The Operating System

What is an operating system?

The operating system is the core software component of your computer. It performs many functions and is, in very basic terms, an interface between your computer and the outside world. In the section about hardware, a computer is described as consisting of several component parts including your monitor, keyboard, mouse, and other parts. The operating system provides an interface to these parts using what is referred to as "drivers". This is why sometimes when you install a new printer or other piece of hardware, your system will ask you to install more software called a driver.

Give examples of operating systems.

Laptops, tablets, and desktop computers all run operating systems that you've probably heard of.


Some examples include versions of Microsoft Windows (like Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP), Apple's macOS (formerly OS X), iOS, Chrome OS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, and flavors of the open source operating system Linux.

Your smartphone runs an operating system too, probably either Apple's iOS or Google's Android. Both are household names but you may not have realized that they are the operating systems being utilized on those devices.

Servers, like those that host the websites you visit or serve the videos you watch, typically run specialized operating systems, designed and optimized to run the special software required to make them do what they do. Some examples include Windows Server, Linux, and FreeBSD.

Five Common Operating System

Ubuntu
Ubuntu is based on a version of the Linux operating system known as Debian GNU/Linux. Its main benefit is that it's free and open source. This means users can alter the code as they see fit. Ubuntu also stands out because it's updated once every six months, unlike other open source programs that have no strict upgrade schedule. Most Ubuntu-compatible software is also free and available in on-line software "repositories." Users can try Ubuntu on their PC using the program's "Live CD" mode. This allows you to run the system without actually installing it on your computer. Because Ubuntu programs are less ubiquitous than those for more well-known systems, users may need to do some research before finding the software solutions they need.

Android
Android is a "mobile" operating system maintained by the Open Handset Alliance, a group of companies and organizations that contribute to the system's development under the management of Google Inc. The system is an "open standard," meaning that an entire community of developers can alter the software, not just Google. Android comes pre-installed on smartphones and tablet PCs for which it was designed. As of the date of publication, all four major smartphone carriers -- Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T -- have Android devices available. A variety of manufacturers also make Android-compatible devices. One of the main benefits of the system's open source status is that developers can create different versions of its basic programs, allowing users greater freedom to customize their mobile devices.

Mac OS X
While a version of Mac OS X comes pre-installed on all Apple Macintosh computers, users must pay if they wish to use newer versions when they become available. The system is not open source, so only Apple developers have the ability to legitimately make alterations or improvements to its code. It differs from other computer operating systems in that it only works on Apple computers. Its key feature is its usability. The most recent version as of the date of publication includes a "resume" feature that re-opens applications in the same state they were in when you last closed them. It also includes a "Mission Control" feature, which allows you to see all of your open files at a glance.

IOS
IOS is Apple's mobile operating system. It runs on the company's iPod, iPhone and iPad devices. Like Mac OS X, it can only be used on Apple's mobile devices. One advantage of iOS is that more applications are available for it than for any other mobile operating system. As of summer 2011, it has approximately 400,000 to Android's 300,000. This increases the chances that users will find the type of app they're looking for. The system's key features include multitasking support, which allows users to run multiple apps simultaneously, and FaceTime, a video chat program that comes pre-installed on iOS devices.

Windows
Windows is an operating system owned and operated by Microsoft. It differs from open source systems in that only Microsoft has the ability to make changes to the code. However, it also differs from Mac OS X in that it can be installed on a variety of different computers from a host of competing manufacturers, offering the user more freedom of choice when it comes to hardware. According to Net Market Share, Windows is the most widely used operating system. The latest version as of the date of publication includes touchscreen support, which combines the usability of a touchscreen tablet with the power of a desktop computer. It also features "Play To" and "Remote Media Streaming," which allow you to play media from your computer on other devices in its vicinity and to access your media when you're away from your computer.

What are the types of Operating System?

Operating System Types

There are many types of operating systems. The most common is the Microsoft suite of operating systems. They include from most recent to the oldest:

Windows XP Professional Edition - A version used by many businesses on workstations. It has the ability to become a member of a corporate domain.
Windows XP Home Edition - A lower cost version of Windows XP which is for home use only and should not be used at a business.
Windows 2000 - A better version of the Windows NT operating system which works well both at home and as a workstation at a business. It includes technologies which allow hardware to be automatically detected and other enhancements over Windows NT.
Windows ME - A upgraded version from windows 98 but it has been historically plagued with programming errors which may be frustrating for home users.
Windows 98 - This was produced in two main versions. The first Windows 98 version was plagued with programming errors but the Windows 98 Second Edition which came out later was much better with many errors resolved.
Windows NT - A version of Windows made specifically for businesses offering better control over workstation capabilities to help network administrators.
Windows 95 - The first version of Windows after the older Windows 3.x versions offering a better interface and better library functions for programs.

There are other worthwhile types of operating systems not made by Microsoft. The greatest problem with these operating systems lies in the fact that not as many application programs are written for them. However if you can get the type of application programs you are looking for, one of the systems listed below may be a good choice.

Unix - A system that has been around for many years and it is very stable. It is primary used to be a server rather than a workstation and should not be used by anyone who does not understand the system. It can be difficult to learn. Unix must normally run an a computer made by the same company that produces the software.
Linux - Linux is similar to Unix in operation but it is free. It also should not be used by anyone who does not understand the system and can be difficult to learn.
Apple MacIntosh - Most recent versions are based on Unix but it has a good graphical interface so it is both stable (does not crash often or have as many software problems as other systems may have) and easy to learn. One drawback to this system is that it can only be run on Apple produced hardware.

What are the operating system tasks?

What are the operating system tasks?

The operating system's tasks, in the most general sense, fall into six categories:

Processor management
Memory management
Device management
Storage management
Application Interface
User Interface

What is the relationship between operating systems and computer hardware?

Operating system helps to make computer hardware available to the application programs. Without Operating System we cannot access computer hardware.

How to maintain your operating system?

How to maintain your operating system?

1.) Install an anti-virus security software and set up an automated maintenance schedule.
2.) Back up your computer.
3.) Use the Windows "Disk Cleanup" feature to remove "junk" files.
4.) Download the latest drivers, software and firmware updates from the computer's manufacturer to maintain optimum performance levels.

I learned a lot from this forum. Dahil sa forum na ito naparesearch ako at no choice kailangan ko din siyang basahin kaya nadagdagan pa ang aking kaalaman so Thank You

Operating System is a very significant program that runs a computer's functions. It manages every task, that pass between other application programs, and serves as a central processing program. It allows,us to command and for the requests to be processed and enables them to be able to communicate properly with the other applications, as it's main function.

What is an operating system?

The operating system is the core software component of your computer. It performs many functions and is, in very basic terms, an interface between your computer and the outside world. In the section about hardware, a computer is described as consisting of several component parts including your monitor, keyboard, mouse, and other parts.

Examples of Operating System:

GNU, UNIX, BSD, Haiku, Windows (XP, Vista, 7) and Mac OS, are all examples of operating systems. Linux, is a kernel. GNU using Linux as its kernel makes a functioning operating system called GNU/Linux.

Types of operating systems

Operating systems usually come pre-loaded on any computer you buy. Most people use the operating system that comes with their computer, but it's possible to upgrade or even change operating systems. The three most common operating systems for personal computers are Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

Modern operating systems use a graphical user interface, or GUI (pronounced gooey). A GUI lets you use your mouse to click icons, buttons, and menus, and everything is clearly displayed on the screen using a combination of graphics and text.

The operating system's job

Your computer's operating system (OS) manages all of the software and hardware on the computer. Most of the time, there are several different computer programs running at the same time, and they all need to access your computer's central processing unit (CPU), memory, and storage. The operating system coordinates all of this to make sure each program gets what it needs.

Responsibilities of the OS include:

Hiding the complexities of hardware from the user.
Managing between the hardware's resources which include the processors, memory, data storage and I/O devices.
Handling "interrupts" generated by the I/O controllers.
Sharing of I/O between many programs using the CPU.

Types of operating systems

Operating systems usually come pre-loaded on any computer you buy. Most people use the operating system that comes with their computer, but it's possible to upgrade or even change operating systems. The three most common operating systems for personal computers are Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

Modern operating systems use a graphical user interface, or GUI (pronounced gooey). A GUI lets you use your mouse to click icons, buttons, and menus, and everything is clearly displayed on the screen using a combination of graphics and text.

Microsoft Windows
Microsoft created the Windows operating system in the mid-1980s. Over the years, there have been many different versions of Windows, but the most recent ones are Windows 10 (released in 2015), Windows 8 (2012), Windows 7 (2009), and Windows Vista (2007). Windows comes pre-loaded on most new PCs, which helps to make it the most popular operating system in the world.

Mac OS X
Mac OS is a line of operating systems created by Apple. It comes preloaded on all new Macintosh computers, or Macs. All of the recent versions are known as OS X (pronounced O-S Ten), and the specific versions include El Capitan (released in 2015), Yosemite (2014), Mavericks (2013), Mountain Lion (2012), and Lion (2011).

According to StatCounter Global Stats, Mac OS X users account for less than 10% of global operating systems—much lower than the percentage of Windows users (more than 80%). One reason for this is that Apple computers tend to be more expensive. However, many people do prefer the look and feel of Mac OS X over Windows.

Linux
Linux (pronounced LINN-ux) is a family of open-source operating systems, which means they can be modified and distributed by anyone around the world. This is different from proprietary software like Windows, which can only be modified by the company that owns it. The advantages of Linux are that it is free, and there are many different distributions—or versions—you can choose from.

According to StatCounter Global Stats, Linux users account for less than 2% of global operating systems. However, most servers run Linux because it's relatively easy to customize.

Operating System Tip:

Adding items to the Start menu

You can add shortcuts to files or folders in the Start menu by going to "Start/Settings/Taskbar and Start Menu/Advanced" (or by going to "c:\windows\start"). Windows 98 even lets you drag a program to the Start menu and place it wherever you want, and this automatically creates a shortcut.
This action won't work if you try to create a shortcut to elements like the Recycling Bin or the Control Panel.

The operating system's job

Your computer's operating system (OS) manages all of the software and hardware on the computer. Most of the time, there are several different computer programs running at the same time, and they all need to access your computer's central processing unit (CPU), memory, and storage. The operating system coordinates all of this to make sure each program gets what it needs.
1. Booting: Booting is a process of starting the computer operating system starts the computer to work. It checks the computer and makes it ready to work.

2. Memory Management

It is also an important function of operating system. The memory cannot be managed without operating system. Different programs and data execute in memory at one time. if there is no operating system, the programs may mix with each other. The system will not work properly.

3. Loading and Execution

A program is loaded in the memory before it can be executed. Operating system provides the facility to load programs in memory easily and then execute it.

4. Data security

Data is an important part of computer system. The operating system protects the data stored on the computer from illegal use, modification or deletion.

5. Disk Management

Operating system manages the disk space. It manages the stored files and folders in a proper way.

6. Process Management

CPU can perform one task at one time. if there are many tasks, operating system decides which task should get the CPU.

7. Device Controlling

operating system also controls all devices attached to computer. The hardware devices are controlled with the help of small software called device drivers.

8. Printing controlling

Operating system also controls printing function. It a user issues two print commands at a time, it does not mix data of these files and prints them separately.

Pros

plus pointCLIs can run on simple hardware with limited resources.
plus pointSome commands may be simpler to perform in a CLI than in a GUI.
Cons

minus point Learning the commands may make it not suitable for a new user.
minus point Some commands may be harder to perform in a CLI than in a GUI.

The operating system simply mediates between the user and the computer itself so that instructions between the two can effectively be exchanged. Without the operating system, the user will not discern the computer's language as well as the computer cannot perform what the user intends the computer to perform.

The operating system (OS) is the most important program that runs on a computer. Every general-purpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs and applications. Computer operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the storage drives, and controlling peripheral devices, such as printers.

For large systems, the operating system has even greater responsibilities and powers. It is like a traffic cop — it makes sure that different programs and users running at the same time do not interfere with each other. The operating system is also responsible for security, ensuring that unauthorized users do not access the system.

John Robertson C. Despi
9-Lavoisier

Often abbreviated as OS, an operating system is a powerful, and usually large, program that controls and manages the hardware and other software on a computer.

All computers and computer-like devices have operating systems, including your laptop, tablet, desktop, smartphone, smartwatch, router... you name it.

Examples of Operating Systems
Laptops, tablets, and desktop computers all run operating systems that you've probably heard of.


Some examples include versions of Microsoft Windows (like Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP), Apple's macOS (formerly OS X), iOS, Chrome OS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, and flavors of the open source operating system Linux.

Your smartphone runs an operating system too, probably either Apple's iOS or Google's Android. Both are household names but you may not have realized that they are the operating systems being utilized on those devices.

Servers, like those that host the websites you visit or serve the videos you watch, typically run specialized operating systems, designed and optimized to run the special software required to make them do what they do. Some examples include Windows Server, Linux, and FreeBSD.

Software & Operating Systems
Most software programs are designed to work with just one company's operating system, like just Windows (Microsoft) or just macOS (Apple).

A piece of software will clearly say which operating systems it supports and will get very specific if necessary. For example, a video production software program might say it supports Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7, but does not support older versions of Windows like Windows Vista and XP.

Software developers also often release additional versions of their software that work with other operating systems.


Coming back to the video production program example, that company might also release another version of the program with exactly the same features but that only works with macOS.

It's also important to know whether your operating system is 32-bit or 64-bit. It's a common question you're asked when downloading software. See How to Tell If You Have Windows 64-bit or 32-bit if you need help.

Special types of software called virtual machines can actually mimic "real" computers and run different operating systems from within them. See What Is a Virtual Machine? for more on this.

Microsoft Windows Operating Systems
One of the operating systems that we write about a lot here on Lifewire is Microsoft Windows.

Here's a very small selection of our popular Windows operating system related articles:

How to Clean Install Windows
How to Repair Windows
How to Recover a Lost Windows Password
What Is a Product Key?
Windows Gadgets for System Monitoring
How to Partition a Hard Drive
How to Format a Hard Drive
What Is the Windows Registry?
Running Windows but not sure which version exactly? See What Version of Windows Do I Have?