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The computers can do lots of wonderful tasks, but there must be some programs
installed in the computer in order to operate. What is inside the computer doing
this? The answer is the operating system (OS)
The need for an operating system
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The operating system is an
integrated set of systems programs that manages the resources, controls
the overall operations of a computer, an functions as an interface between
the computer and the users
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An operating system helps us to use
computers in many ways. However, we are not usually concerned about how the OS
instructs the hardware to perform certain tasks. The functions performed by an
OS are generally transparent or invisible to us.
The main functions of an operating
system include :
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To efficiently utilize the
computer hardware.
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To
allocate memory space to programs and data.
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To deal
with errors when they occur and to keep the system running despair them.
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To
allocate system resources to different programs and users.
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To make
computers easy for users to use and easy for developers to program.
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To
maintain security by checking passwords.
Types
of operating system
Computers are expensive. It is
necessary to use them as economically and efficiently as possible. There are
therefore different modes of operations. The best
mode of operation will depend on the types of applications.
Examples
of operating systems
There are many different types of
operating systems. They are designed to meet the requirements of different
computing environments. Some examples of operating systems used in the mini or
mainframe computers include UNIX, AIX, VMS, OS/MVS, ... etc. For microcomputers,
there are also many operating systems, some commonly used included Microsoft
DOS, IBM 0S/21, Apple OS, Windows,
etc.
Before you use a microcomputer, you
must load the OS or 'boot' the system. To do this , you have to :
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inset an operating system disk
into a disk drive
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close
the drive door
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turn on
the switch
On micros with hard disks, all you
have to do is turn on the system. Below are some common operating systems used
on microcomputer :
| MS-DOS |
DOS is
the most widely used OS on IBM PC and IBM PC compatibles. The first
version of DOS was introduced in 1981. Currently DOS has been revised to
version 6.22. There is also a MS-DOS 7 which is installed along with
MS-Windows.
In process management, you need to type in
your program name using keyboard. In memory management, DOS can only
access the 1 MB of system memory. |
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| IBM OS (OS/2) |
It was designed to
be a preemptive multitasking OS with a graphical user interface to replace
DOS. To run OS/2, an INTEL 386 CPU is required. |
| Macintosh
DOS |
This OS is designed
for Macintosh line of computers with quality graphics and graphical user
interface. It is more powerful than MS-DOS. |
| UNIX |
UNIX is a multi-user
operating system, which was originally designed for minicomputers. It is
good for multitasking and networking. As networking become more and more
common, UNIX becomes more popular as it excels in multi-user and multitasking
capability. |
| Microsoft
Windows
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Microsoft Windows
3.0 and 3.1 started as a GUI DOS shell aiming to make the computer easy to
use for everyone. They are graphical user interfaces (GUI) which utilized
icons, dialog boxes, pull-down menu, etc, to help users to complete their
tasks
One characteristics of a GUI is its heavy
dependency on the use of mouse in managing tasks and operations. Starting
a program in the Windows environment is easy , you need only double click
on the icon.
For now, the windows 's version has been
introduced from 3.0, 3.1, to Window 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000 , up to
now Windows ME, soon a new version, Windows XP, will be sold in the market
too. |
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If you want to have deeper understanding on this
topic, please click: |
| Windows
及 DOS
使用秘笈 |
About using window95/98, commands of dos |
| 美麗的DOS時代 |
提供常用DOS工具程序、軟件、遊戲及自製程序 |
| MyDesktop.com |
covering all aspects of
Windows95/NT information, including software, reviews, tips, games,
features, and support. |
| Ms-Dos |
Brief introduction about Ms-Dos
(Chinese) |
| Widows Family |
Useful and detail information
about how to operate windows system and dos system (Chinese) |
|
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