OPERATING SYSTEM (PART 2)

Usually different computers are dependent on a set of machine code that is standard and is different for different microprocessors. The operating system removes this difficulty and provides a set of standard commands to user, which are not machine dependent. Even though an operating system is usually invisible, it is essential for every computer system to have an operating system. The operating systems can be classified as:-

• Single User Operating Systems
• Multi User Operating Systems

The brief systems does the following jobs:-

• It provides an interface between the user and the computer
• It controls access to the machine
• It works with ROM to start up or "Boot" the computer
• It schedules on efficient use of the CPU while eliminating the need for human intervention
• It manages data and information in internal memory
• It manages files on secondary storage, making them available as needed while providing security to multiple user
• It provides a palte form to run other software programme
• It manages peripheral devices such as printer, disk drives, and tapes drives

A platform defines a standard for which software packages are developed to run. A platform is defined by two basic elements:-

1. The processor (for example intel Pentium or Power PC) and
2. The operating system (for example MS DOS or Windows)

Generally, software created to run on one platform is not compatible with any other platform and therefore cannot run on any other platforms.

A single system can however be configured to run under different platforms like MS DOS, Windows 98, 2000, 2007. The selection of a platform is important because it establishes boundaries for what you can and cannot do with your computer system. Before choosing a platform consider the following:

• Availability of oppropriate commercial applications software for the platform
• Compatibility of platform with existing hardware, software and expertise

SINGLE USER OPERATING SYSTEMS

Single user operating systems are used on individual systems or computer. This type of operating system is used only on personal computers or microcomputers and is installed on all individual machines. Each system is designed for a specific microprocessor. Some of the most widely used single user are:-

• MS-DOS or Microsoft DOS
• PC DOS
• Machintosh System
• DOS Shell
• OS/2
• Windows

All the above operating systems reside on disks and hence are called (DOS).

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WHAT IS OPERATING SYSTEM

A computer is a digital electronic device. Hence to perform vaoius operatings it can accept commands only in digital form. There is a need to have an organized collection of programme that controls the over all operations of a computer. Thus software that enables the communication between the user and the computer system as a whole is called an operating system. It interprets the users commands into a language which the machine can understand, and executes the instructions and helps the computer to handle vaious peripheral devices such as keyboard, monitor, floppy disk drive, hard disk drive, the printer and the other devices. For example, the operating system must monitor the keyboard to determine when a key has been pressed to provide input to the computer. It must also manage the monitor screen and printer to provide output from the computer. The operating system provides link between the user and the computer and enables the user to have complete control over the computer system by giving certain commands from the keyboard or any other input device. The operating system is a set of system programme, known as control programme or supervisor, which resides all the times in the memory (RAM) of a computer and controls all the comonents of a computer system as soon as computer is turned on. Through the use of operating system, the user delegates part of his burden of data processing to the computer itself to achieve high efficiencies of which the processing systems are capable.

FUNCTIONS OF THE OPERATING SYSTEM

According to the facilities provided by operating systems, these range from simple systems to complex ones. The philosophy underlying the operating system is that the computer should perform such jobs of an operator, which it can do faster and more accurately. The operating system remaining in the background performs tasks that are essential for the efficient functioning of the computer system such as:

• Controlling Basic Input and Output Devices
• Allocating System Resources
• Managing Storage Space
• Maintaining Security
• Detection of Equimpment Failure

Various types of operating system have been developed to provide the computer user with a workable system for different purposes such as multiprogramming, multiprocessing, batch processing, remote processing, etc.

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VARIETY OF SOFTWARES

Represents a recent entry into the prepackaged software race. As the name implies, integrated software packages combine or integrate, a number of individual software packages into a single larger programme having two types of integrating software

• Horizontal Integration and
• Vertical Integration

HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION

Describes the combination of application packages such as word processor, data manager, spreadseet and graphic pakcages into one pakcage that can share data. The ability to combine and pass data between application packages makes integrated software very useful.

VERTICAL INTEGRATION

Refers to the enhancement of a single package. For example adding a spelling programme dictionary or thesaurus to a word processor would be considered vertical integration.

BUSINESS SOFTWARE

A second major application software vategory, business software, helps organizations efficiently accomplish routine tasks. Often, buiness software is divided into two categories, horizontal market softwae and vertical market software. Horizontal market software refers to generic software packages that can be used by many different kinds of businesses. Accounting and payroll applications are good examples of horizontal market software. Every business needs to maintain a set of books to track income and expenses. Accounting software is designed to computerized the book keeping tasks typically required in most businesses. Almost every business has employees and needs to maintain payroll records. Payroll software keeps track of employee hours and produces the reports required by the government for income tax reporting.

ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE

Entertainment software is designed to entertain you. With entertainment software, you can play cards, fly a simulated jet, play 18 holes of golf, solve a Sherlock Holmes mystery, battle monsters, or explore nre worlds.

EDUCATION AND REFERENCE SOFTWARE

Education and reference software is designed to help you learn more about a particular tpoic. One type of education software called CAI (computer aided instruction), or tutorial software, can help you learn how to do things, for example, how to type, how to fix your car, how to use your word processor, how to speak French, or how to prepare for the GMAT exam. Educational simulations let you work with a computerized model of something in the real world, manipulate it, and see what happens. For example, some College and Universities use computerized simulations in introductory chemistry classes and students can experiment with chemical reactions without using real, and sometimes dangerous, mixtures. Reference software, such as electronic encyclopedias, can also help you lool up facts an any topic.

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WORD PROCESSING SOFTWARE

Helps your to produce documents such as reports, letters, papers and manuscripts. Word processing can involve a number of different activities, but generally these activities can be categorized as either text editing or print formating. In the text editing process, text is entered into the computer via a keyboard. You can edit your work using insert a deleted keys. You can also move text to improve the logical flow of concepts of you document.

The second category of word processing activity, print formating occurs when the word processor communicates with the printer through the computer system and tells the printer how to print the text. Some of the more common print formating features found in Word processors is margin settings, lines spacing, centering, automatic paging, character enhancements and headers and footers. Character enhancement features may allow the user to underline, italicizw, boldface, subscript or superscript tex within a document.

SPREDSHEET SOFTWARE

Helps you to work with numbers. An electronic spreadsheet is a computerized version of traditional spreadseet used by accountants for performing financial calculators and recording transactions. An electronic spreadsheet is a table of rows and cloumn used to store and manipulate any kind of numerical data.

The point shere a row nd a column meet is called a cell. Each cell is a unique location. You enter number and formula in the cells and the computer automatically performs the calculations.

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Helps you to work with facts and figures. Data managers are application software packages that computerize everyday tasks of recording and filing information. With data manager, data is recorded with the aid of a computer and is stored on the computer's secondary storage devices where it can accessed. They can be used to keep a personal property inventory, creating a list of important documents, creating a mailing list and keeping a computerized address book and phone listing. They offer a way to keep organized, readily accessible records.

GRAPHIC SOFTWARE

Draw a pictures, 3-D images and animatins. Graphic software allows you to convert data into meaningful diagram or graphs such as pie chart, graphs and bar charts, graphics software ranges from business to artistic user. If you have limited artistic ability, you can use graphic software to retrieve pre-drawn clip art images, which you can modify.

COMMUNICATION SOFTWARE

Allows your computer to talk to other computers. Communication software is the key that unlocks the door to a new world of information and information related services. With communication software, a microcomputer become more than a small stand alone computer. It becomes capable of interacting with a remote computer may be located in the next room of in New York. It provides you computerized mailbox that collects documents or mail you receive from other computers. It enables the transfer of files between a PC and another computer. It also allows you to send/receive faxes directly.

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