1.5) The purpose and functionality of Operating Systems (lesson 1) Flashcards
What are the two different types of system software?
- operating system
- utility software
What is the purpose of an operating system?
Provides a platform on which users can run programs
what is utility software
used to maintain the computer system
Systems software is software that governs the computer system. By :
- controls the hardware, including any peripherals
- allows other programs (applications) to run
- provides an interface for the user to interact with the computer
- maintains the system
Operating systems have many functions, what are they ?
- controlling hardware components
- providing a platform for software to run on
- providing a
user interface - multitasking facilities
- managing the computer’s memory
- managing peripherals
- managing files
- managing users
Give some examples of Operating Systems
- Microsoft Windows
- Apple OS X
- Linux
- Android
- IOS
what are peripherals ?
A piece of hardware that connects to a computer, eg a mouse, keyboard, printer or scanner
what is a user interface ?
A user interface is a program, or suite of programs that allows a user to interact with a computer. There are three types of interface to be considered. (GUI, command line, menu drive interface, natural language)
Use of Graphical User Interface:
(GUI)
- Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointers (WIMP)
- Visual
- Interactive
- Intuitive
- Optimised for mouse and gesture input
Use of command line:
- Text based
- Less resource heavy compared to a GUI
- More commands than a GUI
- Efficient
- For advance users
- Useful for automating processes with scripts
Use of Menu Drive Interface:
- Successive menus presented to the user
- Single option chosen at each stage
- Often with buttons on a keypad
Use of Natural Language:
- Responds to questions in a spoken language
- Not always reliable but improving all the time
What type of software is needed to control the computer’s hardware?
systems software
The following is not a type of Systems Software:
- Device Drivers
- Utility Programs
- Applications
- Operating Systems
Applications
To allow a user to interact with an Operating System – it must have a…?
User interface
