What is Operating System?
An operating system
(OS) is the most important software that runs on a computer. It
manages the computer's memory and processes, as well as all of
its software and hardware. It also allows you to communicate with
the computer without knowing how to speak the computer's language. Without
an operating system, a computer is useless. An
operating system is a program that controls the execution of application programs
and acts as an interface between the user of a computer and the computer
hardware.
What is the purpose of
Operating System?
Operating systems (OS)
contain and manage all the programs and applications that a computer or mobile
device is able to run, which means managing the device’s software and hardware
functions. The functions of OS are as follows:
· Booting:
Booting is the process of turning on the computer and powering up the system.
· Memory management:
This feature controls and coordinates the computer applications while
allocating space for programs.
· Convenience: An
OS makes a computer more convenient for the users to interact with computer hardware.
· Efficiency: An
OS allows the computer system to manage the resources efficiently.
·
Loading and execution:
Your OS will load, or start up, a program and then execute the program so that
it opens and runs.
· Data security:
A good OS includes features that keep your data safe and computer programs
secure. Security features are set up to keep unwanted cyber attackers at bay.
· Disk management:
This manages all the drives installed in a computer, including hard drives,
optical disk drives, and flash drives. Disk management can also be used to
divide disks, format drives, and more.
· Process management:
Your OS is designed to allocate resources to different computer processes,
enable the processes to share information, protect them, and synchronize them.
· Device controlling:
Your OS will allow you to open or block access to devices like removable
devices, CD/DVDs, data transfer devices, USBs, and more.
· Printing controlling:
As an extension of device controlling, your OS takes control of the printers
that are connected to the computer, and the materials that need to be printed.
· User interface:
Also referred to as a UI, this is the part of the OS that allows a user to
enter and receive information. This can be done with typed commands, code, and
other formats.
Type of Operating System
(OS):
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, macOS, 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 Window:
Microsoft created
the Windows operating system in the mid-1980s. There have been many
different versions of Windows, but the most recent ones are Windows 10 (released
in 2015) other than this previous OS are Windows 8, Windows 7, Window
XP and Windows Vista. Windows comes pre-loaded on most new PCs,
which helps to make it the most popular operating system in the
world. The market share of Microsoft window is around 80% across the globe.
MAC OS:
macOS (previously known
as OS X) is a second most popular operating systems created by Apple and Macintosh
Computer. It comes preloaded on all Macintosh computers, or Macs. Some of the
specific versions include Kodiak, Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, Mojave, High
Sierra, and Sierra.
The macOS and Apple/Mac
products are also known and beloved by their users for ease of use and
continually improving user experience. Fast processing speeds, a simple desktop
interface, and a wide variety of helpful resources make users excited about macOS. The
market share of MacOS is around 10 % of the total operating system.
Linux:
Linux (pronounced as LINN-ux)
is a family of open-source UNIX like operating systems, which means
they are free, can be modified and distributed by anyone around the world. This
is different from proprietary software like Windows or MacOS, 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. The market share of Linux is less than 2% of the
total operating system.
Another way of
classifying the operating system is based on the type or application of use.
Following are the type of operating system according to the application. These
are as follows:
Batch Operating system- This
type of operating system allows sequence of jobs in a program on a computer
without manual interventions.
Time-sharing operating system- It allows many users to share the computer resources.
It helps to maximize utilization of the resources.
Distributed operating system- Manages a group of different computers and makes
appear to be a single computer.
Network operating system-
computers running in different operating systems can participate in a common
network (It is mainly used for security purposes).
Real-time operating
system – meant applications perform its operation in real
time.
Operating System for Mobile Devices:
The operating systems
we've been talking about so far were designed to run on desktop and laptop computers. Mobile
devices such as phones, tablet computers, and MP3 players are
different from desktop and laptop computers, so they run operating systems that
are designed specifically for mobile devices. Examples of mobile operating
systems include Apple iOS and Google Android.
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