What Is an Operating System and What Does It Do?Posted by Ellison Juul on May 11th, 2021 What is a computer operating system and where may i find a listing of them? The question "What's an operating system?" is one I get asked often and I have even been told in the past while trying to straighten out a customer's problem that their operating system is Google when in fact that is the browser they are using not the operating system. (Google does have an open source operating-system called Chrome OS I will state) That seems to be the problem people but computers and no one ever tells them the fundamentals of what they are using. Once paid for you're kind of forgotten and left to fend on your own. So lets clear it and feel the main operating systems and exactly what they are and do. What operating systems are there?? T here are many different operating systems out there but the ones you will be acquainted with by name is going to be: Microsoft Windows 95 Microsoft windows XP Microsoft windows ME Microsoft Windows Vista Microsoft Windows 7 Microsoft windows 8 (due for release later this season possibly October) Mac OS 8 Mac OS 9 Mac OS X Solaris Ubuntu Fedora Open Suse Free BSD Symbian Android Palm The list goes on but most of the well-known ones are there. Ok but simply what's an operating system? It is a complex group of programs that are designed to manage and control your computer hardware resources and software. This implies they can provide services to programs you run on your computer. OK so maybe that has been not that simple. Think of it because the middle man in the middle of your physical hardware in your personal computer and the game or software you intend to run. You open your game or your program which could be the conversation between your game/program, windows and the hardware. Program: Hey windows I wish to run is it possible to sort me out some resources. Windows: Sure what do you want? Program: I could do with some memory, a little bit of processing power and some place to store my setting if that's ok? Windows: Let me make an appointment with hardware and see what we are able to do. Program Pete: Cheers *Windows goes to speak to Hardware* Windows: Hey hardware hows it heading down there? Program Pete reaches it again "get me this get me that" are you experiencing some free resources? Hardware: He never leaves me alone does he. Tell him he is able to use 100% of the processor if he needs it as nobody else is deploying it at the minute but if anti-virus Annie comes in he will need to share it with her. Tell him he can have half the memory too so when much storage as he wants within reason. Windows: Cheers hardware I will tell him and allocate it to him *Windows goes back to Program Pete* Windows: Right Pete here is what I could do for but is another person comes along you will need to share the resources. *Uri USB is plugged in and anti-virus Annie wakes up* URI and Annie together: Can we please involve some resources!! Program Pete: *sigh* now its going to take me a nano second longer to accomplish my task because I have to share with those two So the conversation continues.... It could sound silly but if you wish to make it really basic this is pretty much what's happening although granted how it happens is quite complex. Without the operating system the programs you use wouldn't normally be able to run as they would not have the ability to talk to the hardware which explains why you will find pretty much every desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, iPad smart phone has an operating system. Are there any free operating systems out there? There are lots of free ones out there and over the years they have more and more appropriate for software we use regularly. For example the new Raspberry pi includes a Linux which is free and permits you to do all the basics such as for example go on the web create documents. Below is a list of a number of the free Linux ones on the market Fedora Open Solaris Ubuntu Free BSD Chrome OS Haiku There are many more on the market this is only a sample of the very most popular. You will see arguments all over the internet on operating systems that cost vs free os's so I wont get into it here but I'll say if you are likely to move to free software be sure you do your research. What is important to remember is Linux isn't windows and is very different so be ready for a learning curve. Ok so these all continue my computer just what exactly are mobile operating systems? Mobile operating systems are quite similar as an operating system for your desktop or laptop however they are designed for tablets, PDA`s or cell phones. These tend to combine many features such as for example touch-screen, Bluetooth, GPRS, camcorders, cameras and many other features. The most frequent mobile operating systems are: Android - Open source from Google Blackberry iOS Apple closed source applied to iPhones, iPads. Symbian - Used by Nokia Windows phone - Closed source software from Microsoft. How do I discover what operating system I am using If using a smartphone or iPad you have to be able to determine what you're running from the aforementioned list. On a Mac you're probably to be using OS X snow leopard. To find out everything you are running on a windows based machine discover the my computer Icon on your desktop (if it's not on your own desktop press your start menu button/windows button and you should find My computer or computer on the proper hand side). Use your right mouse button to click on it and select properties. The screen that comes up will tell you the operating-system you are running.Like it? Share it! More by this author |