Operating System
The operating system defines our computing experience. It's the first software we see when we turn on the computer, and the last software we see when the computer is turned off. It's the software that enables all the programs we use. The operating system organizes and controls the
hardware on our desks and in our hands, yet most users can't say with any certainty precisely what it is that the operating system does.
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
An operating system is a program that controls the normal functions of your computer. A computer might contain more than one operating system, but only one operating system at a time may be "in charge". The action of starting or loading the operating system is called "booting" the computer.
Windows 95 is one popular example of an operating system (though perhaps not the best example!). MS-DOS is (or was) also an operating system. Linux is an operating system as well. All of these systems perform similar tasks, and only one at a time can be in use.
An operating system normally consists of some basic parts. A kernel, a core program that controls the most essential hardware (the processor and memory, for example); some device drivers that control other system hardware (network cards, sound cards); and a shell, a program that communicates with the user and allows the user to manipulate the computer.
The shell is the only part of the operating system that a normal computer user will see. Each operating system shell presents a different user interface or operating environment. An Apple computer running MacOS will look different from a PC running Windows 95 or Linux, and the way the user goes about accomplishing tasks and giving instructions to the computer is also different. MS-DOS requires you to type commands at a text prompt to start programs, whereas in MacOS you must use the mouse to click on a picture to perform the same task
There are two mainstream operating systems today - Windows and MacOS.The most popular operating systems at the moment are Windows XP which is a commercial package and Linux which is free.
The main versions of windows operating system are WINDOWS 95, WINDOWS 98,WINDOWS ME,
WINDOWS NT,WINDOWS 2000,WINDOWS XP,WINDOWS 2003
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