Understanding 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, processes, and all of itssoftware 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 many 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 preloaded 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, Apple Mac OS X, andLinux.

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 ofgraphics 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.

 

Before GUIs, computers had a command-line interface, which meant users had to type every single command to the computer and the computer would only display text.

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft created the Windows operating system in the mid-1980s. Over the years, there have been many different versions of Windows, but the most recent ones are Windows 8 (released in 2012), Windows 7 (2009), and Windows Vista (2007). Windows comes preloaded on most new PCs, which helps to make it the most popular operating system in the world.

If you're buying a new computer or are upgrading to a newer version of Windows, you can choose from several different editions of Windows, such as Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate. You may need to do some research to decide which edition is right for you.

Visit Microsoft's Windows page to learn more about this operating system.

Check out our tutorials on Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows XP for more information.

Mac OS X

Mac OS is a line of operating systems created by Apple. It comes preloaded on all new Macintosh computers, or Macs. All of the recent versions are known as OS X (pronounced O-S Ten), and the specific versions include Yosemite (released in 2014), Mavericks (2013), Mountain Lion (2012), Lion (2011), and Snow Leopard(2009). Apple also offers a version called Mac OS X Server, which is designed to be run on servers.

According to StatCounter Global Stats, Mac OS X users account for 9.5% of the operating systems market as of September 2014—much lower than the percentage of Windows users (almost 90%). One reason for this is that Apple computers tend to be more expensive. However, many people prefer the look and feel of Mac OS X.

Check out our tutorials on OS X Mavericks, Mountain Lion, and Lion for more information.

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 (Microsoft). The advantages of Linux are that it is free, and there are many different distributions—or versions—you can choose from. Each distribution has a different look and feel, and the most popular ones include Ubuntu, Mint, and Fedora.

Linux is named after Linus Torvalds, who created the Linux kernel in 1991. The kernel is the computer code that is the central part of an operating system.

According to StatCounter Global Stats, Linux users account for less than 2% of the operating systems market as of September 2014. However, most servers run Linux because it's relatively easy to customize.

To learn more about different distributions of Linux, visit the Ubuntu, Mint, and Fedora websites. For a more comprehensive list, you can visit MakeUseOf's list of The Best Linux Distributions.

Operating systems for mobile devices

The operating systems we've been talking about were designed to run on desktop or laptop computers. Mobile devices such as phones, tablet computers, and MP3 players are different from desktop and laptop computers, so they run operating systems that are designed specifically for mobile devices. Examples of mobile operating systems include Apple iOS, Windows Phone, and Google Android. In the screenshot below, you can see Apple iOS running on an iPad.

Operating systems for mobile devices generally aren't as fully featured as those made for desktop and laptop computers, and they aren't able to run all of the same software. However, you can still do a lot of things with them, like watch movies, browse the Web, manage your calendar, and play games.