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computing ESSENTIALS     3
CHAPTER
System Software
Copyright 2003 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

2. Competencies computing ESSENTIALS     System software
Function of operating systems
Categories of operating systems
Utilities
Device drivers
Language translators
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3. Copyright 2003 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
computing ESSENTIALS    
Systems Software
Handles technical details without user intervention
Collection of programs
Operating system
Utilities
Device drivers
Language translators
System software works with application software to handle the majority of technical details like controlling where a word processor is stored in memory, converting commands to machine code, saving completed files, or printing output.
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computing ESSENTIALS    
Operating Systems
Basic functions
Manage resources
Provide user interface
Run applications
Coordinate resources such as keyboard, microphones, printers, mouse, storage devices and memory
User interface
Primarily use a windowed graphical user interface (GUI)
Run user applications - word processing, spreadsheets, databases, supporting multitasking
Windows most popular operating system
Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows CE
MAC OS – designed to run Macintosh computers
Unix – used by powerful microcomputers, servers on the Web, and minicomputers in network environment
Linux – non-proprietary operating systems that runs cross platform
The forthcoming Windows Millennium is the current proposed name for the replacement of Windows 98 SE (is this different from Windows ME?)
Copyright 2003 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

5. Operating System Categories
computing ESSENTIALS    
Operating System Categories
Many different operating systems
Three basic categories
Embedded
Network
Stand-alone
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6. Embedded Operating System
computing ESSENTIALS    
Embedded Operating System
Used in handheld computers
Stored within device in Read-Only Memory
Example
Windows CE
Palm OS
See the O’Leary CD or visit the website at for more information on Windows CE and Palm OS.
Used in PDAs and other small electronic devices.
Copyright 2003 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

7. Network Operating System
computing ESSENTIALS    
Network Operating System
Controls and coordinates linked computers
Network Server
Coordinates communication with other computers
Example
Novell NetWare
Windows NT Server
UNIX
The operating system is located on the network server’s hard disk.
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8. Stand-Alone Operating System
computing ESSENTIALS    
Stand-Alone Operating System
Desktop operating system
Controls a single desktop or laptop computer
Can be part of network
Works with network’s NOS
Client operating system
Example
Windows XP, MacOS
When the desktop OS is part of a network, it coordinates resources with the network’s NOS. It is referred to as the client operating system.
Most end users use this type of operating system.
Copyright 2003 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

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computing ESSENTIALS    
Microsoft Windows
Most popular OS for microcomputers
Designed for Intel processors
Active Desktop
Graphical user interface to OS
Windows XP, Windows 2000
Windows CE
Characteristics: multitasking; graphical user interface; active desktop (especially with XP); uses files and folders to organize information
Workstation OS use Windows XP and Windows These are based on the Windows NT engine.
Windows CE is used on PDAs and other handheld devices. This OS is embedded in ROM on the device.
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computing ESSENTIALS    
Apple MacOS
Runs on Macintosh computers
Designed for PowerPC microprocessors
OS X
Latest version OS
Aqua
Dock
Sherlock
Apple’s Operating System for Macintosh computers.
Uses PowerPC G3 and G4 microprocessors
Not as popular as Windows, but has a loyal customer base
Some features of the OS X include
Aqua – an intutitive user interface
Dock – flexible tool for organizing files
Sherlock – locate information on Web and on local system
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computing ESSENTIALS    
UNIX
Originally ran on mainframe and minicomputers
Used for large servers on the Web
Popular alternative to Windows
Several versions available
Solaris 8
Linux
UNIX was originally developed by universities, research labs such as Bell Labs (AT&T)
ARPANET was built using UNIX servers
Versions have now been ported to microcomputers
ScoUNIX, Linux, FreeBSD
Solaris 8 runs on Sun workstations
Linux and FreeBSD are available free to download.
There are different versions of Linux – Red Hat is the most popular
All run some form of GUI – X Windows is most prevalent
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computing ESSENTIALS    
Utilities
Specialized programs for system maintenance
Fix system problems
Increase system efficiency
Protect system
Utilities are specialized programs designed to make computer maintenance easier
Just designed to make your life easier
They are used to fix system problems when they arise, such as hard disk crash, device stops working
They are used to increase efficiency of the system, such as compressing files to save disk space, removing unused drivers and programs.
They protect the system from viruses, perform backups/restores of software
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computing ESSENTIALS    
Essential Utilities
Troubleshooting
Antivirus
Uninstall
Backup
File compression
Troubleshooting software recognize and correct problems, and detect potential problems. An example is
Antivirus programs guard against or clean systems from viruses, worms, and other security problems.
Uninstall programs safely remove programs and their related files from the system.
Backup programs makes copies of system and application files that can be restored in the event of computer loss.
File compression programs reduce the size of files to free up secondary storage space and to speed transmission of files across the Internet or other networks.
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computing ESSENTIALS    
Windows Utilities
Accessed from System Tools menu
Backup
Copy all or selected files
Disk Cleanup
Identifies and removes unused files
Disk Defragmenter
Locates and eliminates file fragments
It is always a good idea to backup critical files, such as documents, databases, presentations. Disk failure can happen and usually at the worst possible time.
Removing unused files restore disk space that the operating system can make use of such as for virtual memory.
Hard disks can become fragmented, that is large files are split into different locations on the hard disk. Thus, reading and writing those files become a very time consuming process. A hard disk should be defragmented periodically to maintain an optimal file access speed.
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computing ESSENTIALS    
Utility Suites
Bundle several utility programs into one package
Norton SystemWorks
McAfee Office
eSafe Desktop
Norton Utilities and McAfee are the most well know suites of utilities for Windows
Norton Utilities:
17 separate troubleshooting utilities
AntiVirus
Cleansweep
CrashGuard
Web Services
See the O’Leary Expansion CD, or visit the website at for more information
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computing ESSENTIALS    
Device Drivers
Allow devices to communicate with computer system
Loaded into memory at system start-up
New devices require new device driver
Drivers provided with operating system or from device manufacturer
Download from Web site
Device drivers - programs that work with operating system to allow communication between device(s) and rest of physical system
Usually available free of charge for download either from either the device manufacturer’s web site, or from the operating system’s web site.
Sometimes device drivers need to be updated if there has been a change in the OS or some other program that uses the device. Windows Update helps look for driver updates.
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computing ESSENTIALS    
Language Translators
Translate programming language into machine language
Words into 0’s and 1’s
Programming languages
C++, C#
Perl
Visual Basic
Java
Also known as compilers and interpreters
Compilers actually translate a code file into a separate machine code file, such as an executable file (.exe) or dynamic link library (.dll) : C++, C#, Visual Basic, Java
Interpreters translate the code “on the fly” and perform the actions immediately. No file is generated.
Examples: Perl, UNIX Shell
Programming languages, such as C++, Java, and Assembler, are run through their compilers to produce machine code, 0s and 1s, that the computer understands
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computing ESSENTIALS    
A Look to the Future
IBM concentrating research efforts on eLiza
Handle time-consuming maintenance
Autonomic computing
Self-maintaining
Self-repairing
Self-updating
Better hardware support, simpler installations, greater ease of use
Copyright 2003 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.