There is no universal definition of what is an operating system. An “operating system (OS) is a set of basic programming instructions to computer hardware, forming a layer of programming code in which most other functions of the computer are built” (Palmer and Walters, 2).
Another definition of operating system “is a program that acts as an intermediary between a user of a computer and the computer hardware” (Silberschatz, Abraham, et al. 3).
All other software runs under the operating system’s control, accessing the hardware through the operating system and following rules imposed by the operating system.
Because the operating system serves as a hardware/software interface, application programmers and users rarely if ever must communicate directly with the hardware, and that simplifies and manages the complexity of running application programs efficiently. Initially, computers were used from the front console. Software such as assemblers, loaders, and compilers improved the convenience of programming the system, but also required substantial set-up time. To reduce the se-up time, facilities hired operators and batched similar jobs. Batch systems allowed automatic job sequencing by a resident monitor and improved the overall utilization of the computer greatly” (Stallings, 65).
The computer no longer had to wait for human operation. CPU utilization was still low, however, because of the slow speed of the input/output (I/O) devices relative to that of the CPU. Off-line operation of slow devices was tried. Buffering was another approach to improve system performance by overlapping the input, output, and computation of a single job. Finally, spooling allowed the CPU to overlap the input of one job with the computation and output of other jobs.
The Term Paper on Evolution Of The Pc Operating System part 1
... of computer and operating systems: software evolution depending on hardware development: 3.1 Batch operating systems; 3.2 time-shared operating systems; 3.3 Personal computers of ... -emptive multitasking to the Mac platform. Extremely improved memory management allowed more programs to run ... century. They used batch operating systems, in which the computer ran batches of jobs without stop. Programs were ...
To improve the overall performance of the system, developers introduced the concept of multiprogramming. With multiprogramming, several jobs are kept in memory at one time; the CPU is switched back and forth between them to increase CPU utilization and to decrease the total time needed to execute the jobs. Multiprogramming, which was developed to improve performance, also allows time sharing. Time-shared operating systems allow many users to use a computer system interactively at the same time. Other operating system types include distributed systems and real-time systems.
These are the logical progression of operating system development, driven by inclusion of features in the CPU hardware that are needed for advanced operating system functionality. This trend can be seen today in the evolution of personal computers, with inexpensive hardware being improved enough to allow, in turn, improved characteristics. Operating systems have evolved over time, with new features constantly being added to reflect technological change. However, a modern operating system contains five components.
The user interface (shell) provides a mechanism for user and application programs to communicate with the operating system and request operating system support. The Windows and Macintosh graphic user interface is a good example. The file management function (file system) incorporates routines that allow the user or programmer to create, delete, modify and manipulate files by name. The device management function is responsible for controlling communications with the system’s peripheral devices, such as the keyboard, the display screen, the printer, and secondary storage.
Types of Operating Systems Graphical User Interface. A GUI first developed at Xerox PARC by Alan Kay, Douglas Engelbart, and a group of other researchers. Operating System contains graphics and icons and is usually navigated by using a computer mouse. Multi-user. A multi-user operating system allows for several users to use the same computer at different period of times. Multiprocessing. Multiprocessing is an operating system that has the ability of supporting and utilizing more than one computer processor. Multitasking.
The Research paper on Age Verification Systems and Closed User Groups in Germany
Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons The Voluntary Self-Regulation of Television Interstate Treaty on Broadcasting and Telemedia Protection of Young Persons Act -Jugendschutzgesetz Telecommunications Act Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media Age Verification System Closed User Group 3 Introduction Media accessibility via internet is rapidly increasing within the ...
Multitasking is an operating system that is capable of allowing numerous software processes to run at the same time. Multithreading. Multithreading is an operating systems that allow different parts of a software program to run concomitantly. MS-DOS and PC DOS Microsoft’s original operating system for the IBM PC hardware platform, called MS-DOS or more simply DOS, runs on any of the Intel 8088, 80×86, or Pentium-class CPUs on a PC hardware platform. “The version of MS-DOS that runs on early IBM computers is called PC DOS because it was customized and marketed by IBM” (Palmer and Walters, 61).
DOS is a 16-bit, single-tasking, single –user operating system. It operates in real mode, meaning that only one program or process can run at a time, that there is a 640 KB limit in memory that is accessible to applications, and that applications directly access and control hardware like printers, rather than going through the operating system. The family of Windows systems was formed and promoted for higher reliability business use, and was unfettered by any Microsoft DOS patrimony.
The first release was Windows NT 3. 1 (1993, numbered “3. 1” to match the Windows version and to one-up OS/2 2. , IBM’s flagship OS co-developed by Microsoft and was Windows NT’s main opponent at the time), which was pursued by NT 3. 5 (1994), NT 3. 51 (1995), and NT 4. 0 (1996); NT 4. 0 was the first in this line to implement the Windows 95 user interface. Microsoft then motivated to combine their consumer and business operating systems. Their first attempt, Windows 2000, botched to meet their aspirations and was released as a business system. The home consumer edition of Windows 2000, codenamed “Windows Neptune,” ceased development and Microsoft released Windows Me in its place.
The Essay on Information Systems Barrier analyses: Task Information Systems
Design of an organization is an important facilitator of strategic information systems schemes. Yet ancient IS structures are not aligned with the age of information systems since they cannot cope with the ever increasing change and the fast horizontal indulge and usage of expansive information technologies (Boar, 2001). A design of an organization that takes into account the ideas of internal ...
Eventually “Neptune” was merged into their new project, Whistler, which later became Windows XP, which came in both home and professional versions. Then, Windows Server 2003 brought Windows Server advanced with Windows XP. Since then, Windows Vista was on the rampage and Windows Server 2008 will bring Windows Server up to date with Windows Vista. Windows CE, Microsoft’s offering in the mobile and embedded markets, is also a true 32-bit operating system that offers various services for all sub-operating workstations. Windows 3. Microsoft released the first version of Windows, implementing a GUI interface to compete with the Apple Macintosh, 1985. This early version of windows was quite slow and not well accepted.
“Windows 3. 1 in the early 1990s was the first popular, usable Microsoft GUI, and it paved the way for Windows to become the dominant PC operating system” (Palmer and Walters, 62).
With Windows 3. 11, Microsoft added significant networking capabilities, such as options to have workgroups and set up shared drives. In fact, Windows 3. 1 is also referred to a Windows for Workgroups (WFW), and represents Windows’ true initiations into networking. WFW is a peer-to-peer network operating system, which means each computer on a network can communicate with other computers on the same network. One significant limitation of Windows 3. 11 is the lack of security options to protect shared files. Windows 95 As the PC platform became more powerful and the Pentium architecture became more common, Microsoft created a true 32-bit operating system that could use the functionality of the new 32-bit computer architecture.
Compared to Windows 3. x, Windows 95 required about twice the memory, twice the hard disk space, and twice the processor speed of Windows 3. x. Using more computer resources, Windows 95 was able to introduce several advanced functions that have now become standard Windows features. These include: The Windows Desktop. Windows 95 introduced the GUI now called the desktop, which became the foundation for the GUI used in all later versions of Windows. The Windows 95 GUI introduced the Start button that provides direct access to system utilities and application programs.
Other desktop features included the task bar at the bottom of the screen, which contains icons that represent currently running programs and other information about the operation of the system, and shortcut and program icons to seamlessly run programs, manipulate files, and access network connections from one place. The directories used in MS-DOS and Windows 3. x are called folders in Windows 95. Folders and files are managed using Windows explorer, a utility that can that can also be used to run programs, access control panels, and perform just about anything else on the Windows 95 computer or network to which is connected.
The Term Paper on Basic Computer Application Exam Paper
A. The primary key of a table serves to uniquely identify individual rows of the table. B. The primary key of a table is allowed to be null. C. Non-key columns are not dependent on the primary key. D. A primary key may not consist of more than one column. E. It is a key that is used as a reference to relate one entity to another entity. 3. __________ is the software that manages and controls ...
Plug and Play (PnP).
This enables the operating system to automatically detect newly installed hardware. When PnP detects new hardware, it determines vital information, such as what device drivers to use for that hardware, and what computer resources (IRQ and memory) to link with the hardware. Reciprocally, the hardware has some built-in functions that let the operating system dictate how to configure the hardware. ActiveX and the Component Object Model (COM).
The easy manipulation of the user interface in Windows 95 is made possible by a Microsoft technology called ActiveX.
ActiveX, along with is parent, the Component Object Model, is a standardized way for objects, such as programs, files, computers, printers, control panels, windows, and icons, to communicate with each other. It is a simple but revolutionary concept. The COM and ActiveX technologies enable an object to “sense” when it is interacting with other objects, such as the mouse pointer, the desktop, the trash can, or the Start menu. The Registry. Windows 95 also introduced a new way of storing and managing operating system information.
The new concept was called the registry, a database that stores operating system information, information about hardware and software configuration, as well as general information that is shared by parts of the operating system or application programs to make COM and ActiveX work. The registry is a hierarchical database that provides the following information: Operating system configuration, Service and device driver information and configuration, Static tuning parameters, Software and application parameters, Hardware configuration, Performance information and Desktop configuration. It is also possible to share registry data over a network, a function that has turned out to be extremely useful in situations with many users and many computers” (Palmer and Walters, 64).
The Essay on Determining Operating Systems and Software Applications
... It described how the operating system and applications helped the company reach its objectives, and the functions of computer hardware components used in ... and picked up at the counter or drive-thru window. Striving to be the “customers’ favorite place and way ... and monitor cash balance per shift. Not applicable Typical user Managers, shift leaders, and register operators. Cash register operators, ...
Multitasking. In Windows 95 is cooperative for 16-bit applications, but preemptive for 32-bit applications. Windows 95 introduced a task supervisor that detects tasks that appear stuck, and that presents the option to close hung tasks without having to restart the operating system. The methods used for cooperative multitasking in Windows 95 are more advanced that the methods used in earlier versions of Windows, largely because of COM technology.
Enhanced Network and Internet Capabilities. The networking functionality in Windows 95 is substantially extended from earlier versions of Windows. Unlike earlier versions of Windows, in Windows 95, the network drivers are part of the Windows operating system. In all but the early versions of Window 95, all networking code is written as a 32-bit application. This results in a significant boost in network performance. The networking functions, as in Windows for Workgroups 3. 11consist of two parts, the client and the server.
Unlike Windows 3. 1, Windows 95 can communicate over a network with many other operating systems, such as Novell NetWare, a popular server operating system. Another important feature started in Windows 95 and carried on through future Windows generations id integration with the internet. When Windows 95 was originally released, Microsoft did not support Internet connectivity, but by 1997, Microsoft integrated Internet access through Web browser, Internet Explorer, and the ability to share computer resources over the Internet into its operating system.
Windows 98/Me Windows 98 and its slightly newer sibling, Windows Millennium Edition (Me) are similar to Windows 95 in many ways. They run on similar computers and provide roughly the same capabilities. Windows Me includes all Windows 98 features, but expands multimedia and networking capabilities. The Windows 98 user interface is slightly different from Windows 95, especially with the Web interface settings. Windows 98 also provides a 32-bit file allocation table (FAT) that allows users to have a single-partition disk drive larger than 2 Gbytes.
The Essay on Introduction to Computer Application & Systems
Introduction to Computer Application & Systems March 6, 2012 Dr. Xuan Yu ? Technology has gone from the days of the pony express to advancing at a rate of a mile a minute to now evolving to what seems like the speed of light or faster. With such a fast paced environment of change in technology, policies and laws must adapt to be compatible to those advancements in order to provide the best ...
Other features in Windows 98 include: Support for Universal Serial Bus (USB), which makes it easy to plug in new devices, Support for Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) and Support for a new industry-standard form of power management called Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI).
Windows Millennium Edition (Me) Windows Millennium Edition (Me) is the last in the 95/98 track of Windows operating systems that uses cooperative multitasking for 16-bit applications, preemptive multitasking for 32-bit applications, and retains substantial capability to run older 16-bit MS-DOS and Windows software.
It is also the last in the line of Windows operating systems that gives software applications direct access to hardware, without going through the operating systems kernel. Windows me was developed for home computer users, not office or professional users, and it implements applications that appeal to home users better that Windows 95 or 98. These applications include playing music, storing family photos, playing games, and accessing the Internet. Windows me enhances support for infrared devices, such as Infrared Data Association (IrDA) support, and implement the enhanced PnP standard, called Universal Plug Play (UPnP).
UPnP provides better discovery of new devices, such as TVs and Cameras that can be connected to a computer. Windows NT Windows NT was initially an extension to IBM’s high-end operating system, OS/2 and was intended to support the emerging client/server networking environment. As client/server applications gained popularity, Windows NT development and the successive operating system in the NT line, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 have experienced wide reception.
The significant difference between Windows 95/98 and Windows NT is that the operating system kernel in Windows NT runs in privileged mode, which protects it from problems created by a malfunctioning program or process. This privileged mode gives the operating system an extra level of security from intruders, and prevents system crashes due to out-of-control applications. NT Server and NT Workstation. In Windows XP Workstation, the kernel is optimized for maximum performance when used to run interactive applications, such as screen updates and fast retrieval and storage of data in memory and on disk.
In the NT Server edition, the kernel is optimized to provide maximum network and disk performance. The registry, mentioned in the Windows 95 and Windows 98, plays an equal important role in Windows NT. It is used as the central repository for configuration, hardware, software, and user information. Networking Support. The networking features in Windows NT are more powerful than in Windows 95 or 98 because Windows NT is designed as a multiuser system Windows NT supports network connectivity protocols that are compatible with IBM mainframe, UNIX computers, Macintosh computers, all Windows-based computers, Novell NetWare servers, and others.
It also supports high-speed networking connectivity and remote access over telephone line or the internet. Security. Security is a significant feature of Windows NT. The operating system requires the user to log on and be authenticated by submitting a username and password to gain access to the computer. The domain is an integral part of the Windows NT security to protect their resources. In every domain there is one Primary Domain Controller (PDC).
The PDC computer is responsible for keeping all usernames and passwords for all users who may want to contact the domain. Any other server that is part of the domain can request password permission information from this PDC. Remote Access Service (RAS) is another networking feature of Windows NT. Although computers running Windows 95 and 98 can be used as dial-up hosts (computer that can be accessed via dial-up phone lines), security is limited because the client has access to any resources to which that computer has access.