Operating Systems

The operating system is considered the brains of computer. It consists of a set of programs and instructions that control computer resources and hardware, and executes application software under common services. It is associated to the family of system software. Without using an OS (operating system), you cannot run any application on your machine unless this application is a self-booting type.

Examples of operating systems

It turns your hardware into a functional machine. The operating system is vital to the computer’s operation and allows it to run and install different software applications. It makes use of various peripherals to share information with computer users. Most of these operating systems make use of a graphical user interface (GUI). It allows computer users to interact with their machine’s operating system through a track pad or a mouse. The most popular operating systems are OS, Windows, UNIX, MAC, and Linux.

Windows

This widely used operating system was introduced in 1985 by the reputed icon, Microsoft. It is based on a variety of graphical user interfaces and operating systems that support diverse computer applications. With the passage of time, Microsoft's operating systems have gained much dominance in the global computer market. The Windows family has commercial and personal editions of their operating systems. Personal flavors of Windows include ultimate edition, professional editions and home edition. However, commercial flavors have attained much advancement in the field of networking.

Unix

Today, you will find two major operating systems that have dominated the market share: Windows and UNIX in different derivatives like Linux or MAC. However, on burgeoning devices, the UNIX platform is having supreme reign. A few examples of UNIX systems are BSD systems, LINUX distributions, APPLE OS X, and SUN/Oracle Solaris. These systems work in terms of hierarchical file structure that allows absolute and relative naming of the file path. These systems are mounted remotely or locally by a file server. The UNIX system includes core kernel that is used to manage core operations of the systems like logical devices running for output/input and allocate resources to system services and users.

Linux

Linux is an open-source operating system that works like Windows. When you run this operating system on your computer, it allows you to perform the following tasks. It is easy to run software programs like spreadsheet, word processor and email programs. It saves data files, like a report, memo, letter to a hard disk. Or it can save it in retrieve files for your convenience if you want to edit or modify your files. It is an enhanced form of the UNIX system with a variety of applications and functions. The Linux system is embedded with the latest technologies that are compatible to all types of applications and hardware.

MAC

It is associated to graphical operating systems of a proprietary line; marketed, sold and developed by APPLE Inc. First, Apple introduced the MAC OS operating system in 1984. Presently, its successor is MAC OS X which is based on the built-in technology of UNIX. MAC OS X is the latest version designed for Macintosh machines. Previous versions of this operating system were named as MAC OS 8, Arabic numerals and MAC OS X 9.