Jan 22 2006
Operating System (OS) - Definition
Operating System (OS) - Software that controls a computer. An OS controls how system resources are used and provides a user interface, a way of managing hardware and software and ways to work with files.
The software that the rest of the software depends on to make the computer functional. On most PCs this is Windows or the Macintosh OS. Unix and Linux are other operating systems often found in scientific and technical environments.
The operating system controls every task your computer carries out and manages system resources to optimize performance.
Examples of OS are:
*Basic example is the windows that you are using, be it Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows XP., they are different versions of the OS “Windows”.
*Another example can be the Mac OS, or the Linux, etc.
Image.: (Used for explanation purpose only)
