1. What is an operating system?

An operating system is the core software that allows a computer to run as an useful device. operatingsystem It manages the hardware, the user interface and all other software running on the computer.

Without an operating system, a computer is just a collection of components heating up the room as no-one would be able to make any practical use of the machine.

A large number of operating systems have been developed over the years; each designed with a certain kind of computer in mind. For instance:

  • Windows or Linux - for personal computers
  • MacOS, iOS- for Macs and iPhone and iPad
  • Unix - for mainframes
  • Symbian, Android - for mobile phones

Although these operating systems have been developed to work with very different types of computers, they all share a number of common functions:

  • Providing a user interface
  • Managing the computer's memory
  • Managing the hardware