From the editors: collaborative computing community - leveraging single-user applications for multiuser distributed collaboration

Single-user interactive computer applications are pervasive in our work and daily lives. Commonly used single-user interactive applications include text editors such as Notepad and Emacs, word processors such as Office Word and OpenOffice Writer, spreadsheet tools such as Office Excel and OpenOffice Calculator, slide authoring and presentation tools such as Office PowerPoint and OpenOffice Impress, Web authoring tools such as FrontPage and Dreamweaver, CAD systems such as AutoCAD and Catia, and media creation tools such as Maya and 3D Studio Max. The choices for real-time collaborative applications, however, are limited. Most advanced real-time collaborative applications are research prototypes with limited functionalities and usability. The vast majority of existing commercial applications were designed for single users, and future applications' design is expected to continue to be single-user-centric.