Computer Operating System Report

This is a report on Computer Operating Systems. In this report, the author will define what is the Computer Operating System, the history of Computer Operating System and identify its functions and describes how Computer Operating System carries out these functions. This report will also describe briefly the differences between Windows operating systems and Unix Operating systems.

It is important to note that almost all modern computer systems use some type of Operating System, depending on the requirements of that system, so it’s important program that will be found many computer systems.

What Is the Computer Operating System

Computer Operating System is the software program that manage computer resources. It is the software program that

Computers were experimental machines that run one program that was manually loaded. Computer users were required to write code, machine level instructions to implement these programs.

The first operating system was introduced by General Motors Research Laboratories in 1950s and was referred to as single-stream batch processing system, because tasks were executed in groups or batch, one at a time. However, in 1960s, there was a development of multiprogramming and timesharing operating systems that allows the running of several tasks by different users at once by assigning a specific time period for each user. Though these were still using batch processing system, they improved the use of computer resources by allowing the running of more than one task at one time.

These early Computer Systems were mainly mainframe and minicomputer which were primarily owned by large institutions and required large storage space. It was the development of Large Scale Integration Circuit Chip in 1970s that allows for microprocessor or microchip technology, which put the operating system into a personal computer. The earliest operating systems developed for personal computer were CP/M (Control Program for Micro) and MS DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) by Intel and Microsoft respectively. Microprocessor advanced to point where personal computer were very powerful as the

Multi user multi tasking operating system; these operating systems allows multiple users to simultaneous runs applications on a single computer. These operating ensure that the problem with one user does not affect the other by allocating appropriate and separate resources to each user. Example of this operating system is Unix.

4. Real-time operating system; these operating systems interact directly with users and reply in real time or almost immediately with required information. Most real-time operating system are used for process control, like the Air Traffic Control, where events must be responded to in real time.

The Difference between Unix Operating System and Windows Operating System

The main difference between Unix Operating System and Windows Operating System is that Unix is Open Source, which means users can edit it, change the code and do almost anything with it whereas Windows is not. Windows operating system source code was created by Microsoft and users can edit or change it.

The table below shows the difference between Windows Operating System and Unix Operating System.

Unix Windows

All users have access to the source code of the operating system. Users do not have access to the source code of windows operating