What does an operating system do? An operating system manages all the resources of the computer system and all the software running on it. In fact, without an operating system, you can’t run any of your software applications at all. An operating system is like the brain of the computer, controlling everything from input to output, storage and retrieval, and everything in between!
The history of OS
The main goal of operating system developers was to allow other program developers to access hardware and abstract away hardware-related details. The earliest operating systems only ran one program at a time, but newer systems allowed multiple programs to run at once. For example, Windows 8 can run up to 8 applications simultaneously; multitasking has been possible since OS/2 2.0 in 1987.
Operating systems such as Linux and Unix also support multithreading so that a single application can appear to run more than one task at once (using multiple threads) if its developer chooses to use threading in their code.
Why does OS exist?
Although hardware and software are both necessary components of a computer system, they are almost entirely separate. The hardware consists of all physical equipment inside or attached to a computer. It includes things like processor (the brain), memory (the short-term memory), hard drive (storage), monitor (visual display), etc. Software, on the other hand, consists of all sets of instructions that direct hardware in its work. In short, operating systems do what an orchestra does: They direct different instruments playing together to produce harmonious music.
The conductor’s role is comparable to that of an operating system: both keep everybody else focused and prompt them to deliver their best performance.
Types of operating system
There are two main types of operating systems: A multitasking system allows multiple programs to run at once, but usually on a single processor. A client-server system gives one program control of all of the processors, memory, and disk space (among other things). That program then shares resources out to any number of users.
Batch Operating System
Time-sharing Operating System
Distributed Operating System
Multi-tasking Operating system
Real-time Operating system
Basic functions of OS
The most important functions of the operating system are managing hardware and software resources, scheduling processes for CPU utilization, memory management, file management. As part of its responsibilities to manage hardware and software resources, and operating system must also serve as a gatekeeper, allowing or denying requests from other programs seeking access to those resources.
An operating system should also provide a means for applications to share information with each other. For example, if two different word processors are running on one machine in which both can save files to disk, there must be some means for both programs to communicate so that only one will be allowed write access at any time. However. It should provide more efficient ways than having each program check who's writing when they try to save files.
The most popular Operating Systems
Microsoft Windows, Apple’s Mac OS X, and Google’s Chrome OS. A newer operating system that you might hear more about in the coming years is Linux. It's actually quite popular—about 14% of all web servers run Linux. Another very cool part of Linux: it's open-source, which means anyone can see how it works and make suggestions for improvements. It also makes it a lot easier to use if you're a programmer since so many people are familiar with its source code.
How to choose the right OS?
There are so many choices when it comes to operating systems. The two main types are Windows and Mac OS. Then there’s Linux, Android, Chrome OS... even the Internet of Things uses an operating system of sorts—more on that later. Which OS you choose depends on your needs and preferred software preferences. To help with your decision, here’s a breakdown of how each type stacks up.
Future trends in Operating Systems
The ever-changing world of technology has taken us from command line interfaces to touch screens, making a host of advances along the way. New operating systems such as Windows 10 and Google’s ChromeOS have also been developed to make these experiences even more seamless and intuitive for users.
Additionally, other initiatives are in place to help offer support for different programming languages like Java and C++; both are needed in order to fully function within a multi-application environment.
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