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Computers, tablets, smartphones, and even modern TVs all operate with an Operating System (OS) under the hood. Surprisingly, many people use these devices daily without grasping the concept of an operating system. The following article aims to provide a general understanding of operating systems to enlighten readers.
Demystifying the Concept of Operating Systems
Exploring the Depths of Operating Systems (OS): The Software Maestro
While software applications can directly communicate with hardware, most applications are written for operating systems, allowing them to leverage common libraries and not worry about specific hardware details.
What is an operating system used for?
An operating system is the core software on a device that connects everything together. It communicates with the device's hardware, handling everything from keyboard and mouse input to hard drive and display. The operating system uses device drivers written by hardware creators to communicate with those specific hardware components.
Operating systems also include a variety of software, such as system services, libraries, and common Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that developers can use to write programs that run on the operating system.
An operating system serves as the bridge between the applications you run and the hardware, utilizing hardware drivers as the interface between the two. For instance, when an application wants to print something, it delegates that task to the operating system. The operating system sends instructions to the printer, using the printer driver to send precise signals. The printing application doesn't need to worry about the type of printer or understand how that specific printer operates; the operating system takes care of these details.
Additionally, the operating system handles multitasking, allocating hardware resources among multiple running programs. It controls which processes are running and distributes them across different CPUs (if your computer has multiple CPUs or cores), enabling multiple processes to run simultaneously. It also manages the system's internal memory, allocating memory for running applications.
Most software applications are written for specific operating systems, delegating resource-intensive tasks to the operating system. For example, when you run Minecraft, you run it on an operating system. Minecraft doesn't need to know the exact workings of each hardware component. Minecraft utilizes various functions of the operating system, and the operating system translates them into low-level hardware commands. This helps developers of Minecraft—and any other program running on the operating system—bypass many complexities.
The essential components of an operating system
An operating system comprises various components and features. The features defined as part of the operating system will vary depending on each operating system. Nevertheless, three of the most identifiable components are:
- Kernel: Provides fundamental control over all computer hardware devices. Its main role includes reading data from memory and writing data to memory, processing executable commands, determining how devices like screens, keyboards, and mice send and receive data, and interpreting data received from the network.
- User Interface: This component enables interaction with users, either through graphical icons or command lines.
- Application Programming Interface (API): This component allows application developers to write modular code.
Operating systems extend beyond personal computers
When referring to the term 'computer' in the context of the operating system above, we're not only talking about traditional desktops and laptops. Your smartphone is a computer, as well as tablets, smart TVs, gaming consoles, smartwatches, and Wi-Fi routers. Devices like Amazon Echo or Google Home are also computing devices running an operating system.
Common operating systems for desktop computers include Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, and Linux. The dominant operating systems on smartphones today are iOS and Android.
Other devices, such as your Wi-Fi router, may run 'embedded operating systems.' These are specialized operating systems with fewer functions than a typical operating system, designed specifically for a simple task like running a Wi-Fi router, providing GPS navigation, or operating an ATM.
After reading the article, have you grasped what an operating system is and some basic knowledge related to it? Understanding operating systems will enhance your device usage. Hope that the shared information above proves helpful to you!
