Operating Systems (OS)

Every computer must have an operating system to run other programs. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.

Operating systems provide a software platform on top of which other application programs can run.

The application programs must be written to run on top of a particular operating system. As a user, you normally interact with the operating system through a set of commands through keyboard or Graphical user interfaces, which allow you to enter commands by pointing and clicking at objects that appear on the screen.

Microsoft Disk Operating System

MS DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until superseded by operating systems offering a graphical user interface (GUI), in particular by various generations of the Microsoft Windows operating system.

Operating Systems in use Today

·         Windows 

·         Macintosh 

·         Linux

For PCs, the most popular operating systems are Mac, and Windows, but others are also available, such as Linux.

Macintosh

Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface. The original form of what Apple System Software first introduced in 1984 with the original Macintosh. It was the integral part of the system—an unnamed system software.

Linux

Linux is a Unix-like operating system that was designed to provide personal computer users a free or very low-cost operating system. It has a reputation as a very efficient and fast-performing system. Unlike Windows and other proprietary systems, Linux is publicly open and extendible by contributors.

Linux is sometimes suggested as a possible publicly-developed alternative to the desktop predominance of Microsoft Windows. Although Linux is popular among users already familiar with Unix, it remains far behind Windows in numbers of users. However, its use in the business enterprise is growing.

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is still the most utilized operating system followed by Mac and Linux.

Development of Windows

·         The first version of Microsoft Windows, version 1.0,  was released in November 1985. It is not a complete operating system; rather, it extends MS-DOS.

·         Microsoft Windows version 2.0 was released in November 1987 and was slightly more popular than its predecessor.

·         Microsoft Windows version 3.0, released in 1990, was the first Microsoft Windows version to achieve broad commercial success. It featured improvements to the user interface and to multitasking capabilities.

·         In July 1993, Microsoft released Windows NT 3.1. It was considered to be the professional OS.

·         On August 24, 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95. It was designed to replace not only Windows 3.1, but also Windows for Workgroups, and MS-DOS. It was also the first Windows operating system to use Plug and Play capabilities.

·         The next in the consumer line was Microsoft Windows 98 released on June 25, 1998.

·         As part of its "professional" line, Microsoft released Windows 2000 in February 2000.

·         In October 2001, Microsoft released Windows XP, a version built on the Windows NT kernel that also retained the consumer-oriented usability of Windows 95 and its successors. It shipped in two distinct editions, "Home" and "Professional", the former lacking many of the superior security and networking features of the Professional edition.

·         On January 30, 2007, Microsoft released Windows Vista. It contains a number of new features, from a redesigned shell and user interface to significant technical changes, with a particular focus on security features. It is available in a number of different editions, and has been subject to some criticism.

·         On October 22, 2009, Microsoft released Windows 7. Unlike its predecessor, Windows Vista, which introduced a large number of new features, Windows 7 was intended to be a more focused, incremental upgrade to the Windows line, with the goal of being compatible with applications and hardware which Windows Vista was not at the time.