An operating system is a software that manages computer hardware and software resources and provides necessary services to other software applications.
Three responsibilities of an operating system are:
1. Process management: It manages and executes multiple processes, including task scheduling, memory allocation, and input/output operations.
2. File system management: It provides a way to organize and store files on storage devices, including managing access permissions, file allocation, and storage optimization.
3. Device management: It controls communication and interaction with hardware devices such as printers, keyboards, and disk drives, including device driver management and handling input/output requests.
The three most common operating systems are:
1. Microsoft Windows: It is the most widely used operating system for personal computers and provides a user-friendly graphical interface.
2. macOS: Developed by Apple Inc., it is the operating system used on Apple Macintosh computers and is known for its sleek design and seamless integration between Apple devices.
3. Linux: It is an open-source operating system that can be customized and adapted for various purposes, ranging from personal computers to servers and embedded systems.
Besides computers, operating systems can be found and used in other devices such as smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and smartwatches. They are also used in servers, mainframe computers, and supercomputers to manage vast computing resources and provide services to multiple users simultaneously.