Operating Systems: Concepts

The main software when using the computer is the operating system. The operating system defines all the experiences when using a computer; it manages the hardware and software resources of the computer system, provides a way for applications to deal with the hardware without having to know all the details of the hardware, and it is the software that makes all the programs work. It organizes and controls the hardware on computers. The operating system is the first software we see when we turn on the computer, and the last software we see when the computer is turned off.

The operating system plays the role of the good parent, making sure that each application gets the necessary resources while playing nicely with all the other applications, as well as husbanding the limited capacity of the system for the greatest good of all the users and applications. Even if a particular computer is unique, an operating system can ensure that applications continue to run when hardware upgrades and updates occur.