The Operating Systems
What
is an operating system?
An operating
system is the most important software that runs on a
computer. It manages the computer's memory and processes,
as well as all of its software and hardware. It
also allows you to communicate with the computer without
knowing how to speak the computer's language. Without an operating
system, a computer is useless.
The operating system's job
Your
computer's operating
system (OS)
manages all of the software and hardware on
the computer. Most of the time, there are several different computer programs
running at the same time, and they all need to access your computer's central processing unit
(CPU), memory,
and storage.
The operating system coordinates all of this to make sure each program gets what
it needs.
Types of operating systems
Operating systems
usually come pre-loaded on
any computer you buy. Most people use the operating system that comes with
their computer, but it's possible to upgrade or even change operating systems.
The three most common operating systems for personal computers are Microsoft Windows, macOS,
and Linux.
Modern operating
systems use a graphical
user interface, or GUI (pronounced gooey). A
GUI lets you use your mouse to click icons, buttons,
and menus,
and everything is clearly displayed on the screen using a combination of graphics and text.
Each operating system's GUI has a different look and feel, so if
you switch to a different operating system it may seem unfamiliar at first.
However, modern operating systems are designed to be easy to use,
and most of the basic principles are the same.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft created
the Windows operating
system in the mid-1980s. There have been many different versions of Windows,
but the most recent ones are Windows
10 (released in 2015), Windows 8 (2012), Windows 7 (2009),
and Windows
Vista (2007). Windows comes pre-loaded on
most new PCs, which helps to make it the most popular operating system in
the world.
macOS
macOS (previously called OS X) is a
line of operating systems created by Apple. It comes preloaded on all Macintosh
computers, or Macs. Some of the specific versions include Mojave (released
in 2018), High
Sierra (2017), and Sierra (2016).
According to StatCounter Global Stats, macOS users account for less
than 10% of
global operating systems—much lower than the percentage of Windows users (more
than 80%).
One reason for this is that Apple computers tend to be more expensive. However,
many people do prefer the look and feel of macOS over Windows.
Linux
Linux (pronounced LINN-ux)
is a family of open-source operating
systems, which means they can be modified and distributed by anyone around the
world. This is different from proprietary
software like Windows, which can only be modified by the
company that owns it. The advantages of Linux are that it is free, and
there are many different distributions—or
versions—you can choose from.
According to StatCounter Global Stats,
Linux users account for less than 2% of
global operating systems. However, most servers run Linux
because it's relatively easy to customize.
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