Operating System: An Introduction

We have all heard of Operating systems irrespective of the type or brand of a laptop/computer we use. Even smartphones and tablets use operating systems. So what is an operating system? An operating system(or OS as they are often called) is an important system software that manages all the resources of the computer and ensures smooth running of various applications on the computer. It ensures efficient management of processor time and allocation of memory. It mainly consists of system files that the computer needs to boot up and complete operations. Operating systems are pre installed, as they are essential to the functioning of a device. The type of operating system determines the efficiency, the type of applications that can be run on the system and in general the total experience the user can have with the device.

The operating system acts as an interface between applications and various hardware components. In a computer generally, a number of applications run at the same time, all needing memory, Central processing unit(CPU) time, and usage of hardware components like printers etc. Without the OS, the computer would not be able to do more than one task at a time.

The most commonly used computer operating systems are the Windows OS, Mac OS, and Linux. Most systems these days are Graphical user interfaces that can run a variety of applications. The Mac OS runs on only Apple products while the other two OS run on most devices. Similarly, smartphones have two main Operating systems: Android and iOS. The type of operating system is dictated by the hardware of the device in use. Users choose a specific product based on the type of experience they would like. Windows OS is the most commonly used computer system with about 75% of users choosing it. Similarly in smartphones, the Android OS dominates the market.