Windows with a split personality

What if you have one PC, one monitor, two users (two keyboards and two mice)?

According to this report from Techtonic, via Discovery News, you can run Windows with the screen split down the middle:

New technology from Microsoft Research India in Bangalore could end the waiting game in offices with limited computers. Researchers are developing software that splits a computer screen in two halves, each side with its own operating system, desktop, applications, cursor and keyboard.

The technology could help small businesses and schools in developing countries reduce their computer costs and could even work in homes where more than one family member needs access. "At the most basic level, we are allowing two users to work completely independently on the same machine, sharing both the processor and monitor," said Udai Singh Pawar, assistant researcher and project leader.

(The image above is a screen shot from the Microsoft Research India screen-splitting project.)