The operating system is a special type of program that loads automatically when you start your computer. The operating system allows you to use the advanced features of a modern computer without having to learn all the details of how the hardware works. There are a number of different types of operating system in common use. The IBM PC (Personal Computer) was introduced way back in 1981 and was originally supplied with an operating system called DOS (Disk Operating System). This operating system was very basic, and you had to be a bit of a computer expert just to understand how to use it. It was NOT user-friendly!Later on, Microsoft introduced Windows and this is the operating system that is most widely used on PCs today. To complicate matters further, there are a number of different types of Windows. The first widely used version of Windows was called Windows 3.1. This was more powerful than DOS and far easier to use. It had a Graphical User Interface (GUI), i.e. you could 'drive' it using a mouse and drop down menus. Later Windows 95/NT/98/2000/XP/Vista & Windows 7 (2009) were introduced. The good news is that later versions of Microsoft Windows look almost identical to each other and are all much easier to use than Windows 3.1. Other Graphical Operating systems also emerged based mainly on the Linux System: Mandrake/Suse/Redhat & Centos
An application program is the type of program that an operating system will use Operating systems that use a GUI include Windows 3.1, Windows 95/98/2000/XP/Vista & Windows 7, Windows NT and IBM's OS/2. Also Linux type systems: Mandriva/Redhat/ Suse/ Centos etc
The advantages of using a GUI · All programs look similar.· When you switch from a program supplied by one manufacturer to one from a different manufacturer, you will find the transition very easy.· Application programs work in the same way as the underlying operating system.· The GUI (Graphical User Interface) also allows programmers to easily write consistent looking programs.
Applications Software (programs)
. word processing applications, spreadsheets, database, you use once the operating system has been loaded. Examples include word-processing programs, (for producing letters, memos etc), spreadsheets (for doing accounts and working with numbers), databases (for organizing large amounts of information) and graphics programs (for producing pictures, advertisements, manuals etc).
Operating System Software
Tthe main functions of an operating system-. Graphical User Interface (GUI) - The main advantages of using a GUI interface.
A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is simply an additional part of the operating system that displays windows and drop down menus, and also enables you to drive your computer using a mouse. Examples of payroll, presentation tools, desktop publishing and multimedia applications.
spreadsheet applications-- Microsoft Excel/ Open Office
database applications-- Microsoft Access/ Open Office
payroll applications-- Sage software/Moneymanager Examples of presentation applications Microsoft PowerPoint / Open Office
desktop publishing applications-- Adobe Photoshop
multimedia software -- Microsoft's Encarta CD-ROM based encyclopedias.