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Operating System
Chapter
01
Your Aim
to learn about:
What is an Operating System? Why do we need an Operating System?
Functions of an Operating System Types of Operating Systems
What is a User Interface? A comparison between CUI and GUI
A computer system is a combination of hardware and software. If any of these components are
missing, then the computer will not work properly. The physical components of the computer system
that we can see and touch are called hardware. Some examples of hardware are the keyboard,
mouse, monitor, etc., whereas software is a program or collection of programs that perform a
particular task. Both hardware and software are interdependent parts of the computer system.
Software can be further divided into two categories:
System Software: This is the software that helps control all the
operations of the computer system. It helps run other software
on the computer system. Some examples of system software are
Operating System (OS), utility software, and Basic Input/Output
System (BIOS).
Application Software: Application software is a program
developed to perform a specific task. This type of software allows
users to do their work more efficiently and easily. For example,
Tally software is used for accounts-related tasks in organisations,
and Microsoft Word is used for day-to-day work such as typing
letters and documents.
WHAT IS AN OPERATING SYSTEM?
An operating system is a system software that works as a mediator
between the user and the computer hardware. A computer cannot
function without an operating system. The operating system helps
users give instructions to all the parts of the computer system and
also helps users understand the results produced by the computer. Some of the most commonly
known operating systems are Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Linux.
Operating System 7

