What are Computer Operating Systems?

A computer operating system (e.g. Windows from Microsoft) is a piece of computer software that has various components. Technically, it is a collection of programs crucial to a computing device's operation.

A personal digital assistant, a Smartphone and other such handheld devices now all have their own operating systems, without which these devices will not run. In the basic personal or notebook computer, the operating system is mainly that set of programs that run and manage the operation of all components of the computer – the monitor or the display, the central processing unit, the computer peripherals, the computer hardware drivers and all the applications installed in the computer.

An operating system gives a computer the ability to adapt to changing needs and requirements; an operating system can be reconfigured or changed entirely if more complex tasks need to be done and performed such as when new programs or hardware need to be supported.

Management Tasks

The operating system's main task is to manage the resources of the computer system – particularly that of the central processing unit (CPU) and all the components of this CPU. Foremost among the resources that the operating system manages is the computer memory.

A computer uses various types of memory resources – the processor's registers, the memory cache, the RAM (or the computer's Random Access Memory), and the computer's permanent storage or hard disk. The operating system decides, according to its algorithm, which program or hardware gets priority on memory resources. The operating system therefore provides a basis for an organized and systematic use of the computer's memory.

Aside from allocating the computer's limited memory resources, the operating system is also tasked with managing all the programs that are running in the computer. These programs include the processes that the various hardware need to run (the drivers' processes) as well as the programs that run in the background or have been requested specifically by the computer user.

Modern operating systems allow the central processing unit to multitask or run multiple processes. The operating system, in truth, does not run processes simultaneously but rather switches quickly from one process to another. Processes are usually prioritized according to the operating system's process management algorithm.

Interfacing Tasks

The operating system provides a standard environment in which software can interact with computer hardware. Operating systems are usually standardized – this allows them to function as platforms around which computer applications and hardware are developed. This ensures that an application that runs in one computer will run in another computer even if the latter has different hardware and resources.

Support Tasks

The operating system also determines how files are going to be stored on the disk; particularly the file system or file hierarchy. This aids in the systematic storage of files on the hard disk. Moreover, most operating systems have support for networking protocols and internal and external computer security. Modern operating systems also have inbuilt graphical user interfaces (GUI).