Operating system software LO1 - Understand the components of computer systems

Name

as many operating systems as you

can.

Starter

Look

at operating system software

◦ Develop knowledge of GUI and Command line interfaces ◦ Research the advantages and disadvantages of popular operating systems.

Objectives

An

operating system is the most important software that runs on a computer.

It

manages the computer's memory, processes, and all of its software and hardware. It

also allows you to communicate with the computer without knowing how to speak the computer's "language."

What is an operating system?

When

you boot a computer three things happen.. Tests

are ran to make sure everything is working correctly

Checks
It

for new hardware are carried out

then starts up the operating system

What does it do?

Once

the operating system has started up, it manages all of the software and hardware on the computer.

Most

of the time, there are many different programs running at the same time, and they all need to access your computer's central processing unit (CPU), memory, and storage

The

operating system coordinates all of this to make sure each program gets what it needs.

What does it do?

Most

modern operating systems use a GUI
(gooey)

These

are sometimes called WIMP
(windows, icons, mouse and pointer) and reflect how the user can interact with the operating system.

Graphical user interface (GUI)

GUI interface

Advantages
•

GUI are easier for novices

•

Only valid options are available •

Consistent layout

•

•

Disadvantages
•

Use more main & secondary memory •

Require a more powerful processor and better graphics display •

Slower executing a command because more interpretation is need

•

Can be too many steps to take for expert users

•

Complex to design

Comprehensive on-line help Can be customised by the user  The

system provides a command prompt (e.g. C:\>) where the user can type a command which runs a program or carries out housekeeping activities (e.g. copy a file, check IP settings)

Command line operating system



Advantages



Disadvantages

◦

Easy to implement on basic displays

◦

Unsuitable for inexperienced users

◦

Cheap to produce

◦

Command language errors can be made by user

◦

Suitable for rapid expert use ◦

Command language must be learnt & remembered

◦

System interaction is limited to the keyboard

The

operating system is at the heart of any computer system and there are various operating systems on offer.

The

most popular are

◦ Dos
◦ Linux
◦ Windows
◦ MAC OS

Operating systems

Any

hardware connects to the mother board runs through a driver before it connects to the operating system



Task sheet

Disk

operating system

Developed
Used

DOS

by Microsoft for IBM

a command line interface

Disadvantages

Advantages
 Extremely

small installation footprint

 Allows

direct access to hardware  Universally

compatible with all PC’s

 Uses

very little system resources Vs.

DOS
Windows

 Out-dated

now – not compatible with new software

 Only

one application can run at once

 Uses

command line so difficult to use unless trained/experienced  Max

of 2gb of HDD can be addressed  Produced

by Microsoft which was invented by Bill

Gates
 Invented

as an add-on to DOS

 Is

the most widely used OS on the planet 91% in 2009

 It

uses a GUI and WIMP (windows icon mouse pointer)

 There

have been many different versions of Windows, but the most recent ones are Windows 8 (released in
2012), Windows 7 (2009), and Windows
Vista (2007).

Windows

Advantages
◦ Use

of windows is widespread and a huge amount of commercial software is compatible Disadvantages
◦

Source code is closed

◦

Often buggy

◦

Not secure enough for high end security needs

◦

Large difference in operation between versions

◦

Installation of later versions requires a large amount of HDD space ◦

Performance is