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 can I find a list of them? The question "What is an operating system?" is one I get asked often and I have even been told in past times while trying to straighten out a customer's problem that their operating system is Google when actually that is the browser they're using not the operating system. (Google has an open source operating system called Chrome OS I should 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 Additional info clear it and go through the main operating systems and exactly what they are and do. What operating systems are there?? There are many different operating systems out there but the ones you will be familiar 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 a lot of the well-known ones are there. Ok but simply what's an operating system? It is a complex group of programs that can manage and control your computer hardware resources and software. This implies they can provide services to programs you operate on your computer. OK so maybe that has been not that simple. Think of it because the middle man between your physical hardware in your computer and the overall game or software you intend to run. You open your game or your program and this could be the conversation in the middle of your game/program, windows and the hardware. Program: Hey windows I want to run is it possible to sort me out some resources. Windows: Sure what do you need? Program: I possibly could do with a bit of memory, a little bit of processing power and some place to store my setting in the event that's ok? Windows: Let me have a chat 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" do you have 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 when but if anti-virus Annie will come in he will need to share it with her. Tell him he can have half the memory too and as much storage as he wants within reason. Windows: Cheers hardware I am going to tell him and allocate it to him *Windows goes back to Program Pete* Windows: Right Pete here's what I could do for but is another person comes along you will definitely have 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 do my task because I must share with those two And so the conversation continues.... It may sound silly but if you wish to make it really basic that is pretty much what is happening although granted how it happens is quite complex. Without the operating system the programs you use would not be able to run because they would not be able to talk to the hardware which is why you will find pretty much every desktop computer, laptop, cellular phone, iPad smart phone has an operating system. Are there any free operating systems out there? There are many free ones out there and over the years they have got more and more appropriate for software we use on a regular basis. For example the new Raspberry pi comes with a Linux which is free and enables you to do all the basics such as for example go on the web create documents. Below is a set of a few 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 just a sample of the very most popular. You can find arguments all over the internet on os's that cost vs free os's so I wont get into it here but I am going to say if you are going to move to free software make sure you do your research. The most important thing to remember is Linux isn't windows and is quite different so be equipped for a learning curve. Ok so these all continue my computer just what exactly are mobile operating systems? Mobile operating systems are much the same as an operating system for your desktop or laptop but they were created for tablets, PDA`s or cell phones. These tend to combine a variety of features such as touch-screen, Bluetooth, GPRS, camcorders, cameras and several other features. The most frequent mobile operating systems are: Android - Open source from Google Blackberry iOS Apple closed source applied to iPhones, iPads. Symbian - Utilized by Nokia Windows phone - Closed source software from Microsoft. How do I discover what operating system I'm using If using a smartphone or iPad you need to be able to determine what you're running from the aforementioned list. On a Mac you're most likely to be using OS X snow leopard. To find out what you are running on a windows based machine find the my computer Icon on your own desktop (if it is not on your 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 arises will tell you the operating-system you are running.Like it? Share it! More by this author |