P2: Explain the purpose of operating systems

3 Main operating systems and pros and cons of each

Windows Mac OS X Linux

• The major advantages of windows are the availability of business applications software, support and resources.

• The high cost of matching Windows applications on other systems and the high cost of migration are the greatest barriers to change.

• Mac OS offers the advantages of less “user friction interface”, higher productivity, lower maintenance and support costs, and better security.

• Mac OS X is still the operating system of choice for graphic artists, designers and most others who work with visual and audio media.

• More secure than windows andMac OS X

• The latest and greatest hardware is typically slower to reach Linux.

Modern versions of operating systems Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux

Windows 8 Mac OS X Linux

CLI vs GUI

GUI short for Graphical User Interface, a GUI uses windows, icons, and menus to carry out commands such as opening files, deleting files , and moving files. Unlike a CLI, GUI operating systems are much easier for end-users to learn and use because commands do not need to be known or memorized.

Referred to as the command line or text interface, the CLI is a user interface that is navigated by typing commands at prompts, as opposed to using the mouse to perform a command. A command line interface requires unique commands, this interface is often more difficult to learn because of the need to memorize dozens of different commands. However, a command line operating system can be a very valuable resource and should not be ignored.

CLI GUI

Ease of use Because of the memorization and familiarity needed to operate a command line interface new users find it much more difficult to successfully navigate and operate a command line interface.

Although new users may have a difficult at time learning to use the mouse to operate and use a GUI most users pick up this interface much easier when compared to a command line interface.

Control Users have much more control of their file system and operating system in a command line interface. For example, users can easily copy a specific type of file from one location to another with a one-line command.

Although a GUI offers plenty of control of a file system and operating system often advanced users or users who need to do specific tasks may need to resort to a command line to complete a particular task.

Multitasking Although many command line environments are capable of multitasking they do not offer the same ease and ability to view multiple things at once on one screen.

Windows that enable a user to easily view, control, and manipulate multiple things at once

Appearance CLIs usually do not change in their appearance which in turn means once a user got familiar with the Interface/Command there is no need get familiarized every now and then the CLI appearance changes again.

GUIs for particular programs tend to change often —mostly with every major release version. Thus a user has to invest time over and over again each time the GUI changes in order to become familiar again.

Speed Because command line users only need to use their keyboards to navigate a command line interface and often only need to execute a few lines to perform a task an advanced command line interface user is mostly able to get something done much faster then an advanced GUI user.

A GUI may be easier to use because of the mouse, however using a mouse and/or keyboard to navigate and control your operating system for many things is going to be much slower then someone who is working in a command line environment.

Resources A computer that is only using the command line takes a lot less of the computers resources. Also, with CLIs there is no need to install a graphical layer at all onto a computer system which saves a lot of resources e.g. storage space.

A GUI will require a lot more system resources because of each of the elements that need to be loaded such as icons, fonts, etc. In addition video drivers, mouse drivers, and other drivers that need to be loaded will also take additional resources.

Operating systems

What is an Operating System?

The Operating system (OS) is the most important program that runs on a computer. Every general-purpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers. For larger systems, the operating plays a even more important role, it ensures that programs and users running at the same time to do not interfere with each other. The operating system is also responsible for security, ensuring that unauthorized users do not access the system.