Operating System

SYSTEM SOFTWARE

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Here is some information on Operating System that maybe useful for you...hee....

Operating System

An operating system (OS) is a set of programs containing
instructions that work together to coordinate all the
activities among computer hardware resources.

Functions:

1)Start and Shut Down Computer

-The process of starting or restarting a computer is 

  called booting.

•Cold boot

•Turning on a computer that has been powered off completely

•Warm boot

•Using the operating system to restart a computer

    

2)Provide a User Interface

A user interface controls how you enter data and instructions and how information is displayed on the screen

•2 types of user interface:

üGraphical user interface (GUI)

üCommand-line

# Graphical User Interface

 3. Manage Programs
    •How an operating system handles programs directly affects your productivity.

    •An OS manages multiple programs & processes while you use the computer.

    There are:

   •Single user and multiuser

   •Single tasking and multitasking

   •Foreground and background

   •Preemptive multitasking

   •Multiprocessing

4. Manage Memory

•Memory management optimizes the use of RAM

•Operating System allocates data and instructions to memory while they are being processed,

  monitors the content of memory and release from memory when the processor no longer requires

  them.

5. Coordinate Tasks

•The operating system determines the order in which tasks are processed

6. Configure Devices

A driver is a small program that tells the operating system how to communicate with a 

specific device.

Plug and Play automatically configures new devices as you install them.

7. Establish an Internet Connection

•Operating systems typically provide a means to establish Internet connections

8. Monitor Performance

•A performance monitor is a program that assesses and reports information about various computer

resources and devices.

9. Provide Utilities

•Managing files

•Searching for files

•Viewing images

•Securing a computer

•Uninstalling programs

•Cleaning up disks

•Defragmenting disks

•Diagnosing problems

•Backing up files and disks

•Setting up screen savers

10. Automatically Update

•Automatic update automatically provides updates to the program.

11. Control a Network

•Some operating systems are designed to work with a server on a network.

•A server operating system organizes and coordinates how multiple users access and share

resources on a network.

•A network administrator uses the server operating system to:

–Add and remove users, computers, and other devices

–Install software and administer network security

12.Administer Security
•Establish permissions to resources
•Define who & when they can access certain resources
•By setting user account
•Each user has a user account
–A user name, or user ID, identifies a specific user
–A password is a private combination of characters associated with the user name.

Types of Operating System

Stand-Alone Operating Systems
•A stand-alone operating system is a complete operating system
that works on a desktop computer, notebook computer, or mobile
computing device.

•Windows

•Windows is Microsoft’s fastest, most efficient operating system to date. 

•Windows provides programs (built-in) such as:

        - Windows Firewall

        - Windows DVD Maker

        - Windows Media Player

        - Desktop Gadget Gallery

•Mac OS X

•The Macintosh operating system has set the standard for operating system ease of use

•Latest version is Mac OS X

•UNIX

•Linux

Server Operating Systems

•Windows Server 2008

•UNIX

•Linux

•Solaris

•NetWare

Embedded Operating Systems

•An embedded operating system resides on a ROM chip on a mobile device or consumer

electronic device

•Windows Phone 7

•Palm OS

•iPhone OS

•BlackBerry

•Google Android

•Embedded Linux

•Symbian OS

• 
  

I thinks thats all for Operating System..Hope this information is
useful for everyone........Bye2....