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The three most common operating systems for
personal computers are Microsoft Windows,
Mac OS and Linux. Other known names are
iMac, UNIX and DOS.
Types of operating systems
Functions of an Operating System
Operating system performs three types of functions:
Manages computer resources
Coordinates memory, processes storage and printers
Monitors systems performance
Provides security
Starts-up the computer
Provides Character User Interface (CUI) or Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Runs applications through
Multitasking
Foreground and background applications
Programming Software
Do you know It is the software used by the computer to understand and convert the instructions from
programming language to machine language. Programming and computer software, founded
in 1975, is devoted to provide solutions to problems in all areas of computer science– operating
systems, compiler technology, software engineering, artificial intelligence, etc. Examples of
programming software are:
Assembler: An assembler is a program used to translate assembly language into machine
language so that the computer can understand it.
Compiler: A compiler is a software that converts the entire source program into machine
language before executing it. It displays the errors for the whole program together.
Interpreter: An interpreter is also a separate program that converts the entire source
program into machine language before executing it. An interpreter translates and executes
one statement at a time. It displays the errors one line at a time and it goes to the next line
only after the error is corrected.
Utility Software
Utility software are provided as a part of operating system. They are specifically designed to
manage the computer hardware, operating system and application software. Some of the utility
software are:
Backup Utility: It is used for keeping the backup files for emergency. Windows Backup and
Restore is the default Windows backup utility.
Data Compression Program: It is used to compress a large
file into a file of smaller size so that it occupies less space and
is easy to store. Winzip and Winrar are examples of these
software. Winzip Winrar
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