• Shared Memory is faster once it is set up, because no system calls are required and access occurs at normal memory speeds. However it is more complicated to set up, and doesn't work as well across multiple computers. Shared memory is generally preferable when large amounts of information must be shared quickly on the same computer.
• Message Passing requires system calls for every message transfer, and is therefore slower, but it is simpler to set up and works well across multiple computers. Message passing is generally preferable when the amount and/or frequency of data transfers is small, or when multiple computers are involved.

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