1. INTRODUCTION TO OPERATING SYSTEMS
What is an Operating System?
An operating system is abbreviated to OS or O/S which is the way we usually call it. An OS is the software component of a computer system that is responsible for management and coordinate of activities and sharing the resources of the computer.
It also can be call as the master program that control a computer’s basic function and allows other programs to access the computer’s resources such as disk drive, printer, keyboard, screen, etc...
The operating system acts as a host for applications that are run on the machine. As a host, one of the purposes of an operating system is to handle the details of the operation of the hardware. This relieves application programs from having to manage these details and makes it easier to write applications. Almost all computers, including handheld computers, desktop computers, supercomputers, and even video game consoles, use an operating system of some type. Some of the oldest models may however use an embedded operating system that may be contained on a compact disk or other data storage device.
Common contemporary operating systems include Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux and Solaris. Microsoft Windows has a significant majority of market share in the desktop and notebook computer markets, while servers generally run on Linux or other Unix-like systems. Embedded device markets are split amongst several operating systems.
Before the Existent OS
Before the existent of OS the first computers, which is without operating system will need different hardware that is specification for running correctly and performing standard tasks on its own drive. Some of it drivers are peripheral devices like printers and card readers.
Early computers lacked any form of operating system. The user had sole use of the machine and would arrive armed with program and data, often on punched paper and tape. The program would be...