Operating+Systems

= Operating Systems =

 An operating system, or OS, is a software program that enables the computer hardware to communicate and operate with the computer software. Without a computer operating system, a computer would be useless.The most important program that runs on a computer. Every general-purpose 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.

Command driven:
Sometimes referred to as the command screen, the command line is a user interface that is navigated by typing commands at prompts, as opposed to using the mouse to perform a command. Unlike a GUI operating system, a command line only uses a keyboard to navigate by entering commands and does not utilize a mouse. Because a command line interface requires unique commands, this type of interface is often more difficult to learn because of the need to memorize dozens of different commands. However, a command line operating system can be a very valuable resource and should not be ignored. For example, users who have Microsoft Windows may find trivial tasks such as renaming 100+ files in a folder a very difficult task; however, this is something that can be done in a matter of seconds through a simple command at the command line.

Menu driven:
 Menu-driven is commonly easier for most users as it is a graphical environment and allows the user to navigate using the mouse. Non menu-driven is commonly quicker but requires more memorization of commands used to perform tasks.Term used to describe a software program that is operated using file menus instead of using commands. Below is an example of how a user may quit a menu-driven program as opposed to a non menu-driven program. Menu-driven,Within the program the user clicks the "file" option from the menu bar and selects quit Non menu-driven,User presses the "!" key and then presses the "q" key to quit the program.

GUI:
Short for Graphical User Interface, the GUI was first developed at Xerox PARC by Alan Kay, Douglas Engelbart, and a group of other researchers. A GUI uses windows, icons, and menus to carry out commands such as opening files, deleting files, moving files, etc. and although many GUI Operating Systems are operated by using a mouse, the keyboard can also be used by using keyboard shortcuts or arrow keys.

contains graphics and icons and is commonly navigated by using a computer mouse Unlike a command line operating system like Unix or MS-DOS, GUI Operating Systems are much easier for end-users to learn and use because commands do not need to be known or memorized. Because of their ease of use, GUI Operating Systems have become the dominant operating system used by end-users today. A few examples of a GUI Operating Systems: 1. Microsoft Windows 95 2. Apple System 7 3. Apple Mac OS.