum is where users can communicate with each other and with the support team. Also, the official website has a live help system for real-time online support.

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