Purpose of Operating Systems
- 1. Operating Systems An operating system is the program that connects the hardware with the software and the user. The OS manages and controls the hardware to store data and gives the processor instructions to run software and perform other tasks. There are 4 main types of operating systems, which are Windows, Mac OS, Linux and DOS. Windows is the most popular operating software, because it is on the most computers sold. There are many different versions of Windows, the newest being 8.1. Windows 0perating system is a GUI (graphical user interface). GUIs are made up of WIMP. This is Windows, Icons, Menus and Pointers. Windows was originally made to go on top of DOS. Windows is fairly secure, it allows you to set passwords and users to prevent unauthorised people accessing certain files. Windows allows peripherals to be added such as removable memory or other devices both input and output. Windows generally allows more types of removable media to connect than other operating systems such as Mac OS. Windows has explorer as their file manager. This provides a GUI for accessing files and navigating around the desktop. Device drivers are available for Windows that help hardware be recognised when it is plugged in. DOS is a command line driven operating system. DOS stands for Disk Operating System. You have to enter commands to do anything on the computer, which isn’t very good because you have to know exactly what to type in to the computer. It isn’t really used anymore, but it was a similar make up to BIOS. Years ago the DOS would load up, and you would enter a command to then launch the GUI operating system. DOS doesn’t allow connectivity of peripherals, so there is no peripheral management. It only runs from the HDD, and outputs onto the screen. You can type in commands with a keyboard, but you can’t use a mouse. DOS doesn’t really have any security, as it was written before viruses were around, and usually another OS is put on the top of it that has security. DOS doesn’t have a system in place for exploring files like Windows but you can access files by typing in a command. DOS doesn’t support the connecting of devices, so there are no device drivers. Linux is also a GUI system, but it is open source, so you can rewrite the codes to customise it. The Linux OS works in a similar way to Windows, but it is simpler because it has fewer applications inside it. Because you can alter the codes, you can manage the machine yourself rather than it being down by the OS. Linux manages peripherals similarly to Windows, but doesn’t recognise as many. Linux is fairly secure, because you can alter the codes it makes it hard for malware to attach itself to the computer because each version of Linux is unique. Linux has a system similar to Windows for browsing files on the computer. The device drivers on Linux are easily downloaded from the device or the internet. Mac OS is similar to Windows and Linux, but you cannot alter the code for it. Mac OS only works on Mac computers, so you have to buy a Mac if you want that OS. Mac OS is a family system, because there are many different versions of it. Peripherals generally have to be Mac as well, such as external hard drives, to be recognised by the OS. It is fairly secure, but as you can’t alter the codes for it, it can be infected by
- 2. malware. It has a system called the Finder which allows you to access files and applications on the computer. There are device drivers available but most of the time they have to be Mac to be recognised on the system.