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Different types of operating systems

An operating systems or OS is set or series of programs that control, coordinate and manage hardware, other software and all the activities among computer and mobile devices hardware. The operating system plays a vital part and it is an essential component of a system software in a computer system. It is an interface between a computer user and computer hardware. An operating system is a software which can perform a lot of tasks for instance, file management, memory management, process management, handling input and output, controlling peripheral devices such as printers, projectors, document cameras, smart boards, disk drive and so forth. Moreover, it does have a lot of functions. Some of the functions are:

a) Provision of user interface which is the means the user interact with the operating system. It controls how a user enter data and instructions and how information is displayed on the screen. There are two types of operating systems user interfaces. There is graphical and command line. Graphical mostly used by regular users which is the interaction with menus and visual images by touching, pointing, tapping, or clicking buttons to issue commands. With the command line interface, a user is able to configure devices manage system resources, automate system management task, troubleshoot network, administer the network and other technical issues. All the task that the graphical user interface can do, the command line is able to do it as well.

b) Programs management. The operating system manages program in two different ways. Operating system can be single tasking or multitasking. Single tasking which allows only one program or one app to run at a time while multitasking allows two or more programs or apps to lodge in the memory at the same time. Most of the computer nowadays are multitasking.

c)Memory management. It does refer to management of primary memory or main memory. Main memory provides fast storage that can be accessed directly by the processor. Allocates the memory when requested and de-allocates the memory when a process no longer needs it.

d) Process management. Keeps tracks of the processor and status process. Allocate and de-allocates processor.

e) Device management. An operating system manages device communication by the means of their drivers. It keeps tracks of all devices. It can allocate and de-allocate device very well.

f) File management. It is organized into directories to allow users to navigate through the files file system and make good usage of it. It does keeps tracks of the information, location, uses, status of the file system, decides who get resources, allocates and de-allocates resources. There are different types of operating system. There are operating systems for Computer desktops and laptops which are Windows, OS X, Unix, Linux, Chrome OS and so forth. There are sever operating systems which are Windows server, Mac OS X server, Unix, Linux and so o on. There are mobile operating systems which are Google, Apple IOS and windows phone. We will emphasis more on the most widely used operating systems throughout the all world which are: Windows, Linux and Mac OS.

a)	Windows operating system

Microsoft introduced its first version of windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing demand in graphical user interface. There have been a lot of versions of Microsoft windows. The OS has evolved with times. The most current is “Windows 10” for client operating system. But, for the server side the most current is “Windows server 2016”. Microsoft windows operating system is the most widely used operating system all over the world. It is being employed by over 80 to 90 percent per cent all the operating systems. It is very user friendly. You do not have to be a geek or a computer savvy to use Microsoft windows. It is rich in features such as touch input, mouse, keyboard, cortona, email app, calendar app, internet browser, photo, files and settings can sync with SkyDrive. It has cloud storage for instance, OneDrive. Microsoft Windows Compatibility is good. A user can install any types of games, software on Microsoft operating systems. Almost every application and driver will work on windows operating system. Microsoft community is huge. The technical support is good. A user will be able to be helped if they have some issues with the operation of the operating system because the community is huge. Windows can be installed on a variety of hardware for instance, HP, Dell, Asus, Acer and so on. Microsoft windows is used on desktop, laptops, tablets, smartphones, servers and so on. However, Windows license is not free. If a user wants it, he or she must buy it. Moreover, Windows operating system has a lot of viruses, malware.

b)	Mac OS X.

Mac OS X operating system was introduced in 1984. It took its origin form BSD distribution of Unix. Apple names it OS as “Mac OS” in 1997 which previously known as “System”. Apple OS has evolved with times. There have been different versions of it. The latest version now is Mac OS High Sierra. Some features of it are: Mail, calendar, another item sync with iCloud. Built-in Facebook and twitter support, open multiple desktops at once, support braille display, browser(safari), dictated words convert text and Mac app store provide access to additional apps and software updates. 10 to 20 per cent people in the world use Apple. Apple does cost a lot of money. It is very expensive. Mac only run on Apple manufactured products. Many software is not compatible with Mac OS software. Mac OS will automatically work and recognize any other apple product such as Airport routers, iPad, iPhone, Cinema Display. It is only compatible with computers built specifically for the Mac OS. Apple license is not free. Moreover, it is very expensive as I stated earlier. Apple Mac OS is very secure. It does not get viruses like Windows due to its design, and makes it a lot safer than Windows.

c)	Linux

Linux originated from Unix in 1991. It is a Unix- like, kernel-based, fully memory protected, multitasking software. It is an “Open Source Operating System. It is free. You do not have to pay for it. It runs on wide range of hardware such as Dell, HP, Acer, Asus and so forth. It is not very user friendly. While it has graphical interface, most of the tasks are performed with the command line. Linux has a lot of distros for example, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Fedora, Red Hat and so on. It is highly compatible with almost any type of computer and console except Apple or Macintosh computers. It is less vulnerable to viruses than Microsoft windows operating systems.

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