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What is an Operating System
An operating system is a software programme required to manage and operate a computing device like smartphones, tablets, computers, supercomputers, web servers, cars, network towers, smartwatches, etc. It is the operating system that eliminates the need to know coding language to interact with computing devices. It is a layer of graphical user interface (GUI), which acts as a platform between the user and the computer hardware. Moreover, the operating system manages the software side of a computer and controls programs execution.
Here are some of the functions of an operating system:
Memory management
Memory is a crucial hardware resource for any computing device. It is the memory that keeps the program running or stay active when not in use. Here, it is the operating system that directs memory resources to different computer programmes and handles memory management for uninterrupted experience.
Processor management
If processor is the heart of computer, operating system is the brain. The operating system decides which process gets the processor resources when and for how much time. Moreover, it is the operating system that optimises processor for efficient performance.
Device management
Computer is a set of hardware and software resources. The operating system manages these resources so everything works without conflict. For this, a computer requires drivers so that the software communicate to hardware efficiently through operating system. It is the operating system, however, that manages device management.
In consumer PC segment, Microsoft Windows leads the computer operating system in June 2020 with a market share of around 77.21 per cent. It is followed by macOS by Apple Inc. in the second place with 16.97 per cent market share, and the varieties of Linux are collectively in third place with 1.84 per cent market share – according to Statcounter. In smartphone segment, Google Android leads the chart with more than 70 per cent market share, followed by Apple iOS with around 24 per cent market share – according to Statista.