Operating systems

An operating system (or 'OS') controls the general operation of a computer, and provides an easy way for us to interact with computers and run applications.

On some computers it is possible to run a choice of operating systems. Games consoles have their own unique operating systems.

There are a few common operating systems available:

• Mac OS X
• Linux
• Windows
• Android (based on Linux)
• iOS

Functions of the operating system

The operating system performs several key functions:

• interface - provides a user interface so it is easy to interact with the computer
• manages the CPU - runs applications and executes and cancels processes
• multi-tasks - allows multiple applications to run at the same time
• managesmemory - transfers programs into and out of memory, allocates free space between programs, and keeps track of memory usage
• managesperipherals - opens, closes and writes to peripheral devices such as storage attached to the computer
• organises - creates a file system to organise files and directories
• security - provides security through user accounts and passwords
• utilities - provides tools for managing and organising hardware