Operating Systems - Types and Destination - Essay Example

30th April Introduction A computer is a device that has no intelligence of its own but solely depends on the command given by the user. The early computers were designed in a way that they could not multitask, and they did not perform the tasks at high speed. The storage capacities of the computers were not large, and thus it did not pile up a lot of information. Due to innovation and creativity computers, have been updated with more hardware and operating systems. This paper seeks to discuss the operating systems. Operating system Operating System (OS) is software that is used in computers to manage the hardware and the software so that they can work interactively without causing a halt to the computer. Operating System plays a significant role in computer system since without them, the computer will not run. It is obvious that without an Operating System in the computer the software programs that are installed in the computer would make no sense. Due to innovation and creativity in the field of technology, more complicated computers are being developed and as a result, Operating Systems that are fit to the immerging and developed computers need operating system that is advanced in term of technology. One of the characteristics of operating system is that it has a Graphical User Interface commonly known as GUI. Since a computer is an electronic device, it needs icons that can be used to navigate around the device or a visual indicator that can be used. It implies that Graphical User Interface is user friendlier due to the usage of icons and visual indicators (Jaeger 56). The early computers used the command line to instruct the computer on what to do but currently the graphical user interface has proved to be user-friendlier with the users. This is based on the fact that MS-DOS commands were very hand to memorize and thus to use the computer was difficult task. Graphical User Interface works in a way that it uses the windows, the icons and the menus that they have been designed with commands like deleting, cutting, pasting and inserting among others. The command commonly needs the mouse to instruct the computer on what to do, but the keyboard can still be used through the use of arrow keys. The use of commands to instruct the computer on what to do is not an easy task as in the case of UNIX and MS-DOS that require command since one has to memorize the command. On the other hand, Graphical User Interface operating system is easy to learn and to use since there are no commands that are needed to run the computer (Winston 36). Graphical User Interface does not require any programming language that individuals need to run so that they can apply it to the commands but rather they are simple to use and to navigate with them in the computer. A good example of Graphical User Interface is the Microsoft Windows, MAC –OS and Linux among others. Types of operating systems Multi-user operating system has advantages to the users of the computers since the operating system allows individuals to use the computer at the same or at the different time. The operating system allows the users to connect to the network and thus utilize the same resources together. A good example of a multi-user operating system is Linux, UNIX and Windows 2000 among others. The multi- user operating system plays a significant role in the computer since individuals have the opportunity to multitask where some process and resources can be used. For example, the disk space of the computer can be single user or multiple users and thus the operating system permits the users to use it at the same time. The operating system work in time-sharing mechanism that implies each task has to be scheduled on the system. For example, the processor has to allocate time that each and every task has to take like printing and storage of data among others for the multiple users. Single and multitasking operating system can allow more than one software processes to execute a task or run at the same time. On the other hand, the single user operating system does not have the capability to run two programs but rather deals with one program after that the other programs is given time. Multitasking works in a way that time -sharing mechanism is used where the processor is divided according to the number of processes that are taking place and thus task scheduling taking place in time –slice. One of the characteristics of a multitasking operating system is that it uses the pre-emptive mechanism where a slice takes place in Central Processing Unit, and a program is given a slot and thus executing any task. The second characteristic of a multitasking operating system is cooperative multitasking that relies on a process so that it can finish and provide the other process time to continue with the task. Cooperative multitasking for it to execute or run has to use 16-bit system of Microsoft windows. Examples of operating systems that is under the category of multitasking operating system is Windows 8, UNIX and Linux among others. Another operating system is multiprocessing that is capable and support utilization of more than one processor. More than one processor in the machines indicates that the speed of processing is very high and thus can operate in remote areas and can carry complex computations. The operating system gives the computer more features that are high, and thus the price of such computer is high as compared with other computers that do not have such kind of operating system. One of the examples that falls under this category of multiprocessing is Linux and UNIX among others (Bach 31). Real-time operating system is concerned with process events or task execution that has to be processed within a short time. The operating system works in a way that any priority that is given to a task is going to be processed very fast using the time-sharing mechanism. Just as the name suggests, the operating system is very fast in data processing resulting in the task being accomplished within the set timeframe. The last operating system is distributed operating system that is concerned with managing the computers that are interconnected together and they share the same resources. The operating system uses the mechanism of linking together the computers via the internet, and thus they can communicate with other computers making the computers be a single computer. The aim is to come up with distributive computing, but the computation can be done in many computers. When the computers are grouped together, they form distributive system. Conclusion For a computer to run, it requires an operating system, and thus system developers have to come up with new versions of operating systems that meet the consumer requirements. Various operating systems have been developed, and thus individuals keep on using different operating systems depending on their need. Software vendors like IBM, Microsoft, Google and Apple need to sell the software’s at a low price so that individuals can afford. Competition exists among the vendors, and this is the reason more operating systems keeps on being developed. As the technology is advancing more software’s are developed meeting the user requirement and specification. MS-DOS commands are currently not used by many users since they are difficult to memorize, but currently Graphical User Interface are used due to the use of icons that are simple to use and command the computer very fast. Works Cited Bach, J. The Design of the UNIX Operating System. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 2011. Print. Jaeger, T. Operating System Security. San Rafael, Calif.: Morgan & Claypool, 2008. Print. Winston, B. ModelMuse a Graphical User Interface for MODFLOW-2005 and PHAST. Reston, Va.: U.S. Geological Survey, 2009. Print. Read More