Operating Systems P2

An operating system is the most important programme which manages and control the software in the computer.

There are four different operating systems that are well known, these are Windows, Linux, Mac os and Dos. The first one is windows which is a graphical user interface (GUI). A graphical user interface let you divide your screen into different windows; in each window you can display different data. Windows also has Wimp which stands for window, icons, menu and pointer which help the user navigate around and use the software probably. Windows is sold by Microsoft and was originally created as a graphical operating system shell to go on top of DOS, so Dos would boot up and then you would have to put in the command to boot up windows. Over the years Microsoft developed this to what we know now; it has also become the most popular operating system for personal computers. There are so many versions can they can now be accessed on mobile devices.  DOS is short for Disk Operating System. In order to work DOS by inputting command in to get data up. That is one of the downfalls of this operating system because you have to know all the commands in order to fully operate the system. The second most popular operating system for personal computers is MAC OS which is other GUI but was developed by Apple Inc. It was originally unnamed system software when it was created in 1984 but in 1996 it was called MSC OS. Out of all of the operating systems this one would be the most expensive because you would have to buy a MAC computer in order to run the MAC OS operating system. The last operating system is Linux which is free operating systems and it is also an open source meaning the user can enter codes in order to operate the system.

Earlier I mentioned Graphic User Interface (GUI) which lets the user divide the screen into different windows which displays different data. The other is command lines which is a line on a display screen where a command is inputted. The operating systems are also doing these jobs as well, machine and peripheral management, security, file management and device drivers. The machine meaning the computer, the operating system helps to make the computer work, such as the ROM, Hard drive, etc. The peripheral side of it meaning the things outside of the computer such as printers, scanners and mouse, keyboards, etc. They are helped by the operating system to be programmed into the system. For example the printer will have to upload onto the computer in order for the computer to know which printer to send the work to, without this the computer wouldn’t be able to print the work. The operating system is also there for security reasons because it looks after passwords on the computer. The file management is when the operating system keep track of the files on the computer for the easy use for the user. Though the operating system has the file management built in you can buy another file management to boost the work the operating system does. Device drivers makes certain software work.

The ability to customize depends on which operating system the user is using, such as windows and MAC OS cannot be customized because they are set programmes, but you have personalise certain things such as the desktop, colours, file names etc. It isn’t much but it makes the computer more personal to the user. But LINUX can be customized because it is an open source meaning it is all code and as long as the user knows the codes then it can be used to customize the whole programme, so you have to have technique knowledge first. They can even customise weather a virus can be opened on the computer.