System Software Provides GUI Manages the resources of the computer system Defines the Software Platform Components of System Software Operating system - controls the use of hardware resources, External and Internal Utilities --supplement the system Device Drivers - control peripheral devices

Operating System RTOS Single User/Single tasking Single User/Multi-tasking Multi-User

Popular OS DOS Windows 3.x (operating environments) , 3.1, 3.11 Windows 95 (improved GUI, more efficient multitasking) 1995 Windows 98 (more internet integration, easier to add devices (Upgrade to Windows 95) 1998 Windows ME 2000 (upgrade to WIndows98) Windows XP 2001 Windows NT (designed for networks looks just like Windows) 1996 Windows 2000 (faster performance, networking version (Server family), start menu displays only apps use most frequently), preview multimedia files in Windows before opening) 2000 Windows Vista (Longhorn) Released to general public (2007) Unix, Linux Network OS (NOS) Windows NT Server, Windows 2000 Server, UNIX, Linux, Solaris Embedded (Palm OS, Windows CE)

Editions Starter Home Basic Home Premium Business Enterprise Ultimate (Need 1 GB to 2 GB of memory) Price ranges from $ (upgrades) $ (full version) Aero Graphics Change saturation, color, and level of transparency

Vista, A First Look… A redesigned Start Menu in Windows Vista lets users start typing the name of the application they wish to open.

Treeview Easier to Navigate without all those Submenus

Searching Files

A First Look… The Pictures and Video folder in Windows Vista contains new information about a picture, including the type of camera used and a user- assigned rating.

Parental Control Options

Operating System A set of programs containing instructions that coordinate all activities among hardware resources Allows you to run applications software Some applications run on multiple platforms (cross-platform) Kernel Memory-resident

Terminology Software Platform Cross-Platform Memory resident Single User/Single Tasking Multi Tasking Multi User Multi Processing Fault Tolerant Systems

Features of an Operating System Memory Mgt (optimize RAM) VM (Virtual Memory) Swap File, Paging, Thrashing Handling Print Jobs Buffer, Spooling, Print Spooler Configuring Devices Monitoring System Performance Security

Booting a Computer Power Supply CPU chip resets itself and looks for the BIOS ROM (basic input output system) BIOS executes the POST(power on self test) Results are compared to CMOS BIOS looks for boot program that holds the OS Boot program is executed and loads the kernel of the OS OS takes control OS loads registry (configuration information), device drivers are loaded Remainder of OS is loaded, icons appear, Start UP folder is executed and display is set