Operating System

Computers have been around for a couple of decades now. It started as a simple system that deals with simple mathematical operations, and has evolved to penetrate even the field of medicine.This technology, which began the spark of a new revolution and a change in the way we live will continue to become an integral part of our daily living. Today, we are more dependent on computers than ever before. And since this vital system may seem to some as so complex, it is important that we understand at least a little about the basics of computers, and the fundamental aspect of it is its operating system, especially in relation to how it wold become beneficial to our lives. For the average home user, what matters most is that he or she is able to perform the simple task of browsing through the internet, checking and composing emails, and of course, word processing.

There are a number of available operating systems that suit the different needs of different people. Among them are LINUX, MAC's, open sources, and the ever popular Windows. The usefulness of an operating system is mostly dependent on how a person uses his or her computer. They all have their own advantages, as well as disadvantages. Window's maybe the most user friendly of all the options, but it is more vulnerable to viruses. While the other two options mentioned above maybe more stable, it requires a bit more technical knowledge than Windows. The end of it all is that a computer buyer has to weigh his options depending on the conditions in which the computer will be needed.

Codenamed Longhorn, after a popular bar in British Columbia the Longhorn Saloon, the Windows Vista is the next key version of the Microsoft Windows. According to Microsoft the official release of the Microsoft Vista is November 2006 for the business edition and January 2007 for the home user edition. This of course may be subject to change. The gap between the release of Vista and the current flagship operating system of Microsoft, the Windows XP, is five years making it the longest span between releases of Windows.

Microsoft promised a lot of additional features in the Windows Vista. One of them is an updated graphical user interface, also known as Aero. The networking, audio, video, and other subsystem have also been redesigned for the latest Microsoft release. Vista also promises to improve the communication between machines on a network using the famous peer-to-peer technology. This makes it easier to share files and digital media between different computers and other devices.

Last month, Microsoft made an announcement that they will release six editions of the Windows Vista. These six are: the Windows Vista Starter, the Windows Vista Home Basic, the Windows Vista Home Premium, the Windows Vista Business, the Windows Vista Enterprise, and the Windows Vista Ultimate.

Windows XP was first released in October 25, 2001; it was first named “Whistler” during its early stage of development. The XP in the name is said to be a shortcut of the word “experience.” As of this day, the Windows XP is the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system until Windows Vista is released, which is expected sometime in the latter part of 2006.

Known for its improved efficiency, the Windows XP made use of software managements to combat the difficulties that comes with conflicting DLL versions and other problems that the DLL hell presents. There are two versions of the Windows XP: the Windows XP Home Edition and the Windows XP Professional. The former was developed for home users while the latter had features added to cater to the business professionals. The features that is available for the Professional Edition which are unavailable for the Home Edition includes the Remote Desktop. This lets the users to operate a unit in a local area network or the Internet using another personal computer. The Windows XP Professional can also support two CPU’s while the Home Edition can only support one.

Computer viruses are classified based on the area they infect and the type of their programming. There are several types of computer viruses which may be classified into at least seven categories. One type of virus is the boot sector virus which infects the boot sector of a floppy disk or hard disk. This type of virus loads up when the computer is booted.

Boot sector viruses can affect the efficiency of operating systems to manage other applications by hindering the operating system to correctly run other applications. Another type of virus that may affect an operating system is the executable load virus which attaches itself to executable files. The running of that executable files may be taken over by this virus.

Most computer hackers will device a hacking program directed to the operating system of network computers. Once the operating system is invaded, the rest of the computer system can be controlled.

Easy access to application programs, document files, and even computer BIOS can be implemented when the operating system is already controlled. This is because operating systems are the software managers that allow communication between computer hardware and software in a manner that both can execute each other’s commands. When a computer operating system is infected, the rest of the system is affected.

Computer viruses are classified based on the area they infect and the type of their programming. There are several types of computer viruses which may be classified into at least seven categories. One type of virus is the boot sector virus which infects the boot sector of a floppy disk or hard disk. This type of virus loads up when the computer is booted.

Boot sector viruses can affect the efficiency of operating systems to manage other applications by hindering the operating system to correctly run other applications. Another type of virus that may affect an operating system is the executable load virus which attaches itself to executable files. The running of that executable files may be taken over by this virus.

Operating systems are the managers of computer software. Without operating sytems, computers will not function efficiently and effectively. Operating systems like the Disk Operating System (DOS), instruct a computer how to read, execute and manage a particular program or application. DOS was released by Microsoft Corporation in 1981 to go hand-in-hand with IBM computers. DOS is an operating system which is fundamentally not user-friendly. Those who want to use it need to memorize a volume of commands similar to programming. DOS is still in use today along with more modern operating systems. Windows, for example cannot function without DOS. The main advantages of DOS are simplicity and directness.

An operating system is the core software of a computer. Without an operating system a computer cannot function properly. This is because most application software relies on an operating system to function. An operating system acts as the manager and organizer of all other application software. Some examples of operating system are DOS, Windows, and Linux. Operating systems may be application specific. Hence, Windows can only run Windows-compatible software like MS-Word or Excel. Operating systems are basic to a computer for it to function and read the application programs.