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System  software  can  be  classified  into  three  categories:  Operating  System,

                  Programming Software and Utility Software.
                  Operating System

                  An operating system is the most important software that runs on a computer. It
                  manages the computer’s memory, processes data and controls all its software

                  as well as hardware. It serves as an interface between the user and the hardware.
                  Without an operating system, a computer is useless.
                  Types of operating systems: Operating systems usually come preloaded on any
                  computer you buy. Most people use the operating system that comes with their

                  computer, but it is possible to upgrade or even change the preloaded operating
                  system.

                  The three most common operating systems for personal computers are Microsoft
                  Windows, Mac OS and Linux. Other known names are iMac, UNIX and DOS.












                  Functions of an Operating System
                  An operating system performs three types of functions:

                      ✶ Manages computer resources
                        Coordinates memory and processing                      Clickipedia
                        storage
                                                                                Booting is a process that loads
                        Controls all the computer resources.
                                                                                the operating system and
                        Monitors systems performance
                                                                                prepares the system for use.
                        Provides security
                        Starts-up the computer
                      ✶ Provides user interface
                        The interface can be Character User Interface (CUI) or Graphical User Interface
                        (GUI)
                      ✶ Runs applications through

                        Multitasking
                        Foreground and background applications
                  Programming Software

                  It is the software used by the computer to understand and convert the instructions
                  by  programming language  into  machine  language  (0s and  1s).  Compilers,
                  assemblers, debuggers, interpreters, etc., are examples of programming software.




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