1.5 The Purpose of Operating Systems Flashcards
1
Q
What does an operating system do?
A
- Provides a platform on which users can run programs
2
Q
What does utility software do?
A
- Used to maintain the computer system
3
Q
What is graphical user interface (GUI)?
A
- Windows, icons, menus, pointers
- Visual
- Interactive
- Intuitive
- Optimised for mouse and touch gesture input
4
Q
What is a command line?
A
- Text based
- Less resource heavy compared to GUI
- More commands than a GUI
- Efficient
- For advanced users
- Useful for automating processes with scripts
5
Q
What is the menu driven interface?
A
- Successive menus presented to the user
- Single options chosen at each stage
- Often with buttons on a keypad
6
Q
What is the natural language interface?
A
- Responds to questions in spoken language
- Not always reliable
- Getting better all the time
